pope leo xiv encyclical artificial intelligence tenerife visit

Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical on AI ahead of Tenerife visit

Pope’s first encyclical to address AI and human dignity

Pope Leo XIV will publish his first encyclical on 25 May, a document entitled ‘Magnifica humanitas’ dedicated to the “custody of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence”. The release comes just weeks before his visit to Tenerife, one of the planned stops on the apostolic journey the pontiff will make to Spain in June. The connection with the island does not lie in the content of the text, as the encyclical does not deal specifically with the Canary Islands, but rather in the timing of its publication.

Before touching down in Tenerife, Leo XIV will make public his first major doctrinal reflection as Pope, placing artificial intelligence among the central themes of his pontificate. An encyclical is one of the most significant documents a Pope can issue. It is a solemn letter typically addressed to bishops, the Catholic faithful, and often to wider society as well. In it, the pontiff sets out his position on religious, social, ethical or political matters of particular importance. For this reason, ‘Magnifica humanitas’ will be no minor text.

A glimpse into the priorities of the new pontificate

As the first encyclical of Leo XIV, it will serve to shed light on the priorities of his pontificate. In this case, the pontiff has chosen a highly contemporary issue: how to defend human dignity in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, automation and new technologies. The Holy See has not yet released the full content of ‘Magnifica humanitas’, but has explained its central theme: the protection of the human person in an era marked by the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

The document bears the Pope’s signature dated 15 May, coinciding with the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the encyclical published in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII. That earlier letter addressed the social and labour changes brought about by industrialisation. Now, the pontiff places AI among the great contemporary challenges, following a thread that links technology, ethics and the Church’s social teaching.

Presentation event on 25 May

The encyclical will be presented on 25 May at 11:30am in the Synod Hall. The event will feature speakers with expertise in theology, human development and the study of artificial intelligence. Among those taking part will be Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Also participating will be Professor Anna Rowlands, theologian and lecturer at Durham University; Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic and head of research on AI interpretability; and Professor Leocadie Lushombo, a specialist in political theology and Catholic social thought at Santa Clara University in California.

Papal visit to Spain includes Tenerife and Gran Canaria

Leo XIV’s visit to Spain is scheduled from 6 to 12 June 2026 and includes events in Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria and Tenerife. For the Canary Islands, the journey places the archipelago towards the end of the pontiff’s itinerary. For Tenerife, the publication of ‘Magnifica humanitas’ adds a new element of context as the island awaits his arrival. The Pope will come to the island having already set out one of the first priorities of his pontificate: the defence of the human person in the face of the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

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