Magnifica Humanitas
On Monday 25 May 2026, Pope Leo XIV introduced his first encyclical to the Church and to the world. As many commentators have said, a first papal encyclical can set the tone for a pontificate and Magnifica Humanitas can be seen in this way.
The encyclical letter is wide-ranging but, at its heart, it focuses on a choice: whether humanity should let itself be guided by technology and progress, as the only principles on which to build our civilization, or should it put at the centre the dignity of the person, reducing technical progress to an instrument.
Pope Leo has said that for AI to be directed towards the common good, we must also build. The Church, which has always been “called to decipher the ‘new things’ in the light of the Gospel and the dignity of the human being”, and as the Pope explained regarding ‘these new things’ the Church “does not possess technical answers, nor do we seek to displace those with expertise. But we bring a wisdom concerning the human that our present time desperately needs.”
Below you will find links to the encyclical itself, a helpful summary, a pastoral pack created by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and a series of simple infographics highlighting key points.
