Carmen Álvarez Cuadrado
Pope Leo XIV signed his first encyclical on May 15 to mark the 135th anniversary of the groundbreaking encyclical Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII. Magnifica Humanitas analyzes the challenges of the 21st century through the foundational lens of the Church’s social teaching
WHY 'MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS'?
The Latin title, translated to English, means “Magnificent Humanity.” And its message is simple: human beings, created by God, can never be replaced by machines, no matter how intelligent they become.
There is also a deeper theological meaning behind the title. Humanity is “magnificent” because God is within us all. Pope Leo insists people should be valued for their dignity—not for how productive or technologically advanced they are.
There is also a connection to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The pope ends the document by referring to the Magnificat: Mary’s prayer about humility and lowliness. The pope says humanity’s greatness should not be measured by algorithms, but by how technology protects the dignity of the weakest people.
A DEEPLY HUMAN-FOCUSED MESSAGE
When the encyclical was first announced, much of the focus was on its response to artificial intelligence. But Pope Leo's message goes much deeper, grounding itself in the inherent value of the human person.
In this encyclical, the pope raises a warning about the risk of people being absorbed into the digital world. He points in particular to two movements: transhumanism and posthumanism.
Pope Leo explains that the root of the problem is a technocratic mindset, which risks treating some people as more or less valuable—but the human person is imbued with a dignity that no machine could ever have.
THE ROLE OF ANTHROPIC
One of the biggest talking points surrounding the encyclical is the Vatican’s collaboration with Anthropic, the AI company. One of its co-founders, Christopher Olah, appeared alongside Pope Leo XIV during the presentation. It was a move that many saw as a potential message to the United States.
The backdrop is significant: the Trump administration reportedly banned federal agencies from using Anthropic's technology after the company refused to allow its AI tools to be used for military purposes.
Meanwhile, Silicon Valley continues to drive the rapid acceleration of AI development, running up against the ethical limits that Pope Leo outlines throughout the encyclical.
The pope further warns about the risk of a new kind of Cold War—this time driven by technology—and repeats his call for a peace that is both “unarmed” and “disarming.”
FROM LEO XIII TO LEO XIV
If Rerum Novarum reshaped the 19th century by putting the human person at the center of the Industrial Revolution, Magnifica Humanitas aims to do something similar in the age of digital technology.
Leo XIII argued that capital must serve human labor, and Leo XIV has renewed this message for the age of AI, insisting that algorithms must always serve the human person.
At their core, both encyclicals share the same message: no economic system or technological revolution should ever come before the dignity of the human, who is created in the image of God.
