In the first part of this article entitled  Quo vadis, humanitas?  we presented – in a concise way – the main documents of the Social Doctrine of the Church from the encyclical  Rerum Novarum  of Pope Leo XIII to the present day, as well as the recent documents of the Catholic Church that have served as preparatory texts for the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV entitled   Magnifica Humanitas .

It is important to highlight that the subtitle of the encyclical defines its anthropological content very well:  safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence .

I would also like to emphasize that this is an encyclical—like the most recent ones written by the last Popes of the Church—addressed to the Christian faithful, but also to all men and women of good will. In this sense,  in the current post-Christian civilization era, the Catholic Church presents itself to the world with a renewed universal message of hope, proclaiming the Gospel, offering its two-thousand-year-old Magisterium, and proposing its social doctrine as an ethical, moral, and spiritual beacon for the entire human family, also in this age of the digital revolution and artificial intelligence.

The  index  that we will develop in this second part of the article is the following:

I. THE CITY OF MAN (BABEL) AND THE CITY OF GOD (JERUSALEM ) .  Two paths before us in this changing era to remain human.

II. FOUNDATIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH . To embody the love of God in the concrete fabric of history.

III. THE GREATNESS OF THE HUMAN PERSON.  The true human being in the face of the promises of transhumanism and artificial intelligence.

IV. PROTECTING HUMANITY.  The dignity of the person as the criterion for all progress and transformation.

V. BUILDING THE CIVILIZATION OF LOVE.  The conversion of the heart to be builders of peace and communion.

VI. MAGNIFICENT HUMANITY.  The song of hope of the  “Magnificat”.

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I. THE CITY OF MAN (BABEL) AND THE CITY OF GOD (JERUSALEM).

Two paths lie before us in this changing era to remain human.

The encyclical  Magnifica humanitas  begins with the following statement:

“The magnificent humanity that God has created is today faced with a decisive choice: to build a new Tower of Babel or to build the city where God and humanity live together.”

In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that “each generation receives as its inheritance the task of shaping its own time: to bring history to maturity as a place where the  dignity of every person is protected, justice is promoted  , and fraternity  is made possible  . But in every age there is a risk of building an inhuman and more unjust world. Where humanity is in danger of losing its face, we Christians raise our eyes to the God who became flesh, knowing that  the mystery of man is only truly revealed in the mystery of the Incarnate Word . In Jesus Christ, this magnificent humanity finds the way, the truth, and the life, opening to each of us the path to grow to fullness.”

The Pope makes it clear from the outset that  technology should not be considered, in itself, as an antagonistic force with respect to the person ; on the contrary, it is rooted in our history from the beginning, insofar as it is a profoundly human fact linked to the autonomy and freedom of man.

However, in the current stage, we find ourselves facing a new situation, in which the power and omnipresence of emerging technologies are interwoven with the fabric of daily life, shaping decision-making processes and profoundly influencing the collective imagination.  “Never before has humanity had so much power over itself ,” states Leo XIV.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to face the challenges of our time with clarity and responsibility. We must realistically ask ourselves  who wields immense techno-scientific power today and toward what ends they direct it .

Currently, technological power is acquiring an unprecedented, predominantly private face, with corporate and transnational actors endowed with resources and capacity for action superior to those of many governments, and therefore even more difficult to discern, govern and guide towards the common good.

For this reason, the Pope says, “it is necessary to initiate a  shared discernment  capable of delving into the spiritual and cultural roots of the transformations that are taking place.”

We are living through a rapid phase of transition, a  change of era , which forces us to ask ourselves the following crucial questions: Where are we going? What goal do we wish to pursue? What direction should we choose as a human community and as nations?

To answer these questions, and to discern how to live responsibly in the age of AI, Leo XIV evokes two biblical images:  the building of the tower of Babel  (Gen 11:1-9) and  the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem  (Neh 2-6) in a clear reference to the  city of man  and the  city of God   developed by St. Augustine.

The project to build the Tower of Babel concealed a profound deception: it is a  work conceived without reference to God , sustained by a uniformity that eliminates diversity and, instead of communion, chooses  homogenization . When a city is built on pride and the pretension of self-sufficiency, the Pope asserts, “communication breaks down, languages ​​become confused, and human beings no longer understand one another. The result is not unity, but dispersion.”

The  Babel syndrome  , which involves a disastrous  idolatry of power , thus reveals the limit of any construction that, however grandiose, arises from the absolutization of the human and the pretension of self-sufficiency, sacrifices the dignity of people for the sake of efficiency, and aspires to reach heaven without God’s blessing.

In contrast, the Pope shows us the  “path of Nehemiah”  of  shared responsibility . In the biblical account, the city of Jerusalem, in ruins and with its walls collapsed at the time of the Jewish people’s return from the Babylonian exile, is rebuilt under the leadership of Nehemiah through the shared responsibility of the entire people. It is a work that places  God at its center  and  rebuilds bonds  even before the stones are laid. Ancient Jerusalem thus recovers a common language, not that of uniformity but that of  communion : the harmony that arises when each person assumes their part and the entire people recognize that their strength comes from the Lord.

In light of these two images, Leo XIV shows us how the  Holy Spirit  challenges us today about our relationship with technology and the ongoing digital revolution.

 “Technology is not neutral, because it takes on the face of the one who conceives it ,” the Pope affirms.

That is why the first choice is not between a “yes” or a “no” to technology, but between building Babel (in our time, a  technological Babel ) or rebuilding Jerusalem (the city of God, that is, the  civilization of love ).

Thus, the Pope urges us to “avoid the ‘Babel syndrome’: the idolatry of technology and profit that sacrifices the weak, the uniformity that flattens differences, the pretension of a single language—even a digital one—capable of translating everything, even the mystery of the person, into data and returns.” This is the risk of  dehumanization.

Leo proposes that we choose the “path of Nehemiah,” which highlights the  shared work  of making the City of God a safe place. “Today, rebuilding means recognizing that, in the plurality of voices and visions that sometimes recalls the dispersion of languages, there is, nevertheless, a luminous possibility: that of building together, transforming diversity into a resource and making listening and dialogue the common ground in which to grow in justice and fraternity.” In this way, Christians direct their actions toward God, building toward the good, accepting the limitations and fragility of humanity without considering them a mistake to be corrected.

Today, the Pope says, “ the  desire for the fullness of the human being  runs the risk of being diverted towards deceptive goals: the illusion of a technology that promises to free us from all fragility or models of well-being that leave entire peoples behind.”

Continuing with the analogy of “Nehemiah’s road,” the encyclical shows us how each of us is responsible for “rebuilding our section of the wall”: scientists and researchers, business leaders and workers, educators and legislators, civil society, popular movements, and faith communities. This is the logic of subsidiarity, which values ​​cooperation.

At that point in the document, the Pope declares that  “we have the urgent duty to remain profoundly human, lovingly guarding that magnificent humanity which has been given to us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, and which no machine can ever replace in its splendor.”

II. FOUNDATIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.

To embody God’s love in the concrete fabric of history.

Artificial intelligence is causing a transformation that challenges the categories of  the Church’s social doctrine from within  and demands its further development, in fidelity to the Gospel.

Regarding the  role of the Church , the Holy Father  explains that it “stands alongside the world without imposing itself upon it, so that in every human event the promise of justice and peace that the Holy Spirit continues to stir in the heart of humanity may take root.” In this sense, God accompanies the freedom of human beings throughout the course of history.

“History is one of the places where the Church allows itself to be instructed by the Holy Spirit on the humanizing scope of the gospel and learns to adapt its teaching to the service of the dignity of each person and the good of the peoples,” as the encyclical explains.

The Church considers as companions on the journey all those who sincerely seek  “truth, goodness, and beauty,”  regards them as “precious allies” in defending the  dignity of every person  and in  safeguarding creation . The Church, enlightened by the wisdom of the Word, does not fear encountering human knowledge.

In this way, the Church, through its social doctrine, offers support for  community discernment , helping to recognize and promote what contributes to the dignity of people, the vitality of communities, and the good of all.

According to Leo XIV, the Social Doctrine of the Church “is not a manual of principles and norms to be applied, but a path of communal discernment. It arises from the encounter between the eternal truth of the Gospel and the questions of history, it allows itself to be challenged by the signs of the times, and it is nourished by the contribution of the sciences, cultures, and human experiences.”

In the first chapter of the encyclical, the Pope gives a comprehensive review of the contributions of his predecessors in relation to the configuration of the Social Doctrine of the Church up to the present day.

The document states that the Church’s social doctrine “is the result of a patient process, in which each Pope—together with the Second Vatican Council—has made an original contribution in light of the  ‘new issues’  of his time. Each, taking on the challenges of his era and interpreting historical changes in the light of the Gospel, has highlighted different aspects of a unique heritage:  the dignity of the human person, the value of work, the universal destination of goods, solidarity and subsidiarity, care for creation, and the centrality of peace and fraternity .”

In the second chapter, the encyclical focuses on the foundations and principles of the Church’s social doctrine, which is a living reality, in dialogue with history, cultures and sciences, and at the same time, retains a core of truth that does not decline.

Leo XIV states that currently,  “in order to safeguard the human person in the age of AI, we must reflect again on the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity and social justice.”

In the encyclical, the Pope reminds us that  human beings are made in the image and likeness of the Triune God.  In this sense, “the mystery of man is only truly revealed in the mystery of the Incarnate Word.” Each person, constitutively made for relationship, is conceived and willed by God to enter into a history of communion with Him, with others, and with creation. From this follows:

• The equal dignity of all human beings.
• The extremely high value of human rights .

Leo XIV points out that “it is important to be vigilant so that this  growth in awareness of human dignity  is not obscured by the pressure of new ideologies or certain powerful interests in today’s world. Among these ideologies, I consider particularly insidious the one that suggests that every person must earn or justify their own worth, to the point of attributing greater value to those who are more efficient and productive. From such a perspective, the person ends up being reduced to a means to achieve results, a resource to be used and exploited, and is not recognized as an end in themselves, never to be instrumentalized. But the value of the person does not depend on what they do or produce;  there are rights that belong to everyone simply by virtue of being a person .”

The ontological dignity to which the Pope refers is the dignity that belongs to every human being simply by virtue of existing, of having been willed, created, and loved by God.  Dignity is not acquired; it is given by God .

On the other hand, the Church, through the Pope, recognizes that the movement toward identifying and proclaiming human rights is one of the most significant efforts to respond effectively to the essential demands of human dignity. And in this regard, the Pope recalls that the first human right is the  right to life from conception to natural death .

The document details and specifies the  principles of the Social Doctrine :

• The principle of the common good.
• The principle of the universal destination of goods.
• The principle of subsidiarity.
• The principle of solidarity.
• The principle of social justice.

The  common good  is the social expression of the dignity recognized in each person. According to the Second Vatican Council, the common good is defined as “the sum total of those conditions of social life which allow individuals and groups to achieve their fullest and easiest fulfillment.”

Among the many implications of the common good, the principle of the universal destination of goods  immediately stands out  . This principle reminds us that the goods of the earth—the soil, the air, the water, and natural resources—have been given by God to the entire human family to sustain the life of all, today and in future generations, and that every person has an inherent right to the use of these goods. Today we are called to recognize that this universal destination refers not only to material goods, but also to intangible and cultural goods.

And in that vein, currently, among the goods that are universally intended for everyone, we must also include new forms of property: patents, algorithms, digital platforms, technological infrastructures, data, etc.

Another principle of the Church’s social doctrine, the  principle of subsidiarity,  stems from the same vision of the person that has guided the Church’s reflection on dignity and the common good. According to this principle, what can be done by individuals, families, local communities, and intermediate bodies should not be absorbed by higher authorities. Higher institutions must recognize, protect, and promote the freedom and creativity of lower levels, coordinating their contributions so that they cooperate effectively for the common good.

This principle also applies in the context of the digital revolution, where the highest level is not the State, but rather any major economic and technological actor that wields de facto power over the conditions of everyday life. Subsidiarity, in this context, requires that processes be oriented toward the common good through transparency, accountability, and genuine forms of participation, via fair rules and effective safeguards.

In the encyclical, the Pope states that “in decisions concerning economic flows, digital platforms, data management and algorithms, it is not possible to allow a few actors alone to guide the processes, but it is necessary to build  forms of cooperation  that respect the various levels of the global community and make them co-responsible for the common good.

For its part, the  principle of solidarity  stems from the vision of person conceived by faith: every human being is created in the image of God and incorporated into a network of relationships that link him to others, to peoples and to creation.

The Church has always maintained that the obligations of solidarity, justice and charity are rooted in the  human and supernatural fraternity  that unites men and peoples among themselves.

There is also a  link between development, justice, and responsibility towards future generations  that requires intergenerational solidarity and attention to the ties that bind us to the natural environment.

“Like the natural environment, the  “digital ecosystem”  can be cared for or exploited, shared or monopolized. Solidarity requires that decisions regarding data, algorithms, platforms and AI take into account not only the immediate benefit of some, but the impact on all peoples and future generations,” says Pope Leo XIV.

On the other hand, for the Christian community,  social justice is   a concrete way of following Jesus and remaining faithful to his Gospel. Justice is born and realized in fraternity, because the way we approach the least among us and relate to them becomes, in concrete terms, the measure of our relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters.

Social justice, the encyclical states, is recognized in the capacity of a social, economic, and political order that allows everyone—and especially the most vulnerable—to live a truly human life, leaving no one behind. In this sense, the Church speaks of the  “preferential option for the poor”  and denounces the  “throwaway culture”  that is giving rise to ever more new forms of exclusion.

According to the Pope, a  just social order  in the digital age  “is one that guarantees everyone equal access to opportunities, protects the most vulnerable and the least fortunate, opposes hatred and disinformation, and subjects the use of data and technologies to public control, so that the criterion is not only profit but also the dignity of each person and the good of all peoples.” A crucial test for social justice today, according to Leo XIV, is the plight of migrants and refugees in our societies.

In short, the principles of the Social Doctrine become concrete criteria for discernment in the areas subsequently addressed by the encyclical.

On the other hand, the Church affirms that development is authentic development only if it is “integral”, that is, directed to promote all men and the whole man.

Thus,  “integral human development”  – as defined by Pope Benedict XVI – is “that process in which the growth of people and nations encompasses all dimensions of existence and opens the future also to future generations.”

Development is integral – says the encyclical – when it is not reduced to the economic sphere, but promotes the  quality of life in its spiritual, cultural, moral and relational dimensions , with respect for the common home, the diversity of peoples and their ways of living.

The  quality of development , the document says, “is measured by its capacity to keep together, without separating, justice towards people and the care of the common home, promoting conditions of dignified living, access to necessary goods, just social relations, care for creation and attention to future generations.”

The encyclical tells us that integral human development is the horizon within which the transformations of our time, including those of the digital revolution, must be interpreted.  Technological innovations—including artificial intelligence—are not neutral: they can increase participation and justice, or widen inequalities, control, and exclusion.

III. THE GREATNESS OF THE HUMAN PERSON.

The true human being versus the promises of transhumanism and artificial intelligence.

The Pope challenges us to ask ourselves about the great project of our time:  what are we building?

While technological development is rapidly changing languages, relationships, institutions, and forms of power, according to the Pope,  Christians must and can choose which project to work on and with what style to safeguard and value the magnificent humanity that has been given to us as a gift.

In the encyclical  Laudato Si’,  Pope Francis denounced the  growing entrenchment of a technocratic paradigm in the globalized world : the tendency to let the  logic of efficiency, control and profit  govern personal, social and economic decisions on its own.

This makes it even clearer, the Pope points out, that “technology is not a simple instrument and that, when it becomes a criterion, it ends up establishing what counts and what can be discarded, reducing creation to an object of exploitation and people to cogs in a system that is increasingly efficient.”

This technocratic paradigm has spread rapidly in recent years, also as a result of the  spread of  artificial intelligence, cognitive science, nanotechnology, robotics, and biotechnology.

In themselves, these innovations can be a great help to integral human development and the care of our common home. But precisely because of their power, they can act as an accelerator of the technocratic paradigm and, therefore,  require a new spiritual, ethical, and political framework .

Pope Paul VI already warned that “the most extraordinary scientific progress, the most surprising technical feats, the most prodigious economic growth, if they are not accompanied by authentic social and moral progress, ultimately turn against man.”

That is why, says Pope Leo XIV, “technical progress, valuable in itself, requires discernment regarding the  anthropological vision  that guides it and the ends it pursues. If technological development advances without adequate  ethical and social maturation,  it may happen that the means increase without humanity growing to the same degree: one “has more,” but one does not “be more,” and the person runs the risk of being valued primarily on the basis of the output he or she offers.”

Faced with the  concentration of power in the digital world , the great principles of the Church’s social doctrine become criteria for judging and discerning the new scenario: the inalienable dignity of the person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity, and social justice.

These principles require verifying whether the power of digital infrastructures and algorithms truly promotes participation and accountability, protects the most vulnerable, ensures equitable access to opportunities, and is ordered toward the common good.

With these premises,  Pope Leo XIV addresses what artificial intelligence is, what possibilities it opens up and what risks it entails.

In this section of the encyclical, the Pope simply recalls  some essential elements for moral and social discernment that protects the primacy of the person, so that it is always human intelligence, with its conscience and freedom, that guides technical innovations and responsibly establishes their use and limits .

The document states that  “modern artificial intelligences are more ‘cultivated’ than ‘built’ : developers don’t directly design every detail, but rather create an architecture upon which the AI ​​‘grows.’ Consequently,  fundamental scientific aspects—such as the internal representations and computational processes of these systems—remain unknown . Therefore, a twofold commitment is urgently needed: on the one hand, a deepening of scientific research; on the other, an exercise in moral and spiritual discernment.”

The Pope makes it clear from the outset that  we must avoid the misconception of equating artificial “intelligence” with human intelligence . These systems imitate certain functions of human intelligence. So-called artificial intelligences do not experience life, they do not have a body, they do not experience joy and pain, they do not mature through relationships, nor do they understand from within what love, work, friendship, and responsibility mean.

They also lack a moral conscience : they do not judge good and evil, they do not grasp the underlying meaning of situations, nor do they bear the weight of the consequences. They can imitate language, behavior, and values; they can feign empathy or understanding, but they are unaware of the effects they produce, because they do not reside within the affective, relational, and spiritual horizon in which human beings become wise.

AI can be a valuable aid, but at the same time, it demands a prudent and cautious approach.  The Pope calls for responsibility, transparency, and governance of AI . In this regard, he warns that “there can be a subtle deception when AI systems, presenting themselves as neutral and objective, reflect and reinforce stereotypes or ideological positions of those who designed and programmed them.”

“We cannot consider AI as morally neutral,”  says the Pope.

Leo XIV explains that “ it is not enough to invoke ethics generically ; adequate legal frameworks are needed; independent oversight, user education, and a policy that does not shirk its responsibility. Otherwise, change will be governed solely by technocratic logic and presented as necessary and essential, ultimately imposing rules dictated by those who possess data, infrastructure, and computing power.”

The Pope also  proposes disarming AI  by removing it from the logic of the arms race, which today is not only military but also economic and cognitive .

“Disarming technology does not mean renouncing it, but rather preventing it from dominating humanity,” the Pope says.  It is not enough to regulate it: it is necessary to disarm it and make it welcoming.

The quality of a civilization, according to the Pope, is measured not by the power of its resources, but by the care it offers, by its capacity to recognize a face in the other person and not just a function. The ability to care for one another is an important dimension of our humanity.

Pope Leo XIV, seeking to bring to light the  underlying narratives and cultural assumptions that accompany the ongoing digital revolution , directs his attention to some of the currents that interpret progress as a surpassing of the human being and that are identified with  transhumanism and posthumanism.

These currents, the encyclical states, “constitute the  ideological background  that resides in some centers of technological power and colonize the collective imagination in a simplified way, especially in the media and on social networks, inducing enthusiasm for new technologies with a futuristic vision of  ‘enhanced humanity’  or of  ‘man hybridized’ with the machine .”

The document states that “transhumanism and posthumanism encompass a plurality of currents and sensibilities, making it difficult to provide a single, unequivocal description of them. They can be compared to an archipelago of different conceptual islands, united by the same underlying assumptions:  the centrality of technology and the dream of transcending the limits of the human condition . In general,  transhumanism  envisions an enhancement of human beings through technologies—biomedicine, body engineering, algorithmic devices—with the aspiration of  increasing performance and capabilities .  Posthumanism , especially in its more radical versions, goes further: it criticizes anthropocentrism and proposes a form of hybridization between human beings, machines, and the environment, even imagining that  humanity will cross the threshold where it surpasses itself , entering a new evolutionary stage.”

Even though these hypotheses remain largely speculative, they are gaining relevance because they modify the collective imagination and, consequently, guide social, economic, and political decisions.”

The Pope rightly points to the critical issue, in light of the Church’s social doctrine, which is not so much the use of technology itself, but the underlying vision: if  human beings are treated as material to be perfected or surpassed , then it becomes easier to accept that some are considered less useful, less desirable, less worthy. “In the name of progress, one can come to think of  ‘necessary sacrifices,’  and make the most vulnerable pay the price for a supposed  optimization of the species.  The aforementioned warning of Saint Paul VI remains a great insight: the conquests of science and technology, disconnected from  moral and social progress , ultimately turn against humanity. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish clearly: one thing is to integrate technologies into a human and relational vision; another is to be guided by an imaginary that disregards limits and promises a  purely technical ‘salvation .’”

However, Leo XIV reminds us that  humanity often flourishes through limitations.  It is precisely in our limited nature, the Pope says, “that compassion, sincere concern for the needs of others, surprising generosity even in the midst of darkness and failure, spiritual experience, and the worship of God find their place.”

Finitude  , when embraced in truth, does not impoverish the human being, but rather opens them to the recognition of the face of God and of the other. Moreover, precisely because they experience limits—vulnerability, pain, failure—they can recognize their own dignity and that of others as inviolable .

Elsewhere in the document, Pope Leo XIV asks whether there is an authentic  “more than human,”  and if so, where is it found?  The Christian faith answers by pointing to a fullness that does not derive from technological divinization, but from that which is produced by the grace of God, received in Christ.

When we accept the possibility of  transcending ourselves with the grace of God,  we do not deny ourselves, we do not become less human; on the contrary, we become  fully human  when we are  more than human,  when we allow God to take us beyond ourselves to reach our truest being.

The Pope reminds us that what saves humanity is not heightened self-sufficiency, but a liberating relationship, a transformative communion. A person’s future is not predictable, but rather entrusted to their freedom—enhanced by inexhaustible divine grace—and to the relationships they cultivate.

Thus,  Christian humanism  does not reject science or technology, but rather embraces them with gratitude and realism, and places them within a higher vocation.

In this regard, Leo XIV poses the following question concerning AI: “Does it make human life on earth, in all its aspects, ‘more humane’? Does it make it more worthy of humankind? If the answer is ‘yes,’ then we can recognize in it a good possibility to be used responsibly. If, on the other hand, power grows while the heart withers and bonds are broken, then we are faced with a grandiose, but inhuman, construct.”

Saint Augustine describes human history as a place of struggle between two loves, which have built two ways of inhabiting the world and living together, two “cities”: on the one hand, love of God and neighbor; on the other, only love of oneself.

The age of AI is no exception to this rule: the construction of Babel or Jerusalem begins within each of us.

IV. TO PROTECT HUMANITY.

The dignity of the person as the criterion for all progress and transformation.

In light of the principles of the Church’s social doctrine, digital transformation asks us, according to Pope Leo XIV:

• Rediscovering truth as a common good.
• Protect the dignity of work.
• Safeguarding freedom against all dependence and commodification.

1. Truth as a common good.

The use of digital platforms and AI systems is accelerating profound changes in public and political communication. Tools that could foster debate and participation are often used to  construct biased narratives and blur the lines between truth and falsehood,  mixing data and opinions.

Truthful communication does not arise from centralized or automated control.

As Leo XIV points out, “those who possess powerful technical and economic resources have a great capacity to bring about  cultural changes . But this is a power devoid of truth, which subtly or openly imposes what it wants others to consider as true.”

“Modern man has the mistaken conviction that he is the sole author of himself, of his life and of society. It is a presumption born of selfish self-absorption,” the Pope tells us.

Pope John Paul II already stated that: “with the abandonment of the idea of ​​a  universal truth  about good, which human reason can know, the very conception of conscience has also inevitably changed.” In this way, the recognition of universally valid truths that precede us and that conscience must accept diminishes.

On the other hand, Leo XIV states that “ the search for truth is an essential element for democracy,  which is itself an instrument of participation in the common good.”  Disinterest in the truth leads slowly but inexorably to totalitarianism.

In this context, the Pope reminds us that “communication is not only the transmission of information, but the creation of a culture.”

Leo XIV calls for an  “ecology of communication,”  which means establishing rules that make the criteria for selecting and amplifying content more transparent and that protect personal data.

In an era where truth is often subordinated to interests and communication strategies, the  world of education  acquires decisive importance, the Pope affirms.

Educating people about the use of AI also means educating them to decide when and why not to use it. The speed and ease with which we obtain answers or summaries carries the risk of extinguishing the desire to ask questions that only bear fruit over time.

“We must learn to do without AI and protect our young people from the promise of the perfect machine, from that subtle seduction that makes human thought seem useless precisely when it is most needed,” the Pope says.

School  is the place where new generations can learn to seek and love the truth, to question the meaning of life and the dignity of each person.

Schools are not meant to chase the speed of the digital world, but to offer what the digital world alone cannot provide: shared time for learning and reliable relationships.

2. The dignity of work in the digital transition.

The Magisterium of the Church has always recognized work as the “essential key” to understanding the social question in its entirety, since through it the person develops many dimensions of his or her own existence.

Created in the image of the Creator, through our work we in some way extend God’s work. Therefore,  work is not a mere instrument, but rather expresses and enhances the dignity of our lives.

Today, the  combination of automation, robotics, and AI  is rapidly transforming the very structure of work. It is therefore necessary, the Pope affirms,  to design systems centered on the person and not solely on performance.

On the other hand, today, in the  “fourth industrial revolution” , the concern about unemployment is heightened, since innovation is often embraced solely for the purpose of  reducing costs and increasing profits.

Without pursuing an abstract harmony, it is about building concrete forms of human coexistence in the transformation.

If we do not act with commitment and responsibility, we may find ourselves facing a paradox of  material progress and anthropological regression , in which the conditions for a just and stable social peace disappear.

That is why the Social Doctrine of the Church insists that  access to work for all  must remain a priority objective of public policies and economic processes, a criterion for judging the human quality of a development model.

The encyclical provides guidelines for achieving an  economy that values ​​human dignity  and reminds us that  economic freedom is not absolute and must always be measured against the common good and the dignity of each person . In fact, the Pope says, “a just society requires a present State and civil institutions capable of transcending the mere logic of efficiency, explicitly directing resources, creativity, and norms in favor of the most vulnerable.”

“In the age of AI and robotics, it is no longer possible to rely solely on the “invisible hand” of the market:  politics has the task of guiding economic and technological dynamics towards the common good , promoting decent work, social inclusion and an equitable distribution of the benefits of innovation,” says Pope Leo.

Prosperity can contribute to building and strengthening peace only if it is widespread, inclusive, and sustainable.

On the other hand, the Pope reminds us that  the family is a primary social good . The family, the first natural society, endowed with inherent rights, is the fundamental and irreplaceable cell of all community organization. We must take into account the devastating effect of unemployment and precariousness on the family structure.

In an era of profound technological change, political creativity “in favor of employment” is needed, one that places the family and new generations at its center. Supporting families and young people during this transition requires measures that make stability possible, says Pope Leo XIII.

3. Safeguarding freedom against dependence and commodification. Dependence and social control.

The Pope, having analyzed the items of truth and education, work and families, deals in this section with the impact of the digital revolution in relation to  human freedom , reflecting on how to address both the risks related to individual psychology and the great social dramas.

“It is urgent to promote a use of technologies that strengthens inner freedom: education in digital sobriety, protection of minors and the fight against models that thrive at the expense of vulnerability,” the Pope tells us.

An additional risk, less visible but no less serious, is that of  social control made possible by the massive collection of data and the use of algorithmic systems.

Freedom in the digital age, as Leo XIV tells us, “is not only an internal matter; it is also a public matter, which requires clear rules, transparency, means of redress and proportionate limits on the use of invasive technologies, so that  technology remains at the service of the person  and does not become a form of domination of consciences.”

The Pope warns us that “the root of these problems is a  technocratic and posthumanist mentality , which tends to consider the person as a manipulable object or a resource to be optimized, eliminating everything that limits the maximization of profit:  what matters is efficiency, not respect for freedom and human dignity.  Some posthumanist currents even go so far as to consider the existence of  ‘second-class’ human beings , at the service of the interests of  elites  who perceive themselves as superior: a disturbing prospect, made even more serious when combined with technological instruments that exponentially expand the power of selective control.”

These distorted views of humanity translate today into various forms of subjugation directly linked to the digital economy. That is why the Pope is calling for a  break in the chains of these new forms of slavery .

It is not enough, the Pope says, “to invoke efficiency or to praise the benefits of innovation if these are based on a chain of exploitation that is deliberately kept hidden.  If a technology promises emancipation but produces new forms of global subordination, it contradicts the fundamental principle of human dignity .”

Thus, the fight against new forms of slavery constitutes a crucial litmus test for the ethical discernment of AI and digital transformation.

Without this  ethical and humanizing reflection , the growing power of digital systems risks leading us towards new atrocities, no less shameful than those of the past that we deplore today, while we continue to present ourselves as “advanced” and “civilized” societies.

Colonialism  , says Leo XIV, “is currently showing a new face. It not only dominates bodies, but also appropriates data, transforming personal lives into exploitable information. ”

One of the most urgent moral issues of our time is to transform shared knowledge into a common good, not a tool of domination.

The various areas considered above are not isolated phenomena. “They all involve the same thing: if technology becomes the absolute criterion, the person risks being treated as a piece of data, a cog in the machine, or a commodity; if, on the contrary, technology is inscribed within a horizon of wisdom, it can become an opportunity for growth, justice, and fraternity,” the Pope tells us.

From this perspective,  the Church’s social doctrine proposes shared responsibility . In this way, the promise of progress can be recognized as true, because it will be measured against the inviolable dignity of every man and woman.

V. BUILDING THE CIVILIZATION OF LOVE.

The conversion of the heart to be builders of peace and communion.

Pope Leo XIV shows us in his encyclical that  the civilization of love  is not a naive utopia, but a demanding project. It consists of  translating charity into structures of justice , giving substance to fraternity, and considering the other—whether a person or a people—as a necessary ally in building the common good.

It is not enough for AI to make us more efficient and connected; it must serve to build that universal human family.

However, in our times, a  culture of power is becoming entrenched , in which the availability of resources and the capacity to dominate tend to dictate the agenda and decision-making criteria, relegating the common good of humanity to a secondary position and reducing the concrete tragedy of peoples at war to a secondary variable compared to strategic interests. The Pope warns in this regard about the  normalization of war.

“Today more than ever it is important to reiterate the overcoming of the theory of  ‘just war’ , invoked too often to justify any war, without prejudice to the right of legitimate self-defense, understood in the strictest sense,” the Pope states.

The development and use of AI in warfare must be subject to the strictest ethical restrictions, and to respect for human dignity and the sanctity of life, avoiding an arms race.

Sometimes people speak of  “artificial moral agents,”  as if a machine could guarantee, with greater consistency than a human being, the distinction between good and evil. But moral judgment, says the Pope, “cannot be reduced to a calculation: it involves conscience, personal responsibility, and recognition of the other as a person. Therefore, it is not permissible to entrust lethal or, in any case, irreversible decisions to artificial systems.”

“There is no algorithm that can make war morally acceptable.”

Pope Leo XIV states that “it is of utmost importance  to instill values ​​and prudent judgment  in the programming of the artificial systems we construct.”

It is not enough to invoke ethics in a generic way: it is necessary, says the Pope, to indicate  precise criteria for discernment . The first refers to  personal responsibility . The second to the  timing of moral judgment . The third would be the  distinction and protection of civilians .

On the other hand, the culture of power also arises from the  crisis of the multilateral system .  Globalization  has not automatically created unity and peace, but rather has provoked fundamentalist, identity-based, and nationalist reactions. The result is far from genuine multilateralism: it presents itself instead as a  disordered and conflictive multipolarity , where distrust of the other prevails.

In this context,  peacebuilding  has taken a back seat: development cooperation, disarmament, conflict prevention and the promotion of mutual trust are relegated, in the name of power dynamics.

Pope Leo XIV said that  “we live in an age of remarkable spiritual and cultural blindness .” He also said that heightened conflict is pushing towards  asymmetric and “hybrid” wars,  fought also in the economic, financial, and informational spheres, with the use of disinformation and fear-mongering campaigns to influence public opinion.

However, the document states that  peace is not a naive hope  nor merely an absence of war: it is the fruit, always possible, of justice and charity.

“The construction of a world in a state of permanent belligerence is an evil, and it must be called by its name,” says the Pope.

However, while the noise of confusion surrounds us, goodness silently grows from the earth.

A careful reading of history confirms this, says the Pope: “even in the darkest nights, the Lord raises up men and women capable of not giving up and of persevering in good: people who protect the vulnerable and open paths of reconciliation.”

Leo XIV tells us that  “we can all make our contribution , /…/  no one is exempt from responsibility.”

Each person has their own sphere of action and there – not elsewhere – they are called to choose whether to feed the  logic of force  – even if only with indifference, cynicism, lies and hatred – or whether to promote the  logic of peace – with truth, sobriety, closeness and care.

“The civilization of love is not born from a single, spectacular gesture, but from a sum of small, tenacious loyalties that stand up to dehumanization,” the Pope tells us.

In this section of the encyclical, Leo XIV proposes  five paths of  daily and public responsibility to build the civilization of love:

• Disarming words.
• Building peace through justice.
• Adopting the perspective of the victims.
• Cultivate a healthy realism.
• Relaunch the dialogue.
• The need for diplomacy and multilateralism.

By rejecting the logic of violence,  dialogue between religions  plays a crucial role, because at the heart of the great spiritual paths lies a message of peace.

In the international context, the encyclical states, “the  diplomacy of the  Holy See  takes the Gospel principle of  mercy  as a concrete criterion for political action. It is one of the ways in which the Holy See places itself at the service of humanity, calling consciences to charity and truth, defending the dignity of every person and becoming the voice of the poor, migrants and victims of wars.”

These paths of commitment are nourished by prayer and, in turn, nourished by it. For Christians, peace comes first and foremost from God, for He loves us all unconditionally. As Leo XIV noted, “This is the peace of the risen Christ, a peace that is both disarmed and disarming, humble and persevering.”

Sowing Peace – A disarmed and disarming peace

VI. MAGNIFICENT HUMANITY.  The song of hope of the  “Magnificat”.

“Let each one take heed to his own house how he builds” (1 Cor 3:10): These are the words of St. Paul, who exhorts the Christians of Corinth to safeguard unity.

In the conclusions of the encyclical, Pope Leo XIV gives believers a  sober and demanding itinerary of Christian life  with which to live this change of era in the light of the Gospel.

• Faith  :  which contemplates the Father’s loving plan. 
• Charity:  that unites us in a single ecclesial body.
• Hope:  that sustains our actions in the world.
• Prayer : which accompanies our commitment.

1. Faith that contemplates the Father’s loving plan.  The Word became flesh.

At the center is the mystery of the  Incarnation : the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Leo XIV tells us in his Encyclical that “in the promises of transhumanism and some posthumanist currents, which pursue an enhanced and almost disembodied humanity, we recognize a desire that challenges us: the need for a fuller life, less exposed to fragility and suffering. But the Incarnation opens a different path. While old and new ideologies push man toward the technical overcoming of limits and rising above others to consolidate power, the mystery of the Son of God entering into our condition narrates an opposite movement: the living God who descends into our history to free us from all slavery, assumes our weakness and transforms it into a place of salvation.”

That is why the Pope invites us to contemplate in the face of the Son a  magnificent humanity  that also illuminates the age of AI.

2. Charity unites us in one ecclesial body.  One body in Christ.

In this encyclical, the Pope reminds us that the spirituality we need is a  Eucharistic spirituality , that is, a spirituality of ecclesial unity in love. The Incarnation and Easter reveal God entering into our human condition and transfiguring it in the gift of himself. “This gift remains present and active in the  Eucharist . From this communion, Christian solidarity is also born, because union with Christ is at the same time union with all others to whom he gives himself. /…/ In Christ, even though we are many and different, we are one.”

3. The hope that sustains our actions in the world.  The work of our time.

As the third point of the itinerary, Leo XIV tells us that “the spirituality I wish to impart is that of the ‘wise architect’ who, animated by hope in the  Kingdom of God , commits himself to building good in the world. As I wrote at the beginning of this reflection, today our building must have as its foundation the relationship with God, as its norm the acceptance of human limitations as a natural and positive reality, and as its style co-responsibility and the language of the Gospel.”

“ Let us remain faithful to the truth!  ” the Pope exhorts us.

The truth we must not lose is the truth of God and of humankind, just as Christ has revealed it to us.

Let us cultivate a  “situated anthropocentrism” , which recognizes the human being as a creature inserted in a web of relationships with other living beings and with the entirety of creation.

The Pope also tells us that we must educate ourselves to see the digital world as a new continent to evangelize, one that requires generous and mature missionaries. In this regard, he emphasizes the essential role of educators in forming children and young people in this personal and collective responsibility.

Let’s take care of our relationships!  The human heart retains an undeniable need for closeness and physical presence.

Let us love justice and peace!

The Pope invites us not to be resigned spectators of social and cultural fractures, nor mere commentators on the ruins, but rather women and men who enter into the works of history—research laboratories, technology companies, schools, media outlets, institutions, local communities, etc.—to rebuild what has collapsed and protect what is vulnerable. Like in Nehemiah’s parable and the image of the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Like in the vision of the holy city, the  heavenly Jerusalem, in the Book of Revelation.

4. Prayer.  The song of hope: the “Magnificat”.

Mary’s song accompanies our commitment.

God’s plan is often hidden beneath the opaque surface of human vicissitudes, where the proud, the powerful, and the rich (apparently) triumph. Yet, it is destined that His secret power will ultimately be revealed.

The Virgin Mary not only teaches us to see the invisible work of God, but also directs our gaze to the points of fracture in humanity.

The Pope finally asks us, with the same faith as Mary, to become  weavers of hope in our world , sharing what we are and what we have, so that his Kingdom may take shape.

“In the humble fidelity of each day, even the time of AI can be a step in which the  Spirit  makes the  civilization of love mature  in our lives:  the Lord continues to make all things new  and keeps open every age the possibility of becoming a history of salvation in the light of the Incarnation.”

Thus, Pope Leo XIV concludes the encyclical with a prayer to Mary, the Mother of Christ, that she may safeguard in each of us the trust in the Gospel, so that we may bear witness to the  beauty of a magnificent humanity inhabited by God.

Barcelona, ​​June 1, 2026

(*) See here the first part of the article:   Quo vadis humanitas?