May 24, 2026 - "Rerum Novarum"

 

· Quadragesimo anno (“In the 40th Year”) by Pius XI, 1931

· Mater et magistra (“Mother and Teacher”) by John XXIII, 1961

· Pacem in terris (“Peace on Earth”) by John XXIII, 1963

· Octogesima adveniens (“On the approaching eightieth anniversary”) by Paul VI in 1971

· Populorum progressio (“On the Development of Peoples”) by Paul VI, 1967

· Laborem exercens (“On Human Work”) by John Paul II, 1981

· Sollicitudo rei socialis (“On Social Concerns”) by John Paul II, 1987

· Centesimus annus (“In the 100th Year”) by John Paul II, 1991

· Evangelium vitae (“The Gospel of Life”) by John Paul II, 1995

· Deus caritas est (“God Is Love”) by Benedict XVI, 2005

· Caritas in veritate (“Charity in Truth”) by Benedict XVI, 2009

· Laudato si’ (“Praise Be to You”) by Francis, 2015

· Fratelli tutti (“Brothers All”) by Francis, 2020

 

In May 2025 Cardinal Robert Prevost, OSA, who was born in Dalton, Illinois and an Augustinian missionary for many years in Peru, was elected pope after the death of Pope Francis. When he chose Leo XIV as his papal name, the new pope mentioned that Rerum Novarum was an important influence on his choice of name.  Pope Leo XIV made a connection between the teaching of Rerum Novarum on labor and the rights of workers and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in the twenty-first century. Many people view AI as a threat to humanity. Here is what Pope Leo XIV said about this:

 

In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.

 

On May 15, 2026, Pope Leo signed his first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”), which will be released on May 25, 2026.  Pope Leo XIV is very concerned about the use of AI in warfare and is calling for the use of this technology to be monitored carefully. Many believe that the Holy Father will place the AI question in the context of the church’s social teaching, which also deals with issues like labor, justice, and peace. 

 

Until next week,

Fr. John Dillon