The Society of St Pius X (SSPX), a far-right Catholic sect, plans to ordain its own bishops on July 1st, risking excommunication and schism with the Vatican. Pope Leo has appealed against the move, which stems from fundamental disagreements over Vatican II reforms.
Pope Leo XIV issued a major teaching warning about AI's threats to labor, war, and the environment. Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah's presence at the Vatican ceremony sparked questions about the AI company's alignment with the Pope's concerns, especially regarding job displacement and environmental impact, despite some shared views on AI in warfare.
Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, addresses the social challenges of AI, urging political leaders to safeguard human dignity against technological upheaval and the risk of humans becoming "user tools of an algorithmic order."
Pope Leo issued an encyclical denouncing the "culture of power" driving AI, urging "rigorous" ethical constraints, especially in warfare. He also apologized for the Catholic Church's historical stance on slavery and warned of new digital-era enslavements.
Pope Leo will release his first major encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," next week addressing the rapid rise of AI. The document, signed May 15, focuses on protecting human dignity in the AI age, worker's rights, and the ethics of AI in warfare. The Vatican will host a public presentation on May 25.
