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Blistering heat tests pilgrims at Mount Arafat during Hajj’s peak rite
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Pope Leo XIV urges AI disarmament to safeguard humanity
In his Magnifica Humanitas encyclical, Pope Leo XIV warns artificial intelligence could make civilization less human, widen inequality, and fuel AI-driven warfare, calling for the “disarming” of AI and a human-centered approach while advocating dialogue with tech leaders and emphasizing that technology is not inherently evil.
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Pope Urges Faith-Guided AI Literacy to Restore Trust in Technology
Vatican News•3 days ago
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Pope Leo XIV to Publish AI-Ethics Encyclical Emphasizing Human Dignity
The Guardian•6 days ago
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Pope to unveil AI-era encyclical with Anthropic presence
The Vatican will release Magnifica Humanitas, the pope’s first encyclical, addressing human dignity in the era of artificial intelligence, with Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah among speakers, signaling a formal integration of AI ethics into Catholic social teaching amid ongoing safety and policy debates surrounding AI.
Pope Leo XIV’s France Visit Promises Renewal, Says Cardinal Aveline
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s announced Apostolic Journey to France (Sept. 25–28) as a joyful opportunity and a roadmap for renewing the French Church amid challenges such as abuse recovery, aging rural communities, and the surge of youth pilgrimages. He notes plans for Paris and Lourdes, a UNESCO address on education and culture, and emphasizes the pope’s role in listening, encouragement, and guiding the Church’s path in communion with the universal Church and Europe’s reconciliation toward peace.
Vatican Forms AI Commission to Guide Church Ethics and Policy
The Vatican announces a new AI commission to coordinate the Catholic Church’s response to artificial intelligence, focusing on human dignity and social teaching as Pope Leo XIV prepares an encyclical that emphasizes ethics in AI.
SSPX launches official site for July 1 consecrations at Écône
The Society of Saint Pius X has unveiled an official website for the July 1, 2026 episcopal consecrations at the Écône meadow—the site of the 1988 Lefebvre consecrations. About 15,000 faithful and 1,300 priests and religious are expected; registration is mandatory for attendees June 29–July 2, 2026, with separate forms for individuals, priests, religious, and groups, and accreditation required for journalists. The site provides travel and accommodation options, a detailed liturgical program, and an official Telegram channel. For those unable to attend, livestreams on SSPX YouTube channels will offer multilingual commentary (French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish).
Pope Leo XIV to Integrate AI Ethics into Catholic Social Teaching
Pope Leo XIV, ahead of his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, is expected to add an AI-focused dimension to Catholic social teaching, offering moral guidance on artificial intelligence and digital transformation while stressing human dignity and transcendence; scholars frame this as a modern continuation of Rerum Novarum, with the Pope urging Catholic students in Africa to become pioneers of a new humanism in the digital age.
Catholic bishops to speak at Trump-backed ‘Rededicate 250’ prayer rally on the National Mall
Two Catholic bishops, Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Barron, will speak at the May 17 Trump-backed all-day prayer festival
Pope Leo XIV Returns to La Sapienza, Reviving Benedict XVI’s Faith–Reason Dialogue
Pope Leo XIV visits Rome’s La Sapienza University to deliver a major address on faith and reason, symbolically mending Benedict XVI’s canceled 2008 trip amid the Galileo controversy and ongoing science–religion dialogue. The trip recalls past misreadings of Benedict’s remarks and highlights a history of contentious debate giving way to constructive discourse, including exchanges with mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi. The visit also sets the stage for Leo XIV’s anticipated encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, underscoring a unified vision of “magnificent humanity” where science and ethics inform each other."
Vatican Warns SSPX: Unapproved Episcopate Could Trigger Excommunication
The Vatican says the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X’s plan to ordain new bishops without papal approval would be a schismatic act and carry automatic excommunication, as Rome refuses to recognize these ordinations; while Cardinal Fernández urged dialogue, the Church maintains ultimate authority and has a long-standing tension over Vatican II reforms and the group’s status.
Pope Leo XIV kneels at JPII shooting site, ties moment to Fatima
Ahead of the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV paused at the white marble plaque marking the spot where John Paul II was shot in 1981, dedicating his catechesis to the Blessed Virgin Mary and urging prayers for peace at Fatima, recalling JPII’s forgiveness and Marian intercession.
Pope Affirms Science-Driven Quest to Find God in Creation
Pope Leo XIV told the Vatican Observatory Foundation that the Church welcomes rigorous science and seeks God in creation, recalling Leo XIII’s 1891 revival of the Observatory to show faith and science are not opposed but united in truth; he warned against denying objective truth, emphasized humanity’s duty to care for the planet and its vulnerable, and highlighted the Foundation’s role in education through astronomy as a way to encounter God through His Creation.