Pope Leo XIV readies AI encyclical

Pope Leo XIV used a May 14 address at Rome’s Sapienza University to bring together two themes that have run through his early papacy: opposition to rearmament and a moral warning about artificial intelligence. Reuters reported that Leo called Europe’s military buildup a “betrayal” of diplomacy during the visit, while Vatican and Catholic outlets said he also warned students against a culture that reduces people to numbers. (vatican.va) The Vatican has not yet published the encyclical itself, but multiple reports said Leo is preparing a first encyclical focused on artificial intelligence and the church. (vatican.va) Angelus News reported that the text was expected to be signed on May 15 and released by the Vatican by the end of May. (angelusnews.com) AOL, citing the same reporting line, said the document would be Leo’s first encyclical. ### What did Leo say at Sapienza on May 14? Sapienza University hosted Leo on Thursday, May 14, for a meeting with professors and students, according to the Vatican’s published text of the visit. In that address, the pope spoke directly to students about anxiety, competition and the pressure of being measured by performance. (usnews.com) Catholic World Report, citing the speech, said Leo criticized “the pervasive lie of a distorted system that reduces people to numbers, heightens competitiveness, and abandons us to spirals of anxiety.” EWTN News reported that he tied that warning to rising anxiety and depression among young people. (angelusnews.com) ### Why did the same speech also turn to military spending? Reuters reported that Leo used the Sapienza appearance to attack rising European military spending, which the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said rose 14% in 2025 to $864 billion. He said such policies should not be described as defense if they increase tensions, cut into education and health spending, and weaken diplomacy. (vatican.va) The same Reuters report said Leo also warned about artificial intelligence in warfare, pointing to conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon and Iran as evidence of what he called an “inhumane evolution” in the relationship between war and new technologies. That linked his AI concerns to a broader Vatican critique of war and political escalation. (catholicworldreport.com) ### What has Leo already said officially about AI? A June 17, 2025 Vatican message to a Rome conference on artificial intelligence, ethics and corporate governance showed Leo’s basic framework before the expected encyclical. In that text, he said AI has extraordinary potential but also raises questions about responsible governance, justice and the protection of human dignity. (usnews.com) The 2025 Vatican message said the church wanted to join discussion of AI by weighing its effects on what Leo called the “integral development of the human person and society.” He also warned that AI could be misused for selfish gain or to “foment conflict and aggression.” (usnews.com) ### How does organized crime fit into this picture? Vatican News reported on May 15 that Leo told participants in an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe conference on drugs and organized crime that no one may claim the right to violate the dignity of others. The report said he backed the rule of law, crime prevention and social support for people harmed by illicit drugs. (vatican.va) That appearance did not directly address the encyclical, but it added another public intervention in which Leo tied public policy questions to human dignity. The same vocabulary appears in his AI message and in his Sapienza remarks on young people and war. (vatican.va) ### Where does ecumenical outreach show up? The Vatican has also put ecumenism near the center of Leo’s public calendar. In a May 19, 2025 audience with representatives of other churches, ecclesial communities and other religions, Leo said the time had come for dialogue and bridge-building, according to Vatican News and the Vatican press office. (vaticannews.va) A June 28, 2025 Vatican address to a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate also highlighted Leo’s emphasis on ties with Patriarch Bartholomew. Those appearances suggest the Vatican is presenting AI ethics, peace appeals and Christian unity as parallel parts of Leo’s early agenda, an inference drawn from the sequence of his public speeches and messages. (vaticannews.va) ### What comes next from the Vatican? Angelus News reported that the Vatican was expected to publish Leo’s AI encyclical by the end of May 2026. Until the text appears, the clearest guide to its themes remains Leo’s Sapienza speech, his 2025 AI message and subsequent Vatican appearances on war, dignity and governance. (vaticannews.va) (angelusnews.com) (vatican.va)