Supreme Court declines to intervene in federal lawsuit over Peter’s Pence papal collection #Catholic The U.S. bishops will continue to face a lawsuit over millions of dollars in contested papal donations after the U.S. Supreme Court on May 26 refused to weigh in on the case. The decision represents a blow for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which was seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed on religious liberty grounds. The high court did not explain its reason for rejecting the petition from the U.S. bishops, issuing the decision as part of a larger order list.Rhode Island resident David OʼConnell filed the class action suit against the bishops in January 2020, alleging that the prelates had misled Catholics about the nature of the annual Peterʼs Pence papal collection.OʼConnell claimed he had been led to believe that the offering — which dates back centuries and which is used to help fund the popeʼs charitable initiatives — was strictly for emergency assistance to victims of war and poverty; OʼConnell said he subsequently found out it was used in part to “defray Vatican administrative expenses.”The U.S. bishops argued in court that the suit should be dismissed on the grounds of the “church autonomy doctrine,” a long-standing principle in U.S. case law that bars the government from exercising control over internal church decisions. Both a federal district court and an appeals court ruled against the bishops. The Supreme Courtʼs refusal to consider the case means it will continue to work its way through the lower courts. In a statement on May 26, Daniel Blomberg — a senior attorney at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the bishops — said the decision was “disappointing.” But he said the USCCB is “evaluating all of its options moving forward” and “remains committed to protecting the Church from unconstitutional government entanglement.” Multiple religious advocates have come out in favor of the bishops in the dispute. A coalition of organizations including the Thomas More Society, the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, and several other groups filed an amicus brief at the Supreme Court in January arguing that their respective religious beliefs involve “matters of internal governance that must be protected from government entwinement.”In their petition to the Supreme Court, meanwhile, the bishops alleged that OʼConnell was "leveraging civil power for religious ends," claiming the plaintiff was “essentially seek[ing] the structural reform of a religious institution."Such disputes “are beyond the ken of civil courts,” the bishops argued, claiming that the suit includes “demands for lists of papal donors, accounting for the pope’s use of Peter’s Pence, and disclosure of the bishops’ internal communications with the Holy See about Peter’s Pence.”The suit threatens to “thrust civil courts into church pulpits and pews … pit millions of parishioners against their Church, and second-guess the meaning of an offering given to the head of a foreign religious sovereign for over 1,000 years,” the bishops said.
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Supreme Court declines to intervene in federal lawsuit over Peter’s Pence papal collection #Catholic The U.S. bishops will continue to face a lawsuit over millions of dollars in contested papal donations after the U.S. Supreme Court on May 26 refused to weigh in on the case. The decision represents a blow for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which was seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed on religious liberty grounds. The high court did not explain its reason for rejecting the petition from the U.S. bishops, issuing the decision as part of a larger order list.Rhode Island resident David OʼConnell filed the class action suit against the bishops in January 2020, alleging that the prelates had misled Catholics about the nature of the annual Peterʼs Pence papal collection.OʼConnell claimed he had been led to believe that the offering — which dates back centuries and which is used to help fund the popeʼs charitable initiatives — was strictly for emergency assistance to victims of war and poverty; OʼConnell said he subsequently found out it was used in part to “defray Vatican administrative expenses.”The U.S. bishops argued in court that the suit should be dismissed on the grounds of the “church autonomy doctrine,” a long-standing principle in U.S. case law that bars the government from exercising control over internal church decisions. Both a federal district court and an appeals court ruled against the bishops. The Supreme Courtʼs refusal to consider the case means it will continue to work its way through the lower courts. In a statement on May 26, Daniel Blomberg — a senior attorney at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the bishops — said the decision was “disappointing.” But he said the USCCB is “evaluating all of its options moving forward” and “remains committed to protecting the Church from unconstitutional government entanglement.” Multiple religious advocates have come out in favor of the bishops in the dispute. A coalition of organizations including the Thomas More Society, the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, and several other groups filed an amicus brief at the Supreme Court in January arguing that their respective religious beliefs involve “matters of internal governance that must be protected from government entwinement.”In their petition to the Supreme Court, meanwhile, the bishops alleged that OʼConnell was "leveraging civil power for religious ends," claiming the plaintiff was “essentially seek[ing] the structural reform of a religious institution."Such disputes “are beyond the ken of civil courts,” the bishops argued, claiming that the suit includes “demands for lists of papal donors, accounting for the pope’s use of Peter’s Pence, and disclosure of the bishops’ internal communications with the Holy See about Peter’s Pence.”The suit threatens to “thrust civil courts into church pulpits and pews … pit millions of parishioners against their Church, and second-guess the meaning of an offering given to the head of a foreign religious sovereign for over 1,000 years,” the bishops said.

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The lawsuit will continue in the federal courts after the Supreme Court refused to consider a religious liberty objection by the U.S. bishops.

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Priest charged with theft of $160,000 from Kansas parish #Catholic A priest turned himself in to police after being accused of stealing about $160,000 from a parish, according to officials with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Father Richard Storey “voluntarily surrendered to the Leawood Police Department … on a level 5 felony charge involving theft of funds valued at approximately $160,000,” the archdiocese said in a May 23 statement.The alleged theft occurred at the Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood just outside of Kansas City, Kansas. Storey had resigned from that parish in September 2025 amid “a criminal investigation involving [Storey] concerning another adult,” according to the archdiocese. Kansas City Archbishop Shawn McKnight said on May 23 that the theft allegations were “deeply painful for all of us in the Catholic community, particularly given the nature of the allegations involving resources entrusted to the Church through the sacrifice and generosity of the faithful.”The archdiocese said a recent financial review identified discrepancies in the parishʼs finances that “warranted referral to law enforcement.” The parish will be filing an insurance claim to cover the losses, the archdiocese added. The archbishop urged parishioners at the Leawood parish to "treat one another with greater sensitivity, patience, charity, and respect as we move through this together, trusting that with faith in Christ, our community can emerge stronger and more united.”The prelate further thanked archdiocesan vicar general Father John Riley, the temporary administrator of the Leawood parish, for his “steady leadership and care for this community during this difficult time.”Arrest records show that Storey was booked on May 23 and posted $250,000 bond. The priest could face up to four years in prison on the charges.
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Priest charged with theft of $160,000 from Kansas parish #Catholic A priest turned himself in to police after being accused of stealing about $160,000 from a parish, according to officials with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Father Richard Storey “voluntarily surrendered to the Leawood Police Department … on a level 5 felony charge involving theft of funds valued at approximately $160,000,” the archdiocese said in a May 23 statement.The alleged theft occurred at the Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood just outside of Kansas City, Kansas. Storey had resigned from that parish in September 2025 amid “a criminal investigation involving [Storey] concerning another adult,” according to the archdiocese. Kansas City Archbishop Shawn McKnight said on May 23 that the theft allegations were “deeply painful for all of us in the Catholic community, particularly given the nature of the allegations involving resources entrusted to the Church through the sacrifice and generosity of the faithful.”The archdiocese said a recent financial review identified discrepancies in the parishʼs finances that “warranted referral to law enforcement.” The parish will be filing an insurance claim to cover the losses, the archdiocese added. The archbishop urged parishioners at the Leawood parish to "treat one another with greater sensitivity, patience, charity, and respect as we move through this together, trusting that with faith in Christ, our community can emerge stronger and more united.”The prelate further thanked archdiocesan vicar general Father John Riley, the temporary administrator of the Leawood parish, for his “steady leadership and care for this community during this difficult time.”Arrest records show that Storey was booked on May 23 and posted $250,000 bond. The priest could face up to four years in prison on the charges.

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Father Richard Storey turned himself in after being charged with theft from a Kansas City, Kansas, parish, according to the Archdiocese of Kansas City.

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Boaz Carefully Arranges Stalks Of Grain On Ground To Spell Out ‘Hey Gurl’ #BabylonBee – BETHLEHEM — As Ruth was about to come pick up extra crops left for her in the fields, workers reportedly spotted Boaz carefully arranging stalks of grain on the ground to spell out "Hey Gurl."
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Boaz Carefully Arranges Stalks Of Grain On Ground To Spell Out ‘Hey Gurl’ #BabylonBee – BETHLEHEM — As Ruth was about to come pick up extra crops left for her in the fields, workers reportedly spotted Boaz carefully arranging stalks of grain on the ground to spell out "Hey Gurl."

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BETHLEHEM — As Ruth was about to come pick up extra crops left for her in the fields, workers reportedly spotted Boaz carefully arranging stalks of grain on the ground to spell out "Hey Gurl."

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Chuck Schumer Celebrates Memorial Day Alone As All Of Last Year’s Guests Dead From E. Coli #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Chuck Schumer reportedly spent Memorial Day alone with his thoughts after having killed all of his backyard barbecue guests the previous year by serving them raw hamburger beef infected with E. coli.
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Chuck Schumer Celebrates Memorial Day Alone As All Of Last Year’s Guests Dead From E. Coli #BabylonBee – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Chuck Schumer reportedly spent Memorial Day alone with his thoughts after having killed all of his backyard barbecue guests the previous year by serving them raw hamburger beef infected with E. coli.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Chuck Schumer reportedly spent Memorial Day alone with his thoughts after having killed all of his backyard barbecue guests the previous year by serving them raw hamburger beef infected with E. coli.

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Rubio pays homage at Mother Teresa’s tomb, bringing ‘joy’ to her nuns – #Catholic – KOLKATA, India — The unprecedented visit of Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state, to the mother house of the Missionaries of Charity (MC), commencing his May 23–26 trip to India, has brought joy to the congregation founded by Mother Teresa, canonized as St. Teresa of Kolkata in 2016.After landing at Kolkata airport in the early hours of May 23, Rubio headed straight to the mother house. Accompanied by his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes, he attended a special Mass at the tomb of the nun, known as the “saint of the gutters,” on the ground floor of the mother house and placed a wreath of flowers on it. A wreath from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio bears a card from the U.S. Department of State reading “With Respect and Tribute from the People of The United States of America” at the tomb of St. Teresa of Kolkata on May 23, 2026. | Credit: Anto Akkara “With Respect and Tribute from the People of The United States of America” read the card pinned to the wreath Rubio placed on the tomb of Mother Teresa, which is thronged by hundreds of pilgrims daily.After the nearly hourlong Mass, Rubio spent another half hour with the Missionaries of Charity sisters at the mother house as dozens of excited novices looked on from the upper verandah.“It was beautiful. His respect for the mother is amazing. We thank God for this visit,” Sister Concettina, the congregationʼs secretary-general, told EWTN News after Rubio left, briefing the media, who had waited patiently outside for a couple of hours.From the mother house, Rubio and his entourage moved to Shishu Bhavan (a childrenʼs home), 650 feet away on the same A.J.C. Bose Road, where Rubio handed out teddy bears to destitute children with disabilities.“Mother Teresa left a tremendous legacy of compassion and service. I was honored to visit the Missionaries of Charity today to pay homage to her legacy,” Rubio said on X before flying from Kolkata to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The Telegraph, an English-language daily based in Kolkata, also hinted at the significance of Rubioʼs mother house visit, titling its report “U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits mother house in Kolkata on first leg of India trip.”A long-scheduled day of double joyLater that afternoon, it proved a long-scheduled day of double joy for the Missionaries of Charity, with 25 novices of different nationalities taking their final professions at Auxilium Parish Church in a solemn service led by Archbishop Elias Frank of Kolkata in the presence of hundreds of sisters. Sister Concettina, secretary-general of the Missionaries of Charity, briefs the media at the mother house in Kolkata, India, after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit on May 23, 2026. | Credit: Anto Akkara “It is a day of double joy for us,” Sister Marie Juan, one of the senior Missionaries of Charity councilors who formally “accepted” the vows during the two-hour service — with Superior General Sister Mary Joseph away in Australia — told EWTN News while coming out of the church.The senior Missionary of Charity official was responding to an EWTN News question on how she felt about the U.S. secretary of state visiting the Mother House at the start of his four-day visit to India.An act of solidarity amid recent strainsThe congregation had previously undergone a stressful period when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Modi canceled its FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) license to receive foreign donations on Christmas Day 2021 — alongside thousands of Indian church and secular advocacy and charity groups, including Bread for the World and Compassion International.Following widespread Indian and international outcry, the Modi government restored the Missionaries of Charityʼs FCRA license within a fortnight, after peers in the U.K. House of Lords slammed the decision in a Jan. 6, 2022, debate.“This unique visit is reassuring for us,” Alexander Anthony, secretary-general of the All India Catholic Union — the official national lay network for Catholics in India — told EWTN News on May 26.The Rubio visit, said Kolkata-based Anthony, “is an act of solidarity with the MCs and Christian community in India. It gives out a clear message to the rulers as the community is distressed.”India has reported steadily increasing incidents of anti-Christian violence, rising from 127 in 2014, when Modi assumed power, to 834 by 2024.The Christian community has been on edge recently after the BJP, for the first time, took power in West Bengal state — of which Kolkata is the capital — in the April elections, amid widespread criticism of the deletion of more than 9 million voters from the rolls, equivalent to 12% of the voter list.Even the Missionaries of Charity sisters in Kolkata had to appeal to get their voting rights restored, The Times of India reported.
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Rubio pays homage at Mother Teresa’s tomb, bringing ‘joy’ to her nuns – #Catholic – KOLKATA, India — The unprecedented visit of Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state, to the mother house of the Missionaries of Charity (MC), commencing his May 23–26 trip to India, has brought joy to the congregation founded by Mother Teresa, canonized as St. Teresa of Kolkata in 2016.After landing at Kolkata airport in the early hours of May 23, Rubio headed straight to the mother house. Accompanied by his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes, he attended a special Mass at the tomb of the nun, known as the “saint of the gutters,” on the ground floor of the mother house and placed a wreath of flowers on it. A wreath from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio bears a card from the U.S. Department of State reading “With Respect and Tribute from the People of The United States of America” at the tomb of St. Teresa of Kolkata on May 23, 2026. | Credit: Anto Akkara “With Respect and Tribute from the People of The United States of America” read the card pinned to the wreath Rubio placed on the tomb of Mother Teresa, which is thronged by hundreds of pilgrims daily.After the nearly hourlong Mass, Rubio spent another half hour with the Missionaries of Charity sisters at the mother house as dozens of excited novices looked on from the upper verandah.“It was beautiful. His respect for the mother is amazing. We thank God for this visit,” Sister Concettina, the congregationʼs secretary-general, told EWTN News after Rubio left, briefing the media, who had waited patiently outside for a couple of hours.From the mother house, Rubio and his entourage moved to Shishu Bhavan (a childrenʼs home), 650 feet away on the same A.J.C. Bose Road, where Rubio handed out teddy bears to destitute children with disabilities.“Mother Teresa left a tremendous legacy of compassion and service. I was honored to visit the Missionaries of Charity today to pay homage to her legacy,” Rubio said on X before flying from Kolkata to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The Telegraph, an English-language daily based in Kolkata, also hinted at the significance of Rubioʼs mother house visit, titling its report “U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits mother house in Kolkata on first leg of India trip.”A long-scheduled day of double joyLater that afternoon, it proved a long-scheduled day of double joy for the Missionaries of Charity, with 25 novices of different nationalities taking their final professions at Auxilium Parish Church in a solemn service led by Archbishop Elias Frank of Kolkata in the presence of hundreds of sisters. Sister Concettina, secretary-general of the Missionaries of Charity, briefs the media at the mother house in Kolkata, India, after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit on May 23, 2026. | Credit: Anto Akkara “It is a day of double joy for us,” Sister Marie Juan, one of the senior Missionaries of Charity councilors who formally “accepted” the vows during the two-hour service — with Superior General Sister Mary Joseph away in Australia — told EWTN News while coming out of the church.The senior Missionary of Charity official was responding to an EWTN News question on how she felt about the U.S. secretary of state visiting the Mother House at the start of his four-day visit to India.An act of solidarity amid recent strainsThe congregation had previously undergone a stressful period when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Modi canceled its FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) license to receive foreign donations on Christmas Day 2021 — alongside thousands of Indian church and secular advocacy and charity groups, including Bread for the World and Compassion International.Following widespread Indian and international outcry, the Modi government restored the Missionaries of Charityʼs FCRA license within a fortnight, after peers in the U.K. House of Lords slammed the decision in a Jan. 6, 2022, debate.“This unique visit is reassuring for us,” Alexander Anthony, secretary-general of the All India Catholic Union — the official national lay network for Catholics in India — told EWTN News on May 26.The Rubio visit, said Kolkata-based Anthony, “is an act of solidarity with the MCs and Christian community in India. It gives out a clear message to the rulers as the community is distressed.”India has reported steadily increasing incidents of anti-Christian violence, rising from 127 in 2014, when Modi assumed power, to 834 by 2024.The Christian community has been on edge recently after the BJP, for the first time, took power in West Bengal state — of which Kolkata is the capital — in the April elections, amid widespread criticism of the deletion of more than 9 million voters from the rolls, equivalent to 12% of the voter list.Even the Missionaries of Charity sisters in Kolkata had to appeal to get their voting rights restored, The Times of India reported.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio began his first India visit at St. Teresa of Kolkata’s tomb, bringing reassurance to her Missionaries of Charity.

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Polish initiative aims to ensure every euro reaches Lebanese families in need – #Catholic – As Lebanon continues to struggle under the weight of overlapping crises, from war and economic collapse to poverty and displacement, humanitarian initiatives aimed at supporting the Lebanese people are intensifying. Within this context, Polish Catholics have launched an international initiative to assist Lebanon’s most vulnerable families. “Lebanon in Need” was launched by the Maronite Missionary Foundation in Poland in partnership with 4fund.com, one of Poland’s largest licensed financial institutions specializing in humanitarian fundraising, as part of the broader international campaign “Europe for Lebanon.” The initiative operates as a voluntary crisis committee that combines pastoral mission with regulated European financial infrastructure, with the aim of ensuring that every euro donated in Europe reaches Lebanon safely, transparently, and in full.Addressing gaps in humanitarian aid to Lebanon“Lebanon in Need” was launched at the beginning of March to address a specific challenge: how to transfer European generosity to Lebanese families without the complications, losses, and regulatory ambiguity that often weaken cross-border Catholic humanitarian campaigns.Having already worked in Lebanon in 2020, the foundation knew that many Catholics in Poland, Italy, Portugal, and other European countries were willing to help. At the same time, it understood that smaller Catholic initiatives often lack the financial and regulatory infrastructure necessary to receive donations on a large scale and transfer them quickly and transparently during times of war.This led to an unusual partnership between the foundation, through its Church networks and ties with Lebanese Christian institutions, and 4fund.com, the international arm of the Polish crowdfunding platform zrzutka.pl. Together, the two entities launched “Lebanon in Need” as the operational arm of the wider “Europe for Lebanon” campaign, creating a model that combines pastoral mission with organized European financial systems. As Lebanon struggles under the weight of intertwined crises, humanitarian initiatives there are intensifying. | Credit: Photo courtesy of 4fund.com While Catholic humanitarian initiatives traditionally rely on parish networks and volunteer work, crowdfunding platforms rely on technology and modern financial systems. This initiative brings both worlds together with the goal of ensuring that aid reaches its beneficiaries with greater transparency and credibility.Support reaching the most vulnerable familiesIn Lebanon, field operations rely on a network of trusted institutions that have played a key role throughout the country’s successive crises, including Caritas Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross, as well as a wide network of parishes, dioceses, and local Church institutions, where priests and social workers personally know the families most in need.Aid is directed toward the groups most affected by the crisis, with particular attention given to families displaced by bombardments, elderly people living alone, women and children in vulnerable conditions, sick and disabled persons, as well as families living in extreme poverty and residents of collective shelters, remote villages, and under-resourced host communities.Although the initiative is rooted in Christian values and gives particular attention to Christian families who have lost everything, assistance is provided to all those in need, regardless of religion, background, or political affiliation. This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Polish initiative aims to ensure every euro reaches Lebanese families in need – #Catholic – As Lebanon continues to struggle under the weight of overlapping crises, from war and economic collapse to poverty and displacement, humanitarian initiatives aimed at supporting the Lebanese people are intensifying. Within this context, Polish Catholics have launched an international initiative to assist Lebanon’s most vulnerable families. “Lebanon in Need” was launched by the Maronite Missionary Foundation in Poland in partnership with 4fund.com, one of Poland’s largest licensed financial institutions specializing in humanitarian fundraising, as part of the broader international campaign “Europe for Lebanon.” The initiative operates as a voluntary crisis committee that combines pastoral mission with regulated European financial infrastructure, with the aim of ensuring that every euro donated in Europe reaches Lebanon safely, transparently, and in full.Addressing gaps in humanitarian aid to Lebanon“Lebanon in Need” was launched at the beginning of March to address a specific challenge: how to transfer European generosity to Lebanese families without the complications, losses, and regulatory ambiguity that often weaken cross-border Catholic humanitarian campaigns.Having already worked in Lebanon in 2020, the foundation knew that many Catholics in Poland, Italy, Portugal, and other European countries were willing to help. At the same time, it understood that smaller Catholic initiatives often lack the financial and regulatory infrastructure necessary to receive donations on a large scale and transfer them quickly and transparently during times of war.This led to an unusual partnership between the foundation, through its Church networks and ties with Lebanese Christian institutions, and 4fund.com, the international arm of the Polish crowdfunding platform zrzutka.pl. Together, the two entities launched “Lebanon in Need” as the operational arm of the wider “Europe for Lebanon” campaign, creating a model that combines pastoral mission with organized European financial systems. As Lebanon struggles under the weight of intertwined crises, humanitarian initiatives there are intensifying. | Credit: Photo courtesy of 4fund.com While Catholic humanitarian initiatives traditionally rely on parish networks and volunteer work, crowdfunding platforms rely on technology and modern financial systems. This initiative brings both worlds together with the goal of ensuring that aid reaches its beneficiaries with greater transparency and credibility.Support reaching the most vulnerable familiesIn Lebanon, field operations rely on a network of trusted institutions that have played a key role throughout the country’s successive crises, including Caritas Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross, as well as a wide network of parishes, dioceses, and local Church institutions, where priests and social workers personally know the families most in need.Aid is directed toward the groups most affected by the crisis, with particular attention given to families displaced by bombardments, elderly people living alone, women and children in vulnerable conditions, sick and disabled persons, as well as families living in extreme poverty and residents of collective shelters, remote villages, and under-resourced host communities.Although the initiative is rooted in Christian values and gives particular attention to Christian families who have lost everything, assistance is provided to all those in need, regardless of religion, background, or political affiliation. This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Lebanon in Need combines European financial regulation with Church and humanitarian expertise on the ground, seeking to ensure that aid reaches Lebanese families quickly, transparently, and credibly.

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The Sky Today on Tuesday, May 26: Enter Endymion

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 25: Three planets after sunset Tonight, let’s compare the appearance of the Moon to that of a week ago to see the effects of lunar libration, the “nodding” motion caused by the tilt of the Moon’s orbit around Earth.  High inContinue reading “The Sky Today on Tuesday, May 26: Enter Endymion”

The post The Sky Today on Tuesday, May 26: Enter Endymion appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 26 May 2026 – A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter 1:10-16 Beloved: Concerning the salvation of your souls the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and investigated it investigating the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the glories to follow them. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you with regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who preached the Good News to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels longed to look. Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.From the Gospel according to Mark 10:28-31 Peter began to say to Jesus, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first."

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A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter
1:10-16

Beloved:
Concerning the salvation of your souls
the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours
searched and investigated it
investigating the time and circumstances
that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated
when it testified in advance
to the sufferings destined for Christ
and the glories to follow them.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you
with regard to the things that have now been announced to you
by those who preached the Good News to you
through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
things into which angels longed to look.

Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly,
and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Like obedient children,
do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
but, as he who called you is holy,
be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.

From the Gospel according to Mark
10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus,
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first."

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When to say ‘no’ to AI in the classroom and at home: A key warning of Magnifica Humanitas – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV devotes a substantial portion of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to the impact of the digital revolution on education and family life.The pontiff acknowledges that “rapid technological transformations reveal just how unprepared we are on the educational level.” He warns that “the pervasiveness of digital media fosters a culture of immediacy and hyper-stimulation, which gives rise to fatigue, boredom, and apathy concerning the effort required for seeking the truth.”In response, he emphasizes that education “is a long journey requiring patience and therefore needs time for development and for engagement with reality beyond appearances,” something he considers “fundamental,” because — as he recalls — every technology “shapes those who use it.”The risk of extinguishing the desire to ask questionsIn the encyclical, Leo XIV does not offer ready-made answers or an easy list of tips. Rather, he issues a broad call to rethink what it means to educate people in the use of artificial intelligence and its implications. Ultimately, as he himself states, it is a matter of educating people “to decide when and for what purpose it ought not to be used.”“The speed and ease with which answers or summaries can be obtained risk extinguishing the desire to ask questions, which is a process that bears fruit only over time,” the pope writes. To illustrate this point, he turns to the Seventh Letter of the Greek philosopher Plato, from 353 B.C., a cornerstone of Western thought.“We must learn, then, how to exercise restraint in the use of AI and to protect our young people from the promise of the perfect machine, from that subtle temptation which renders human thought seemingly superfluous precisely when it is most needed,” he suggests, recalling that, as Plato said, the deepest and most important realities are learned only with great time and effort.‘Early and unsupervised exposure’The pope also warns about the negative impact on sleep, attention, and emotional regulation caused by “early and unsupervised exposure to digital devices and social media.”This is compounded, he continues, “by easy access to violent or degrading content that offends sensibility, to pornographic and hypersexualized material, to messages that trivialize the body and emotions, and to proposals that normalize risky behavior.”“Having a personal mobile device at too early an age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people’s vulnerabilities, foster addiction, and expose them to isolation, bullying, and cyberbullying, as well as to pressures to share intimate images or sensitive information,” he warns.In this regard, the pontiff acknowledges that it is difficult for parents to resist on their own the “influence of business models that monetize attention and time.” Hence his call for “an alliance among policymakers, educational institutions, and families that is capable of concretely supporting adults in this task.”“Farsighted public policies are needed,” he insists, “to oppose the immediate interests of platforms, concentrated in a few hands, when they conflict with the well-being of minors.”Along these lines, without pointing to any specific government, he speaks positively of legislative initiatives promoted in countries such as Australia, France, and Spain, and urges the promotion of “setting age limits, holding service providers accountable rather than shifting the whole burden of control onto families, and for providing specific protections against all forms of online sexual exploitation and violence. Thus can children and adolescents, who are entrusted to our care, be genuinely protected as a precious treasure.”Leo also identifies several pressing challenges within education in the face of the emergence of artificial intelligence.“Many educational systems struggle to keep pace with change and to support the integral development of students,” he notes.The development of information technologies and AI is causing curricula designed for another era to be obsolete, while school organization, spaces, assessment methods, and the very role of the teacher must be rethought “in order to promote an authentically integral education that addresses every dimension of the person.”“It is necessary to support the ongoing formation of teachers throughout their professional lives, so that they can engage positively with new technologies, helping students to use them responsibly, critically, and creatively rather than passively succumbing to their influence,” he says.The Holy Father also identifies a challenge of an intellectual and wisdom-based nature. “Without careful attention, an educational system lacking in a love for truth may emerge, in which an incessant flow of information replaces the essential exercise of research, reflection, and discernment,” he laments.A healthy attitude of attentionIn this context, he warns of the proliferation of a fragmented knowledge, while “it becomes difficult to grasp reality as a whole, to ask profound questions about meaning, or to develop authentic, critical, and creative thought.”“A genuinely healthy attitude is needed, requiring rhythms that incorporate silence, in-depth study, reading, and judicious analysis, for without these elements inner freedom may be compromised,” he proposes.The Church’s social doctrine, the pope says, calls for a renewed educational alliance among families, schools, Christian communities, and public institutions. This takes concrete form when principles are translated into educational goals: educating in sobriety and a sense of limits; in recognizing the right of others and of future generations to enjoy the goods received or created by human ingenuity; in freedom and responsibility; and in a sense of transcendence and the common good.“Schools are not called to follow the pace of the digital world but to offer that which the digital sphere by itself cannot provide, namely a shared time for learning and developing trustworthy relationships,” he concludes.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.
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When to say ‘no’ to AI in the classroom and at home: A key warning of Magnifica Humanitas – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV devotes a substantial portion of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to the impact of the digital revolution on education and family life.The pontiff acknowledges that “rapid technological transformations reveal just how unprepared we are on the educational level.” He warns that “the pervasiveness of digital media fosters a culture of immediacy and hyper-stimulation, which gives rise to fatigue, boredom, and apathy concerning the effort required for seeking the truth.”In response, he emphasizes that education “is a long journey requiring patience and therefore needs time for development and for engagement with reality beyond appearances,” something he considers “fundamental,” because — as he recalls — every technology “shapes those who use it.”The risk of extinguishing the desire to ask questionsIn the encyclical, Leo XIV does not offer ready-made answers or an easy list of tips. Rather, he issues a broad call to rethink what it means to educate people in the use of artificial intelligence and its implications. Ultimately, as he himself states, it is a matter of educating people “to decide when and for what purpose it ought not to be used.”“The speed and ease with which answers or summaries can be obtained risk extinguishing the desire to ask questions, which is a process that bears fruit only over time,” the pope writes. To illustrate this point, he turns to the Seventh Letter of the Greek philosopher Plato, from 353 B.C., a cornerstone of Western thought.“We must learn, then, how to exercise restraint in the use of AI and to protect our young people from the promise of the perfect machine, from that subtle temptation which renders human thought seemingly superfluous precisely when it is most needed,” he suggests, recalling that, as Plato said, the deepest and most important realities are learned only with great time and effort.‘Early and unsupervised exposure’The pope also warns about the negative impact on sleep, attention, and emotional regulation caused by “early and unsupervised exposure to digital devices and social media.”This is compounded, he continues, “by easy access to violent or degrading content that offends sensibility, to pornographic and hypersexualized material, to messages that trivialize the body and emotions, and to proposals that normalize risky behavior.”“Having a personal mobile device at too early an age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people’s vulnerabilities, foster addiction, and expose them to isolation, bullying, and cyberbullying, as well as to pressures to share intimate images or sensitive information,” he warns.In this regard, the pontiff acknowledges that it is difficult for parents to resist on their own the “influence of business models that monetize attention and time.” Hence his call for “an alliance among policymakers, educational institutions, and families that is capable of concretely supporting adults in this task.”“Farsighted public policies are needed,” he insists, “to oppose the immediate interests of platforms, concentrated in a few hands, when they conflict with the well-being of minors.”Along these lines, without pointing to any specific government, he speaks positively of legislative initiatives promoted in countries such as Australia, France, and Spain, and urges the promotion of “setting age limits, holding service providers accountable rather than shifting the whole burden of control onto families, and for providing specific protections against all forms of online sexual exploitation and violence. Thus can children and adolescents, who are entrusted to our care, be genuinely protected as a precious treasure.”Leo also identifies several pressing challenges within education in the face of the emergence of artificial intelligence.“Many educational systems struggle to keep pace with change and to support the integral development of students,” he notes.The development of information technologies and AI is causing curricula designed for another era to be obsolete, while school organization, spaces, assessment methods, and the very role of the teacher must be rethought “in order to promote an authentically integral education that addresses every dimension of the person.”“It is necessary to support the ongoing formation of teachers throughout their professional lives, so that they can engage positively with new technologies, helping students to use them responsibly, critically, and creatively rather than passively succumbing to their influence,” he says.The Holy Father also identifies a challenge of an intellectual and wisdom-based nature. “Without careful attention, an educational system lacking in a love for truth may emerge, in which an incessant flow of information replaces the essential exercise of research, reflection, and discernment,” he laments.A healthy attitude of attentionIn this context, he warns of the proliferation of a fragmented knowledge, while “it becomes difficult to grasp reality as a whole, to ask profound questions about meaning, or to develop authentic, critical, and creative thought.”“A genuinely healthy attitude is needed, requiring rhythms that incorporate silence, in-depth study, reading, and judicious analysis, for without these elements inner freedom may be compromised,” he proposes.The Church’s social doctrine, the pope says, calls for a renewed educational alliance among families, schools, Christian communities, and public institutions. This takes concrete form when principles are translated into educational goals: educating in sobriety and a sense of limits; in recognizing the right of others and of future generations to enjoy the goods received or created by human ingenuity; in freedom and responsibility; and in a sense of transcendence and the common good.“Schools are not called to follow the pace of the digital world but to offer that which the digital sphere by itself cannot provide, namely a shared time for learning and developing trustworthy relationships,” he concludes.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.

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Pope Leo XIV issues a broad call to rethink what it means to educate people in the use of artificial intelligence and its implications, especially for young people.

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Start here: 15 quotes from Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas #Catholic Pope Leo XIV just released his first encyclical — and it may be the most important Church document of our lifetime. Called Magnifica Humanitas, it covers artificial intelligence, human dignity, childrenʼs phones, autonomous weapons, doomscrolling, the mystery of the human soul, and why no machine will ever have the final word on what it means to be a person made in the image of God.The full document is available to download here — and worth a read. But for a quick taste of whatʼs inside, here are 15 powerful quotes from the encyclical:“Never has humanity had such power over itself.” (par. 4)"In practice, however, technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it. Therefore, the primary choice is not between a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to technology, but rather between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem; between a power that claims to dominate the heavens and a people who work together in the presence of God to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence.” (par. 9)“In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace.” (par. 15)“Thus, the ‘rejected stones’ — the poor, the sick, the migrants and the least among us — will become the cornerstone, and a solid, welcoming common home will emerge on the earth, where love and faithfulness will finally meet, and righteousness and peace will embrace (cf. Ps 85:10).” (par.16)“Human dignity does not depend on a person’s abilities, wealth, or position in life, nor on the right or wrong choices made; instead, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, endowed by God as an expression of his unfailing love.” (par. 50)“Among these ideologies, I consider particularly insidious the one that suggests that every person must earn or justify his or her own worth, to the point of attributing greater value to those who are more efficient or effective.” (par. 51)“No sin, failure, humiliation, or exclusion can diminish the profound value of a human life that God has willed and called into being.” (par. 52)“Solidarity demands that decisions regarding data, algorithms, platforms and artificial intelligence take into account not only the immediate benefit for a few, but also the impact on all peoples and on future generations.” (par. 76)“For an algorithm, an error is a flaw to be corrected; for a person, however, an error can be a catalyst for profound change. A person’s future is not calculable, but depends on one’s freedom — elevated by the inexhaustible grace of God — and on the relationships cultivated.” (par. 128)“Having a personal mobile device at too early an age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people’s vulnerabilities, foster addiction, and expose them to isolation, bullying, and cyberbullying, as well as to pressures to share intimate images or sensitive information.” (par. 141)“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. The memory of the saints, righteous people, and the oft-forgotten peacemakers, show us that grace does not magically eliminate conflict, but instead it inspires active resistance to evil and an astonishing creativity in doing good.” (par. 211)“The civilization of love will not arise from a single or spectacular gesture, but from the sum total of small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization.” (par. 213)“‘Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world.’ Words have enormous power, something we experience in our daily interactions; for example, spoken words can change our mood for better or for worse." (par. 214)“No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil. Even when machines excel in efficiency, a human face that asks to be gazed upon remains the center of our history. This human face is the fullness toward which history is moving.” (par. 233)“Let us remain faithful to the truth! Living amid incessant flows of information, opinions and images, we know how easy it can be to influence decisions and preferences through increasingly sophisticated algorithms. In this context, it is imperative to cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results.” (par. 237)
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Start here: 15 quotes from Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas #Catholic Pope Leo XIV just released his first encyclical — and it may be the most important Church document of our lifetime. Called Magnifica Humanitas, it covers artificial intelligence, human dignity, childrenʼs phones, autonomous weapons, doomscrolling, the mystery of the human soul, and why no machine will ever have the final word on what it means to be a person made in the image of God.The full document is available to download here — and worth a read. But for a quick taste of whatʼs inside, here are 15 powerful quotes from the encyclical:“Never has humanity had such power over itself.” (par. 4)"In practice, however, technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it. Therefore, the primary choice is not between a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to technology, but rather between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem; between a power that claims to dominate the heavens and a people who work together in the presence of God to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence.” (par. 9)“In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace.” (par. 15)“Thus, the ‘rejected stones’ — the poor, the sick, the migrants and the least among us — will become the cornerstone, and a solid, welcoming common home will emerge on the earth, where love and faithfulness will finally meet, and righteousness and peace will embrace (cf. Ps 85:10).” (par.16)“Human dignity does not depend on a person’s abilities, wealth, or position in life, nor on the right or wrong choices made; instead, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, endowed by God as an expression of his unfailing love.” (par. 50)“Among these ideologies, I consider particularly insidious the one that suggests that every person must earn or justify his or her own worth, to the point of attributing greater value to those who are more efficient or effective.” (par. 51)“No sin, failure, humiliation, or exclusion can diminish the profound value of a human life that God has willed and called into being.” (par. 52)“Solidarity demands that decisions regarding data, algorithms, platforms and artificial intelligence take into account not only the immediate benefit for a few, but also the impact on all peoples and on future generations.” (par. 76)“For an algorithm, an error is a flaw to be corrected; for a person, however, an error can be a catalyst for profound change. A person’s future is not calculable, but depends on one’s freedom — elevated by the inexhaustible grace of God — and on the relationships cultivated.” (par. 128)“Having a personal mobile device at too early an age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people’s vulnerabilities, foster addiction, and expose them to isolation, bullying, and cyberbullying, as well as to pressures to share intimate images or sensitive information.” (par. 141)“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. The memory of the saints, righteous people, and the oft-forgotten peacemakers, show us that grace does not magically eliminate conflict, but instead it inspires active resistance to evil and an astonishing creativity in doing good.” (par. 211)“The civilization of love will not arise from a single or spectacular gesture, but from the sum total of small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization.” (par. 213)“‘Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world.’ Words have enormous power, something we experience in our daily interactions; for example, spoken words can change our mood for better or for worse." (par. 214)“No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil. Even when machines excel in efficiency, a human face that asks to be gazed upon remains the center of our history. This human face is the fullness toward which history is moving.” (par. 233)“Let us remain faithful to the truth! Living amid incessant flows of information, opinions and images, we know how easy it can be to influence decisions and preferences through increasingly sophisticated algorithms. In this context, it is imperative to cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results.” (par. 237)

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Pope Leo XIV just released his first encyclical — and it may be the most important Church document of our lifetime.

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Ted Cruz Reveals the Four GOP Senators Who Are ‘P*ssed Off’ Over Trump’s Recent Endorsements and Threatening to Derail His Agenda Solely Out Of Spite (AUDIO) – President Trump’s agenda in the Senate is facing new threats from four senators who are livid over his recent endorsements of opponents of sitting members of Congress. The post Ted Cruz Reveals the Four GOP Senators Who Are ‘P*ssed Off’ Over Trump’s Recent Endorsements and Threatening to Derail His Agenda Solely Out Of Spite (AUDIO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Ted Cruz Reveals the Four GOP Senators Who Are ‘P*ssed Off’ Over Trump’s Recent Endorsements and Threatening to Derail His Agenda Solely Out Of Spite (AUDIO) – President Trump’s agenda in the Senate is facing new threats from four senators who are livid over his recent endorsements of opponents of sitting members of Congress. The post Ted Cruz Reveals the Four GOP Senators Who Are ‘P*ssed Off’ Over Trump’s Recent Endorsements and Threatening to Derail His Agenda Solely Out Of Spite (AUDIO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Ted Cruz delivering a speech at a podium, wearing a blue suit and pink tie, addressing an audience with a serious expression.

Ted Cruz delivering a speech at a podium, wearing a blue suit and pink tie, addressing an audience with a serious expression.

President Trump’s agenda in the Senate is facing new threats from four senators who are livid over his recent endorsements of opponents of sitting members of Congress.

The post Ted Cruz Reveals the Four GOP Senators Who Are ‘P*ssed Off’ Over Trump’s Recent Endorsements and Threatening to Derail His Agenda Solely Out Of Spite (AUDIO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘Magnifica Humanitas’: La encíclica del Papa León sobre la IA advierte sobre la tentación de construir un futuro excluyendo a Dios #Catholic – (OSV News) — El Papa León XIV ha publicado su histórica encíclica sobre la inteligencia artificial “Magnifica Humanitas” este 25 de mayo, comparando el intento de construir un futuro de IA que excluye a Dios con la “Torre de Babel” y subrayando la necesidad de custodiar la dignidad humana que “corre el riesgo de verse eclipsada por nuevas formas de deshumanización”. “Este es el riesgo de la deshumanización –construir el futuro excluyendo a Dios y reduciendo al otro a un medio–, una tentación antigua y siempre nueva, que hoy también toma un rostro técnico”, escribió el Papa León en su primera encíclica “Magnifica Humanitas: Sobre la custodia de la persona humana en el tiempo de la inteligencia artificial”. “En la era de la inteligencia artificial, en la que la dignidad humana corre el riesgo de verse eclipsada por nuevas formas de deshumanización, tenemos el deber urgente de permanecer profundamente humanos, custodiando con amor esa magnífica humanidad que se nos ha dado y revelado en plenitud en Cristo, y que ninguna máquina podrá jamás sustituir en su esplendor” dijo. El uso indebido de la IA comparado con la ‘Torre de Babel’ El Papa León da inicio a la primera encíclica de su pontificado diciendo que hoy la humanidad enfrenta una elección decisiva –“levantar una nueva torre de Babel o edificar la ciudad donde Dios y la humanidad habiten juntos”. Usando el relato bíblico del Génesis, el Papa advierte contra el “‘síndrome de Babel’: la idolatría del lucro que sacrifica a los débiles” y la pretensión de que todo, “incluso el misterio de la persona”, puede traducirse en “datos y rendimientos”. “Pedir prudencia, controles rigurosos y, en ocasiones, también una ralentización en la adopción de la IA no significa estar en contra del progreso, sino ejercitar un cuidado responsable hacia la familia humana”, escribió el Santo Padre. Desde la criptomoneda al ‘Señor de los Anillos’ El extenso documento papal está dividido en cinco capítulos y toca una gran variedad de temas relacionados con la IA, incluyendo el prospecto del desempleo masivo, el futuro de la educación, la protección de la libertad humana, el tiempo excesivo frente a las pantallas (en el caso de los jóvenes), las criptomonedas, las disparidades económicas, transhumanismo, ciberataques y la aplicación de los principios de la enseñanza social católica. El Papa León dedica el último capítulo de su encíclica a el desarrollo y el uso de la IA en el ámbito bélico, los cuales “deben estar sujetos a las restricciones éticas más rigurosas”, y a la construcción proactiva de la paz “que frenen la carrera armamentística tecnológica”. El pontífice estadounidense apuntó a Martin Luther King Jr., Santa Teresa de Calcuta, Dorothy Day, Santa Laura Montoya, San Maximiliano Kolbe, entre otros, como ejemplos que algunos “acontecimientos ayudan a ver que la historia puede cambiar cuando al menos un solo hombre o una sola mujer se toma realmente en serio la dignidad de todos”. Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí. En “Magnifica Humanitas”, que significa “magnífica humanidad” en latín, el Papa hace un llamado a los cristianos a que no sean “espectadores resignados” o “simples comentaristas de las ruinas” sino que tomen un rol proactivo en construir el futuro al cultivar comunidad y relaciones en persona, educando a los más jóvenes a amar la sabiduría, pasar tiempo con las personas empobrecidas y los que se sienten solos, ser la voz de la justicia, defender la verdad objetiva y tratar al mundo digital como “un nuevo continente por evangelizar”. “No nos atañe a nosotros dominar todas las mareas del mundo, sino hacer lo que está en nuestras manos por el bien de los días que nos ha tocado vivir, extirpando el mal en los campos que conocemos, y dejando a los que vendrán después una tierra limpia para la labranza”, escribió el Papa, citando al libro de J.R.R. Tolkien “El Señor de los Anillos: el retorno del rey”. Y agregó que “la civilización del amor no nace de un gesto único y espectacular, sino de una suma de fidelidades pequeñas y tenaces, que hacen frente a la deshumanización”. Bajar el ritmo cuando todo se está acelerando En su encíclica, el Papa León dice que la idea de “una IA más moral” no es suficiente, si esta moral es decidida por unos pocos. “Se necesita una política más presente, capaz de ralentizar donde todo acelera y de proteger los espacios en los que las comunidades pueden seguir participando e interrogándose”, dijo. El Santo Padre argumentó que “no podemos considerar a la IA como moralmente neutra” y subrayó que el discernimiento ético no puede ser limitado a “preguntarse si usamos un determinado sistema para un fin bueno o malo” sino “que debe interrogarse también sobre el modo en el que está diseñado y qué idea de persona y de sociedad queda inscrita en los datos y en los modelos que lo guían”. El Papa León añadió que la propiedad de los datos no debe ser confiada solamente al control privado y que los datos “no pueden ser vendidos o confiados a unos pocos”, llamando por una reglamentación apropiada y pensamiento creativo “capaz de gestionarlos como uno de los bienes comunes o colectivos”. El desempleo como ‘mal grave’ y ‘calamidad social’ El Papa León abordó el espectro del desempleo masivo debido a la adopción de la inteligencia artificial (IA), y dijo que esto sería “una verdadera calamidad social, lo que pone especialmente de relieve la responsabilidad del Estado”. Citó a la encíclica sobre el trabajo humano de San Juan Pablo II, publicada en 1981, “Laborem Exercens”, subrayando que su predecesor reconoció que el desempleo era “un mal grave”. Y el Papa León añadió que exponer “a muchos a una situación de inactividad forzada, de ausencia de responsabilidades, de falta de compromiso y de estímulos cotidianos” podría llevar al “empobrecimiento humano y cultural”. “El objetivo de obtener mayores beneficios no puede justificar decisiones que sacrifiquen sistemáticamente el empleo, porque la persona humana es un fin y no un medio, y el orden económico debe permanecer subordinado a su dignidad y al bien común”, dijo el Papa León. “Sin decisiones valientes, surgen más pobreza y más desigualdades, con una multitud de excluidos rodeados de máquinas y sistemas automatizados que han ocupado su lugar”, añadió. –Dios creó a los seres humanos para la comunión, no la eficiencia– El Papa León escribe que la IA promete eficiencia, pero los “nuevos modos” de trabajar no son necesariamente mejores, y describe cómo “contrariamente a los beneficios anunciados sobre la IA, los enfoques actuales de la tecnología pueden paradójicamente desespecializar a los trabajadores, someterlos a una vigilancia automatizada y relegarlos a tareas rígidas y repetitivas”. “Cuando la eficiencia se vuelve medida de valor, el ser humano es tentado a considerarse como un proyecto que debe optimizarse más que como una criatura llamada a la relación y a la comunión”, dijo el Papa. La defensa de la verdad objetiva La verdad es uno de los temas principales de la encíclica del pontífice agustino. Dijo que frente a los flujos incesantes de información, opiniones, imágenes y algoritmos sofisticados que pueden influenciar decisiones, es imperativo cultivar “un corazón que ama la verdad, que desea lo justo más que los contenidos de mayor atractivo, que busca la sabiduría más que el impacto inmediato”. “La verdad que no debemos perder es la de Dios y la del ser humano, tal como Cristo nos la ha revelado. Es necesario abandonar una visión del hombre individualista y técnica”, dijo. Citando al Papa Benedicto XVI, añadió, “el hombre moderno tiene la errónea convicción de ser el único autor de sí mismo, de su vida y de la sociedad. Es una presunción fruto de la cerrazón egoísta en sí mismo”. El Papa subrayó que “la búsqueda de la verdad es un elemento esencial para la democracia” y que “el desinterés por la verdad conduce lenta pero inexorablemente hacia el totalitarismo”. Dijo que debemos “promover una ecología de la comunicación” en el establecimiento de normas públicas “que hagan más transparentes los criterios con los que se seleccionan y amplifican los contenidos y que protejan los datos personales”. En el ámbito social y cultural, hizo un llamado al “fortalecimiento de los organismos intermedios, un periodismo serio y espacios de debate”, y a la adquisición de más formación en el uso de herramientas digitales por parte de las familias y las escuelas y a la búsqueda por parte de las universidades a “la integración de los conocimientos”. “La primera tarea que nos corresponde es no demonizar ni idolatrar los medios, sino gestionarlos a partir de un punto fijo: la verdad es un bien común y no una propiedad de quienes tienen poder o visibilidad”, puntualizó. Control social y la ‘economía digital de la atención’ El Papa León hizo un llamado a la “educación en la sobriedad digital” debido a las sutiles formas de adicción en la “economía digital de la atención” de hoy en día en que las plataformas y servicios digitales “están diseñados para captar el tiempo y la mirada de los usuarios” lo que debilita “la libertad interior”. Advirtió sobre el riesgo “del control social que la recopilación masiva de datos y el uso de sistemas algorítmicos hacen posible”. “Cuando cada gesto deja huellas –desplazamientos, compras, relaciones, preferencias– se crea un poder nuevo: el de perfilar, prever y orientar los comportamientos, a menudo sin que las personas tengan plena conciencia de ello”, escribió. “Si estos datos se utilizan para tomar decisiones que inciden en oportunidades concretas (acceso al crédito, selección de personal, servicios), existe el riesgo de socavar la libertad y discriminar a los más vulnerables”. El Papa León XIII y la doctrina social católica El Papa XIV sitúa su reflexión sobre la era de la inteligencia artificial en el contexto de la tradición magisterial de la doctrina social de la Iglesia, a veces conocida como enseñanza social católica. El primer capítulo de la encíclica ofrece una visión general de la contribución de cada papa al magisterio social de la Iglesia, desde el Papa León XIII hasta la actualidad, destacando las ideas clave que resultan especialmente relevantes hoy en día. El segundo capítulo provee definiciones de principios clave de la doctrina social de la Iglesia desde “el bien común” a la “subsidiariedad”. El Papa Francisco y San Juan Pablo II son citados con frecuencia a lo largo de la encíclica. El Papa León XIV firmó “Magnifica Humanitas” el 15 de mayo, coincidiendo con el 135.º aniversario de “Rerum Novarum”, la encíclica social fundacional de 1891 del Papa León XIII sobre el trabajo y el capital, redactada durante la primera Revolución Industrial. “Mientras las nuevas redes económicas y tecnológicas pueden generar exclusión, aislamiento y dependencias, la Iglesia, alimentada por la Eucaristía, está llamada a hacer visible otro tipo de medida, custodiando los vínculos, devolviendo la voz a los invisibles y orientando los procesos hacia la dignidad de las personas”, dijo el Papa León XIV. Courtney Mares es editora del Vaticano para OSV News. Síguela en X @catholicourtney.
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‘Magnifica Humanitas’: La encíclica del Papa León sobre la IA advierte sobre la tentación de construir un futuro excluyendo a Dios #Catholic – (OSV News) — El Papa León XIV ha publicado su histórica encíclica sobre la inteligencia artificial “Magnifica Humanitas” este 25 de mayo, comparando el intento de construir un futuro de IA que excluye a Dios con la “Torre de Babel” y subrayando la necesidad de custodiar la dignidad humana que “corre el riesgo de verse eclipsada por nuevas formas de deshumanización”. “Este es el riesgo de la deshumanización –construir el futuro excluyendo a Dios y reduciendo al otro a un medio–, una tentación antigua y siempre nueva, que hoy también toma un rostro técnico”, escribió el Papa León en su primera encíclica “Magnifica Humanitas: Sobre la custodia de la persona humana en el tiempo de la inteligencia artificial”. “En la era de la inteligencia artificial, en la que la dignidad humana corre el riesgo de verse eclipsada por nuevas formas de deshumanización, tenemos el deber urgente de permanecer profundamente humanos, custodiando con amor esa magnífica humanidad que se nos ha dado y revelado en plenitud en Cristo, y que ninguna máquina podrá jamás sustituir en su esplendor” dijo. El uso indebido de la IA comparado con la ‘Torre de Babel’ El Papa León da inicio a la primera encíclica de su pontificado diciendo que hoy la humanidad enfrenta una elección decisiva –“levantar una nueva torre de Babel o edificar la ciudad donde Dios y la humanidad habiten juntos”. Usando el relato bíblico del Génesis, el Papa advierte contra el “‘síndrome de Babel’: la idolatría del lucro que sacrifica a los débiles” y la pretensión de que todo, “incluso el misterio de la persona”, puede traducirse en “datos y rendimientos”. “Pedir prudencia, controles rigurosos y, en ocasiones, también una ralentización en la adopción de la IA no significa estar en contra del progreso, sino ejercitar un cuidado responsable hacia la familia humana”, escribió el Santo Padre. Desde la criptomoneda al ‘Señor de los Anillos’ El extenso documento papal está dividido en cinco capítulos y toca una gran variedad de temas relacionados con la IA, incluyendo el prospecto del desempleo masivo, el futuro de la educación, la protección de la libertad humana, el tiempo excesivo frente a las pantallas (en el caso de los jóvenes), las criptomonedas, las disparidades económicas, transhumanismo, ciberataques y la aplicación de los principios de la enseñanza social católica. El Papa León dedica el último capítulo de su encíclica a el desarrollo y el uso de la IA en el ámbito bélico, los cuales “deben estar sujetos a las restricciones éticas más rigurosas”, y a la construcción proactiva de la paz “que frenen la carrera armamentística tecnológica”. El pontífice estadounidense apuntó a Martin Luther King Jr., Santa Teresa de Calcuta, Dorothy Day, Santa Laura Montoya, San Maximiliano Kolbe, entre otros, como ejemplos que algunos “acontecimientos ayudan a ver que la historia puede cambiar cuando al menos un solo hombre o una sola mujer se toma realmente en serio la dignidad de todos”. Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí. En “Magnifica Humanitas”, que significa “magnífica humanidad” en latín, el Papa hace un llamado a los cristianos a que no sean “espectadores resignados” o “simples comentaristas de las ruinas” sino que tomen un rol proactivo en construir el futuro al cultivar comunidad y relaciones en persona, educando a los más jóvenes a amar la sabiduría, pasar tiempo con las personas empobrecidas y los que se sienten solos, ser la voz de la justicia, defender la verdad objetiva y tratar al mundo digital como “un nuevo continente por evangelizar”. “No nos atañe a nosotros dominar todas las mareas del mundo, sino hacer lo que está en nuestras manos por el bien de los días que nos ha tocado vivir, extirpando el mal en los campos que conocemos, y dejando a los que vendrán después una tierra limpia para la labranza”, escribió el Papa, citando al libro de J.R.R. Tolkien “El Señor de los Anillos: el retorno del rey”. Y agregó que “la civilización del amor no nace de un gesto único y espectacular, sino de una suma de fidelidades pequeñas y tenaces, que hacen frente a la deshumanización”. Bajar el ritmo cuando todo se está acelerando En su encíclica, el Papa León dice que la idea de “una IA más moral” no es suficiente, si esta moral es decidida por unos pocos. “Se necesita una política más presente, capaz de ralentizar donde todo acelera y de proteger los espacios en los que las comunidades pueden seguir participando e interrogándose”, dijo. El Santo Padre argumentó que “no podemos considerar a la IA como moralmente neutra” y subrayó que el discernimiento ético no puede ser limitado a “preguntarse si usamos un determinado sistema para un fin bueno o malo” sino “que debe interrogarse también sobre el modo en el que está diseñado y qué idea de persona y de sociedad queda inscrita en los datos y en los modelos que lo guían”. El Papa León añadió que la propiedad de los datos no debe ser confiada solamente al control privado y que los datos “no pueden ser vendidos o confiados a unos pocos”, llamando por una reglamentación apropiada y pensamiento creativo “capaz de gestionarlos como uno de los bienes comunes o colectivos”. El desempleo como ‘mal grave’ y ‘calamidad social’ El Papa León abordó el espectro del desempleo masivo debido a la adopción de la inteligencia artificial (IA), y dijo que esto sería “una verdadera calamidad social, lo que pone especialmente de relieve la responsabilidad del Estado”. Citó a la encíclica sobre el trabajo humano de San Juan Pablo II, publicada en 1981, “Laborem Exercens”, subrayando que su predecesor reconoció que el desempleo era “un mal grave”. Y el Papa León añadió que exponer “a muchos a una situación de inactividad forzada, de ausencia de responsabilidades, de falta de compromiso y de estímulos cotidianos” podría llevar al “empobrecimiento humano y cultural”. “El objetivo de obtener mayores beneficios no puede justificar decisiones que sacrifiquen sistemáticamente el empleo, porque la persona humana es un fin y no un medio, y el orden económico debe permanecer subordinado a su dignidad y al bien común”, dijo el Papa León. “Sin decisiones valientes, surgen más pobreza y más desigualdades, con una multitud de excluidos rodeados de máquinas y sistemas automatizados que han ocupado su lugar”, añadió. –Dios creó a los seres humanos para la comunión, no la eficiencia– El Papa León escribe que la IA promete eficiencia, pero los “nuevos modos” de trabajar no son necesariamente mejores, y describe cómo “contrariamente a los beneficios anunciados sobre la IA, los enfoques actuales de la tecnología pueden paradójicamente desespecializar a los trabajadores, someterlos a una vigilancia automatizada y relegarlos a tareas rígidas y repetitivas”. “Cuando la eficiencia se vuelve medida de valor, el ser humano es tentado a considerarse como un proyecto que debe optimizarse más que como una criatura llamada a la relación y a la comunión”, dijo el Papa. La defensa de la verdad objetiva La verdad es uno de los temas principales de la encíclica del pontífice agustino. Dijo que frente a los flujos incesantes de información, opiniones, imágenes y algoritmos sofisticados que pueden influenciar decisiones, es imperativo cultivar “un corazón que ama la verdad, que desea lo justo más que los contenidos de mayor atractivo, que busca la sabiduría más que el impacto inmediato”. “La verdad que no debemos perder es la de Dios y la del ser humano, tal como Cristo nos la ha revelado. Es necesario abandonar una visión del hombre individualista y técnica”, dijo. Citando al Papa Benedicto XVI, añadió, “el hombre moderno tiene la errónea convicción de ser el único autor de sí mismo, de su vida y de la sociedad. Es una presunción fruto de la cerrazón egoísta en sí mismo”. El Papa subrayó que “la búsqueda de la verdad es un elemento esencial para la democracia” y que “el desinterés por la verdad conduce lenta pero inexorablemente hacia el totalitarismo”. Dijo que debemos “promover una ecología de la comunicación” en el establecimiento de normas públicas “que hagan más transparentes los criterios con los que se seleccionan y amplifican los contenidos y que protejan los datos personales”. En el ámbito social y cultural, hizo un llamado al “fortalecimiento de los organismos intermedios, un periodismo serio y espacios de debate”, y a la adquisición de más formación en el uso de herramientas digitales por parte de las familias y las escuelas y a la búsqueda por parte de las universidades a “la integración de los conocimientos”. “La primera tarea que nos corresponde es no demonizar ni idolatrar los medios, sino gestionarlos a partir de un punto fijo: la verdad es un bien común y no una propiedad de quienes tienen poder o visibilidad”, puntualizó. Control social y la ‘economía digital de la atención’ El Papa León hizo un llamado a la “educación en la sobriedad digital” debido a las sutiles formas de adicción en la “economía digital de la atención” de hoy en día en que las plataformas y servicios digitales “están diseñados para captar el tiempo y la mirada de los usuarios” lo que debilita “la libertad interior”. Advirtió sobre el riesgo “del control social que la recopilación masiva de datos y el uso de sistemas algorítmicos hacen posible”. “Cuando cada gesto deja huellas –desplazamientos, compras, relaciones, preferencias– se crea un poder nuevo: el de perfilar, prever y orientar los comportamientos, a menudo sin que las personas tengan plena conciencia de ello”, escribió. “Si estos datos se utilizan para tomar decisiones que inciden en oportunidades concretas (acceso al crédito, selección de personal, servicios), existe el riesgo de socavar la libertad y discriminar a los más vulnerables”. El Papa León XIII y la doctrina social católica El Papa XIV sitúa su reflexión sobre la era de la inteligencia artificial en el contexto de la tradición magisterial de la doctrina social de la Iglesia, a veces conocida como enseñanza social católica. El primer capítulo de la encíclica ofrece una visión general de la contribución de cada papa al magisterio social de la Iglesia, desde el Papa León XIII hasta la actualidad, destacando las ideas clave que resultan especialmente relevantes hoy en día. El segundo capítulo provee definiciones de principios clave de la doctrina social de la Iglesia desde “el bien común” a la “subsidiariedad”. El Papa Francisco y San Juan Pablo II son citados con frecuencia a lo largo de la encíclica. El Papa León XIV firmó “Magnifica Humanitas” el 15 de mayo, coincidiendo con el 135.º aniversario de “Rerum Novarum”, la encíclica social fundacional de 1891 del Papa León XIII sobre el trabajo y el capital, redactada durante la primera Revolución Industrial. “Mientras las nuevas redes económicas y tecnológicas pueden generar exclusión, aislamiento y dependencias, la Iglesia, alimentada por la Eucaristía, está llamada a hacer visible otro tipo de medida, custodiando los vínculos, devolviendo la voz a los invisibles y orientando los procesos hacia la dignidad de las personas”, dijo el Papa León XIV. Courtney Mares es editora del Vaticano para OSV News. Síguela en X @catholicourtney.

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‘Magnifica Humanitas’: La encíclica del Papa León sobre la IA advierte sobre la tentación de construir un futuro excluyendo a Dios #Catholic –

(OSV News) — El Papa León XIV ha publicado su histórica encíclica sobre la inteligencia artificial “Magnifica Humanitas” este 25 de mayo, comparando el intento de construir un futuro de IA que excluye a Dios con la “Torre de Babel” y subrayando la necesidad de custodiar la dignidad humana que “corre el riesgo de verse eclipsada por nuevas formas de deshumanización”.

“Este es el riesgo de la deshumanización –construir el futuro excluyendo a Dios y reduciendo al otro a un medio–, una tentación antigua y siempre nueva, que hoy también toma un rostro técnico”, escribió el Papa León en su primera encíclica “Magnifica Humanitas: Sobre la custodia de la persona humana en el tiempo de la inteligencia artificial”.

“En la era de la inteligencia artificial, en la que la dignidad humana corre el riesgo de verse eclipsada por nuevas formas de deshumanización, tenemos el deber urgente de permanecer profundamente humanos, custodiando con amor esa magnífica humanidad que se nos ha dado y revelado en plenitud en Cristo, y que ninguna máquina podrá jamás sustituir en su esplendor” dijo.

El uso indebido de la IA comparado con la ‘Torre de Babel’

El Papa León da inicio a la primera encíclica de su pontificado diciendo que hoy la humanidad enfrenta una elección decisiva –“levantar una nueva torre de Babel o edificar la ciudad donde Dios y la humanidad habiten juntos”. Usando el relato bíblico del Génesis, el Papa advierte contra el “‘síndrome de Babel’: la idolatría del lucro que sacrifica a los débiles” y la pretensión de que todo, “incluso el misterio de la persona”, puede traducirse en “datos y rendimientos”.

“Pedir prudencia, controles rigurosos y, en ocasiones, también una ralentización en la adopción de la IA no significa estar en contra del progreso, sino ejercitar un cuidado responsable hacia la familia humana”, escribió el Santo Padre.

Desde la criptomoneda al ‘Señor de los Anillos’

El extenso documento papal está dividido en cinco capítulos y toca una gran variedad de temas relacionados con la IA, incluyendo el prospecto del desempleo masivo, el futuro de la educación, la protección de la libertad humana, el tiempo excesivo frente a las pantallas (en el caso de los jóvenes), las criptomonedas, las disparidades económicas, transhumanismo, ciberataques y la aplicación de los principios de la enseñanza social católica.

El Papa León dedica el último capítulo de su encíclica a el desarrollo y el uso de la IA en el ámbito bélico, los cuales “deben estar sujetos a las restricciones éticas más rigurosas”, y a la construcción proactiva de la paz “que frenen la carrera armamentística tecnológica”.

El pontífice estadounidense apuntó a Martin Luther King Jr., Santa Teresa de Calcuta, Dorothy Day, Santa Laura Montoya, San Maximiliano Kolbe, entre otros, como ejemplos que algunos “acontecimientos ayudan a ver que la historia puede cambiar cuando al menos un solo hombre o una sola mujer se toma realmente en serio la dignidad de todos”.

Para suscribirse a nuestro boletín electrónico semanal, haga click aquí.

En “Magnifica Humanitas”, que significa “magnífica humanidad” en latín, el Papa hace un llamado a los cristianos a que no sean “espectadores resignados” o “simples comentaristas de las ruinas” sino que tomen un rol proactivo en construir el futuro al cultivar comunidad y relaciones en persona, educando a los más jóvenes a amar la sabiduría, pasar tiempo con las personas empobrecidas y los que se sienten solos, ser la voz de la justicia, defender la verdad objetiva y tratar al mundo digital como “un nuevo continente por evangelizar”.

“No nos atañe a nosotros dominar todas las mareas del mundo, sino hacer lo que está en nuestras manos por el bien de los días que nos ha tocado vivir, extirpando el mal en los campos que conocemos, y dejando a los que vendrán después una tierra limpia para la labranza”, escribió el Papa, citando al libro de J.R.R. Tolkien “El Señor de los Anillos: el retorno del rey”. Y agregó que “la civilización del amor no nace de un gesto único y espectacular, sino de una suma de fidelidades pequeñas y tenaces, que hacen frente a la deshumanización”.

Bajar el ritmo cuando todo se está acelerando

En su encíclica, el Papa León dice que la idea de “una IA más moral” no es suficiente, si esta moral es decidida por unos pocos.

“Se necesita una política más presente, capaz de ralentizar donde todo acelera y de proteger los espacios en los que las comunidades pueden seguir participando e interrogándose”, dijo.

El Santo Padre argumentó que “no podemos considerar a la IA como moralmente neutra” y subrayó que el discernimiento ético no puede ser limitado a “preguntarse si usamos un determinado sistema para un fin bueno o malo” sino “que debe interrogarse también sobre el modo en el que está diseñado y qué idea de persona y de sociedad queda inscrita en los datos y en los modelos que lo guían”.

El Papa León añadió que la propiedad de los datos no debe ser confiada solamente al control privado y que los datos “no pueden ser vendidos o confiados a unos pocos”, llamando por una reglamentación apropiada y pensamiento creativo “capaz de gestionarlos como uno de los bienes comunes o colectivos”.

El desempleo como ‘mal grave’ y ‘calamidad social’

El Papa León abordó el espectro del desempleo masivo debido a la adopción de la inteligencia artificial (IA), y dijo que esto sería “una verdadera calamidad social, lo que pone especialmente de relieve la responsabilidad del Estado”. Citó a la encíclica sobre el trabajo humano de San Juan Pablo II, publicada en 1981, “Laborem Exercens”, subrayando que su predecesor reconoció que el desempleo era “un mal grave”. Y el Papa León añadió que exponer “a muchos a una situación de inactividad forzada, de ausencia de responsabilidades, de falta de compromiso y de estímulos cotidianos” podría llevar al “empobrecimiento humano y cultural”.

“El objetivo de obtener mayores beneficios no puede justificar decisiones que sacrifiquen sistemáticamente el empleo, porque la persona humana es un fin y no un medio, y el orden económico debe permanecer subordinado a su dignidad y al bien común”, dijo el Papa León.

“Sin decisiones valientes, surgen más pobreza y más desigualdades, con una multitud de excluidos rodeados de máquinas y sistemas automatizados que han ocupado su lugar”, añadió.

–Dios creó a los seres humanos para la comunión, no la eficiencia–

El Papa León escribe que la IA promete eficiencia, pero los “nuevos modos” de trabajar no son necesariamente mejores, y describe cómo “contrariamente a los beneficios anunciados sobre la IA, los enfoques actuales de la tecnología pueden paradójicamente desespecializar a los trabajadores, someterlos a una vigilancia automatizada y relegarlos a tareas rígidas y repetitivas”.

“Cuando la eficiencia se vuelve medida de valor, el ser humano es tentado a considerarse como un proyecto que debe optimizarse más que como una criatura llamada a la relación y a la comunión”, dijo el Papa.

La defensa de la verdad objetiva

La verdad es uno de los temas principales de la encíclica del pontífice agustino. Dijo que frente a los flujos incesantes de información, opiniones, imágenes y algoritmos sofisticados que pueden influenciar decisiones, es imperativo cultivar “un corazón que ama la verdad, que desea lo justo más que los contenidos de mayor atractivo, que busca la sabiduría más que el impacto inmediato”.

“La verdad que no debemos perder es la de Dios y la del ser humano, tal como Cristo nos la ha revelado. Es necesario abandonar una visión del hombre individualista y técnica”, dijo.

Citando al Papa Benedicto XVI, añadió, “el hombre moderno tiene la errónea convicción de ser el único autor de sí mismo, de su vida y de la sociedad. Es una presunción fruto de la cerrazón egoísta en sí mismo”.

El Papa subrayó que “la búsqueda de la verdad es un elemento esencial para la democracia” y que “el desinterés por la verdad conduce lenta pero inexorablemente hacia el totalitarismo”.

Dijo que debemos “promover una ecología de la comunicación” en el establecimiento de normas públicas “que hagan más transparentes los criterios con los que se seleccionan y amplifican los contenidos y que protejan los datos personales”. En el ámbito social y cultural, hizo un llamado al “fortalecimiento de los organismos intermedios, un periodismo serio y espacios de debate”, y a la adquisición de más formación en el uso de herramientas digitales por parte de las familias y las escuelas y a la búsqueda por parte de las universidades a “la integración de los conocimientos”.

“La primera tarea que nos corresponde es no demonizar ni idolatrar los medios, sino gestionarlos a partir de un punto fijo: la verdad es un bien común y no una propiedad de quienes tienen poder o visibilidad”, puntualizó.

Control social y la ‘economía digital de la atención’

El Papa León hizo un llamado a la “educación en la sobriedad digital” debido a las sutiles formas de adicción en la “economía digital de la atención” de hoy en día en que las plataformas y servicios digitales “están diseñados para captar el tiempo y la mirada de los usuarios” lo que debilita “la libertad interior”.

Advirtió sobre el riesgo “del control social que la recopilación masiva de datos y el uso de sistemas algorítmicos hacen posible”.

“Cuando cada gesto deja huellas –desplazamientos, compras, relaciones, preferencias– se crea un poder nuevo: el de perfilar, prever y orientar los comportamientos, a menudo sin que las personas tengan plena conciencia de ello”, escribió. “Si estos datos se utilizan para tomar decisiones que inciden en oportunidades concretas (acceso al crédito, selección de personal, servicios), existe el riesgo de socavar la libertad y discriminar a los más vulnerables”.

El Papa León XIII y la doctrina social católica

El Papa XIV sitúa su reflexión sobre la era de la inteligencia artificial en el contexto de la tradición magisterial de la doctrina social de la Iglesia, a veces conocida como enseñanza social católica. El primer capítulo de la encíclica ofrece una visión general de la contribución de cada papa al magisterio social de la Iglesia, desde el Papa León XIII hasta la actualidad, destacando las ideas clave que resultan especialmente relevantes hoy en día. El segundo capítulo provee definiciones de principios clave de la doctrina social de la Iglesia desde “el bien común” a la “subsidiariedad”. El Papa Francisco y San Juan Pablo II son citados con frecuencia a lo largo de la encíclica.

El Papa León XIV firmó “Magnifica Humanitas” el 15 de mayo, coincidiendo con el 135.º aniversario de “Rerum Novarum”, la encíclica social fundacional de 1891 del Papa León XIII sobre el trabajo y el capital, redactada durante la primera Revolución Industrial.

“Mientras las nuevas redes económicas y tecnológicas pueden generar exclusión, aislamiento y dependencias, la Iglesia, alimentada por la Eucaristía, está llamada a hacer visible otro tipo de medida, custodiando los vínculos, devolviendo la voz a los invisibles y orientando los procesos hacia la dignidad de las personas”, dijo el Papa León XIV.

Courtney Mares es editora del Vaticano para OSV News. Síguela en X @catholicourtney.

– (OSV News) — El Papa León XIV ha publicado su histórica encíclica sobre la inteligencia artificial “Magnifica Humanitas” este 25 de mayo, comparando el intento de construir un futuro de IA que excluye a Dios con la “Torre de Babel” y subrayando la necesidad de custodiar la dignidad humana que “corre el riesgo de verse eclipsada por nuevas formas de deshumanización”. “Este es el riesgo de la deshumanización –construir el futuro excluyendo a Dios y reduciendo al otro a un medio–, una tentación antigua y siempre nueva, que hoy también toma un rostro técnico”, escribió el Papa León en su

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American Sniper Widow Calls Out Democrat Senate Candidate Graham Platner for His Outrageous Comments Attacking Her Late Husband (Video) – The Gateway Pundit has reported on disturbing information unearthed about far-left Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner, 41, including crude sexual remarks and disparaging other military members via Reddit. The post American Sniper Widow Calls Out Democrat Senate Candidate Graham Platner for His Outrageous Comments Attacking Her Late Husband (Video) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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American Sniper Widow Calls Out Democrat Senate Candidate Graham Platner for His Outrageous Comments Attacking Her Late Husband (Video) – The Gateway Pundit has reported on disturbing information unearthed about far-left Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner, 41, including crude sexual remarks and disparaging other military members via Reddit. The post American Sniper Widow Calls Out Democrat Senate Candidate Graham Platner for His Outrageous Comments Attacking Her Late Husband (Video) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing earrings and a purple jacket, standing against a stone wall in a natural outdoor setting.

Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing earrings and a purple jacket, standing against a stone wall in a natural outdoor setting.

The Gateway Pundit has reported on disturbing information unearthed about far-left Maine Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner, 41, including crude sexual remarks and disparaging other military members via Reddit.

The post American Sniper Widow Calls Out Democrat Senate Candidate Graham Platner for His Outrageous Comments Attacking Her Late Husband (Video) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God #Catholic – VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence “Magnifica Humanitas” May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.” “The risk of dehumanization — of building a future that excludes God and reduces the other to a means — is an ancient and ever-new temptation that today takes on a technical guise,” Pope Leo wrote in his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.” “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace,” he said. AI misuse compared to ‘Tower of Babel’  Pope Leo opens the first encyclical of his pontificate by saying that humanity today faces a pivotal choice — “either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Using the Biblical Genesis narrative, the pope warns against the “‘Babel syndrome,’ namely the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak” and the pretense that everything, “including the mystery of the person,” can be translated into “data and performance.” “Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family,” Pope Leo wrote. From cryptocurrency to the ‘Lord of the Rings’  The lengthy papal document is divided into five chapters and touches on wide ranging issues related to AI, including the prospect of massive unemployment, the future of education, the protection of human freedom, excessive screen time for young people, cryptocurrencies, economic disparities, transhumanism, cyberattacks and the application of Catholic social teaching principles. Pope Leo dedicated the final chapter of the encyclical to AI in warfare and the need for “rigorous ethical constraints” and proactive peacebuilding “to curb the technological arms race.” The American pope points to Martin Luther King Jr., St. Teresa of Kolkata, Dorothy Day, St. Maximilian Kolbe and others as examples that “history can also change when individuals truly take the dignity of everyone seriously.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. In “Magnifica Humanitas,” Latin for “Magnificent Humanity,” the pope calls on Christians not to be “passive spectators” or “mere commentators on what is crumbling,” but to take a proactive role in building the future by cultivating community and in-person relationships, educating young people to love wisdom, spending time with the poor and the lonely, being a voice for justice, defending objective truth, and treating the digital world as “a new continent to be evangelized.” “It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the 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,” the pope wrote, quoting J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” He added that it is “small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization.” ‘Slowing things down when everything is accelerating’  In the encyclical, Pope Leo says that the idea of a “more moral AI” is not enough if that morality is only determined by a few. “What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating, and of protecting the opportunities for communities still to be able to participate and ask questions,” he said. The pope argues that “we cannot consider AI to be morally neutral” and underlines that ethical discernment cannot be limited to “asking whether we are using a system for good or bad purposes,” but must also “examine how that system is designed and what vision of the human person and society is embedded in the data and models that guide it.” Pope Leo added that data cannot be left solely in private hands and “should not be treated as something to be sold off or entrusted to a select few,” calling for appropriate regulation and creative thinking to “manage data as a common or shared good.” Unemployment as a ‘grave evil’ and ‘social calamity’  Pope Leo addresses the looming specter of mass unemployment due to the adoption of AI, saying this would be “a true social calamity that especially requires the State to exercise responsibility.” He cites St. John Paul II’s 1981 encyclical on human work “Laborem Exercens,” noting that his predecessor recognized that unemployment is “a grave evil,” with Pope Leo adding that “exposing many to forced inactivity, a lack of responsibility and the absence of daily tasks and stimuli” could lead to “human and cultural impoverishment.” “The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Pope Leo said. “Without bold decisions, the prospect of greater poverty and inequality looms large, which would leave many individuals marginalized, stranded and surrounded by the machines and automated systems that have replaced them,” he added. God created humans for communion, not efficiency  Pope Leo writes that AI promises efficiency but the “new ways” of working are not necessarily better, describing how “contrary to the advertised benefits of AI, current approaches to technology can paradoxically de-skill workers, subject them to automated surveillance and relegate them to rigid and repetitive tasks.” “When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion,” Pope Leo said. A defense of objective truth  Truth is a major theme in the encyclical by the Augustinian pope. He said that in the face of incessant flows of information, opinions, images and sophisticated algorithms that can influence decisions, it is imperative to “cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results.” “We must always keep before us the truth about God and humanity, just as Christ has revealed them to us. We must lay aside an individualistic and technical view of humanity,” he said. Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he added, “Modern man is wrongly convinced that he is the sole author of himself, his life and society. This is a presumption that follows from being selfishly closed in upon himself.” The pope underlined that “the search for truth is an essential element of democracy,” and that “indifference to the truth leads, slowly but surely, to a descent into totalitarianism.” He said people must “promote an ecology of communication,” in which public policy establishes norms “so that the decision-making behind content selection and its development becomes more transparent and protects personal data.” On a cultural level, he called for “a strengthening of intermediary organizations, serious journalism and forums for debate,” for families and schools to gain formation in using digital tools, and for universities to strive for the “integration of knowledge.” “Our first task is neither to demonize nor idolize technological tools, but to utilize them on the basis of a fundamental principle, namely that truth is a common good and not the property of those with power or influence,” he said. Social control and the ‘digital attention economy’  Pope Leo called for “education in digital sobriety” due to subtle forms of addiction in today’s “digital attention economy,” in which digital platforms that are “designed to capture users’ time and attention” weaken “their inner freedom.” He warned of the risk of “social control made possible by the massive collection of data and use of algorithmic systems.” “When every action — movements, purchases, relationships and preferences — leaves a trace, a new form of power emerges, namely the power to profile, predict and influence behavior, often without individuals being fully aware of it,” he said. “If such kinds of data are used to make decisions affecting concrete opportunities — such as access to credit, employment or essential services — there is a risk of undermining freedom and discriminating against the most vulnerable.” Pope Leo XIII and Catholic social doctrine  Pope Leo XIV places his writing on the age of artificial intelligence within the context of the magisterial tradition of Catholic social doctrine, also known as Catholic social teaching. The first chapter of the encyclical provides an overview of what each pope has contributed to the Church’s social magisterium from Pope Leo XIII to present, highlighting key ideas that are particularly relevant today. The second chapter provides definitions of key principles of Catholic social doctrine from the “common good” to “subsidiarity.” Pope Francis and St. John Paul II are both frequently quoted throughout the encyclical. Pope Leo XIV signed “Magnifica Humanitas” on May 15, the 135th anniversary of “Rerum Novarum,” Pope Leo XIII’s foundational 1891 social encyclical on labor and capital written during the first Industrial Revolution. “While new economic and technological networks can generate exclusion, isolation and dependencies, the Church — nourished by the Eucharist — is called to make visible a different paradigm, one that preserves human connections, gives a voice to the invisible and ensures that processes are aimed at respecting people’s dignity,” Pope Leo said. Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.  
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‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God #Catholic – VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence “Magnifica Humanitas” May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.” “The risk of dehumanization — of building a future that excludes God and reduces the other to a means — is an ancient and ever-new temptation that today takes on a technical guise,” Pope Leo wrote in his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.” “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace,” he said. AI misuse compared to ‘Tower of Babel’  Pope Leo opens the first encyclical of his pontificate by saying that humanity today faces a pivotal choice — “either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Using the Biblical Genesis narrative, the pope warns against the “‘Babel syndrome,’ namely the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak” and the pretense that everything, “including the mystery of the person,” can be translated into “data and performance.” “Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family,” Pope Leo wrote. From cryptocurrency to the ‘Lord of the Rings’  The lengthy papal document is divided into five chapters and touches on wide ranging issues related to AI, including the prospect of massive unemployment, the future of education, the protection of human freedom, excessive screen time for young people, cryptocurrencies, economic disparities, transhumanism, cyberattacks and the application of Catholic social teaching principles. Pope Leo dedicated the final chapter of the encyclical to AI in warfare and the need for “rigorous ethical constraints” and proactive peacebuilding “to curb the technological arms race.” The American pope points to Martin Luther King Jr., St. Teresa of Kolkata, Dorothy Day, St. Maximilian Kolbe and others as examples that “history can also change when individuals truly take the dignity of everyone seriously.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. In “Magnifica Humanitas,” Latin for “Magnificent Humanity,” the pope calls on Christians not to be “passive spectators” or “mere commentators on what is crumbling,” but to take a proactive role in building the future by cultivating community and in-person relationships, educating young people to love wisdom, spending time with the poor and the lonely, being a voice for justice, defending objective truth, and treating the digital world as “a new continent to be evangelized.” “It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the 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,” the pope wrote, quoting J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” He added that it is “small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization.” ‘Slowing things down when everything is accelerating’  In the encyclical, Pope Leo says that the idea of a “more moral AI” is not enough if that morality is only determined by a few. “What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating, and of protecting the opportunities for communities still to be able to participate and ask questions,” he said. The pope argues that “we cannot consider AI to be morally neutral” and underlines that ethical discernment cannot be limited to “asking whether we are using a system for good or bad purposes,” but must also “examine how that system is designed and what vision of the human person and society is embedded in the data and models that guide it.” Pope Leo added that data cannot be left solely in private hands and “should not be treated as something to be sold off or entrusted to a select few,” calling for appropriate regulation and creative thinking to “manage data as a common or shared good.” Unemployment as a ‘grave evil’ and ‘social calamity’  Pope Leo addresses the looming specter of mass unemployment due to the adoption of AI, saying this would be “a true social calamity that especially requires the State to exercise responsibility.” He cites St. John Paul II’s 1981 encyclical on human work “Laborem Exercens,” noting that his predecessor recognized that unemployment is “a grave evil,” with Pope Leo adding that “exposing many to forced inactivity, a lack of responsibility and the absence of daily tasks and stimuli” could lead to “human and cultural impoverishment.” “The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Pope Leo said. “Without bold decisions, the prospect of greater poverty and inequality looms large, which would leave many individuals marginalized, stranded and surrounded by the machines and automated systems that have replaced them,” he added. God created humans for communion, not efficiency  Pope Leo writes that AI promises efficiency but the “new ways” of working are not necessarily better, describing how “contrary to the advertised benefits of AI, current approaches to technology can paradoxically de-skill workers, subject them to automated surveillance and relegate them to rigid and repetitive tasks.” “When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion,” Pope Leo said. A defense of objective truth  Truth is a major theme in the encyclical by the Augustinian pope. He said that in the face of incessant flows of information, opinions, images and sophisticated algorithms that can influence decisions, it is imperative to “cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results.” “We must always keep before us the truth about God and humanity, just as Christ has revealed them to us. We must lay aside an individualistic and technical view of humanity,” he said. Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he added, “Modern man is wrongly convinced that he is the sole author of himself, his life and society. This is a presumption that follows from being selfishly closed in upon himself.” The pope underlined that “the search for truth is an essential element of democracy,” and that “indifference to the truth leads, slowly but surely, to a descent into totalitarianism.” He said people must “promote an ecology of communication,” in which public policy establishes norms “so that the decision-making behind content selection and its development becomes more transparent and protects personal data.” On a cultural level, he called for “a strengthening of intermediary organizations, serious journalism and forums for debate,” for families and schools to gain formation in using digital tools, and for universities to strive for the “integration of knowledge.” “Our first task is neither to demonize nor idolize technological tools, but to utilize them on the basis of a fundamental principle, namely that truth is a common good and not the property of those with power or influence,” he said. Social control and the ‘digital attention economy’  Pope Leo called for “education in digital sobriety” due to subtle forms of addiction in today’s “digital attention economy,” in which digital platforms that are “designed to capture users’ time and attention” weaken “their inner freedom.” He warned of the risk of “social control made possible by the massive collection of data and use of algorithmic systems.” “When every action — movements, purchases, relationships and preferences — leaves a trace, a new form of power emerges, namely the power to profile, predict and influence behavior, often without individuals being fully aware of it,” he said. “If such kinds of data are used to make decisions affecting concrete opportunities — such as access to credit, employment or essential services — there is a risk of undermining freedom and discriminating against the most vulnerable.” Pope Leo XIII and Catholic social doctrine  Pope Leo XIV places his writing on the age of artificial intelligence within the context of the magisterial tradition of Catholic social doctrine, also known as Catholic social teaching. The first chapter of the encyclical provides an overview of what each pope has contributed to the Church’s social magisterium from Pope Leo XIII to present, highlighting key ideas that are particularly relevant today. The second chapter provides definitions of key principles of Catholic social doctrine from the “common good” to “subsidiarity.” Pope Francis and St. John Paul II are both frequently quoted throughout the encyclical. Pope Leo XIV signed “Magnifica Humanitas” on May 15, the 135th anniversary of “Rerum Novarum,” Pope Leo XIII’s foundational 1891 social encyclical on labor and capital written during the first Industrial Revolution. “While new economic and technological networks can generate exclusion, isolation and dependencies, the Church — nourished by the Eucharist — is called to make visible a different paradigm, one that preserves human connections, gives a voice to the invisible and ensures that processes are aimed at respecting people’s dignity,” Pope Leo said. Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.  

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‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God #Catholic –

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence “Magnifica Humanitas” May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.”

“The risk of dehumanization — of building a future that excludes God and reduces the other to a means — is an ancient and ever-new temptation that today takes on a technical guise,” Pope Leo wrote in his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.”

“In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace,” he said.

AI misuse compared to ‘Tower of Babel’ 

Pope Leo opens the first encyclical of his pontificate by saying that humanity today faces a pivotal choice — “either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Using the Biblical Genesis narrative, the pope warns against the “‘Babel syndrome,’ namely the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak” and the pretense that everything, “including the mystery of the person,” can be translated into “data and performance.”

“Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family,” Pope Leo wrote.

From cryptocurrency to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ 

The lengthy papal document is divided into five chapters and touches on wide ranging issues related to AI, including the prospect of massive unemployment, the future of education, the protection of human freedom, excessive screen time for young people, cryptocurrencies, economic disparities, transhumanism, cyberattacks and the application of Catholic social teaching principles.

Pope Leo dedicated the final chapter of the encyclical to AI in warfare and the need for “rigorous ethical constraints” and proactive peacebuilding “to curb the technological arms race.”

The American pope points to Martin Luther King Jr., St. Teresa of Kolkata, Dorothy Day, St. Maximilian Kolbe and others as examples that “history can also change when individuals truly take the dignity of everyone seriously.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

In “Magnifica Humanitas,” Latin for “Magnificent Humanity,” the pope calls on Christians not to be “passive spectators” or “mere commentators on what is crumbling,” but to take a proactive role in building the future by cultivating community and in-person relationships, educating young people to love wisdom, spending time with the poor and the lonely, being a voice for justice, defending objective truth, and treating the digital world as “a new continent to be evangelized.”

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the 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,” the pope wrote, quoting J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” He added that it is “small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization.”

‘Slowing things down when everything is accelerating’ 

In the encyclical, Pope Leo says that the idea of a “more moral AI” is not enough if that morality is only determined by a few.

“What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating, and of protecting the opportunities for communities still to be able to participate and ask questions,” he said.

The pope argues that “we cannot consider AI to be morally neutral” and underlines that ethical discernment cannot be limited to “asking whether we are using a system for good or bad purposes,” but must also “examine how that system is designed and what vision of the human person and society is embedded in the data and models that guide it.”

Pope Leo added that data cannot be left solely in private hands and “should not be treated as something to be sold off or entrusted to a select few,” calling for appropriate regulation and creative thinking to “manage data as a common or shared good.”

Unemployment as a ‘grave evil’ and ‘social calamity’ 

Pope Leo addresses the looming specter of mass unemployment due to the adoption of AI, saying this would be “a true social calamity that especially requires the State to exercise responsibility.” He cites St. John Paul II’s 1981 encyclical on human work “Laborem Exercens,” noting that his predecessor recognized that unemployment is “a grave evil,” with Pope Leo adding that “exposing many to forced inactivity, a lack of responsibility and the absence of daily tasks and stimuli” could lead to “human and cultural impoverishment.”

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Pope Leo said.

“Without bold decisions, the prospect of greater poverty and inequality looms large, which would leave many individuals marginalized, stranded and surrounded by the machines and automated systems that have replaced them,” he added.

God created humans for communion, not efficiency 

Pope Leo writes that AI promises efficiency but the “new ways” of working are not necessarily better, describing how “contrary to the advertised benefits of AI, current approaches to technology can paradoxically de-skill workers, subject them to automated surveillance and relegate them to rigid and repetitive tasks.”

“When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion,” Pope Leo said.

A defense of objective truth 

Truth is a major theme in the encyclical by the Augustinian pope. He said that in the face of incessant flows of information, opinions, images and sophisticated algorithms that can influence decisions, it is imperative to “cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results.”

“We must always keep before us the truth about God and humanity, just as Christ has revealed them to us. We must lay aside an individualistic and technical view of humanity,” he said.

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he added, “Modern man is wrongly convinced that he is the sole author of himself, his life and society. This is a presumption that follows from being selfishly closed in upon himself.”

The pope underlined that “the search for truth is an essential element of democracy,” and that “indifference to the truth leads, slowly but surely, to a descent into totalitarianism.”

He said people must “promote an ecology of communication,” in which public policy establishes norms “so that the decision-making behind content selection and its development becomes more transparent and protects personal data.” On a cultural level, he called for “a strengthening of intermediary organizations, serious journalism and forums for debate,” for families and schools to gain formation in using digital tools, and for universities to strive for the “integration of knowledge.”

“Our first task is neither to demonize nor idolize technological tools, but to utilize them on the basis of a fundamental principle, namely that truth is a common good and not the property of those with power or influence,” he said.

Social control and the ‘digital attention economy’ 

Pope Leo called for “education in digital sobriety” due to subtle forms of addiction in today’s “digital attention economy,” in which digital platforms that are “designed to capture users’ time and attention” weaken “their inner freedom.”

He warned of the risk of “social control made possible by the massive collection of data and use of algorithmic systems.”

“When every action — movements, purchases, relationships and preferences — leaves a trace, a new form of power emerges, namely the power to profile, predict and influence behavior, often without individuals being fully aware of it,” he said. “If such kinds of data are used to make decisions affecting concrete opportunities — such as access to credit, employment or essential services — there is a risk of undermining freedom and discriminating against the most vulnerable.”

Pope Leo XIII and Catholic social doctrine 

Pope Leo XIV places his writing on the age of artificial intelligence within the context of the magisterial tradition of Catholic social doctrine, also known as Catholic social teaching. The first chapter of the encyclical provides an overview of what each pope has contributed to the Church’s social magisterium from Pope Leo XIII to present, highlighting key ideas that are particularly relevant today. The second chapter provides definitions of key principles of Catholic social doctrine from the “common good” to “subsidiarity.” Pope Francis and St. John Paul II are both frequently quoted throughout the encyclical.

Pope Leo XIV signed “Magnifica Humanitas” on May 15, the 135th anniversary of “Rerum Novarum,” Pope Leo XIII’s foundational 1891 social encyclical on labor and capital written during the first Industrial Revolution.

“While new economic and technological networks can generate exclusion, isolation and dependencies, the Church — nourished by the Eucharist — is called to make visible a different paradigm, one that preserves human connections, gives a voice to the invisible and ensures that processes are aimed at respecting people’s dignity,” Pope Leo said.

Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.

 

– VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence “Magnifica Humanitas” May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.” “The risk of dehumanization — of building a future that excludes God and reduces the other to a means — is an ancient and ever-new temptation that today takes on a technical guise,” Pope Leo wrote in his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in

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WATCH LIVE: President Trump Delivers Remarks at Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony – 12 PM ET – President Trump will participate in the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony and deliver remarks at Arlington National Cemetery this afternoon to commemorate Memorial Day. The post WATCH LIVE: President Trump Delivers Remarks at Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony – 12 PM ET appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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WATCH LIVE: President Trump Delivers Remarks at Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony – 12 PM ET – President Trump will participate in the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony and deliver remarks at Arlington National Cemetery this afternoon to commemorate Memorial Day. The post WATCH LIVE: President Trump Delivers Remarks at Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony – 12 PM ET appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Donald Trump and officials stand solemnly during a wreath-laying ceremony, surrounded by military personnel and flags.

Donald Trump and officials stand solemnly during a wreath-laying ceremony, surrounded by military personnel and flags.

President Trump will participate in the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony and deliver remarks at Arlington National Cemetery this afternoon to commemorate Memorial Day.

The post WATCH LIVE: President Trump Delivers Remarks at Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony – 12 PM ET appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Bishop confirms 11 at Butler parish #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 11 young people on Friday, May 8 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J. Pictured with the bishop and confirmandi are Bill Reul (back, far left), high school youth minister at St. Anthony Parish, and Father Matthew Pravetz, OFM, St. Anthony’s pastor. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Bishop confirms 11 at Butler parish #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 11 young people on Friday, May 8 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J. Pictured with the bishop and confirmandi are Bill Reul (back, far left), high school youth minister at St. Anthony Parish, and Father Matthew Pravetz, OFM, St. Anthony’s pastor. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Bishop confirms 11 at Butler parish #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 11 young people on Friday, May 8 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J. Pictured with the bishop and confirmandi are Bill Reul (back, far left), high school youth minister at St. Anthony Parish, and Father Matthew Pravetz, OFM, St. Anthony’s pastor.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 11 young people on Friday, May 8 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Butler, N.J. Pictured with the bishop and confirmandi are Bill Reul (back, far left), high school youth minister at St. Anthony Parish, and Father Matthew Pravetz, OFM, St. Anthony’s pastor. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Society of the Sisters of the Church celebrates golden anniversary #Catholic – On Saturday, May 16, The Society of the Sisters of the Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of their community. The event was held at St. Ann Church, Parsippany, N.J., with a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a luncheon in the parish center. During the liturgy, the sisters and their associates renewed their commitments and two new members, Lisa Schofield and Donna Santoro, were received into the Associate Program. Pictured in the photo are the sisters, the associates and honored guest, Sister Theresa Lee, FMA, Chancellor/Delegate for Religious of the Paterson Diocese. Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Kenneth Lasch, assisted by Deacon Peter Cistaro and concelebrated by Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann Parish, along with Msgr. Kevin Flanagan, Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, Msgr. Martin McDonnell, Msgr. Joseph Ciampaglio, Father David Pickens, Father James Termyna, and Father John DeMattia. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Society of the Sisters of the Church celebrates golden anniversary #Catholic – On Saturday, May 16, The Society of the Sisters of the Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of their community. The event was held at St. Ann Church, Parsippany, N.J., with a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a luncheon in the parish center. During the liturgy, the sisters and their associates renewed their commitments and two new members, Lisa Schofield and Donna Santoro, were received into the Associate Program. Pictured in the photo are the sisters, the associates and honored guest, Sister Theresa Lee, FMA, Chancellor/Delegate for Religious of the Paterson Diocese. Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Kenneth Lasch, assisted by Deacon Peter Cistaro and concelebrated by Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann Parish, along with Msgr. Kevin Flanagan, Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, Msgr. Martin McDonnell, Msgr. Joseph Ciampaglio, Father David Pickens, Father James Termyna, and Father John DeMattia. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Society of the Sisters of the Church celebrates golden anniversary #Catholic –

On Saturday, May 16, The Society of the Sisters of the Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of their community. The event was held at St. Ann Church, Parsippany, N.J., with a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a luncheon in the parish center.

During the liturgy, the sisters and their associates renewed their commitments and two new members, Lisa Schofield and Donna Santoro, were received into the Associate Program. Pictured in the photo are the sisters, the associates and honored guest, Sister Theresa Lee, FMA, Chancellor/Delegate for Religious of the Paterson Diocese. Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Kenneth Lasch, assisted by Deacon Peter Cistaro and concelebrated by Father Nico Quintos, pastor of St. Ann Parish, along with Msgr. Kevin Flanagan, Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, Msgr. Martin McDonnell, Msgr. Joseph Ciampaglio, Father David Pickens, Father James Termyna, and Father John DeMattia.

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– On Saturday, May 16, The Society of the Sisters of the Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of their community. The event was held at St. Ann Church, Parsippany, N.J., with a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a luncheon in the parish center. During the liturgy, the sisters and their associates renewed their commitments and two new members, Lisa Schofield and Donna Santoro, were received into the Associate Program. Pictured in the photo are the sisters, the associates and honored guest, Sister Theresa Lee, FMA, Chancellor/Delegate for Religious of the Paterson Diocese. Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Kenneth

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Pope Leo unveils his encyclical: AI has ‘even greater consequences’ than Industrial Revolution #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Monday personally attended the presentation of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, in an uncustomary gesture. Upon his arrival at the event, held in the Vaticanʼs Synod Hall, he was greeted with sustained applause from an audience made up of members of the Roman Curia, representatives of academia, and the diplomatic corps.Among the speakers was Canadian Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, one of the leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The firm has recently had tensions with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump after prohibiting the U.S. Department of Defense from using its software for military purposes.Some observers had raised concerns about including a representative of a major tech company like Anthropic in an event of this kind. The Holy Father himself dispelled any hesitation by thanking Olah for his presence: “What a great sign of hope it is that with our differences we can listen to one another,” he said in his remarks.“This interchange clearly bespeaks the gravity of the moment, as well as confidence that together we can discern the major questions of our time, and so the future of humanity,” he added.In his remarks prior to the pope’s address, Olah echoed the same idea: "That is why, if we want this technology to go well, it is enormously important that there be people outside those incentives — people who care about things going well and insist on safety, who are paying close attention, who are willing to say hard things, who are willing to be our earnest, thoughtful, critics. It is through dialogue and mutual effort, through the push and pull, that humanity will achieve great things. That is what I see in Magnifica Humanitas, and it is why I am grateful to His Holiness and the Church for taking up this work of discernment.” Christopher Olah, co-founder of AI company Anthropic, says he is grateful to Pope Leo XIV and the Church for “taking up this work of discernment” on artificial intelligence, during his address at the presentation of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on May 25, 2026, in the Synod Hall of the Vatican. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News/Vatican Pool Olah, who is not a believer, also issued a call to various sectors — religious communities, civil society, academics, and governments — to follow the pope’s example with this document: “to take this seriously, to look closely, and to push events in a better direction. We need informed critics who will tell the labs when we are failing. We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”It is no coincidence that Leo XIV signed his first encyclical on May 15, the same date on which his predecessor Leo XIII promulgated Rerum Novarum (“On New Things”) in 1891 in response to the dehumanization brought about by the Industrial Revolution. As the pope explained, the world today faces a transformation of perhaps even greater scope.“Today we find ourselves facing a transformation of similar magnitude, with perhaps even greater consequences. Artificial intelligence already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human coexistence,” he said.The pope expressed particular concern about the impact of new technologies on the conduct of war, which, he warned, is changing dramatically.“Like the earlier Leo, I feel entrusted to look upon another huge transformation with eyes of faith, with lucidity of reason, with openness to mystery, and with cries of the poor and the earth resounding in my heart,” he said.The Holy Father also described the method behind the drafting of this magisterial document, which began in July 2025 at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. In it, he seeks to reaffirm what makes us human in a society shaped by technology.He emphasized that Magnifica Humanitas was born from listening: “I have listened to scientists and engineers who work with sincere enthusiasm on technologies capable of alleviating immense suffering, to political leaders and public officials who have perseveringly sought just rules, to parents and teachers who are deeply concerned for the future of younger generations,” he said, without naming individuals.At the same time, he acknowledged hearing “Other very troubling voices have also reached me about increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond any human reach to govern them effectively.”“I hear very troubling accounts of algorithms that can block access to healthcare, employment, and security on the basis of data tainted by prejudice and injustice. And Iʼve heard the silence of those who have no voice when decisions are made — decisions likely to generate new forms of exclusion and suffering,” he lamented.In line with the document — which states that artificial intelligence is not morally neutral — the pope called for AI to be “disarmed.”“The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity,” he warned.“The Church has long been working for nuclear disarmament, aware that every great technical power can affect peopleʼs lives, and so must be accompanied by adequate moral discernment and public control. Nuclear disarmament remains a service to peace and the dignity of the human family,” he added.Also speaking at the presentation were three cardinals of the Roman Curia: Secretary of State Pietro Parolin; Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.Two theologians also took the floor: Anna Rowlands, a specialist in Catholic social teaching and migration ethics at Durham University, and Leocadie Lushombo, an expert in political theology and Catholic social thought at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in California.This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish-language news service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo unveils his encyclical: AI has ‘even greater consequences’ than Industrial Revolution #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Monday personally attended the presentation of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, in an uncustomary gesture. Upon his arrival at the event, held in the Vaticanʼs Synod Hall, he was greeted with sustained applause from an audience made up of members of the Roman Curia, representatives of academia, and the diplomatic corps.Among the speakers was Canadian Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, one of the leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The firm has recently had tensions with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump after prohibiting the U.S. Department of Defense from using its software for military purposes.Some observers had raised concerns about including a representative of a major tech company like Anthropic in an event of this kind. The Holy Father himself dispelled any hesitation by thanking Olah for his presence: “What a great sign of hope it is that with our differences we can listen to one another,” he said in his remarks.“This interchange clearly bespeaks the gravity of the moment, as well as confidence that together we can discern the major questions of our time, and so the future of humanity,” he added.In his remarks prior to the pope’s address, Olah echoed the same idea: "That is why, if we want this technology to go well, it is enormously important that there be people outside those incentives — people who care about things going well and insist on safety, who are paying close attention, who are willing to say hard things, who are willing to be our earnest, thoughtful, critics. It is through dialogue and mutual effort, through the push and pull, that humanity will achieve great things. That is what I see in Magnifica Humanitas, and it is why I am grateful to His Holiness and the Church for taking up this work of discernment.” Christopher Olah, co-founder of AI company Anthropic, says he is grateful to Pope Leo XIV and the Church for “taking up this work of discernment” on artificial intelligence, during his address at the presentation of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on May 25, 2026, in the Synod Hall of the Vatican. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News/Vatican Pool Olah, who is not a believer, also issued a call to various sectors — religious communities, civil society, academics, and governments — to follow the pope’s example with this document: “to take this seriously, to look closely, and to push events in a better direction. We need informed critics who will tell the labs when we are failing. We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”It is no coincidence that Leo XIV signed his first encyclical on May 15, the same date on which his predecessor Leo XIII promulgated Rerum Novarum (“On New Things”) in 1891 in response to the dehumanization brought about by the Industrial Revolution. As the pope explained, the world today faces a transformation of perhaps even greater scope.“Today we find ourselves facing a transformation of similar magnitude, with perhaps even greater consequences. Artificial intelligence already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human coexistence,” he said.The pope expressed particular concern about the impact of new technologies on the conduct of war, which, he warned, is changing dramatically.“Like the earlier Leo, I feel entrusted to look upon another huge transformation with eyes of faith, with lucidity of reason, with openness to mystery, and with cries of the poor and the earth resounding in my heart,” he said.The Holy Father also described the method behind the drafting of this magisterial document, which began in July 2025 at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. In it, he seeks to reaffirm what makes us human in a society shaped by technology.He emphasized that Magnifica Humanitas was born from listening: “I have listened to scientists and engineers who work with sincere enthusiasm on technologies capable of alleviating immense suffering, to political leaders and public officials who have perseveringly sought just rules, to parents and teachers who are deeply concerned for the future of younger generations,” he said, without naming individuals.At the same time, he acknowledged hearing “Other very troubling voices have also reached me about increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond any human reach to govern them effectively.”“I hear very troubling accounts of algorithms that can block access to healthcare, employment, and security on the basis of data tainted by prejudice and injustice. And Iʼve heard the silence of those who have no voice when decisions are made — decisions likely to generate new forms of exclusion and suffering,” he lamented.In line with the document — which states that artificial intelligence is not morally neutral — the pope called for AI to be “disarmed.”“The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity,” he warned.“The Church has long been working for nuclear disarmament, aware that every great technical power can affect peopleʼs lives, and so must be accompanied by adequate moral discernment and public control. Nuclear disarmament remains a service to peace and the dignity of the human family,” he added.Also speaking at the presentation were three cardinals of the Roman Curia: Secretary of State Pietro Parolin; Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; and Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.Two theologians also took the floor: Anna Rowlands, a specialist in Catholic social teaching and migration ethics at Durham University, and Leocadie Lushombo, an expert in political theology and Catholic social thought at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in California.This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish-language news service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pope thanked Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah for his presence at the presentation: “What a great sign of hope it is that with our differences we can listen to one another.”

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The Babylon Bee Has Obtained A Leaked Copy Of The Iran-U.S. Peace Deal #BabylonBee – News broke this morning that the United States and Iran have agreed to the framework of a peace deal, and our investigative team here at The Babylon Bee has managed to secure a leaked copy. Here, presented for the first time anywhere, are the terms each side has committed to:
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The Babylon Bee Has Obtained A Leaked Copy Of The Iran-U.S. Peace Deal #BabylonBee – News broke this morning that the United States and Iran have agreed to the framework of a peace deal, and our investigative team here at The Babylon Bee has managed to secure a leaked copy. Here, presented for the first time anywhere, are the terms each side has committed to:

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News broke this morning that the United States and Iran have agreed to the framework of a peace deal, and our investigative team here at The Babylon Bee has managed to secure a leaked copy. Here, presented for the first time anywhere, are the terms each side has committed to:

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Picture of the day Partially frozen Gurudongmar Lake, a glacial lake located to the north of the Himalayas in the northeast Indian state of Sikkim at an altitude of over 5,150 metres (16,900 ft). The lake is fed by glaciers of the Khangchengyao massif, forms the headwaters of the Teesta river and is considered sacred by Buddhists and Sikhs. Today is Sikkim Day, which commemorates the formation of Sikkim as a state of India in 1975, following a popular referendum and full merger after decades of being a protectorate since 1947. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Partially frozen Gurudongmar Lake, a glacial lake located to the north of the Himalayas in the northeast Indian state of Sikkim at an altitude of over 5,150 metres (16,900 ft). The lake is fed by glaciers of the Khangchengyao massif, forms the headwaters of the Teesta river and is considered sacred by Buddhists and Sikhs. Today is Sikkim Day, which commemorates the formation of Sikkim as a state of India in 1975, following a popular referendum and full merger after decades of being a protectorate since 1947.
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Full text of Magnifica Humanitas: Read Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV signed Magnifica Humanitas, the first encyclical of his pontificate, on May 15. The document was released by the Holy See on May 25. The encyclical develops the Churchʼs social teaching in light of artificial intelligence, situating new questions of human dignity, labor, and the common good within the tradition that runs from Rerum Novarum through Centesimus Annus and Laudato Si'.Download and read the full encyclical as a PDF below.Unknown block type “cdn77.asset”, specify a component for it in the `components.types` option
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Full text of Magnifica Humanitas: Read Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV signed Magnifica Humanitas, the first encyclical of his pontificate, on May 15. The document was released by the Holy See on May 25. The encyclical develops the Churchʼs social teaching in light of artificial intelligence, situating new questions of human dignity, labor, and the common good within the tradition that runs from Rerum Novarum through Centesimus Annus and Laudato Si'.Download and read the full encyclical as a PDF below.Unknown block type “cdn77.asset”, specify a component for it in the `components.types` option

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The encyclical sets out the Church’s social teaching for the age of artificial intelligence. Download and read the complete document.

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Hundreds of churches open doors to all as Europe marks ‘night of churches’ - #Catholic - Hundreds of Christian churches and religious sites across central Europe will open their doors on the evening of May 29 for the Night of Churches, an annual ecumenical initiative that draws nearly 1 million visitors in the Czech Republic and Austria combined.The event, now in its 18th year in the Czech Republic, invites believers and nonbelievers alike to explore churches, chapels, and synagogues through concerts, exhibitions, talks, guided tours, and prayer — often until late at night. Some participating sites grant access to towers, crypts, and spaces that are otherwise closed to the public. This yearʼs theme in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia is “Courage.”Last year, more than 460,000 visitors and 25,000 volunteers took part across the Czech Republic, an increase of 40,000 visitors and 5,000 volunteers compared with the year before. In Austria, organizers counted around 300,000 visitors in each of the last two years. In Slovakia, where precise figures were not available for 2025, several cities reported record attendance, according to the press agency of the Slovak Bishops' Conference.‘Sometimes it takes courage’Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl of Prague, writing in the periodical Kostelní Noviny published for the occasion, acknowledged that “sometimes it takes courage to even cross the threshold of a church.” The prelate invited readers to enter and “get to know each other,” noting that “churches and chapels were created as spaces for people to meet each other and with God.” Candles spell out the word “hope” (“hoffnung”) on the floor of a church during the Long Night of Churches in the Diocese of St. Pölten, Austria. | Credit: Diocese of St. Pölten/Lange Nacht der Kirchen Archbishop Josef Grünwidl of Vienna said he appreciated the growing popularity of the Night of Churches in neighboring Czechia, calling it “a challenge for all people to further explore their own religious and spiritual tradition, enter new spaces, and not be afraid to open up to the unknown.”In Vienna, Grünwidl and Bishop Cornelia Richter of the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church invited guests from church, society, business, and politics for dinner and discussion at the archbishopʼs palace. A limited number of seats were available through a public lottery.Organizers in the Austrian capital alone expect more than 100,000 visitors, who will be able to choose from more than 170 participating churches — including a police chapel — and performances ranging from Gregorian chant to a Korean choral concert.In Slovakia, Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops' Conference, called on people to come, saying that “open temples will become a place of prayer, meeting, and courage to seek God in silence and in community.” He described the event as an “opportunity to rediscover the beauty of faith and the openness of our churches to everyone.”Several Czech regional governors encouraged residents to enjoy the Night of Churches for its “unique atmosphere” and “openness and sharing,” or simply to pause inside centuries-old buildings and reflect “on how we live and what we can do for us and for others.”A buried villageʼs night of memoryThe initiative has also provided unexpected settings for faith and reconciliation. In 2023, former parishioners of the village of Radovesice in the Czech Republic gathered above the site of their buried village — including its Church of All Saints — on the 40th anniversary of the villageʼs demolition. A statue recovered from the demolished Church of All Saints stands in a field above the buried village of Radovesice in the Czech Republic during a 2023 gathering of former parishioners. | Credit: Petr Macek The village was one of several in northwestern Czechoslovakia destroyed during the communist era to make way for mining.“We brought archive documents, paintings, and statues which had belonged to the temple [church],” Robert Kotyšan, caretaker of the Diocese of Litoměřice, explained in Kostelní Noviny.“We commemorated the deceased parishioners and debated our relationship and responsibility to the place in which we live,” Kotyšan told EWTN News.The former parishioners also unlocked a padlock from the church that had been preserved, which Kotyšan described as “a symbolic opening of a better future for this once beautiful country and an effort to return at least part of its memory and dignity to it.” A man presents a preserved artifact from the demolished Church of All Saints to a priest during a gathering of former parishioners above the buried village of Radovesice in the Czech Republic in 2023. | Credit: Petr Macek A considerable part of the artifacts brought to the 2023 gathering are now kept in a still-standing church in Kostomlaty pod Milešovkou, which is itself considered a “dead parish” because no parishioners attend.The next gathering is planned for 2028, the 45th anniversary of the demolition.From Frankfurt to 8 countriesThe concept of opening churches at night originated in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1995. It spread to Austria in 2005 and to the Czech Republic in 2009 and has since expanded to Slovakia, Hungary, Estonia, South Tyrol in Italy, and Switzerland. The initiative usually takes place at the end of May.
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Hundreds of churches open doors to all as Europe marks ‘night of churches’ – #Catholic – Hundreds of Christian churches and religious sites across central Europe will open their doors on the evening of May 29 for the Night of Churches, an annual ecumenical initiative that draws nearly 1 million visitors in the Czech Republic and Austria combined.The event, now in its 18th year in the Czech Republic, invites believers and nonbelievers alike to explore churches, chapels, and synagogues through concerts, exhibitions, talks, guided tours, and prayer — often until late at night. Some participating sites grant access to towers, crypts, and spaces that are otherwise closed to the public. This yearʼs theme in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia is “Courage.”Last year, more than 460,000 visitors and 25,000 volunteers took part across the Czech Republic, an increase of 40,000 visitors and 5,000 volunteers compared with the year before. In Austria, organizers counted around 300,000 visitors in each of the last two years. In Slovakia, where precise figures were not available for 2025, several cities reported record attendance, according to the press agency of the Slovak Bishops' Conference.‘Sometimes it takes courage’Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl of Prague, writing in the periodical Kostelní Noviny published for the occasion, acknowledged that “sometimes it takes courage to even cross the threshold of a church.” The prelate invited readers to enter and “get to know each other,” noting that “churches and chapels were created as spaces for people to meet each other and with God.” Candles spell out the word “hope” (“hoffnung”) on the floor of a church during the Long Night of Churches in the Diocese of St. Pölten, Austria. | Credit: Diocese of St. Pölten/Lange Nacht der Kirchen Archbishop Josef Grünwidl of Vienna said he appreciated the growing popularity of the Night of Churches in neighboring Czechia, calling it “a challenge for all people to further explore their own religious and spiritual tradition, enter new spaces, and not be afraid to open up to the unknown.”In Vienna, Grünwidl and Bishop Cornelia Richter of the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church invited guests from church, society, business, and politics for dinner and discussion at the archbishopʼs palace. A limited number of seats were available through a public lottery.Organizers in the Austrian capital alone expect more than 100,000 visitors, who will be able to choose from more than 170 participating churches — including a police chapel — and performances ranging from Gregorian chant to a Korean choral concert.In Slovakia, Archbishop Bernard Bober of Košice, president of the Slovak Bishops' Conference, called on people to come, saying that “open temples will become a place of prayer, meeting, and courage to seek God in silence and in community.” He described the event as an “opportunity to rediscover the beauty of faith and the openness of our churches to everyone.”Several Czech regional governors encouraged residents to enjoy the Night of Churches for its “unique atmosphere” and “openness and sharing,” or simply to pause inside centuries-old buildings and reflect “on how we live and what we can do for us and for others.”A buried villageʼs night of memoryThe initiative has also provided unexpected settings for faith and reconciliation. In 2023, former parishioners of the village of Radovesice in the Czech Republic gathered above the site of their buried village — including its Church of All Saints — on the 40th anniversary of the villageʼs demolition. A statue recovered from the demolished Church of All Saints stands in a field above the buried village of Radovesice in the Czech Republic during a 2023 gathering of former parishioners. | Credit: Petr Macek The village was one of several in northwestern Czechoslovakia destroyed during the communist era to make way for mining.“We brought archive documents, paintings, and statues which had belonged to the temple [church],” Robert Kotyšan, caretaker of the Diocese of Litoměřice, explained in Kostelní Noviny.“We commemorated the deceased parishioners and debated our relationship and responsibility to the place in which we live,” Kotyšan told EWTN News.The former parishioners also unlocked a padlock from the church that had been preserved, which Kotyšan described as “a symbolic opening of a better future for this once beautiful country and an effort to return at least part of its memory and dignity to it.” A man presents a preserved artifact from the demolished Church of All Saints to a priest during a gathering of former parishioners above the buried village of Radovesice in the Czech Republic in 2023. | Credit: Petr Macek A considerable part of the artifacts brought to the 2023 gathering are now kept in a still-standing church in Kostomlaty pod Milešovkou, which is itself considered a “dead parish” because no parishioners attend.The next gathering is planned for 2028, the 45th anniversary of the demolition.From Frankfurt to 8 countriesThe concept of opening churches at night originated in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1995. It spread to Austria in 2005 and to the Czech Republic in 2009 and has since expanded to Slovakia, Hungary, Estonia, South Tyrol in Italy, and Switzerland. The initiative usually takes place at the end of May.

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The annual ecumenical initiative invites believers and nonbelievers to explore hundreds of churches, chapels, and synagogues across the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia on May 29.

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Magnifica Humanitas: Pope invokes justice to combat ‘anti-human vision’ in AI – #Catholic – In his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published Monday, Pope Leo XIV calls on society and AI developers to implement “shared standards of social justice” in order for artificial intelligence to respect human dignity and serve the common good.AI is not a morally neutral tool; It matters not only how it is used, but how it is designed, Leo writes in “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” published May 25. Magnifica Humanitas means “Magnificent Humanity” in Latin.He also warns that “a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few … In fact, as with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data.”The first encyclical letter of Leo XIV covers a wide range of social issues, focusing heavily on the impacts of AI in the areas of education, the economy, unemployment, work, the development of young people, human trafficking and war.He proposes the principles of Catholic Social Doctrine — the dignity of the person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity and justice — as guidelines for decision-making and the “criteria for judging whether technologies truly serve humanity or are subjugating it.”While rejecting dichotomous thinking that pits the opportunities of AI against its risks, or enthusiasm against fear, Leo offers a stark assessment of the technological paradigm the world finds itself in today and describes a path of progress that serves people “or a progress that subjects them to the mentality of power.”“The risk extends beyond the misuse of certain technologies. More gravely, the pervasive technocratic paradigm in which we are immersed, and that is amplified by the digital revolution and AI, threatens to normalize an anti-human vision,” he writes.Leo borrows the term, “technocratic paradigm,” from Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', in which, Leo writes, Francis critiqued a paradigm “that seeks to reduce everything to an object to be dominated.”In that anti-human vision, he continues, “the fullness of life is equated with having more, reducing weakness, eliminating uncertainty and exerting total control. When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion.”According to Pope Leo, the central question — safeguarding our humanity — is something everyone should have a role in answering.He invokes one of his spiritual guides, St. Augustine of Hippo, quoting from “De Civitate Dei” (“The City of God”): “‘Two loves have built two cities: the earthly city, the love of self even to the contempt of God; the heavenly city, the love of God even to the contempt of self.’ As throughout history, these two loves continue to contend for dominance in our hearts today.” Pope Leo XIV signed his first encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas:’ On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, on May 15, 2026, the 135th anniversary of the encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’ by Pope Leo XIII. ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ was released on May 25, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media. Image composition: EWTN News From Catholic Social Doctrine to the fight for powerThe encyclical’s 245 paragraphs are broken down into an introduction and five chapters, with the first two dedicated to an explanation of the development of the Church’s Social Doctrine from Pope Leo XIII to today, the main principles of that doctrine, and how they can be applied to the current technological age.Chapter three introduces “the technocratic paradigm” of artificial intelligence and the imbalance of digital power.Chapter four turns to the importance of safeguarding truth, democracy, work, education, and human freedom in the age of AI, while the fifth chapter is dedicated to an analysis of the normalization of war, the fight for power, and how everyone has a responsibility to help build a civilization of love through the cultivation of peace and justice.Throughout the encyclical, Leo draws on the image of construction to ask how humanity will respond to the new technological age. Humanity, he says, must choose between building the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and building a city where God and humanity can dwell together, as Nehemiah gathered together people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 2-6).“In light of these two images, the Holy Spirit challenges us today regarding our relationship with technology and the ongoing digital revolution,” he writes. “Technology has the power to heal, connect, educate and protect our common home; but it can also divide, exclude and generate new forms of injustice.”Pope Leo XIV draws on quotations from prominent 19th and 20th-century thinkers, both Catholic and Jewish, including St. John Paul II, Victor Frankl, Hannah Arendt, J.R.R. Tolkien, Giorgio La Pira, and Fr. Romano Guardini, to argue that while technology is not a solution in itself to humanity’s problems, nor is it inherently evil.“In practice, however, technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise it, finance it, regulate it and use it,” he writes.The choice, he continues, is not between a “yes” or “no” to technology, but “between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem; between a power that claims to dominate the heavens and a people who work together in the presence of God to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence.”Frequently cited sources for the encyclical letter include Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.Writing that he does not wish to give a comprehensive overview of AI, the pope points readers to previous writings by the Church on AI, in particular, the 2025 note Antiqua et Nova by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education and Quo Vadis, Humanitas? published earlier this year by the International Theological Commission — both of which are cited often in the footnotes of Magnifica Humanitas.Christian humanism and the technocratic paradigmThe pope writes about the mindsets of transhumanism and posthumanism and how they are the ideological vision underlying technology.He proposes a Christian humanism, where human beings “are not confined by the boundaries of their own nature; rather, they are called to self-transcendence, not through an escape from reality or a contempt for their limitations, but through their fulfillment in love.”In Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father also expresses concern about the “new monopolies of AI.”“To speak of the common good means exposing this new form of epistemic, economic, and political asymmetry,” he writes.The key question, he says, is that posed by Saint John Paul II: Does AI “make human life on earth ‘more human’ in every aspect of that life? Does it make it more worthy of man?’”Leo writes that “a decisive test for the ethical discernment of AI and digital transformation” is in the fight against new forms of slavery, such as human trafficking. The pontiff goes on to “sincerely ask for pardon,” in the name of the Church, for the “immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many” before slavery was unequivocally condemned in the 19th century.“This development offers a clear example of the Church’s growth in understanding the perennial truths of Revelation that she safeguards. Although there was not always consistency in practice,” he writes, “there has been a continuous affirmation throughout history of the dignity of every human being, created in the image of God, even if it took eighteen centuries for its full incompatibility with slavery to be explicitly recognized.”The memory of past blindness and complicity regarding the injustice of slavery is “a call to vigilance,” the pope says. “What we have learned must be translated into discernment and responsibility in the present.”‘A violent culture of power’A large section of the pope’s letter is devoted to what he writes is, “a troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics,” AI use in warfare, a crisis in multilateralism, and the erosion of ethical principles that used to limit war.“Humanity is slipping into a violent culture of power,” he warns. “Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated. Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness.”“The modern Babel can be seen not only in the globalized technocratic paradigm, but also in the remote clash between opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy, resulting in a multiplicity of local conflicts. Moreover, there seems to be no limit to the race — driven by a dehumanizing ambition — to develop evermore powerful technologies or to secure control over them,” Pope Leo writes.But the pontiff does not conclude on a negative note. He adds that, “despite this downward spiral, we can also glimpse a great part of humanity that is striving to remain human and working to build the holy city of coexistence and peace.”Concluding the document, he expresses the hope that, “In the humble fidelity of daily life, even the era of AI can become a time in which the Holy Spirit brings about the civilization of love in our lives.”“Indeed, the Lord continues to make all things new and offers every era the possibility of becoming part of salvation history in the light of the Incarnation.”
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Magnifica Humanitas: Pope invokes justice to combat ‘anti-human vision’ in AI – #Catholic – In his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published Monday, Pope Leo XIV calls on society and AI developers to implement “shared standards of social justice” in order for artificial intelligence to respect human dignity and serve the common good.AI is not a morally neutral tool; It matters not only how it is used, but how it is designed, Leo writes in “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” published May 25. Magnifica Humanitas means “Magnificent Humanity” in Latin.He also warns that “a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few … In fact, as with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data.”The first encyclical letter of Leo XIV covers a wide range of social issues, focusing heavily on the impacts of AI in the areas of education, the economy, unemployment, work, the development of young people, human trafficking and war.He proposes the principles of Catholic Social Doctrine — the dignity of the person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity and justice — as guidelines for decision-making and the “criteria for judging whether technologies truly serve humanity or are subjugating it.”While rejecting dichotomous thinking that pits the opportunities of AI against its risks, or enthusiasm against fear, Leo offers a stark assessment of the technological paradigm the world finds itself in today and describes a path of progress that serves people “or a progress that subjects them to the mentality of power.”“The risk extends beyond the misuse of certain technologies. More gravely, the pervasive technocratic paradigm in which we are immersed, and that is amplified by the digital revolution and AI, threatens to normalize an anti-human vision,” he writes.Leo borrows the term, “technocratic paradigm,” from Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', in which, Leo writes, Francis critiqued a paradigm “that seeks to reduce everything to an object to be dominated.”In that anti-human vision, he continues, “the fullness of life is equated with having more, reducing weakness, eliminating uncertainty and exerting total control. When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion.”According to Pope Leo, the central question — safeguarding our humanity — is something everyone should have a role in answering.He invokes one of his spiritual guides, St. Augustine of Hippo, quoting from “De Civitate Dei” (“The City of God”): “‘Two loves have built two cities: the earthly city, the love of self even to the contempt of God; the heavenly city, the love of God even to the contempt of self.’ As throughout history, these two loves continue to contend for dominance in our hearts today.” Pope Leo XIV signed his first encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas:’ On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, on May 15, 2026, the 135th anniversary of the encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’ by Pope Leo XIII. ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ was released on May 25, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media. Image composition: EWTN News From Catholic Social Doctrine to the fight for powerThe encyclical’s 245 paragraphs are broken down into an introduction and five chapters, with the first two dedicated to an explanation of the development of the Church’s Social Doctrine from Pope Leo XIII to today, the main principles of that doctrine, and how they can be applied to the current technological age.Chapter three introduces “the technocratic paradigm” of artificial intelligence and the imbalance of digital power.Chapter four turns to the importance of safeguarding truth, democracy, work, education, and human freedom in the age of AI, while the fifth chapter is dedicated to an analysis of the normalization of war, the fight for power, and how everyone has a responsibility to help build a civilization of love through the cultivation of peace and justice.Throughout the encyclical, Leo draws on the image of construction to ask how humanity will respond to the new technological age. Humanity, he says, must choose between building the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and building a city where God and humanity can dwell together, as Nehemiah gathered together people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 2-6).“In light of these two images, the Holy Spirit challenges us today regarding our relationship with technology and the ongoing digital revolution,” he writes. “Technology has the power to heal, connect, educate and protect our common home; but it can also divide, exclude and generate new forms of injustice.”Pope Leo XIV draws on quotations from prominent 19th and 20th-century thinkers, both Catholic and Jewish, including St. John Paul II, Victor Frankl, Hannah Arendt, J.R.R. Tolkien, Giorgio La Pira, and Fr. Romano Guardini, to argue that while technology is not a solution in itself to humanity’s problems, nor is it inherently evil.“In practice, however, technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise it, finance it, regulate it and use it,” he writes.The choice, he continues, is not between a “yes” or “no” to technology, but “between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem; between a power that claims to dominate the heavens and a people who work together in the presence of God to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence.”Frequently cited sources for the encyclical letter include Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.Writing that he does not wish to give a comprehensive overview of AI, the pope points readers to previous writings by the Church on AI, in particular, the 2025 note Antiqua et Nova by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education and Quo Vadis, Humanitas? published earlier this year by the International Theological Commission — both of which are cited often in the footnotes of Magnifica Humanitas.Christian humanism and the technocratic paradigmThe pope writes about the mindsets of transhumanism and posthumanism and how they are the ideological vision underlying technology.He proposes a Christian humanism, where human beings “are not confined by the boundaries of their own nature; rather, they are called to self-transcendence, not through an escape from reality or a contempt for their limitations, but through their fulfillment in love.”In Magnifica Humanitas, the Holy Father also expresses concern about the “new monopolies of AI.”“To speak of the common good means exposing this new form of epistemic, economic, and political asymmetry,” he writes.The key question, he says, is that posed by Saint John Paul II: Does AI “make human life on earth ‘more human’ in every aspect of that life? Does it make it more worthy of man?’”Leo writes that “a decisive test for the ethical discernment of AI and digital transformation” is in the fight against new forms of slavery, such as human trafficking. The pontiff goes on to “sincerely ask for pardon,” in the name of the Church, for the “immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many” before slavery was unequivocally condemned in the 19th century.“This development offers a clear example of the Church’s growth in understanding the perennial truths of Revelation that she safeguards. Although there was not always consistency in practice,” he writes, “there has been a continuous affirmation throughout history of the dignity of every human being, created in the image of God, even if it took eighteen centuries for its full incompatibility with slavery to be explicitly recognized.”The memory of past blindness and complicity regarding the injustice of slavery is “a call to vigilance,” the pope says. “What we have learned must be translated into discernment and responsibility in the present.”‘A violent culture of power’A large section of the pope’s letter is devoted to what he writes is, “a troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics,” AI use in warfare, a crisis in multilateralism, and the erosion of ethical principles that used to limit war.“Humanity is slipping into a violent culture of power,” he warns. “Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated. Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness.”“The modern Babel can be seen not only in the globalized technocratic paradigm, but also in the remote clash between opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy, resulting in a multiplicity of local conflicts. Moreover, there seems to be no limit to the race — driven by a dehumanizing ambition — to develop evermore powerful technologies or to secure control over them,” Pope Leo writes.But the pontiff does not conclude on a negative note. He adds that, “despite this downward spiral, we can also glimpse a great part of humanity that is striving to remain human and working to build the holy city of coexistence and peace.”Concluding the document, he expresses the hope that, “In the humble fidelity of daily life, even the era of AI can become a time in which the Holy Spirit brings about the civilization of love in our lives.”“Indeed, the Lord continues to make all things new and offers every era the possibility of becoming part of salvation history in the light of the Incarnation.”

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Published Monday, the pope’s new encyclical warns of a “culture of power” fueled by the digital revolution and artificial intelligence.

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The Sky Today on Monday, May 25: Three planets after sunset

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 24: Egeria slides on by After reaching superior conjunction midmonth, Mercury is increasing in visibility and should be easily identifiable now in the evening sky. Just half an hour after sunset, step outside to see if you can spot the solar system’sContinue reading “The Sky Today on Monday, May 25: Three planets after sunset”

The post The Sky Today on Monday, May 25: Three planets after sunset appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 25 May 2026 – A reading from the book of Genesis 3:9-15, 20 After Adam had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me— she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living. OR: A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14 After Jesus had been taken up to heaven, the Apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.From the Gospel according to John 19:25-34 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately Blood and water flowed out.The Lord himself knows that we need refuge and shelter in the midst of so many dangers.  This is why at the most critical moment on the cross, he said to his beloved disciple, to every disciple: “Behold, your Mother!” (Jn 19:27).  The Mother is not (…) something optional; she is Christ’s witness.  And we need her as a traveller needs refreshment, as a small child needs to be carried in one’s arms.  There is great danger for the faith if we live without our Mother, without her protection, allowing ourselves to be carried along by life like leaves by the wind.  The Lord knows this, and recommends that we welcome his Mother.  This is not a question of spiritual etiquette, but is needed for us to live.  Loving her is not a poem; it is a question of being alive.  For without a Mother we cannot be sons and daughters.  And before all else, we are sons and daughters, beloved sons and daughters, who have God as Father and Our Lady as Mother.The Second Vatican Council teaches that Mary is “a sign of sure hope and solace to the people of God during its sojourn on earth” (Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, VIII, V).  It is a sign, the sign that God has placed for us.  If we do not follow it, we will lose our way.  For there are signposts in the spiritual life, that are to be adhered to.  They show to us “who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties” (ibid., 62), the Mother who has already reached her destination.  Who better than she can accompany us on the journey?  What are we waiting for?  Just as the disciple beneath the cross received the Mother, “took her to his own home”, says the Gospel (Jn 19:27), so we too (…) invite Mary to our home, into our hearts, our lives. (Pope Francis, Homily, Basilica of Saint Mary Major, 28 January 2018)

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A reading from the book of Genesis
3:9-15, 20

After Adam had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

OR:

A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
1:12-14

After Jesus had been taken up to heaven,
the Apostles returned to Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
a sabbath day’s journey away.

When they entered the city
they went to the upper room where they were staying,
Peter and John and James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

From the Gospel according to John
19:25-34

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately Blood and water flowed out.

The Lord himself knows that we need refuge and shelter in the midst of so many dangers.  This is why at the most critical moment on the cross, he said to his beloved disciple, to every disciple: “Behold, your Mother!” (Jn 19:27).  The Mother is not (…) something optional; she is Christ’s witness.  And we need her as a traveller needs refreshment, as a small child needs to be carried in one’s arms.  There is great danger for the faith if we live without our Mother, without her protection, allowing ourselves to be carried along by life like leaves by the wind.  The Lord knows this, and recommends that we welcome his Mother.  This is not a question of spiritual etiquette, but is needed for us to live.  Loving her is not a poem; it is a question of being alive.  For without a Mother we cannot be sons and daughters.  And before all else, we are sons and daughters, beloved sons and daughters, who have God as Father and Our Lady as Mother.The Second Vatican Council teaches that Mary is “a sign of sure hope and solace to the people of God during its sojourn on earth” (Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, VIII, V).  It is a sign, the sign that God has placed for us.  If we do not follow it, we will lose our way.  For there are signposts in the spiritual life, that are to be adhered to.  They show to us “who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties” (ibid., 62), the Mother who has already reached her destination.  Who better than she can accompany us on the journey?  What are we waiting for?  Just as the disciple beneath the cross received the Mother, “took her to his own home”, says the Gospel (Jn 19:27), so we too (…) invite Mary to our home, into our hearts, our lives. (Pope Francis, Homily, Basilica of Saint Mary Major, 28 January 2018)

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Leo XIV at Pentecost: The Spirit overcomes war with the omnipotence of love #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV marked Pentecost Sunday with a plea for peace, praying that the Holy Spirit would save the world “from the evil of war” and renew the Church in its mission to transform confusion into communion.Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 24, the pope centered his homily on the risen Christ’s appearance to the disciples in the upper room, where Jesus showed them “his hands and his side” and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them.“The Lord reveals his glorious body, specifically his wounds, the marks of the crucifixion,” Pope Leo said. “These signs of the Passion, more eloquent than words, are now transfigured; he who was dead lives forever.”The pope said the same upper room that had been marked by fear and betrayal became, through Christ’s gift of the Spirit, “for the entire Church, the womb of the Resurrection.”“Pentecost is therefore a paschal feast and a feast of the body of Christ, which by grace is all of us,” he said.Leo framed his homily around three aspects of the Holy Spirit: peace, mission, and truth.“First of all, the Spirit of the risen One is the Spirit of peace,” he said. “Indeed, through his paschal mystery, Christ restores peace between God and humanity, and the Holy Spirit pours this peace into our hearts and spreads it throughout the world.”That peace, the pope said, “stems from forgiveness and leads us to forgiveness,” beginning with Christ’s forgiveness of humanity.The pope then described the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of mission,” citing Christ’s words: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”“We are truly co-workers of the Gospel: The whole Church is its protagonist, not merely its guardian,” Leo said. “Through the power of the Spirit, our proclamation is filled with joy and hope, for we — yes, we ourselves — are the newness of the world, the light and the salt of the earth.”The pope warned that some changes “do not bring new life to the world, but make it grow old through error and violence.” By contrast, he said, “the Holy Spirit enlightens minds and instils new vitality in our hearts.”“This is how he transfigures history, opening it to salvation, which is the gift that the Lord offers to everyone,” he said. “The Church’s mission bears witness to this offer, thereby transforming the world’s confusion into communion with God and among ourselves.”Finally, Leo said the Spirit is “the Spirit of truth,” who “always promotes unity in truth” and protects the Church from “partisanship, hypocrisy, and fads that obscure the light of the Gospel.”“The truth that God gives us thus stands as a liberating word for all peoples, a message that transforms every culture from within,” he said.Concluding his homily, the pope offered a prayer for a world wounded by war, poverty, and sin.“Dear friends, with fervent hearts, let us pray today that the Spirit of the risen One may save us from the evil of war, which is overcome not by a superpower, but by the omnipotence of love,” he said. “Let us pray that he free humanity from misery, which is redeemed not by immeasurable wealth, but by an inexhaustible gift. Let us pray that he heal us from the scourge of sin through the salvation proclaimed to all peoples in the name of Jesus.”After the Mass, Pope Leo appeared from his study in the Apostolic Palace to pray the Regina Coeli, returning again to the theme of the Holy Spirit as the one who opens what fear and sin have closed.The pope said the Spirit was poured out abundantly on the newborn Church and is given anew to the faithful today as “light and strength” in every circumstance of life.“The Spirit opens doors,” he said, pointing to the image of Christ opening the doors of the upper room and to the Acts of the Apostles, where the Spirit comes “like a violent wind.”Leo asked: “What doors does the Holy Spirit open?”The first, he said, is “the door of God himself,” opening access to the mystery of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, he said, helps believers encounter God personally in Jesus, recognize him within themselves, and discover the signs of his presence in daily life.The second door is that of the upper room, “that is, of the Church.” Without the fire of the Spirit, the pope said, the Church “remains a prisoner of fear,” timid before the challenges of the world, closed in on itself, and unable to enter into dialogue with changing times.The third door, Leo said, is “the door of our hearts.” The Spirit helps believers overcome resistance, selfishness, mistrust, and prejudice, making them capable of living as children of God and brothers and sisters to one another.“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, fraternity is born among persons, groups, and peoples of the earth,” he said, adding that all are called to speak “the one language of love, which unites and harmonizes differences.”The pope also recalled the day of prayer for the Church in China, observed on the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, who is venerated at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan in Shanghai.Leo invited the faithful to join in prayer with Chinese Catholics “as a sign of our affection for them and of their communion with the universal Church and with the successor of Peter.” He prayed that Mary’s intercession would obtain for the Church in China the grace of unity and the strength to witness to the Gospel in daily hardship, becoming a seed of hope and peace.The pope also remembered victims of a recent mining accident in northern China and entrusted to Mary the Christian communities of the Holy Land, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East suffering because of war.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Leo XIV at Pentecost: The Spirit overcomes war with the omnipotence of love #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV marked Pentecost Sunday with a plea for peace, praying that the Holy Spirit would save the world “from the evil of war” and renew the Church in its mission to transform confusion into communion.Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 24, the pope centered his homily on the risen Christ’s appearance to the disciples in the upper room, where Jesus showed them “his hands and his side” and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them.“The Lord reveals his glorious body, specifically his wounds, the marks of the crucifixion,” Pope Leo said. “These signs of the Passion, more eloquent than words, are now transfigured; he who was dead lives forever.”The pope said the same upper room that had been marked by fear and betrayal became, through Christ’s gift of the Spirit, “for the entire Church, the womb of the Resurrection.”“Pentecost is therefore a paschal feast and a feast of the body of Christ, which by grace is all of us,” he said.Leo framed his homily around three aspects of the Holy Spirit: peace, mission, and truth.“First of all, the Spirit of the risen One is the Spirit of peace,” he said. “Indeed, through his paschal mystery, Christ restores peace between God and humanity, and the Holy Spirit pours this peace into our hearts and spreads it throughout the world.”That peace, the pope said, “stems from forgiveness and leads us to forgiveness,” beginning with Christ’s forgiveness of humanity.The pope then described the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of mission,” citing Christ’s words: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”“We are truly co-workers of the Gospel: The whole Church is its protagonist, not merely its guardian,” Leo said. “Through the power of the Spirit, our proclamation is filled with joy and hope, for we — yes, we ourselves — are the newness of the world, the light and the salt of the earth.”The pope warned that some changes “do not bring new life to the world, but make it grow old through error and violence.” By contrast, he said, “the Holy Spirit enlightens minds and instils new vitality in our hearts.”“This is how he transfigures history, opening it to salvation, which is the gift that the Lord offers to everyone,” he said. “The Church’s mission bears witness to this offer, thereby transforming the world’s confusion into communion with God and among ourselves.”Finally, Leo said the Spirit is “the Spirit of truth,” who “always promotes unity in truth” and protects the Church from “partisanship, hypocrisy, and fads that obscure the light of the Gospel.”“The truth that God gives us thus stands as a liberating word for all peoples, a message that transforms every culture from within,” he said.Concluding his homily, the pope offered a prayer for a world wounded by war, poverty, and sin.“Dear friends, with fervent hearts, let us pray today that the Spirit of the risen One may save us from the evil of war, which is overcome not by a superpower, but by the omnipotence of love,” he said. “Let us pray that he free humanity from misery, which is redeemed not by immeasurable wealth, but by an inexhaustible gift. Let us pray that he heal us from the scourge of sin through the salvation proclaimed to all peoples in the name of Jesus.”After the Mass, Pope Leo appeared from his study in the Apostolic Palace to pray the Regina Coeli, returning again to the theme of the Holy Spirit as the one who opens what fear and sin have closed.The pope said the Spirit was poured out abundantly on the newborn Church and is given anew to the faithful today as “light and strength” in every circumstance of life.“The Spirit opens doors,” he said, pointing to the image of Christ opening the doors of the upper room and to the Acts of the Apostles, where the Spirit comes “like a violent wind.”Leo asked: “What doors does the Holy Spirit open?”The first, he said, is “the door of God himself,” opening access to the mystery of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, he said, helps believers encounter God personally in Jesus, recognize him within themselves, and discover the signs of his presence in daily life.The second door is that of the upper room, “that is, of the Church.” Without the fire of the Spirit, the pope said, the Church “remains a prisoner of fear,” timid before the challenges of the world, closed in on itself, and unable to enter into dialogue with changing times.The third door, Leo said, is “the door of our hearts.” The Spirit helps believers overcome resistance, selfishness, mistrust, and prejudice, making them capable of living as children of God and brothers and sisters to one another.“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, fraternity is born among persons, groups, and peoples of the earth,” he said, adding that all are called to speak “the one language of love, which unites and harmonizes differences.”The pope also recalled the day of prayer for the Church in China, observed on the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, who is venerated at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan in Shanghai.Leo invited the faithful to join in prayer with Chinese Catholics “as a sign of our affection for them and of their communion with the universal Church and with the successor of Peter.” He prayed that Mary’s intercession would obtain for the Church in China the grace of unity and the strength to witness to the Gospel in daily hardship, becoming a seed of hope and peace.The pope also remembered victims of a recent mining accident in northern China and entrusted to Mary the Christian communities of the Holy Land, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East suffering because of war.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pontiff prayed that the Holy Spirit would save humanity from war, misery, and sin.

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Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Is Attempting an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting – Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Approves an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting. The post Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Is Attempting an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Is Attempting an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting – Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Approves an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting. The post Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Is Attempting an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Image of the Board of Supervisors featuring five elected district supervisors, including the chair and vice chair, with their names and district information displayed.

Image of the Board of Supervisors featuring five elected district supervisors, including the chair and vice chair, with their names and district information displayed.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Approves an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting.

The post Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Is Attempting an ILLEGAL POWER GRAB Over Early Voting appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Democrats Suddenly Oppose ALL Redistricting When Republicans Start Winning (VIDEO) – Political redistricting may be aggressive. It may even be bad policy in some cases. But calling every partisan move racist is exactly how Democrats have destroyed the meaning of racism. The post Democrats Suddenly Oppose ALL Redistricting When Republicans Start Winning (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Democrats Suddenly Oppose ALL Redistricting When Republicans Start Winning (VIDEO) – Political redistricting may be aggressive. It may even be bad policy in some cases. But calling every partisan move racist is exactly how Democrats have destroyed the meaning of racism. The post Democrats Suddenly Oppose ALL Redistricting When Republicans Start Winning (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Image depicting a political discussion on redistricting, featuring Democratic leaders and a news segment highlighting the ongoing debate on electoral map changes.

Image depicting a political discussion on redistricting, featuring Democratic leaders and a news segment highlighting the ongoing debate on electoral map changes.

Political redistricting may be aggressive. It may even be bad policy in some cases. But calling every partisan move racist is exactly how Democrats have destroyed the meaning of racism.

The post Democrats Suddenly Oppose ALL Redistricting When Republicans Start Winning (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Will Trump Free Cuba From Communism Next? Here’s What We Know (VIDEO) - For more exclusive interviews & videos like this one, subscribe to The Patriot Perspective YouTube channel. [HERE] The latest episode of The Patriot Perspective turned attention to Cuba, arguing that the communist regime just 90 miles from Florida remains one of the most serious long-term threats in the Western Hemisphere. The post Will Trump Free Cuba From Communism Next? Here’s What We Know (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Will Trump Free Cuba From Communism Next? Here’s What We Know (VIDEO) – For more exclusive interviews & videos like this one, subscribe to The Patriot Perspective YouTube channel. [HERE] The latest episode of The Patriot Perspective turned attention to Cuba, arguing that the communist regime just 90 miles from Florida remains one of the most serious long-term threats in the Western Hemisphere. The post Will Trump Free Cuba From Communism Next? Here’s What We Know (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Image featuring a politician speaking at a conference alongside a notable figure in military attire, with a vibrant street scene in the background.

Image featuring a politician speaking at a conference alongside a notable figure in military attire, with a vibrant street scene in the background.

For more exclusive interviews & videos like this one, subscribe to The Patriot Perspective YouTube channel. [HERE] The latest episode of The Patriot Perspective turned attention to Cuba, arguing that the communist regime just 90 miles from Florida remains one of the most serious long-term threats in the Western Hemisphere.

The post Will Trump Free Cuba From Communism Next? Here’s What We Know (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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EWTN News explains: Why do popes issue papal documents and what are they? – #Catholic – This week the Vatican announced the upcoming release of Pope Leo XIVʼs long-awaited first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas.Amid anticipation of the encyclical there is renewed interest in what papal documents are. Understanding these documents has become important for Catholics as well, as they typically reveal the popeʼs pastoral and theological vision for the Church.So, what are the different types of papal documents, and how should Catholics interpret them?Papal bullA papal bull is a formal papal letter authenticated by the popeʼs seal. The name “bull” derives from the Latin “bulla,” meaning seal.Bulls have been used by popes since the early Middle Ages and have been a popular means of communicating their decisions outside Rome, including denouncing heresies, calling for crusades, establishing jubilee years, and issuing high-profile excommunications.Since at least the 13th century, these documents have been authenticated by a lead seal with the popeʼs name on one side and the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul on the other. In some cases, they were also authenticated by the Ring of the Fisherman, the popeʼs ring.In modern times, popes have used bulls to announce jubilee years, appoint bishops, and issue apostolic constitutions. They are typically written in Latin and are now authenticated with a red-ink stamp of the seal rather than the seal itself.Bulls are the only formal document in which a pontiff will refer to himself as “servus servorum Dei” (“servant of the servants of God”).Modern examples include the bull with which St. John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council in 1962 and the bull with which Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025.Apostolic constitutionsApostolic constitutions are among the most authoritative documents a pope can issue.According to canon law, the pope is the Churchʼs supreme legislator, possessing “full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church.”Apostolic constitutions are a means by which the pope establishes laws, defines doctrine (in rare cases), and makes institutional changes in the Church, such as erecting a diocese or reorganizing offices in the Roman Curia.In rare instances, apostolic constitutions have been used to issue ex cathedra statements that define doctrine, which are regarded as infallible and obligatory for all Catholics to believe. Recent examples include the solemn declarations of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Assumption in 1950.EncyclicalsA papal encyclical is a letter written by the pope primarily to the bishops but also to Catholics and all people regarding certain social, moral, or theological questions.According to the 1917 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, encyclicals were “letters sent to all the bishops of Christendom, or at least to all those in one particular country, and intended to guide them in their relations with their flocks.”Encyclicals, along with his homilies and apostolic exhortations, are part of the pope’s everyday teaching authority, known as his “ordinary magisterium.” They are commonly used by popes to indicate pastoral priorities for the Church and the world.Encyclicals are not merely letters or expressions of the popeʼs opinion. They carry significant doctrinal weight and are frequently cited as important sources of Catholic teaching.According to Lumen Gentium (No. 25), Catholics are required to give “a religious submission of the mind and will” to these letters as the “authentic magisterium of the Roman pontiff, even when he is not speaking ‘ex cathedra.’”So, while Pope Leoʼs Magnifica Humanitas may not rise to the level of an “ex cathedra” statement, it would still be part of his teaching that Catholics should treat with respect.Apostolic exhortationsApostolic exhortations are documents issued by the pope to encourage the faithful in matters of faith, particularly to promote certain devotions or to guide Catholics in responding to societal challenges.A recent example is Pope Leoʼs apostolic exhortation Dilexit Te, in which he reminded the faithful of the inseparable nature of faith and service to the poor.While exhortations are not infallible, they also indicate the popeʼs priorities. For example, Pope Francis' Laudate Deum, in which he emphasized the urgency of addressing ecological challenges, has prompted many Catholics to implement measures and found institutes dedicated to preserving the popeʼs ecological vision.Popes also have regularly released post-synodal apostolic exhortations, responses by a pontiff to the work of a Synod of Bishops. Two well-known such post-synodal exhortations are St. John Paul II’s Christifideles Laici (1988) and Pope Francis’ controversial Amoris Laetitia (2016).Motu propriosWhile apostolic constitutions and other papal documents are usually issued in response to the faithful, a motu proprio is issued at the popeʼs own initiative. Its name, in fact, means “on his own impulse.”A motu proprio is a common way for a pontiff to change Church law and the bureaucratic dimensions of the Roman Curia. For example, in November 2025, Pope Leo issued a motu proprio restructuring the Governorate of Vatican City State, allowing non-cardinals to serve as its presidents.In modern times, motu proprios have also been used by popes to regulate the liturgy. Recent examples include Pope Benedict XVIʼs Summorum Pontificum in 2007, which allowed greater freedom for priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, and Pope Francis' Traditionis Custodes in 2021, which imposed restrictions on its celebration.Motu proprios and apostolic constitutions normally take effect when they are published in the official acts of the Holy See, the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.Papal rescriptsPapal rescripts are the official responses of the pope or a dicastery to a petition. Under canon 59 of the Code of Canon Law, these documents can grant privileges and dispensations and clarify existing laws.A recent example is the 2023 rescript from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on the application of Traditionis Custodes, which clarifies the conditions under which permission would be granted for priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.AddressesThese are the most common kinds of papal documents, ranging from formal speeches (traditionally called allocutions), homilies, special messages, and weekly catecheses.Papal addresses and speeches are also important indicators of the popeʼs pastoral priorities, and the catecheses during his general audiences each week are particularly notable expressions of his mind. For example, the catecheses delivered by Pope John Paul II from 1979 to 1984 during his general audiences on human sexuality and the human person formed the basis for what has been hailed as the theology of the body.In the case of Leo XIV, many of his public addresses have been devoted to the theme of peace, the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council, and artificial intelligence.Leoʼs first encyclical is expected to clarify the Churchʼs response to artificial intelligence and other developing technologies. But many of his addresses, including his first address to the cardinals after his election, have already indicated artificial intelligence as a central focus of his pontificate.ChirographsA seldomly used papal document, a chirograph is used by the pope only to reorganize the Roman Curia. It is also circulated only within the Roman Curia.A recent example is the chirograph that Pope Francis issued in 2014 to establish the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
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EWTN News explains: Why do popes issue papal documents and what are they? – #Catholic – This week the Vatican announced the upcoming release of Pope Leo XIVʼs long-awaited first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas.Amid anticipation of the encyclical there is renewed interest in what papal documents are. Understanding these documents has become important for Catholics as well, as they typically reveal the popeʼs pastoral and theological vision for the Church.So, what are the different types of papal documents, and how should Catholics interpret them?Papal bullA papal bull is a formal papal letter authenticated by the popeʼs seal. The name “bull” derives from the Latin “bulla,” meaning seal.Bulls have been used by popes since the early Middle Ages and have been a popular means of communicating their decisions outside Rome, including denouncing heresies, calling for crusades, establishing jubilee years, and issuing high-profile excommunications.Since at least the 13th century, these documents have been authenticated by a lead seal with the popeʼs name on one side and the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul on the other. In some cases, they were also authenticated by the Ring of the Fisherman, the popeʼs ring.In modern times, popes have used bulls to announce jubilee years, appoint bishops, and issue apostolic constitutions. They are typically written in Latin and are now authenticated with a red-ink stamp of the seal rather than the seal itself.Bulls are the only formal document in which a pontiff will refer to himself as “servus servorum Dei” (“servant of the servants of God”).Modern examples include the bull with which St. John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council in 1962 and the bull with which Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025.Apostolic constitutionsApostolic constitutions are among the most authoritative documents a pope can issue.According to canon law, the pope is the Churchʼs supreme legislator, possessing “full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church.”Apostolic constitutions are a means by which the pope establishes laws, defines doctrine (in rare cases), and makes institutional changes in the Church, such as erecting a diocese or reorganizing offices in the Roman Curia.In rare instances, apostolic constitutions have been used to issue ex cathedra statements that define doctrine, which are regarded as infallible and obligatory for all Catholics to believe. Recent examples include the solemn declarations of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Assumption in 1950.EncyclicalsA papal encyclical is a letter written by the pope primarily to the bishops but also to Catholics and all people regarding certain social, moral, or theological questions.According to the 1917 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, encyclicals were “letters sent to all the bishops of Christendom, or at least to all those in one particular country, and intended to guide them in their relations with their flocks.”Encyclicals, along with his homilies and apostolic exhortations, are part of the pope’s everyday teaching authority, known as his “ordinary magisterium.” They are commonly used by popes to indicate pastoral priorities for the Church and the world.Encyclicals are not merely letters or expressions of the popeʼs opinion. They carry significant doctrinal weight and are frequently cited as important sources of Catholic teaching.According to Lumen Gentium (No. 25), Catholics are required to give “a religious submission of the mind and will” to these letters as the “authentic magisterium of the Roman pontiff, even when he is not speaking ‘ex cathedra.’”So, while Pope Leoʼs Magnifica Humanitas may not rise to the level of an “ex cathedra” statement, it would still be part of his teaching that Catholics should treat with respect.Apostolic exhortationsApostolic exhortations are documents issued by the pope to encourage the faithful in matters of faith, particularly to promote certain devotions or to guide Catholics in responding to societal challenges.A recent example is Pope Leoʼs apostolic exhortation Dilexit Te, in which he reminded the faithful of the inseparable nature of faith and service to the poor.While exhortations are not infallible, they also indicate the popeʼs priorities. For example, Pope Francis' Laudate Deum, in which he emphasized the urgency of addressing ecological challenges, has prompted many Catholics to implement measures and found institutes dedicated to preserving the popeʼs ecological vision.Popes also have regularly released post-synodal apostolic exhortations, responses by a pontiff to the work of a Synod of Bishops. Two well-known such post-synodal exhortations are St. John Paul II’s Christifideles Laici (1988) and Pope Francis’ controversial Amoris Laetitia (2016).Motu propriosWhile apostolic constitutions and other papal documents are usually issued in response to the faithful, a motu proprio is issued at the popeʼs own initiative. Its name, in fact, means “on his own impulse.”A motu proprio is a common way for a pontiff to change Church law and the bureaucratic dimensions of the Roman Curia. For example, in November 2025, Pope Leo issued a motu proprio restructuring the Governorate of Vatican City State, allowing non-cardinals to serve as its presidents.In modern times, motu proprios have also been used by popes to regulate the liturgy. Recent examples include Pope Benedict XVIʼs Summorum Pontificum in 2007, which allowed greater freedom for priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, and Pope Francis' Traditionis Custodes in 2021, which imposed restrictions on its celebration.Motu proprios and apostolic constitutions normally take effect when they are published in the official acts of the Holy See, the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.Papal rescriptsPapal rescripts are the official responses of the pope or a dicastery to a petition. Under canon 59 of the Code of Canon Law, these documents can grant privileges and dispensations and clarify existing laws.A recent example is the 2023 rescript from the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on the application of Traditionis Custodes, which clarifies the conditions under which permission would be granted for priests to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.AddressesThese are the most common kinds of papal documents, ranging from formal speeches (traditionally called allocutions), homilies, special messages, and weekly catecheses.Papal addresses and speeches are also important indicators of the popeʼs pastoral priorities, and the catecheses during his general audiences each week are particularly notable expressions of his mind. For example, the catecheses delivered by Pope John Paul II from 1979 to 1984 during his general audiences on human sexuality and the human person formed the basis for what has been hailed as the theology of the body.In the case of Leo XIV, many of his public addresses have been devoted to the theme of peace, the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council, and artificial intelligence.Leoʼs first encyclical is expected to clarify the Churchʼs response to artificial intelligence and other developing technologies. But many of his addresses, including his first address to the cardinals after his election, have already indicated artificial intelligence as a central focus of his pontificate.ChirographsA seldomly used papal document, a chirograph is used by the pope only to reorganize the Roman Curia. It is also circulated only within the Roman Curia.A recent example is the chirograph that Pope Francis issued in 2014 to establish the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

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Encyclicals, motu proprios, apostolic constitutions, and exhortations — here is a guide to some of the types of documents the pope uses to lead the Catholic Church.

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Platner Smooths Things Over With Democrats By Covering Nazi Tattoo With Hammer & Sickle #BabylonBee – BANGOR, ME — Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has smoothed things over with supporters by covering up his Nazi death squad tattoo with a new tattoo of the communist hammer and sickle.
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Platner Smooths Things Over With Democrats By Covering Nazi Tattoo With Hammer & Sickle #BabylonBee – BANGOR, ME — Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has smoothed things over with supporters by covering up his Nazi death squad tattoo with a new tattoo of the communist hammer and sickle.

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BANGOR, ME — Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has smoothed things over with supporters by covering up his Nazi death squad tattoo with a new tattoo of the communist hammer and sickle.

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St. Augustine: Pentecost reverses chaos of Babel, unites Church under the Holy Spirit – #Catholic – On May 24, Catholics around the world celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost — the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Christ who gathered in Jerusalem 50 days after his resurrection on Easter Sunday.At Pentecost, there “appeared to them tongues as of fire … and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues.” The gift of tongues allowed them to speak and for every person gathered to hear them “in his own native language.”“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” St. Peter said in Acts 2:38-39. “For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”Pentecost is considered the birth of the Church, and the gift of tongues allowed Christians to embark on their mission to convert all nations by removing the impediment of language barriers united under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.St. Augustine of Hippo — the fourth- to fifth-century bishop, theologian, and philosopher — wrote about the solemnity in sermons in the late 300s and early 400s. He contrasted the gift of tongues with the chaos established in Genesis 11 when God punished humanity with separate languages for trying to construct the Tower of Babel to reach heaven.In Sermon 271, Augustine explains that after the Flood, “the ungodly pride of men built a high tower against the Lord, and the human race was deservedly divided by languages, so that each nation would speak its own language and thus not be understood by the others.”Augustine contrasts the pride of humanity in Genesis with “the devout humility of the faithful” who gathered together 50 days after the resurrection of Christ. At Pentecost, that humility prompted God to instill the gift of tongues to bring unity to the Church despite “the variety of their different languages,” he writes.With this gift, the theologian explains, “the scattered members of the human race, as of one body, might be attached to their one head, Christ, and so reunited, and fused together into the unity of the holy body by the fire of love.”“Whoever received the Holy Spirit, even as one person, started speaking all languages,” he writes. “So too now the unity itself is speaking all languages throughout all nations; and it is by being established in this unity that you have the Holy Spirit; you that do not break away in any schism from the Church of Christ which speaks all languages.”In Sermon 267, Augustine writes that at the Pentecost, “the Church was then in one house.” He adds: “That small church spoke in the languages of all nations” and 400 years later, “this great Church now speaks in the languages of all nations from the rising of the sun to its setting.”The growth of the Church over those four centuries, Augustine writes, is a fulfillment of God’s promise to reach across nations and languages: “You were promised to yourself: but promised in few, fulfilled in many. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the body of the Church.”In Sermon 268, Augustine expands on how the Pentecost points to the necessity of unity in the Church under the Holy Spirit, writing that it showed “the unity of the Church in the tongues of all nations” in a small room following Christ’s resurrection. Now we see “the unity of the Catholic Church, spread throughout the whole world.”“The duties of the members are distributed, but one spirit contains all,” he continues. “Many commands are given, many things are done: One commands, one is served. That is our spirit, that is, our soul, to our members; this is the Holy Spirit to the members of Christ, to the body of Christ, which is the Church.”Augustine is one of the Church’s greatest theologians and philosophers. He strongly influenced the Catholic understanding of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit more specifically, with writings such as “On the Trinity.”Pope Leo XIV, the first Augustinian pope, discussed Augustine’s writings about Pentecost in a homily on Sept. 1, 2025, telling his Augustinian brothers: “You are members of the body of Christ, who speaks all languages.”“If not all those of the world, certainly all those that God knows to be necessary for the fulfillment of the good that, in his provident wisdom, he entrusts to you,” Leo said. “Live these days, therefore, in a sincere effort to communicate and to understand, and do so as a generous response to the great and unique gift of light and grace that the Father of heaven gives you by summoning you here, specifically you, for the good of all.”
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St. Augustine: Pentecost reverses chaos of Babel, unites Church under the Holy Spirit – #Catholic – On May 24, Catholics around the world celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost — the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Christ who gathered in Jerusalem 50 days after his resurrection on Easter Sunday.At Pentecost, there “appeared to them tongues as of fire … and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues.” The gift of tongues allowed them to speak and for every person gathered to hear them “in his own native language.”“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” St. Peter said in Acts 2:38-39. “For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”Pentecost is considered the birth of the Church, and the gift of tongues allowed Christians to embark on their mission to convert all nations by removing the impediment of language barriers united under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.St. Augustine of Hippo — the fourth- to fifth-century bishop, theologian, and philosopher — wrote about the solemnity in sermons in the late 300s and early 400s. He contrasted the gift of tongues with the chaos established in Genesis 11 when God punished humanity with separate languages for trying to construct the Tower of Babel to reach heaven.In Sermon 271, Augustine explains that after the Flood, “the ungodly pride of men built a high tower against the Lord, and the human race was deservedly divided by languages, so that each nation would speak its own language and thus not be understood by the others.”Augustine contrasts the pride of humanity in Genesis with “the devout humility of the faithful” who gathered together 50 days after the resurrection of Christ. At Pentecost, that humility prompted God to instill the gift of tongues to bring unity to the Church despite “the variety of their different languages,” he writes.With this gift, the theologian explains, “the scattered members of the human race, as of one body, might be attached to their one head, Christ, and so reunited, and fused together into the unity of the holy body by the fire of love.”“Whoever received the Holy Spirit, even as one person, started speaking all languages,” he writes. “So too now the unity itself is speaking all languages throughout all nations; and it is by being established in this unity that you have the Holy Spirit; you that do not break away in any schism from the Church of Christ which speaks all languages.”In Sermon 267, Augustine writes that at the Pentecost, “the Church was then in one house.” He adds: “That small church spoke in the languages of all nations” and 400 years later, “this great Church now speaks in the languages of all nations from the rising of the sun to its setting.”The growth of the Church over those four centuries, Augustine writes, is a fulfillment of God’s promise to reach across nations and languages: “You were promised to yourself: but promised in few, fulfilled in many. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the body of the Church.”In Sermon 268, Augustine expands on how the Pentecost points to the necessity of unity in the Church under the Holy Spirit, writing that it showed “the unity of the Church in the tongues of all nations” in a small room following Christ’s resurrection. Now we see “the unity of the Catholic Church, spread throughout the whole world.”“The duties of the members are distributed, but one spirit contains all,” he continues. “Many commands are given, many things are done: One commands, one is served. That is our spirit, that is, our soul, to our members; this is the Holy Spirit to the members of Christ, to the body of Christ, which is the Church.”Augustine is one of the Church’s greatest theologians and philosophers. He strongly influenced the Catholic understanding of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit more specifically, with writings such as “On the Trinity.”Pope Leo XIV, the first Augustinian pope, discussed Augustine’s writings about Pentecost in a homily on Sept. 1, 2025, telling his Augustinian brothers: “You are members of the body of Christ, who speaks all languages.”“If not all those of the world, certainly all those that God knows to be necessary for the fulfillment of the good that, in his provident wisdom, he entrusts to you,” Leo said. “Live these days, therefore, in a sincere effort to communicate and to understand, and do so as a generous response to the great and unique gift of light and grace that the Father of heaven gives you by summoning you here, specifically you, for the good of all.”

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On the solemnity of Pentecost, St. Augustine reminds us to reflect on the the necessity of a globally unified Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

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The Sky Today on Sunday, May 24: Egeria slides on by

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 23: View Vallis Alpes Moving through vast Virgo, 11th-magnitude asteroid 13 Egeria is passing near some stationary background stars tonight, offering an excellent chance to chart its motion over the course of a few hours.  You can begin looking for theContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, May 24: Egeria slides on by”

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, May 24: Egeria slides on by appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby – NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, capturing images as it came within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. This is an enhanced-color view of the large double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands.
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Psyche Spacecraft Completes Mars Flyby – NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, capturing images as it came within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. This is an enhanced-color view of the large double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands.

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NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, capturing images as it came within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. This is an enhanced-color view of the large double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 24 May 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."   A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 Brothers and sisters: No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.From the Gospel according to John 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."Today, the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Gospel takes us to the Upper Room, where the apostles had taken refuge after the death of Jesus (Jn  20:19-23). On the evening of Passover, the Risen One presents himself precisely into that situation of fear and anguish and, breathing on them, says: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (v. 22). In this way, with the gift of the Spirit, Jesus wishes to free the disciples from fear, from this fear that keeps them holed up at home, and he frees them so that they may be able to go out and become witnesses and proclaimers of the Gospel. Let us dwell a little on what the Spirit does: he frees from fear. The disciples had closed the doors, the Gospel says, “for fear” (v. 19). The death of Jesus had shocked them, their dreams had been shattered, their hopes had vanished. And they had closed themselves inside. Not only in that room, but within, in the heart. I would like to underline this: closed inside. How often do we too shut ourselves in? How often, because of some difficult situation, because of some personal or family problem, because of the suffering that marks us or the evil we breathe around us, do we risk slipping slowly into loss of hope and lack the courage to go on? (…) However, the Gospel offers us the remedy of the Risen One: the Holy Spirit. He frees us from the prisons of fear. (…) Because this is what the Spirit does: he makes us feel God’s closeness, and thus, his love casts out fear, illuminates the way, consoles, sustains in adversity. Faced with fears and closure, then, let us invoke the Holy Spirit for us, for the Church and for the whole world: let a new Pentecost cast out the fears that assail us and revive the flame of God’s love. (Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 28 May 2023)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
"Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God."

 

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
12:3b-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters:

No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

From the Gospel according to John
20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."

Today, the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Gospel takes us to the Upper Room, where the apostles had taken refuge after the death of Jesus (Jn  20:19-23). On the evening of Passover, the Risen One presents himself precisely into that situation of fear and anguish and, breathing on them, says: “Receive the Holy Spirit” (v. 22). In this way, with the gift of the Spirit, Jesus wishes to free the disciples from fear, from this fear that keeps them holed up at home, and he frees them so that they may be able to go out and become witnesses and proclaimers of the Gospel. Let us dwell a little on what the Spirit does: he frees from fear. The disciples had closed the doors, the Gospel says, “for fear” (v. 19). The death of Jesus had shocked them, their dreams had been shattered, their hopes had vanished. And they had closed themselves inside. Not only in that room, but within, in the heart. I would like to underline this: closed inside. How often do we too shut ourselves in? How often, because of some difficult situation, because of some personal or family problem, because of the suffering that marks us or the evil we breathe around us, do we risk slipping slowly into loss of hope and lack the courage to go on? (…) However, the Gospel offers us the remedy of the Risen One: the Holy Spirit. He frees us from the prisons of fear. (…) Because this is what the Spirit does: he makes us feel God’s closeness, and thus, his love casts out fear, illuminates the way, consoles, sustains in adversity. Faced with fears and closure, then, let us invoke the Holy Spirit for us, for the Church and for the whole world: let a new Pentecost cast out the fears that assail us and revive the flame of God’s love. (Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 28 May 2023)

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Last remaining Paterson Catholic school celebrates 60 years strong #Catholic - St. Gerard Majella School, the last remaining Catholic school in Paterson, celebrated its 60th anniversary with a Mass and reception on May 17. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard Majella Parish. St. Gerard Majella School concluded celebrating 60 years of offering excellent, family-centered, Gospel-grounded Catholic education for children in the city. The Cognia-accredited St. Gerard’s has a diverse, growing student population of students from pre-K4 to eighth grade. Opened on Oct. 3, 1965, the school has weathered many challenges to remain a pillar of Catholic education in the city. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Last remaining Paterson Catholic school celebrates 60 years strong #Catholic – St. Gerard Majella School, the last remaining Catholic school in Paterson, celebrated its 60th anniversary with a Mass and reception on May 17. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard Majella Parish. St. Gerard Majella School concluded celebrating 60 years of offering excellent, family-centered, Gospel-grounded Catholic education for children in the city. The Cognia-accredited St. Gerard’s has a diverse, growing student population of students from pre-K4 to eighth grade. Opened on Oct. 3, 1965, the school has weathered many challenges to remain a pillar of Catholic education in the city. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Last remaining Paterson Catholic school celebrates 60 years strong #Catholic –

St. Gerard Majella School, the last remaining Catholic school in Paterson, celebrated its 60th anniversary with a Mass and reception on May 17. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard Majella Parish.

St. Gerard Majella School concluded celebrating 60 years of offering excellent, family-centered, Gospel-grounded Catholic education for children in the city.

The Cognia-accredited St. Gerard’s has a diverse, growing student population of students from pre-K4 to eighth grade. Opened on Oct. 3, 1965, the school has weathered many challenges to remain a pillar of Catholic education in the city.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– St. Gerard Majella School, the last remaining Catholic school in Paterson, celebrated its 60th anniversary with a Mass and reception on May 17. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard Majella Parish. St. Gerard Majella School concluded celebrating 60 years of offering excellent, family-centered, Gospel-grounded Catholic education for children in the city. The Cognia-accredited St. Gerard’s has a diverse, growing student population of students from pre-K4 to eighth grade. Opened on Oct. 3, 1965, the school has weathered many challenges to remain a pillar of

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59 Mendham youth receive Eucharist for first time #Catholic - Fifty-nine children received their First Holy Communion at St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J., on May 2. The sacrament was celebrated during two Masses. At the first Mass, Father Frank Agresti was the main celebrant and Msgr. Joseph Anginoli concelebrated. Roles were reversed for the second Mass. The liturgy included participation from many of the First Communicants. BEACON PHOTO | JOE GIGLI Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. On social media, St. Joseph’s posted, “With joyful hearts, we congratulate all of our children who received Jesus in the Eucharist for the very first time.” The parish also posted, “May this sacred moment be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Christ, filled with grace, faith, and love. We are so proud of each of you and thank your families and catechists for guiding you on this journey. Please know that our parish community continues to keep you in our prayers as you grow in faith.” BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  
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59 Mendham youth receive Eucharist for first time #Catholic – Fifty-nine children received their First Holy Communion at St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J., on May 2. The sacrament was celebrated during two Masses. At the first Mass, Father Frank Agresti was the main celebrant and Msgr. Joseph Anginoli concelebrated. Roles were reversed for the second Mass. The liturgy included participation from many of the First Communicants. BEACON PHOTO | JOE GIGLI Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. On social media, St. Joseph’s posted, “With joyful hearts, we congratulate all of our children who received Jesus in the Eucharist for the very first time.” The parish also posted, “May this sacred moment be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Christ, filled with grace, faith, and love. We are so proud of each of you and thank your families and catechists for guiding you on this journey. Please know that our parish community continues to keep you in our prayers as you grow in faith.” BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]  

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59 Mendham youth receive Eucharist for first time #Catholic –

Fifty-nine children received their First Holy Communion at St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J., on May 2. The sacrament was celebrated during two Masses.

At the first Mass, Father Frank Agresti was the main celebrant and Msgr. Joseph Anginoli concelebrated. Roles were reversed for the second Mass.

The liturgy included participation from many of the First Communicants.

BEACON PHOTO | JOE GIGLI
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

On social media, St. Joseph’s posted, “With joyful hearts, we congratulate all of our children who received Jesus in the Eucharist for the very first time.”

The parish also posted, “May this sacred moment be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Christ, filled with grace, faith, and love. We are so proud of each of you and thank your families and catechists for guiding you on this journey. Please know that our parish community continues to keep you in our prayers as you grow in faith.”

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

– Fifty-nine children received their First Holy Communion at St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J., on May 2. The sacrament was celebrated during two Masses. At the first Mass, Father Frank Agresti was the main celebrant and Msgr. Joseph Anginoli concelebrated. Roles were reversed for the second Mass. The liturgy included participation from many of the First Communicants. BEACON PHOTO | JOE GIGLI Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. On social media, St. Joseph’s posted, “With joyful hearts, we congratulate all of our children who received Jesus in the Eucharist for the very first time.” The parish also posted,

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How Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence on Pentecost #Catholic On the solemnity of Pentecost, which this year is celebrated on May 24, Catholics have the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence.An indulgence can be received by praying or singing the hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus" during the solemnity of Pentecost. The prayer is below.What is a plenary indulgence?The following “General Remarks on Indulgences” from “Gift of the Indulgence” summarizes the usual conditions given in the Churchʼs law (cf. Apostolic Penitentiary, Prot. N. 39/05/I): “This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): ‘An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.’”Conditions in all casesIn order to obtain the plenary indulgence, in addition to praying or signing the hymn mentioned above, the following conditions must be fulfilled:1. Detachment from all sin, even venial.2. Sacramental confession, holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope. These three conditions can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.A single sacramental confession is sufficient for several plenary indulgences, but frequent sacramental confession is encouraged in order to obtain the grace of deeper conversion and purity of heart.Prayer: Veni Creator SpiritusCome, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up thy rest; come with thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which thou hast made.O comforter, to thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.Thou in thy sevenfold gifts are known; thou, finger of Godʼs hand we own; thou, promise of the Father, thou who dost the tongue with power imbue.Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts oʼerflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us thy peace instead; so shall we not, with thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.Oh, may thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest.Now to the Father and the Son, who rose from death, be glory given, with thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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How Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence on Pentecost #Catholic On the solemnity of Pentecost, which this year is celebrated on May 24, Catholics have the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence.An indulgence can be received by praying or singing the hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus" during the solemnity of Pentecost. The prayer is below.What is a plenary indulgence?The following “General Remarks on Indulgences” from “Gift of the Indulgence” summarizes the usual conditions given in the Churchʼs law (cf. Apostolic Penitentiary, Prot. N. 39/05/I): “This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): ‘An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.’”Conditions in all casesIn order to obtain the plenary indulgence, in addition to praying or signing the hymn mentioned above, the following conditions must be fulfilled:1. Detachment from all sin, even venial.2. Sacramental confession, holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope. These three conditions can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.A single sacramental confession is sufficient for several plenary indulgences, but frequent sacramental confession is encouraged in order to obtain the grace of deeper conversion and purity of heart.Prayer: Veni Creator SpiritusCome, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our souls take up thy rest; come with thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which thou hast made.O comforter, to thee we cry, O heavenly gift of God Most High, O fount of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above.Thou in thy sevenfold gifts are known; thou, finger of Godʼs hand we own; thou, promise of the Father, thou who dost the tongue with power imbue.Kindle our sense from above, and make our hearts oʼerflow with love; with patience firm and virtue high the weakness of our flesh supply.Far from us drive the foe we dread, and grant us thy peace instead; so shall we not, with thee for guide, turn from the path of life aside.Oh, may thy grace on us bestow the Father and the Son to know; and thee, through endless times confessed, of both the eternal Spirit blest.Now to the Father and the Son, who rose from death, be glory given, with thou, O Holy Comforter, henceforth by all in earth and heaven. Amen.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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On the solemnity of Pentecost, which this year is celebrated on May 24, Catholics have the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence.

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Madrid archbishop says Catholics feel ‘incredible expectation’ at pope’s upcoming trip to Spain #Catholic Madrid Archbishop Cardinal José Cobo Cano said that the imminent visit of Pope Leo XIV to Spain has generated “incredible expectations” and that the main challenge will not only be organizational, but pastoral.“The challenge is that it is not an event. We are used to concerts, which are prepared, closed and thatʼs it," he said in an interview with EWTN News about the preparations for the trip of Pope Leo XIV, who will visit Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands from June 6 to 12. He expressed hope that the visit will be “a moment of experience and … a moment also that will be slow, that it helps us to look up and take a step forward.”Preparations in record timeCardinal Cobo explained that the visit has been organized in “record time,” with just three months of work, and with a much greater social and ecclesial response than expected.“We have had three scarce months to prepare a trip, during which we have also found that there is a great desire and an incredible expectation. I think we thought it was going to be something [for which] we had to motivate [Catholics] a lot, but nothing was needed,” he said.As he highlighted, the popeʼs program in Madrid has been designed as a “pastoral triptych” with three major components: the celebration of the Eucharist on the feast of Corpus Christi, the great meeting with the Church of Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, and a space for dialogue with leaders of culture, economy and sport.“The celebration of the Eucharist, [especially on] Corpus Christi — which is a very important holiday for us — and celebrating it with the successor of Peter, is a gift for the whole Church of Madrid and for the whole Church of Spain, because they will come from all places. This is the most celebratory central moment,” said the cardinal.The pope and “politics with capital letters”In Coboʼs opinion, one of the most delicate moments will be the appearance of the Holy Father in the Cortes, or the Spanish parliament, before a joint session of both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.Cobo warned that he is concerned that a message about “politics with capital letters” may be reduced to a partisan reading.“In a society where we are used to talking about political parties, that moment is important,” he said. “Of course the intention is that the pope will come, that he will support politicians, that he will support politics and that he will thus be able to reinforce democracy from the experience and tradition of the Church,” he said.Asked if the recent accusation of alleged corruption of the former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero could have any impact on the visit, Cobo indicated it was unlikely. “We are used to working with many events in political life. Thatʼs already part of life and the headlines are moving,” he said. “I think the good thing about a papal visit is that … it can help us look up and see that despite the political situation that is painful … there is a higher level.”“There is another level, a level that speaks to us of hope, it is a level that speaks to us of responsibility, that speaks to us of ethics,” he said. “I believe that we are not going to contradict one thing with another, but we are going to get used to being also in another space, which is that of non-confrontation and welcoming wounds and difficulties and putting them in front of the space of meaning that life gives and that faith tells us.”The hope of the young, and not so youngThe cardinal also noted that for young people the visit could represent a response to a climate of “disorientation”, “uprooting” and “hopelessness.” He maintained that many are looking for “anchors” and answers about the meaning of life, something that, in his opinion, explains the renewed interest in the figure of the pope among new generations.“I think it is a response to a longing that young people have … and not only young people, I think it is from a very broad generation, I believe that there is an experience of a certain discomfort, a disorientation … a certain de-rooting. People need anchors that they donʼt have.”A meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Bad Bunny?Regarding the coincidence of the popeʼs presence in Madrid occurring at the same time as the rapper Bad Bunnyʼs concerts, Cobo did not close the door to a possible meeting, although he left it in the hands of both parties. “The pope is never closed to talking to anyone who wants to enter into dialogue with him,” he said.“If at some point that can happen, we wouldnʼt rule it out of course, but that depends on the two of them. What is certain is that indeed Madrid is very big and can have different events on the same day,” he said.
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Madrid archbishop says Catholics feel ‘incredible expectation’ at pope’s upcoming trip to Spain #Catholic Madrid Archbishop Cardinal José Cobo Cano said that the imminent visit of Pope Leo XIV to Spain has generated “incredible expectations” and that the main challenge will not only be organizational, but pastoral.“The challenge is that it is not an event. We are used to concerts, which are prepared, closed and thatʼs it," he said in an interview with EWTN News about the preparations for the trip of Pope Leo XIV, who will visit Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands from June 6 to 12. He expressed hope that the visit will be “a moment of experience and … a moment also that will be slow, that it helps us to look up and take a step forward.”Preparations in record timeCardinal Cobo explained that the visit has been organized in “record time,” with just three months of work, and with a much greater social and ecclesial response than expected.“We have had three scarce months to prepare a trip, during which we have also found that there is a great desire and an incredible expectation. I think we thought it was going to be something [for which] we had to motivate [Catholics] a lot, but nothing was needed,” he said.As he highlighted, the popeʼs program in Madrid has been designed as a “pastoral triptych” with three major components: the celebration of the Eucharist on the feast of Corpus Christi, the great meeting with the Church of Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, and a space for dialogue with leaders of culture, economy and sport.“The celebration of the Eucharist, [especially on] Corpus Christi — which is a very important holiday for us — and celebrating it with the successor of Peter, is a gift for the whole Church of Madrid and for the whole Church of Spain, because they will come from all places. This is the most celebratory central moment,” said the cardinal.The pope and “politics with capital letters”In Coboʼs opinion, one of the most delicate moments will be the appearance of the Holy Father in the Cortes, or the Spanish parliament, before a joint session of both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.Cobo warned that he is concerned that a message about “politics with capital letters” may be reduced to a partisan reading.“In a society where we are used to talking about political parties, that moment is important,” he said. “Of course the intention is that the pope will come, that he will support politicians, that he will support politics and that he will thus be able to reinforce democracy from the experience and tradition of the Church,” he said.Asked if the recent accusation of alleged corruption of the former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero could have any impact on the visit, Cobo indicated it was unlikely. “We are used to working with many events in political life. Thatʼs already part of life and the headlines are moving,” he said. “I think the good thing about a papal visit is that … it can help us look up and see that despite the political situation that is painful … there is a higher level.”“There is another level, a level that speaks to us of hope, it is a level that speaks to us of responsibility, that speaks to us of ethics,” he said. “I believe that we are not going to contradict one thing with another, but we are going to get used to being also in another space, which is that of non-confrontation and welcoming wounds and difficulties and putting them in front of the space of meaning that life gives and that faith tells us.”The hope of the young, and not so youngThe cardinal also noted that for young people the visit could represent a response to a climate of “disorientation”, “uprooting” and “hopelessness.” He maintained that many are looking for “anchors” and answers about the meaning of life, something that, in his opinion, explains the renewed interest in the figure of the pope among new generations.“I think it is a response to a longing that young people have … and not only young people, I think it is from a very broad generation, I believe that there is an experience of a certain discomfort, a disorientation … a certain de-rooting. People need anchors that they donʼt have.”A meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Bad Bunny?Regarding the coincidence of the popeʼs presence in Madrid occurring at the same time as the rapper Bad Bunnyʼs concerts, Cobo did not close the door to a possible meeting, although he left it in the hands of both parties. “The pope is never closed to talking to anyone who wants to enter into dialogue with him,” he said.“If at some point that can happen, we wouldnʼt rule it out of course, but that depends on the two of them. What is certain is that indeed Madrid is very big and can have different events on the same day,” he said.

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Archbishop José Cobo Cano hopes Pope Leo XIV’s visit will help Catholics “look up and take a step forward.”

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In Italian region marred by toxic waste, Pope Leo XIV praises ‘beauty no injustice can erase’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV greeted residents and civic leaders in the southern Italian town of Acerra on May 23, a region marred by toxic wastes but possessing what the pope said was “beauty no injustice can ever erase.” “In life, we come to understand that the more fragile a beauty is, the greater the care and responsibility it demands,” the pope told the crowd in Acerraʼs Piazza Calipari. Pope Leo XIV addresses crowds in the Piazza Calipari in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the “Land of Fires,” a region in southern Italy devastated by illegal waste dumping. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The Holy Father arrived in the small town earlier in the day for a brief pastoral visit. Acerra is located about 130 miles southeast of Rome. After meeting with local Church leaders at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, the pope headed to the piazza, where he said he was “delighted” to spend the Saturday morning with the crowd of around 15,000. A child smiles excitedly during Pope Leo XIVʼs address in the Piazza Calipari in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the “Land of Fires,” a region in southern Italy devastated by illegal waste dumping. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The popeʼs visit to the Land of Fires came on the 11th anniversary of the late Pope Francis' landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si'. Acerra has for years suffered environmental fallout due to the dumping of waste materials in the region.Yet “life is present here, and it stands in opposition to death; justice exists, and it will prevail,” the pope said. “We must, of course, choose life and break free from the bonds of death.” “There is always a subtle convenience to be found in resignation, in compromise, and in postponing necessary and courageous decisions,” he continued. “Fatalism, complaining, and shifting the blame onto others serve as a breeding ground for lawlessness and mark the beginning of a desertification of consciences.” “For this reason, I would like to say to you all: Let each of us shoulder our own responsibilities; let us choose justice; let us serve life!”The pontiff further reminded the citizens of Acerra of the need to care for creation.“I would like to thank those ‘pioneers’ who, through their courageous commitment, were the first to denounce the ills plaguing this land and to draw attention to the obscured and denied reality of its poisoning,” the pope said. “I am thinking, in particular, of the members of environmental associations,” the pope said. “We all know that we must stand guard over the health of creation just as we stand guard over our own front door, and that we must resist the temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the earth, the water, the air, and our shared life.” Crowds hold up signs as Pope Leo XIV makes an address in the Piazza Calipari in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the “Land of Fires,” a region in southern Italy devastated by illegal waste dumping. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Acerra Mayor Tito dʼErrico expressed his gratitude to the pope for his presence, pointing to the significance of the Laudato Si' anniversary. “Integral ecology is not merely a label; it is a social and economic model that places the dignity of the human person at its very center,” dʼErrico said.During the visit Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna presented the Holy Father with two precious mementos linked to St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, the patron saint of the diocese: a statue of the saint and an autograph letter.Following the event in the piazza, the pope departed by helicopter to Rome. This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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In Italian region marred by toxic waste, Pope Leo XIV praises ‘beauty no injustice can erase’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV greeted residents and civic leaders in the southern Italian town of Acerra on May 23, a region marred by toxic wastes but possessing what the pope said was “beauty no injustice can ever erase.” “In life, we come to understand that the more fragile a beauty is, the greater the care and responsibility it demands,” the pope told the crowd in Acerraʼs Piazza Calipari. Pope Leo XIV addresses crowds in the Piazza Calipari in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the “Land of Fires,” a region in southern Italy devastated by illegal waste dumping. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The Holy Father arrived in the small town earlier in the day for a brief pastoral visit. Acerra is located about 130 miles southeast of Rome. After meeting with local Church leaders at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, the pope headed to the piazza, where he said he was “delighted” to spend the Saturday morning with the crowd of around 15,000. A child smiles excitedly during Pope Leo XIVʼs address in the Piazza Calipari in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the “Land of Fires,” a region in southern Italy devastated by illegal waste dumping. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The popeʼs visit to the Land of Fires came on the 11th anniversary of the late Pope Francis' landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si'. Acerra has for years suffered environmental fallout due to the dumping of waste materials in the region.Yet “life is present here, and it stands in opposition to death; justice exists, and it will prevail,” the pope said. “We must, of course, choose life and break free from the bonds of death.” “There is always a subtle convenience to be found in resignation, in compromise, and in postponing necessary and courageous decisions,” he continued. “Fatalism, complaining, and shifting the blame onto others serve as a breeding ground for lawlessness and mark the beginning of a desertification of consciences.” “For this reason, I would like to say to you all: Let each of us shoulder our own responsibilities; let us choose justice; let us serve life!”The pontiff further reminded the citizens of Acerra of the need to care for creation.“I would like to thank those ‘pioneers’ who, through their courageous commitment, were the first to denounce the ills plaguing this land and to draw attention to the obscured and denied reality of its poisoning,” the pope said. “I am thinking, in particular, of the members of environmental associations,” the pope said. “We all know that we must stand guard over the health of creation just as we stand guard over our own front door, and that we must resist the temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the earth, the water, the air, and our shared life.” Crowds hold up signs as Pope Leo XIV makes an address in the Piazza Calipari in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the “Land of Fires,” a region in southern Italy devastated by illegal waste dumping. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Acerra Mayor Tito dʼErrico expressed his gratitude to the pope for his presence, pointing to the significance of the Laudato Si' anniversary. “Integral ecology is not merely a label; it is a social and economic model that places the dignity of the human person at its very center,” dʼErrico said.During the visit Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna presented the Holy Father with two precious mementos linked to St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, the patron saint of the diocese: a statue of the saint and an autograph letter.Following the event in the piazza, the pope departed by helicopter to Rome. This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Holy Father on May 23 met with Church leaders and local residents at Acerra in Italy’s “Land of Fires.”

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In Italy’s ‘Land of Fires,’ Pope Leo XIV laments ‘the cry of creation and the poor’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV arrived in Italyʼs “Terra dei Fuochi,” or “Land of Fires,” for a one-day visit on May 23, the first pope in history to meet with this population amid a yearslong battle against illegal waste disposal.The pope arrived in Acerra around 8:45 a.m., landing at the Arcoleo sports field, where he was immediately welcomed by Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna.Numerous dignitaries were also present, including Tito d’Errico, the mayor of Acerra.Pope Leo XIVʼs visit to the region also marks the 11th anniversary of the publication of the late Pope Francis’ landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si'.Pope Francis himself was originally scheduled to visit the area for the encyclical’s fifth anniversary, though the visit was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the sports field, Pope Leo XIV traveled immediately by car to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Acerra, where he met with bishops, clergy, members of religious orders, and the families of victims of environmental pollution. Approximately 12,000 faithful were present for the occasion. Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the so-called “Land of Fires” near Naples where illegal waste dumping has created a yearslong health crisis. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News "Today we wish to fulfill Pope Francis’ desire, recognizing the great gift that the encyclical Laudato Si’ has represented for the Church’s mission in this land," the Holy Father said."Indeed, the cry of creation and of the poor among you has been felt most dramatically due to a deadly concentration of shadowy interests and indifference toward the common good — forces that have poisoned both the natural and social environments," he said, adding: "It is a cry that calls for conversion!” Di Donna himself recounted the history of the region at the cathedral, stating that the “environmental tragedy” began in the 1980s, “when certain industrialists in the north needed to dispose of vast quantities of toxic waste.”“Over the span of roughly 30 years, hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic waste arrived from numerous industries across northern Italy, only to be dumped in a specific part of this territory,” the bishop said. The environmental crisis triggered “a collapse of the agricultural industry,” the bishop said, describing the “Terra dei Fuochi” label as “a mark of infamy for our region.” Pope Leo XIV told the assembly he had come to listen to those in the region who have lost loved ones to the environmental devastation. The pope said he also wished to “thank those who have responded to evil with good.” Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the so-called “Land of Fires” near Naples where illegal waste dumping has created a yearslong health crisis. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “We suffer because of the devastation that has compromised a marvelous ecosystem — places, histories, and memories,” the pope said. “Faced with this reality, there are two possible attitudes: indifference or responsibility,” he continued. “You have chosen responsibility, and — with God’s help — you have embarked upon a path of commitment and the pursuit of justice.”“Can these lands come back to life?” the pope continued. “Be the answer yourselves: a united community, in faith and in commitment. Then life will multiply.”The pope was scheduled to return to Rome after his visit to Acerra, located a little over 130 miles southeast of Rome. The Holy Father also met with civic leaders and local residents of Acerra. This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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In Italy’s ‘Land of Fires,’ Pope Leo XIV laments ‘the cry of creation and the poor’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV arrived in Italyʼs “Terra dei Fuochi,” or “Land of Fires,” for a one-day visit on May 23, the first pope in history to meet with this population amid a yearslong battle against illegal waste disposal.The pope arrived in Acerra around 8:45 a.m., landing at the Arcoleo sports field, where he was immediately welcomed by Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna.Numerous dignitaries were also present, including Tito d’Errico, the mayor of Acerra.Pope Leo XIVʼs visit to the region also marks the 11th anniversary of the publication of the late Pope Francis’ landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si'.Pope Francis himself was originally scheduled to visit the area for the encyclical’s fifth anniversary, though the visit was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From the sports field, Pope Leo XIV traveled immediately by car to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Acerra, where he met with bishops, clergy, members of religious orders, and the families of victims of environmental pollution. Approximately 12,000 faithful were present for the occasion. Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the so-called “Land of Fires” near Naples where illegal waste dumping has created a yearslong health crisis. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News "Today we wish to fulfill Pope Francis’ desire, recognizing the great gift that the encyclical Laudato Si’ has represented for the Church’s mission in this land," the Holy Father said."Indeed, the cry of creation and of the poor among you has been felt most dramatically due to a deadly concentration of shadowy interests and indifference toward the common good — forces that have poisoned both the natural and social environments," he said, adding: "It is a cry that calls for conversion!” Di Donna himself recounted the history of the region at the cathedral, stating that the “environmental tragedy” began in the 1980s, “when certain industrialists in the north needed to dispose of vast quantities of toxic waste.”“Over the span of roughly 30 years, hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic waste arrived from numerous industries across northern Italy, only to be dumped in a specific part of this territory,” the bishop said. The environmental crisis triggered “a collapse of the agricultural industry,” the bishop said, describing the “Terra dei Fuochi” label as “a mark of infamy for our region.” Pope Leo XIV told the assembly he had come to listen to those in the region who have lost loved ones to the environmental devastation. The pope said he also wished to “thank those who have responded to evil with good.” Pope Leo XIV greets crowds in Acerra, Italy, May 23, 2026. The pope was visiting the so-called “Land of Fires” near Naples where illegal waste dumping has created a yearslong health crisis. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News “We suffer because of the devastation that has compromised a marvelous ecosystem — places, histories, and memories,” the pope said. “Faced with this reality, there are two possible attitudes: indifference or responsibility,” he continued. “You have chosen responsibility, and — with God’s help — you have embarked upon a path of commitment and the pursuit of justice.”“Can these lands come back to life?” the pope continued. “Be the answer yourselves: a united community, in faith and in commitment. Then life will multiply.”The pope was scheduled to return to Rome after his visit to Acerra, located a little over 130 miles southeast of Rome. The Holy Father also met with civic leaders and local residents of Acerra. This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Holy Father said Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ is a framework for addressing the social and environmental crises of the region.

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The Sky Today on Saturday, May 23: View Vallis Alpes

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  May 22: Busy moons around Jupiter The Moon passes 0.08° south of Regulus at 3 A.M. EDT. A few hours later, First Quarter Moon occurs at 7:11 A.M. EDT. First Quarter Moon offers some great targets for lunar observers. Plus, the greatContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, May 23: View Vallis Alpes”

The post The Sky Today on Saturday, May 23: View Vallis Alpes appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Church Hack: Explain To Everyone Stacking Chairs That You’d Love To Help, But Your Spiritual Gift Is Encouragement #BabylonBee – Getting a little tired of youth pastors teaching the Parable of the Talents and then asking you to go stack some chairs? Consider telling everyone you have the spiritual gift of encouragement.
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Church Hack: Explain To Everyone Stacking Chairs That You’d Love To Help, But Your Spiritual Gift Is Encouragement #BabylonBee – Getting a little tired of youth pastors teaching the Parable of the Talents and then asking you to go stack some chairs? Consider telling everyone you have the spiritual gift of encouragement.

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Getting a little tired of youth pastors teaching the Parable of the Talents and then asking you to go stack some chairs? Consider telling everyone you have the spiritual gift of encouragement.

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