Thursday, October 30, 2025
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Intercultural Center (ICC) Auditorium
In his new apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), Pope Leo powerfully elevates concern for the poor as a central theme of his pontificate. He writes, “The condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church. On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ himself.”
Pope Leo’s strong focus on the poor is situated within his acknowledgement of our rapidly changing social and economic context. Just after he was elected, Pope Leo said the Church should offer “her social teaching in response … to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.” Concern for the poor combines with new moral questions around the impacts of artificial intelligence, especially on workers, to form the central themes of his early pontificate.
This timely Public Dialogue will respond to Pope Leo’s powerful challenge to the Church to refocus on the poor and his questions regarding the moral and human impacts of artificial intelligence at this time of economic turmoil and transformation.
Four outstanding leaders will
- Address the challenges for the Church and our nation of widespread poverty in the U.S. and around the world, and the message of Pope Leo’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I have loved you”) on the topic of poverty in light of Catholic social teaching.
- Examine the ongoing mandate of Rerum novarum and other elements of Catholic social thought: the dignity and rights of workers, just wages, defending those who are poor, and support for families and unions.
- Explore how the Church can share the tradition of Catholic social teaching in response to what Pope Leo XIV has called “another industrial revolution... artificial intelligence and new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”
- Look ahead to how Pope Leo, the Church, and others can address the moral dimensions and human impacts of poverty, AI, and other economic pressures on workers, poor families, and society.
John Carr, founder of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, will moderate the dialogue. For more than twenty years, Carr led the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ efforts on poverty, work, and economic justice.
Resources
View articles and other resources for this dialogue.
Photo credit: Roman Catholic Diocese of Chiclayo
Participants
Cardinal Blase Cupich
Cardinal Blase Cupich is the archbishop of Chicago, Illinois. A close advisor to both Pope Francis and now Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Cupich has been an advocate for Catholic social teaching on human dignity, the common good, work, labor, and a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable.
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Paul Almeida
Paul Almeida is the dean and William R. Berkley Chair at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. During his tenure, Dean Almeida has built the school’s capabilities around fields of the future through new initiatives, including one focused on artificial intelligence, analytics, and the future of work.
Cecilia Flores
Cecilia Flores is the executive director of Catholic Volunteer Network. Prior to this role, she was a community organizer with Sacramento ACT, where she worked to address issues of poverty and injustice in California. Flores also spent several years volunteering in Honduras with the Missioners of Christ.
Liz Shuler
Liz Shuler is the president of AFL-CIO, the first woman elected to this position. A visionary leader and longtime trade unionist, Shuler has been invited to speak at the Vatican on the dignity of work, the rights of workers, and climate change.
Accessibility
For those who cannot join us in person, the dialogue will be livestreamed, starting at 6:00 pm EDT, and posted online for later viewing.
All in-person accommodation requests should be sent to cathsocialthought@georgetown.edu by October 24. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.