Ten Beautiful Quotes in Magnifica Humanitas

Within the many pages of Pope Leo’s encyclical on artificial intelligence, the Holy Father offers a heartfelt apology and beautiful reflections that center the human experience in his call for a global response to the threat of an unregulated digital world.

Pope Leo XIV released a new encyclical, or pastoral letter, on May 25, entitled “Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence” to address the threats AI and digital technology pose to humanity. Within its five chapters, the Holy Father calls for “disarming” AI by safeguarding human dignity and promoting truth, dignity of work, social justice, and peace as the world adopts new digital technology.

Building heavily on the legacy of Pope Leo XIII’s landmark 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed the abuses of the Industrial Revolution, Pope Leo XIV frames AI as the modern industrial revolution, urgently needing regulations “capable of upholding justice and curbing the distorting effects of technological power.” Without such regulations, the deep reach of digital technology into daily life risks harming the dignity of the human person and the right to work, as well the state of freedom and peace experienced by all people, especially those who are impoverished.

Written during the first year of his papacy, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), is exceptionally long compared to the encyclicals of previous popes. At roughly 42,000 words including the footnotes, it would take the average English language reader about four to five hours to read the introduction, five chapters, and conclusion. The first two chapters are a primer on what our faith teaches human life needs to flourish (human rights, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity, justice and peace). The remaining three chapters offer an examination of the ways unregulated AI and digital technology threaten humanity today.

A Sincere Apology

Two-thirds of the way into the many pages of Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo issues an apology for the Holy See’s role in trans-Atlantic slavery, linking historic colonialism to the modern exploitation of tech supply chains.

“For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon. This is why the memory of past complicity and blindness in the face of the injustice of slavery becomes a call to vigilance. What we have learned must be translated into discernment and responsibility in the present. If we want to avoid the need to ask for pardon again in the future for having failed to respect the treasure of human dignity that is required by our faith, it falls to us today to denounce, clearly and firmly, trafficking in its many forms.” (para. 177-176)

On Building Communion

In paragraph 16, Pope Leo captures the entire theological and human dilemma of the document in a single, sweeping visual image:

“I address this heartfelt appeal to all the Catholic faithful, to all Christians and to all men and women of goodwill. Let us not be afraid to get our hands dirty on the “construction site” of our time. Like Nehemiah, let us pray, plan wisely and work perseveringly, placing God at the forefront of our actions and the human person at the center of our choices. Thus, the “rejected stones” — the poor, the sick, the migrants and the least among us — will become the cornerstone, and a solid, welcoming common home will emerge on the earth, where love and faithfulness will finally meet, and righteousness and peace will embrace (cf. Ps 85:10). This is the blessing we implore from God; and the task that stands before us is that of being builders of communion, rather than architects of Babel. We are to be servants of the coming Kingdom, instead of lords of towers destined for ruin. With the heart of a shepherd and a father, I ask everyone to abandon the construction of yet another Tower of Babel and to join forces in building up the common good, so that humanity will never lose its beauty, and the world once again will come to recognize the human heart as the place where God desires to dwell.”

On Centering Love

In paragraph 44, Pope Leo shifts the focus away from structural systems, capital mobility, and political power, and moves back to the heart. He frames the massive scale of global justice as a deeply personal sharing of love.

“Faced with the breakdown of the social fabric, a “world war being fought piecemeal,” individualistic globalization and the impact of the pandemic on community ties, [Pope] Francis, in Fratelli Tutti , sought to revive the dream of a humanity that opts for social friendship and universal fraternity. He proposed a culture of encounter, a “better politics” capable of seeking the common good, paths of reconciliation and a world that ensures “land, housing and work for all.” Finally, in Dilexit Nos, he showed that these significant social endeavors cannot be separated from a personal relationship with Christ. Turning to the word of God, he reminded us that the truest response to the love of the heart of Jesus is concrete love for our brothers and sisters, and affirmed that “there is no greater way for us to return love for love.”

On Human Dignity

In paragraph 52, Pope Leo names the existential form of human dignity that is always present, and cannot be enhanced or diminished:

“There is also the more profound and important level of ontological dignity. This is the dignity that belongs to every human being simply by virtue of existing, of having been willed, created and loved by God. No sin, failure, humiliation or exclusion can diminish the profound value of a human life that God has willed and called into being.”

On the Messy Reality of Life

In paragraph 120, Pope Leo defends the beautifully messy reality of a human life against the sterile promises of digital optimization.

“Even when limitations are experienced as inner suffering, human wisdom teaches us not to deny or suppress it, but to integrate it. To eliminate suffering entirely would mean, in the end, extinguishing love and desire as well. Those who love and desire cannot avoid passing through trial and suffering; and over the years, we carry within us lessons that leave their mark like scars, the memories of a journey shaped by freedom and failure, dreams and disappointments. It is only thanks to the interplay of these elements that the wonders of the soul occur within us, allowing us to sense the richness of our humanity. To renounce this adventure, both tragic and splendid, in the name of a presumed transcendence of all limits, could mean many things, but it would no longer be human.”

He concludes in paragraph 128:

“For an algorithm, an error is a flaw to be corrected; for a person, however, an error can be a catalyst for profound change. A person’s future is not calculable, but depends on one’s freedom — elevated by the inexhaustible grace of God — and on the relationships cultivated.”

On the Beauty of Learning and Working

In paragraph 140, Pope Leo describes how human beings actually learn and find truth:

“The speed and ease with which answers or summaries can be obtained risk extinguishing the desire to ask questions, which is a process that bears fruit only over time. As Plato wrote, the deepest and most important things are learned only after much time and effort, by engaging in discussion with others, “striking upon” ideas and experiences together like flint until the spark of understanding is kindled within us.  We must learn, then, how to exercise restraint in the use of AI and to protect our young people from the promise of the perfect machine, from that subtle temptation which renders human thought seemingly superfluous precisely when it is most needed.”

And in paragraphs 154 and 155, Pope Leo speaks about work:

“Work remains a fundamental dimension of the human experience, for not only is it a means of sustenance, but it is also a context for expression, relationships and contributing to the community.” … “In this context, without bold decisions, the prospect of greater poverty and inequality looms large, which would leave many individuals marginalized, stranded and surrounded by the machines and automated systems that have replaced them.”

On Peacebuilding

In paragraph 185, Pope Leo contrasts the noisy, aggressive race for dominance with the quiet, fragile ways people actually build peace together:

“Moreover, there seems to be no limit to the race — driven by a dehumanizing ambition — to develop evermore powerful technologies or to secure control over them. Yet, despite this downward spiral, we can also glimpse a great part of humanity that is striving to remain human and working to build the holy city of coexistence and peace. All too often, we are unwitting builders and clumsy architects of this city, capable of generous gestures but lacking an overall vision. This building project is slower, less visible and less spectacular, and awaits a better understanding and greater coordination so that it may become the conscious and clear responsibility of every community, from families to States, and the relations between Nations. It is this prospect of commitment, this construction site of hope, that we call the “civilization of love.”

On a Culture of Encounter

Finally, in paragraph 220, Pope Leo takes a tender look at what it actually means to love our neighbor:

“Indeed, dialogue is an ordinary part of human life and does not only concern relations between States. It involves acquiring an attitude that seeks to forge bonds of fraternity built on listening, an open demeanor, making time for each other and even wasting time together. For if we experience authentic encounters with others, with those who are different, strangers and migrants, it becomes much more difficult even to imagine war.”

Photo “Pope Leo XIV Inauguration Mass In St. Peter’s Square” by Mazur/cbcew.org.uk, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 , and available on Flickr/Catholic Church of England and Wales.