Catholic Charities USA brings traveling exhibit to U.S. Capitol on annual lobbying day
Catholic Charities USA brought its traveling “People of Hope Museum” to Capitol Hill for its annual advocacy day, inviting members of Congress to see firsthand how its ministries impact both those who serve and those they serve.
“We’re anxious to get them to visit this,” Luz Tavarez, vice president for government relations at Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), told EWTN News. Tavarez was among 21 diocesan officials who participated in CCUSA’s annual “Hill Day” on May 19-20 to lobby Congress on housing, food insecurities, and other poverty-related issues.
CCUSA’s mobile museum is scheduled to be parked on the National Mall in front of the Capitol through May 22.
“Whatʼs really amazing about the People of Hope Museum is that itʼs a firsthand account of how we see Jesus in the people we serve,” she said. “So, I really hope that they do get down here. We have invited every single one of them to come, so weʼll see.”
The group met with about 60 offices, Tavarez said, including members of the House and Senate.
Four members addressed CCUSA, including Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, Rep. James Clyburn, D-South Carolina, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-New York, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
“All of those members challenged us to just continue to hit the ground educating members of the important work that we do,” Tavarez said. “I think thereʼs a recognition on both sides of the aisle of how critical the work that Catholic Charities around the country, the work that we do, is. But again, our goal was just really to ensure that government funding, government appropriations, is reaching the most vulnerable.”
Tavarez highlighted the recently-passed farm bill and housing issues as areas where they found bipartisan support among members. She said the group did not experience much pushback but that the challenge lay in educating members “on how our Catholic faith is translated into the policy positions we take, and thatʼs just consistent on both sides of the aisle.”
The lobbying day came a week after Democratic senators pressed Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner over missing data on homelessness and the Trump administration’s planned cuts to federal funding for homelessness.
“Itʼs important to understand that not everyone understands the work that we do,” she said. “And for some people, Catholic Charities means just one thing, you know, perhaps itʼs working with immigrants. For other people, Catholic Charities is just the local food pantries. And there is some intersection there.”
“What is beautiful about ‘Hill Day’ in my view is that Catholic Charities, of course, is not a political or partisan entity,” CCUSA CEO Kerry Alys Robinson told EWTN News. “It is a social ministry of the Church, and it encompasses the full political spectrum.”
“Elected officials across the aisle all understand just how important Catholic Charities is to their constituents in their districts and in their states,” she said. “So I think judging from all reports, the meetings went very, very well, and our diocesan directors are especially happy to be here.”
EWTN expands reach in northern Europe with new office in Sweden
EWTN Global Catholic Network will open a new office in Stockholm, the network announced May 21. As part of the expansion, EWTN will extend its Swedish services to reach Scandinavian and northern European audiences.
The move comes amid growth of the Catholic Church in Sweden. The nation, which historically restricted religious freedom, has 130,000 registered Catholics.
The Stockholm office will produce news from the Vatican along with devotional and catechetical content for local audiences and beyond.
“EWTN’s mission has always been to bring the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith to people wherever they are,” said Michael P. Warsaw, chairman of the board and CEO of EWTN.
Founded by Mother Angelica 45 years ago, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. EWTN is the parent company of EWTN News.
“The opening of our Stockholm office is an important step in serving a growing Catholic community in Sweden driven by immigration and conversions,” Warsaw said. “For EWTN, the Catholic Church in Sweden represents a dynamic and expanding audience for faithful Catholic media and local-language evangelization.”
EWTN looks to reach the growing online audience in Sweden, where 93% of people go online daily, according to a 2025 report by the Swedish Internet Foundation.
“EWTN Sweden is built for the way people in Sweden live and consume media today,” said Ulf Silfverling, director of EWTN Sweden. “Through EWTN.se and our media channels, we want to provide faithful, accessible, and relevant Catholic content that speaks to Swedish audiences in their own language and context.”
“This office represents more than a new location; it is a commitment to Scandinavia, Sweden, and its growing community of faithful as EWTN continues to work on reaching every home and every heart,” said Andreas Thonhauser, chief global officer of EWTN.
“By producing native Swedish content and collaborating more closely with Catholics in the region, EWTN can help deepen the faith and connect northern Europe more fully with the life of the universal Church,” Thonhauser added.
Loyola University Maryland gets $500K private grant for community projects, ‘social trust’ efforts
Loyola University Maryland received a $500,000 grant from the Aspen Institute to facilitate community projects and dialogue aimed at strengthening “social trust” among groups historically divided by race and income.
The grant, awarded to the Jesuit university on May 19, is part of the Aspen Institute’s Trust in Practice Award grants, which are sponsored by the insurance company Allstate. Loyola is one of 11 recipients of the grant.
According to a news release by Loyola, the grant will establish a program called “Rooted in Trust,” which will build on its York Road Community Day program. Its stated goal is to build trust across racial, generational, and socioeconomic divides.
The grant funds a two-year project through April 2028 that begins with several months of community dialogue and listening sessions between people from the east side and from the west side of York Road in North Baltimore, which the news release said was historically divided.
The west side of the divide has a higher white population and higher income, while the east side has a higher Black population and lower income, which is rooted in 1930s efforts to segregate the communities, according to a 2020 article in The Johns Hopkins Newsletter.
According to the Loyola news release, the dialogue sessions will help develop a plan for five greening and public space activation community projects. It’s not yet clear what the specific projects will be.
Each project will have one co-lead from the west side and one from the east side. The project site will have signs that explain the history and the culture of the area.
“The Rooted in Trust Program will start with community dialogues in order to understand how historic divides have shaped relationships, access, and use of space,” said Gia Grier McGinnis, Loyola executive director of the neighborhood resilience and community engagement.
“Then, through intergenerational environmental stewardship and placemaking activities, we hope deeper connections can form — both among people who might not otherwise interact and with spaces they reimagine together,” she said. “We are honored that the Aspen Institute and Allstate have given us this incredible opportunity, and we look forward to sharing what we learn with others across Baltimore and across the country.”
Loyola will lead the program that will include three other partners: the Govans-Boundary United Methodist Church; the York Road Partnership, which has more than 30 member organizations; and the York Road Improvement District.
“Rooted in Trust builds upon Loyola’s long-standing, place-based community development efforts in the Greater Govans and York Road corridor neighborhoods, which emphasize community-university collaboration and partnership,” Deb Cady Melzer, Loyola vice president of student development, said in a statement.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Aspen Institute and Allstate for this transformational award, which empowers Loyola and our neighbors to continue this important work,” she said.
The Aspen Institute launched the Trust in Practice Awards initiative in October 2025 with a $5 million donation from Allstate. According to a news release, the initiative is to fund community organizations that support civic engagement, volunteering, and bridging differences with intergenerational participants.
“In today’s interconnected world, trust among people is a key part of what strengthens our communities and country,” Dan Porterfield, Aspen Institute president and CEO, said in a statement at the time.
“The Trust in Practice Awards are an example of our joint commitment to building and sustaining trust across communities and among individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs,” he said. “We are grateful to Allstate for their leadership and partnership in this important effort.”
It was launched in response to Allstate research that found 41% of people said they generally trust other Americans.
Pope Leo XIV urges Villanova graduates to maintain Augustinian values
In a message to Villanova’s Class of 2026, Pope Leo XIV called on graduates to remain faithful to the Augustinian values of “veritas, unitas, caritas (truth, unity, charity)” throughout their lives.
“The world beyond Villanova is waiting for you, sometimes with open arms, and sometimes with truly dangerous intent. You will have the challenge and the opportunity to make a big difference, if you carry with you those Augustinian values of veritas, unitas, caritas,” Leo, a graduate of the Class of 1977, said in a written message read at Villanova’s May 19 commencement ceremony.
“This being the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, I would invite you to recall in a special way the guiding principles of the foundations of our nation: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all [people] are created equal; that they are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’” the pope said.
“May the graduates of 2026 always be faithful to the guiding light that has been so important for these 250 years,” Leo said. “Congratulations, and please know that I send all of you my apostolic blessing.”
Benedictine College condemns antisemitic leaflet, promises disciplinary action
Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, condemned the distribution of antisemitic leaflets across its campus in late April following a conference on Nostra Aetate, the Vatican II document on non-Christian religions, hosted by the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism.
The flyer was distributed by a group called “Coalition of Catholics Against Jewish Supremacy” and accused Benedictine College theology professor Matthew Ramage of “blasphemy.”
“The college is proud that our students took the initiative to remove these anonymous flyers from cars in campus parking lots, and we are also proud that our student groups were the first to respond to the attacks,” the college said in a statement, praising the Latin Mass Society for speaking out and expressing “its disgust and utter disappointment at the content” of the leaflet.
“Questions are now being raised about repercussions,” the college said. “Any student who is found to be involved in conduct that violates the Student Code of Conduct is subject to the college’s student disciplinary procedures, but this process is confidential to protect students.”
Liberty University student challenges Supreme Court on taxpayer funding for religious studies
Liberty University student Bethany Hall is challenging a decades-old Supreme Court precedent limiting the use of taxpayer-funded scholarships for students in religious studies programs.
Hall is suing Virginia officials for blocking her from using a $5,000 per year scholarship she received through the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant program to pay for her degree in youth ministries, considered a vocational religious degree. Majors that “prepare individuals for the professional practice of religious vocations” disqualify students from receiving the public funds, according to the state program.
After a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against her on May 13, Hall’s case is one step closer to the Supreme Court, according to a May 19 report.
“It’s just quite simply wrong and very sad that our Supreme Court made that decision back then,” Hall said. “Because whether you agree with Christianity or a different religion or not, it’s not up to the court to determine if I get to receive a scholarship paid for by taxpayer dollars.”
Canadian university launches ‘Pope Francis Institute’
St. Jerome’s University in Ontario, Canada, announced it is opening an institute dedicated to the legacy of Pope Francis.
“To honor Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death, St. Jerome’s University is announcing the creation of a new hub for learning, dialogue, and leadership formation,” the university said in a press release. “The Pope Francis Institute will be the world’s first initiative of its kind dedicated to advancing the legacy of the late pontiff.”
The Pope Francis Institute will officially launch with a public event sometime during the 2026-2027 academic year, according to the release.
The institute will host programs “rooted in the spirituality of Francis and the educational tradition of his Jesuit order,” including public lectures, retreats, professional development, and research.
Knights of Columbus receives major international award for promoting peace and humanitarian work
The Knights of Columbus received the 2026 Path to Peace Award in recognition of the groupʼs service to the cause of peace, justice, and humanitarian aid.
The award, an international distinction bestowed by the Path to Peace Foundation, was presented May 18 in New York to Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly during the traditional Path to Peace gala dinner, organized in support of the work of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and various urgent humanitarian causes.
The award was presented by the apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, president of the foundation and permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N.
The Knights of Columbus, considered the worldʼs foremost Catholic lay organization for men, carries out initiatives involving charity, humanitarian aid, formation, and support for families in various countries.
The organization states that its mission is to help Catholic men live out their faith and serve their families, parishes, communities, and nations.
“On behalf of more than 2.2 million Knights of Columbus worldwide, it is an incredible honor to accept the Path to Peace Award,” Kelly said during the ceremony.
The organization’s leader recalled that Blessed Michael McGivney founded the Knights more than 140 years ago “upon the pillars of charity, unity, and fraternity.”
“Today, we are proud to continue this mission throughout the world in our parishes and communities, and in nations facing the devastating impacts of war and religious intolerance. We pray that our efforts help bring peace and alleviate suffering, bearing witness to the hope that comes from Jesus Christ,” Kelly stated.
An award linked to the diplomacy of the Holy See
The significance of this recognition is closely linked to the diplomatic and humanitarian mission of the Holy See at the U.N.
The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. was officially established on April 6, 1964, and has since played an active role in promoting peace, justice, human rights, and the social doctrine of the Church within the international community.
As the Path to Peace Foundation explains, the foundation was established with the aim of expanding humanitarian and reconciliation activities beyond the strictly diplomatic sphere, promoting the Catholic Churchʼs message of peace and the popeʼs teachings on morality, development, and human rights.
Its key initiatives include international seminars on social encyclicals, cultural activities at the U.N., humanitarian projects for refugees and the sick, and the dissemination of documents related to the diplomacy of the Holy See.
Recognition of international leaders
The Path to Peace Award has been presented since 1993 to individuals and institutions whose lives and work have contributed significantly to the well-being of the international community.
Recipients include former U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali; Corazon Aquino, former president of the Philippines; Lech Wałęsa, former trade union leader and president of Poland; King Abdullah II along with Queen Rania Al Abdullah, reigning Jordanian monarchs; and current U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope encourages young man fearful of the future: ‘The love of Jesus will always accompany you’
Pope Leo XIV sent a moving letter filled with tenderness, understanding, and valuable guidance to an 18-year-old man who had expressed his fears regarding uncertainty of the future and the new chapter he is about to begin in his life at a university.
In just a few weeks, young Pietro from Reggio Calabria in Italy will finish high school and begin his university studies, a major change about which he feels “a great deal of confusion.”
The young Italian conveyed his concerns to the Holy Father in a heartfelt letter published May 19 in Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square) magazine. Specifically, the young man said he fears losing the friendships he has forged in high school and not knowing which path God desires for him.
Fear of the future
In his letter, he opened up to the pope and shared his dream of “building and realizing the project of a family united in the love of Christ.” He also asks for prayers for his future and for the ability to understand how to live with the feelings of “restlessness and longing” while embarking upon his new path with serenity.
Mindful of the weight the young man feels upon his shoulders, Pope Leo XIV congratulated him in his letter for not being easily satisfied and for taking his life seriously.
First, the pontiff reminded him that he is loved by Jesus — personally and just as he is — including his dreams, questions, and fears. “This love precedes you and will always accompany you; it does not depend on the decisions you make or the paths you take,” he assured the young man.
‘What was authentic isn’t lost’
The pope also reminded Pietro that Jesus “knows the experience of friendship well,” and for this reason, “he would be the first to understand your fear regarding the friendships that have marked these years.”
The Holy Father reminded him that “what was authentic isn’t lost; indeed, true love does not dissolve but remains forever; it matures even when it changes form.”
Regarding the desires the young man harbors in his heart, the pope encouraged him to focus on those that grant him “a profound peace” and guide him toward good decisions, reminding him of the importance of discernment.
“Do not be in a hurry to understand everything immediately. Time is a patient teacher and heals wounds,” he added.
‘Not everything that ends is a defeat’
He also advised him to pray every day, listen to the word of God, receive the sacraments, and converse with wise individuals who could help him discern which ties he ought to keep.
“Not everything that comes to an end is a defeat; sometimes, it is merely a necessary step toward growth. Your dream of a family founded upon the love of Christ is a precious gift for the Church as well; preserve it with confidence. The Lord does not disappoint the desires that he himself has kindled within the heart,” the pontiff advised.
Before concluding his letter, the pope reminded Pietro that restlessness is not a negative sign but rather represents “the place where God is working on a deep level.”
“I ask for you the grace of inner peace, of trust, and of a clear perspective on your life. I entrust you to Mary, who as a young woman learned to trust despite having kept in her heart questions greater than herself,” the pope said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Bishop John Ricard, first head of National Black Catholic Congress, dies at 86
Bishop John Ricard, who led the National Black Catholic Congress for three decades and served as a bishop in two U.S. dioceses, died on May 20 at 86.
His death was announced by the Archdiocese of Baltimore in the archdiocesan newspaper, Catholic Review. Ricard passed away at St. Josephʼs Seminary in Washington, D.C., according to the archdiocese.
“Bishop John Ricard’s death is a profound loss for our local Church and for the entire Catholic community in the United States,” Baltimore Archbishop William Lori said in the announcement.
Lori said Ricard, a former auxiliary bishop in Baltimore, "served this archdiocese with grace, humility, and a joyful spirit that made him beloved by all who encountered him.”
Born in Baton Rogue, Louisiana, on Feb. 29, 1940, as one of eight children, Ricard attended Epiphany Apostolic College in Newburgh, New York. He completed religious studies at St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, D.C., and received a doctoral degree from The Catholic University of America.
He joined the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, or the Josephites, in 1962 and took his final vows on June 1, 1967. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1968, by Baton Rouge Bishop Emmet Tracy.
He served at several parishes in New Orleans and Washington prior to being appointed as a vicar bishop in the Archdiocese of Baltimore by Pope John Paul II. He was subsequently consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of that archdiocese on July 2, 1984, the first Black bishop to serve there.
In 1997 he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, where he served until 2011 when he retired for health reasons.
In addition to his duties as a prelate, Ricard also served as the first president of the National Black Catholic Congress, holding that role from the congress' inception in 1987 until 2017.
After his retirement from Pensacola-Tallahassee, he served as rector of St. Josephʼs Seminary in Washington. He was elected superior general of the Josephites in 2019.
Having grown up amid pervasive racism in the segregated South prior to the Civil Rights era, Ricard at times commented on racial conflict in the United States, including in 2016 amid civil unrest around police shootings, which he described as a “wake-up call for all of us” in an interview with Catholic News Service.
The bishop said he and his friends “lived under constant threat of being arrested” during the 1950s in Louisiana. He said the Catholic Church can “bring [a lot] to the table” of racial healing in the United States.
“Weʼve got a lot of work to do,” he told the news service.
In a statement released after his death, the Josephites said Ricard “faithfully served the Catholic Church for decades through his ministry as a Josephite priest, counselor, educator, pastor, bishop, humanitarian, and leader.”
“He devoted his life to the proclamation of the Gospel, humanitarian efforts worldwide, the mission of the Josephite Society, and the pastoral care of God’s people, especially within Black Catholic communities,” they said.
The Josephites asked for “prayers for the repose of Bishop Ricard’s soul, for the Josephite community, his family, friends, and all who mourn his passing.”
Seton Hall University could be forced to release report on handling of sex abuse allegations
Seton Hall University could be forced to release a long‑hidden investigation into clergy sexual abuse at the Catholic institution’s seminary and the university’s handling of it.
The controversy centers on the so-called “Latham report,” a years-old inquiry commissioned by the school itself amid the fallout of bombshell abuse allegations against now-disgraced and deceased former cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
Attorney Gabriel Magee represents several Church abuse victims as part of “approximately 400 cases total” in a consolidated litigation against the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall is a defendant in a handful of the cases, he told EWTN News.
As part of those proceedings, state judge Avion Benjamin had ordered the school in November 2025 to turn over the Latham report to lawyers representing victims of clergy abuse. The school had previously argued that the report was protected by attorney-client privilege.
Seton Hall appealed Benjaminʼs order to surrender the report. Oral arguments were held in the appeals court this month.
The Latham report was commissioned by Seton Hall in 2019. Produced by the law firm Latham & Watkins, it has never been made public. The report is expected to examine whether Monsignor Joseph Reilly, then rector of Seton Hall’s Immaculate Conception Seminary (and now university president), knew about abuse claims and failed to report them. Reilly was appointed president in 2024.
Neither the school nor attorneys representing it responded to requests for comment on the ongoing litigation. Magee, meanwhile, disputed claims that the report is protected by legal shields such as the attorney-client privilege or the “work-product privilege.”
“For either to apply, the primary purpose must either be conveying legal advice or it must have been created in anticipation of litigation,” Magee said.
“But the record here shows instead that the Latham Report was created for self-critical analysis by Seton Hall, primarily to determine how to discipline employees who failed to report the sexual harassment and sexual abuse committed by McCarrick and to advise [the school] on how to create new policies to prevent this from happening again,” he said.
Magee said the appeal to the higher court had been expedited, suggesting the court may issue a ruling “sooner rather than later.”
Newark Archdiocese ordered investigation in 2025
Amid the ongoing controversy, Newark archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin in February 2025 ordered an independent review.
The prelate said at the time that the review would examine “how the findings of [the earlier reports] relate to Monsignor Joseph Reilly, including whether they were communicated to any and all appropriate personnel at the archdiocese and Seton Hall University and Monsignor Reilly, and if so, by what means and by whom.”
The archbishop said he had not “place[d] a timetable” on the review, which was being carried out by the law firm Ropes & Gray.
Tobin in 2025 had further said that he had not “restricted the firm from exploring any relevant facts or avenue of investigation.”
"A transparent review of the facts will best serve the interests of all involved and of those who have voiced a call for it,” the cardinal said.
In a statement to EWTN News, the Archdiocese of Newark indicated that the review was still ongoing as of May 20.
“Cardinal Tobin stands by his earlier statement that there should be no restrictions on Ropes & Gray’s efforts to access all relevant information and witnesses,” the archdiocese said.
The cardinal “remains committed to a transparent examination of the facts and is optimistic that the review will be completed as expeditiously as possible,” the statement added.
Alabama cannot execute convicted murderer with low IQ after Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court on May 21 rejected an attempt by the state of Alabama to execute a convicted murderer whose low IQ may render him intellectually disabled and thus protected from capital punishment by the U.S. Constitution.
The court in an unsigned order dismissed an appeal from Alabama after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Joseph Clifton Smith, with the appeals court holding that Smithʼs low-70s IQ put him close enough to the threshold of an intellectually disability to render his death sentence unconstitutional.
The court heard oral arguments in the case in December 2025. The case had followed a twisting path through the federal court system; the 11th Circuit first ruled in Smithʼs favor in 2023, after which the Supreme Court in 2024 vacated that decision and ordered the appeals court to consider it again.
A second review by the lower court, with another favorable ruling for Smith, again brought the case before the Supreme Court last year; the high courtʼs May 21 ruling brought the case to an end.
The latest ruling represents a potential precedent in how the Supreme Court considers certain cases of capital punishment. The court ruled in the 2002 case Atkins v. Virginia that executing people with intellectual disabilities violated the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment."
The justices did not define “intellectual disability” in that case, though it cited expert opinion that “an IQ between 70 and 75 or lower” is “typically considered the cutoff” in some definitions.
Theresa Farnan, philosopher on the Ethics and Public Policy Committee of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, told EWTN News in April that Smithʼs death sentence was “clearly a borderline case.” Smith was convicted in the brutal 1997 slaying of Durk Van Dam.
“It’s obvious to me he could not grasp the gravity of his crimes,“ Farnan said of Smith. ”In cases like these, the burden on us as a society is even more pronounced to be radically pro-life.”
The Catholic Church in recent decades has come out increasingly against the death penalty, with multiple popes arguing that modern penal systems have rendered capital punishment inadmissible in many if not most cases.
Pope Leo XIV in particular has spoken out several times against the death penalty in just the first year of his pontificate, arguing that “human life is to be respected” and that support for capital punishment is incompatible with a pro-life philosophy.
Vatican warns that AI ‘deepfakes’ threaten the human experience
Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, on Thursday criticized AI deepfakes as a threat to human encounter.
Speaking at a conference on AI in Rome on May 21, Mendonça warned of the dangers of AI, saying that it can “have painful consequences on the destiny of individuals.”
“When a deepfake lends a personʼs face to words they have never spoken ... it is the very grammar of the human encounter that is altered,” Mendonça said. “Technology that exploits our need for relationship ... can not only have painful consequences on the destiny of individuals, but it can also damage the social, cultural, and political fabric of societies.”
Preserving humanity in the age of AI
Coming a few days before of the release of Pope Leo XIVʼs Magnifica Humanitas, which will treat moral and social questions related to AI, the theme of the conference was “Preserving Human Voices and Faces.”
Organized by the Dicastery for Communication and held at the Pontifical Urban University, the conference brought together professors, journalists, and engineers who offered insights into the risks AI poses to authentic human experiences.
Mendonça, citing the popeʼs message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, clarified that the goal “lies not in stopping digital innovation but in guiding it.”
Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, added: “The greatest danger consists in passively accepting the idea that knowledge no longer belongs to us.”
Magnifica Humanitas: Keeping the human at the center
Some of the conference panelists expressed their hopes for Leoʼs upcoming encyclical on AI.
One of those was Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Section of Culture of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Speaking to EWTN News on the sidelines, Tighe gave his impressions about what the pope intends to contribute with this document.
“I think the pope is doing two things: First, he will be offering perspectives that enable people to reflect and think critically about AI and its role in society. Second, he is initiating a dialogue,” Tighe told EWTN News. “He wants to create an environment where all the various people who have a part in the development of AI are attentive to keeping the human at the center.”