On Monday 25 May, Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical letter entitled ‘Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.’

Pope Leo signed the encyclical on 15 May, the 135th anniversary of the promulgation of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum novarum.

The encyclical, divided into five chapters, calls for the safeguarding of humanity, promotion of truth, dignity of work, social justice, and peace.

In the encyclical, Pope Leo said: "In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace. True progress always stems from a heart open to others, an intelligence willing to listen and a will that seeks what unites rather than what separates."

President of the Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Reverend Richard Moth, welcomed the publication of Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical letter.

He said: “I commend the encyclical to all Catholics and people of good will as an important contribution to integral human development during a time of considerable change. It demands study and we look forward to further reflections in this area. Recognising the importance of maintaining and promoting the human in the face of the technological leap brought on by AI, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has set up a working group to study Pope Leo’s Encyclical looking at the issues generated by AI, always putting the human at the centre.”

The encyclical letter can be read in full: Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026)

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