Signed on the 135^th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical brings Catholic social teaching to bear on the age of artificial intelligence.

On May 25, Pope Leo XIV released Magnifica Humanitas (Latin: "Magnificent Humanity"), his first encyclical letter, on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. The document had been signed on May 15, the 135^th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical on the rights and dignity of workers, which laid the foundations of modern Catholic social teaching.

In Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father reflects on the sweeping transformations that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence has set in motion. Confronting what he calls a genuine "change of era," the Pope affirms that human dignity must be the fixed criterion against which technological progress is measured and the decisions shaping our common future must be weighed.

The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Vatican body responsible for advancing Catholic social doctrine, describes Magnifica Humanitas as recognizing "a profound epochal shift" and as reading technological progress through the foundational principles of the Church's social tradition: the common good, solidarity and subsidiarity. Against any culture of domination, power or exclusion, the encyclical calls for what the Pope names a "civilization of love," grounded in justice, dialogue and shared responsibility.

Pope Leo XIV insists that the human being must not be displaced in a world being reshaped by automation, algorithmic systems and new forms of digital communication. Artificial intelligence, the encyclical acknowledges, holds genuine promise for human development; it must nonetheless remain, always, at the service of the person and of the dignity proper to every human being.

To accompany the encyclical, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has made available a collection of resources on the ethical, social and spiritual dimensions of artificial intelligence, including recent pontifical messages and reflection documents from the Holy See.

The faithful, and all who wish to engage these questions, are invited to read Magnifica Humanitas, a document Pope Leo XIV addresses to Catholics and to every person of goodwill alike, along with the accompanying resources available on the CCCB website: https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/pope-leo-xivs-first-encyclical-letter-magnifica-humanitas/