05/25/2026
Statement from Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., on the papal encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas:"
In "Magnifica Humanitas," Pope Leo XIV has given us a profound gift: a teaching that reminds us that every human life possesses an inviolable dignity and that safeguarding this dignity must be the foundation of every decision we make as we develop and apply artificial intelligence.
Signing this encyclical on the 135th anniversary of "Rerum Novarum," Pope Leo XIII’s historic letter on the rights of workers, is a deliberate choice. Just as Leo XIII addressed the disorientation of the industrial revolution, Leo XIV calls us to moral clarity and solidarity in the midst of this latest societal transformation, underscoring the urgency of the questions humankind faces.
At Notre Dame, our mission as a global Catholic research university compels us to advance Pope Leo XIV’s historic contribution to Catholic social tradition through our research, our teaching, and all of our work in service of the common good. The Holy Father has highlighted the critical role that Catholic scholars and researchers — and all those of goodwill — must play in raising moral questions and actively shaping new technologies to ensure they serve the entire human family.
