Written by Barb Spies, OFS, Director of Mission Services and Pastoral Care

Each day I drive past the new construction of an AI (Artificial Intelligence) data center in Port Washington. If you have not seen this, be prepared: it is huge and has completely altered the landscape. The once rolling land and open pastures are gone. In their place are huge concrete buildings, piles of soil, cranes, building materials, and construction equipment. It’s a jarring experience. This led me to examine a copy of the new encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas: Humanity in Its Grandeur. I wanted to see what he has to say about AI.  I found that his focus emphasizes that technology won’t steal our humanity just so long as we put it in its proper place. The writing is really about people, freedom, and dignity. It’s a reminder of our responsibility for each other.

The section that stood out to me is the one called “Building the Civilization of Love.” Pope Leo says, “Even in the darkest nights, the Lord raises up men and women who refuse to give up, who persevere in doing good, who protect the vulnerable and open pathways to reconciliation.” He calls on us all to do our part to take care of each other, to realize the dignity of each person.

One of my favorite lines is when he quotes JRR Tolkein whose explanation of responsibility to build a civilization of love said in The Return of the King, “It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.” We need to play our role in serving “as a bulwark against dehumanization,” the encyclical notes. And how do we do that? We need to disarm words. Pope Leo notes that “Words have enormous power, something we experience in our daily interactions…. Peace begins with each one of us: in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others…. We must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images; we must reject the paradigm of war.” We must build peace through justice. He explains that true peace is “born of justice.” To build a civilization of love, we must adopt the perspective of others, especially of victims, giving them voice. And we must engage in dialogue, filled with respect for the dignity of all.

Blessed Angela: “Allow love to elevate your heart to heaven pointing out an end to suffering."