NAIROBI, Kenya, May 24 — Pope Leo XIV is set to publish his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, on Monday, May 25, marking a major moment in the Catholic Church’s engagement with artificial intelligence and the protection of human dignity in a rapidly evolving technological era.
The encyclical focuses on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence and is expected to outline the Church’s moral and ethical position on the growing influence of AI in society, labour, and human relationships.
The document carries symbolic historical significance, having been signed by Pope Leo XIV on May 15, the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum novarum, which addressed social justice and workers’ rights during the Industrial Revolution.
The Vatican will formally present the encyclical at 11.30 a.m. in the Synod Hall, with Pope Leo XIV expected to attend the event in person.
The presentation will feature senior Church officials and international experts, including Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Professor Anna Rowlands of Durham University; Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic and AI interpretability researcher; and Professor Leocadie Lushombo of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s Secretary of State, will deliver closing remarks, followed by an address and blessing from Pope Leo XIV.
The Vatican’s decision to include leading voices from theology, social ethics, and artificial intelligence highlights the encyclical’s broad focus on the intersection of technology and human values, as global debates over AI governance continue to intensify.
