Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical, “Magnifica humanitas,” on human dignity, artificial intelligence and a just peace, and on the Church’s social teaching.
The full text is available (in English): Magnifica humanitas
Humanity, which God created in all its glory, today faces a decisive choice: whether to build a new Tower of Babel or to build a city where God and humanity live together. Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own time, guiding history toward a place where the dignity of every person is protected and fraternity is possible. Whenever humanity is in danger of betraying its true identity, we Christians raise our eyes to the God who became flesh, knowing that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of humanity truly become clear. In Jesus Christ, this humanity in its glory becomes the Way, the Truth, and the Life, opening for each of us the path to grow toward perfection. In the age of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened with being eclipsed by a vast concentration of technological power that is uncontrollable, and by new forms of dehumanization, Pope Leo XIV reminds us of the “urgent duty” to remain profoundly human. The Successor of Peter calls us to allow technology to develop “without the heart regressing” even in our age full of polarization and violence, in which a culture of power is spreading and war is being rehabilitated as an instrument of international politics.
On Monday, 25 May 2026 was published (at 11:30 Rome time) His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical Magnifica humanitas. A papal encyclical is a major doctrinal letter that the Pope sends to bishops, Catholics, and often also to the wider public. Through these documents, Popes address profound moral, spiritual, social, and global questions facing humanity. Encyclicals have shaped the Catholic Church’s positions on justice, war, family life, poverty, human dignity, and care for creation. To this day, they remain among the Church’s most authoritative and enduring voices in times of historical change and global uncertainty.
Magnifica Humanitas offers insights into the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, focusing on human dignity, social goods, solidarity, education, and a culture of peace. It states that artificial intelligence has become a decisive element in shaping public opinion through the manipulation of images and content, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.
In the encyclical, the Pope refers to Saint Augustine, Pope Leo XIII, Pope John Paul II – the latter was an active advocate for human rights, a just peace, and technological development. Leo XIV wants to build up a just and humanly dignified culture by continuing the path of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who urged society not to remain passive and thereby build a culture of individualism. Pope Leo XIV also draws on the texts of J.R.R. Tolkien, which he uses actively to explain how each of us can build up a civilization of love and not remain in the service of evil or of temptations.
The Pope says that we should become “weavers of hope” in our world by sharing who we are and what we have, so that Jesus’ presence might grow among us and his Kingdom take shape. In the humble faithfulness of everyday life, even the age of artificial intelligence can become a time when the Holy Spirit brings the civilization of love into our lives.
“Indeed, the Lord continues to make all things new and offers every age the opportunity to become part of the history of salvation in the light of the Incarnation. I entrust our desire to the Mother of Christ, the woman of the Magnificat, that she may guide our steps through this time of change and preserve in all of us a true faith in the Gospel, so that we may bear witness to the greatness of humanity, in which God has made his dwelling,” the Pope describes at the end of the encyclical.
We strongly recommend reading the full text of the encyclical.
Photo and source: Vatican Media, 25.05.2025
Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026)