Magnifica Humanitas

A papal encyclical is a formal letter written by the Pope to bishops, Catholics, and often all people of goodwill, offering guidance on important matters of faith,morality, and social issues. Encyclicals help illuminate Church teaching and encourage reflection and action on issues affecting the world and the human family.

As an apostolic work of the Catholic Church, Gonzaga University has a responsibility to help people understand the Church's teachings and their relevance to the world today. Papal encyclicals are important contributions to Catholic thought, though they are often complex, historically grounded and written for a global audience.

The Holy Father's most recent encyclical is particularly layered, exploring the history of Catholic social teaching, the Church's engagement with technology over the past century and the ethical questions emerging from rapid technological change. By providing context and interpretation, Gonzaga helps students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community engage thoughtfully with these ideas. Doing so reflects the University's educational mission and its commitment to promoting informed dialogue at the intersection of faith, reason and the issues shaping contemporary society.

Reading and learning more about Magnifica Humanitas is a great opportunity for spiritual growth to better understand Pope Leo XIV's call to place human dignity at the center of technological advancement. Its message resonates deeply with Gonzaga's Jesuit, Catholic commitment to ethics, justice, and the formation of the whole person

No. In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV explicitly says that technology and AI are not inherently evil and should not be viewed as forces opposed to humanity. Rather, he argues that AI must be guided by ethical principles, human dignity, truth, justice, and the common good.

There are several areas of the Gonzaga community that are involved in Magnifica Humanitas.

• The Office of Mission Integration is leading an Encyclical reading group

There are several other campus engagement opportunities, specific to Artificial Intelligence.

• The Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology is researching and leading discussion on Artificial Intelligence, a major focus of Magnifica Humanitas.
• Gonzaga’s Center for Lifelong Learning has launched an Organizational AI Transformation Program for businesses