Pope Leo XIV issued his first papal encyclical on Monday, calling for ethical oversight of artificial intelligence to protect the human person [1].

The document marks a significant intervention by the Roman Catholic Church into the global tech debate. By addressing the intersection of faith and algorithms, the Vatican seeks to establish a moral framework for technologies that are rapidly reshaping labor markets and international security.

Released from St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the document is titled “Magnifica Humanitas” [1]. The encyclical consists of 245 paragraphs [3] and reaches a length of between 42,000 and 42,300 words [1, 2].

In the text, the pontiff urges tighter ethical oversight of AI technologies. He specifically warns of the risks these systems pose to children and the workforce. The document also addresses the conduct of warfare, suggesting that the integration of AI into military systems requires rigorous safeguards to prevent dehumanization in conflict [4].

The encyclical emphasizes the need to safeguard human dignity in an age of automation. It argues that the pursuit of technological progress must not supersede the protection of the individual, a central tenet of the church's social teaching.

This directive comes as governments worldwide struggle to implement comprehensive AI regulations. The Vatican's stance aligns with a growing movement of international bodies calling for a human-centric approach to machine learning and generative AI [4].

“The pontiff calls for stricter oversight of artificial intelligence to protect workers, children, and the conduct of warfare.”

This encyclical signals that the Catholic Church intends to act as a moral arbiter in the development of AI, moving beyond general spiritual guidance to offer specific critiques of AI's impact on war and labor. By releasing a detailed 42,000-word treatise, the Vatican is positioning itself to influence global policy discussions and the ethical standards adopted by tech developers.