Pope Leo XIV has given us his long-awaited and significant first encyclical,  Magnifica Humanitas  (MH), which transmits, updates, and deepens all that true ethical and spiritual (integral) humanism that is the Church’s social doctrine (CST). As is well known, it has become a common refrain to say that the CST is an unknown treasure of the faith, and indeed, it is often hidden and even manipulated in a partisan and ideological way.

From a young age, many years ago, I became passionate about Catholic Social Teaching (CST), about this entire constitutive social and moral dimension of faith, mission, and theology itself. This led me to pursue doctoral studies and research in social sciences, postgraduate studies in moral sciences, and a doctorate in humanities and theology, alongside my work as a university professor and researcher, where I strive to convey all this social and ethical thought, as well as CST itself.

Especially—and most importantly—in my experience of faith and mission in various places, such as my beloved Latin America, I have seen this Social Doctrine of the Church embodied in so many saints and witnesses of the faith and the Church who are pioneers, forerunners, and true witnesses of this Social Doctrine. Leo XIV affirms this very well, since “what we call today’s Social Doctrine of the Church did not arise suddenly in the contemporary era, but rather gathered and organized a long tradition of ecclesial reflection on social life, which has its roots in Sacred Scripture, in the Church Fathers, and in the theological or legal elaborations of the Middle Ages and the Modern Age” (MH 29).

Indeed, drawing upon all this Tradition and Magisterium, which crystallized in that key event and axis, the Second Vatican Council (MH 34), I had the gift and joy of being formed in the school of apostolic workers’ movements like the HOAC in Spain with Rovirosa, Merino, Malagón, and, particularly in my own case, with J. Gómez del Castillo, to whom I owe so much. They, along with the most valuable aspects of thought and theology, generated and promoted this conciliar legacy with key elements of Catholic Social Teaching, which are transversally shaped, as MH points out. These include the spirituality and theology of the Trinitarian incarnation with Revelation in Christ, the Kingdom of God that He brings us and its liberating justice, Grace and its new commandment of love, in the face of sin with its constitutive social or public dimensions; Political charity that confronts the (socio-historical) structures of sin in a transformative way, the option for the poor as protagonists of their liberating and integral promotion, the method of the CSI (see-judge-act), that central social issue which is work….

All of this, in a complex and fruitful interrelationship, is emphasized or deepened in the theology, spirituality, and Church of Latin America, with its saints and martyrs, such as Saint Oscar Romero (MH 25), its Conferences like Medellín and Puebla, and culminating in Aparecida. Latin American faith and ecclesial communities, in this relationship with Andean and indigenous communities, with popular movements of peasants, workers, etc., seek the  three T’s : land, housing, and work.

In fact, in our experience of all these saints and movements or communities of the church, the truth is communicated with its values ​​and principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church that must guide: economic, political, educational, cultural and scientific-technical life; new communication and information technologies, the digital world, networks, artificial intelligence (AI), data, algorithms, etc.

Here, too, lie the anthropological (and faith-inspired) foundations of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). These include the sacred and inviolable life and dignity of the human being, the image and child of God and the presence (sacrament, especially for the poor and victims) of Christ (MH 77), at whose service all of social and historical reality exists. Hence, likewise, the  global bioethics  that takes shape in CST and its  integral ecology , with its respect for and protection of the first right, which is life in all its phases, from its beginning at conception to natural death, and in all its dimensions and aspects (MH 55). Along these lines, it is necessary to protect and promote the reality of marriage, that faithful love between man and woman open to life, to children, to social life, to socialization, and to civic virtues in order to foster responsibility in public and historical life. The family is the cell and foundation of human and social life and of integral human development.

Human beings possess inherent personal, freedom, and social dimensions which, together with the principle of  subsidiarity,  lead to every person being a subject and protagonist of politics, economics, culture, education, and technology and AI, which must serve their needs, capacities, and integral development. In contrast to all forms of paternalism, welfare, and elitism, individuals, communities, and the poor are the main protagonists and managers of all this social, public, political, economic, and cultural life (MH 70).

In this sense, this truth of the inherent human, moral, and social nature of the person (MH 56) expresses another non-negotiable value or principle alongside that of life and marriage, namely  the common good  (MH 59), which is the purpose of political life. This is inseparable from the principle of  solidarity, which assumes permanent responsibility for the good of each and every human being, within the social and historical conditions that enable perfection, integral development, and the rights of every human being. This manifests itself particularly in the  social state governed by the rule of law,  with its pillars of decent work, fair taxation where those with greater wealth contribute more, and public policies that ensure the universality and quality of these rights. These include education, culture, knowledge, technology and AI, healthcare, comprehensive health, housing, and infrastructure of all kinds (MH 162).

Herein lies a state of  social justice,  another inalienable value or principle of Catholic Social Teaching (MH 77-81), which must control the market and regulate all economic life from the outset. And the guiding principle that must govern the economy—the principle of the  universal destination of goods  given by God to all humanity, a truth and natural right that supersedes the secondary principle of private property (MH 66)—must be realized. Property has an intrinsic social and solidarity-based character that contributes to social justice, ensuring equity in the distribution of all kinds of material and immaterial goods, such as information, knowledge, technology, data, and other realities associated with AI.

In this regard, the key to work (MH 148-156) is the dignity of the working person and their rights, such as a fair wage for themselves and their entire family, which takes precedence over capital, profit, productivity, and competitiveness. No technique or technology, such as AI, can go against decent human work or replace it with anything else; rather, it is at the service of the worker’s dignity and well-being. Likewise, in the face of usury and dominant financial-banking speculation, genuine ethical banking and finance, with their fair loans, serve the real economy, fair work, and integral development (MH 160).

It is clear, then, that no reality, such as the economy or technology and AI, is neutral (MH 9 and 41). And if they are not guided by all these values ​​or principles, as is currently the case, they fall into “technocracy” and its idolatries of capital, profit, speculation, power, wars, and violence used to impose all this ever-increasing inequality and injustice (MH 161). In opposition to all this, Catholic Social Teaching, with its essential political charity, seeks  the civilization of love  (MH 38), peace, and integral ecology, against all destruction and war—which is never just anymore (MH 192)—and aims to liberate us completely from sin and its structures (MH 31 and 79). Such are all these global inequalities and injustices that, in turn, force people to migrate in search of greater dignity and a better future (MH 81).

In conclusion, inhabited by the Spirit and following the incarnate God Jesus like Mary, in the face of Babel we must continue to promote the City of God, the history of salvation; whose heart is the Triune God, the principle and model of communion, solidarity, justice, and education (MH 88 and 147). This communion of faith, hope, merciful charity, life, humility, spiritual poverty, goods, and action for justice with the poor is what frees us from sin and the idolatries of wealth—being rich—power, and violence (MH 243-245).