Bishops of Scotland and Wales welcome Magnifica Humanitas

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Leaders of the Catholic Church in Scotland and Wales have both issued statements welcoming Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity)

Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, said:

"The Bishops of Scotland warmly welcome Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, as a timely and insightful contribution to one of the defining questions of our age. As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes human life, this important document calls us to place the dignity of the human person at the heart of every technological advance.

We encourage the faithful, our schools and parish communities to read, study and pray with this landmark text.

To support this, the Office of Communications and Evangelisation will soon publish a parish study guide and other resources for small groups and parish use, helping communities to reflect more deeply on the opportunities and challenges of new technologies and their impact on human life."

Bishop Mark O'Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia, the Catholic Archdiocese serving Wales commented:

"It is inspiring that Pope Leo XIV has chosen to write his first Encyclical, 'Magnificent Humanity' on the opportunities and challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence. I encourage all to read and reflect upon it.

Pope Leo recognises some of the opportunities AI brings in solving some of the world's problems and especially in bringing practical solutions to help the poorest and most vulnerable in our world.

At the same time, he recognises that machines must be our servants and not our masters. We must never allow them to replace human discernment and human decision making.

We must seek to build a 'civilisation of love' rather than a 'culture of power' at global and local level. It is the beauty of a human face and voice which makes expressions of love real and warms the human heart.

The true meaning of what it is to be human is found not in a machine but in the person of Jesus Christ, who guides us in the right path on how to use technology well."

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Read a summary of the Encyclical, with links to the full text and a video: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55073