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Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

September 9, 2026

AI, Catholic Social Teaching, and Pope Leo’s Invitation to Dialogue with the World

From the moment of its release, Pope Leo’s groundbreaking encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”) sparked dialogue far beyond Catholic circles. In it, Pope Leo calls for people of all backgrounds to engage in collaborative discussion of the risks and promises of artificial intelligence and reminds the world that, even amid the monumental changes brought on by AI, “we must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity… the splendor of which no machine can ever replace.”

This Public Dialogue brought Catholic leaders into conversation with leading voices in technology and AI policy to take up questions at the heart of Magnifica Humanitas: What does it mean to safeguard human dignity in the age of AI? How can we build a digital environment and economy that puts people first and serves the common good? What would a human-centered vision of AI ask of lawmakers, of employers, and of each of us? And where can Catholics most effectively help shape policy conversations about technology?

Eduardo Peñalver, president of Georgetown University, opened the dialogue. Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, moderated the conversation. A reception will follow.

Resources

View articles, podcasts, and other resources for this dialogue.

Photo © Vatican Media

Participants

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia is the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to the United States and was appointed to this post by Pope Leo XIV in March. He has previously served as Nuncio to Lebanon and to the Philippines, and most recently as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York.

Vilas Dhar

Vilas Dhar

Vilas Dhar has served on the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence and is the U.S. Government’s nominated expert to the Global Partnership on AI. He is president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, one of the world’s foremost philanthropies advancing AI for public purpose.

Molly Kinder

Molly Kinder

Molly Kinder is a leading expert on AI and its impact on work. She is currently the founding CEO of the Breakwater Initiative, a new organization building the policy response to AI's disruption of work. Previously, she was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution studying AI's economic impacts.

Anna Rowlands

Anna Rowlands

Anna Rowlands holds the St. Hilda Chair in Catholic Social Thought and Practice at the University of Durham. She is a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and spoke at the Vatican’s launch of Magnifica Humanitas in May.

Jasmine Sun

Jasmine Sun

Jasmine Sun covers the culture and politics of AI as a contributor at the Atlantic and on her Substack, and has written for other outlets including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She previously led the core product team at Substack and has worked in AI policy.