Pope Leo XIV’s first Encyclical Letter, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity) will be released on Monday 25th May 2026.
Addressing the need to preserve the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, it bears the Pope’s signature dated 15th May which is the 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum (Of New things).
Yet, it is the choice of publication date which seems equally important here in our Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.
Fr Chris Hughes explores more:
“Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence, will be released on 25th May 2026.
“The document was signed on the 15th May, the 135th Anniversary of the publication of Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII. This document is seen as the starting point of modern Catholic Social Teaching and so it is obvious that Pope Leo XIV is seeing this new encyclical as a further development of Catholic Social Teaching.
“Having said that, the date of the document’s release is also significant, since 25th May is the Feast of local lad, St Bede, who Pope Leo XIII made a Doctor of the Church is 1899.
“The first Englishman to be given that title, I am sure that for a document to be released on Artificial Intelligence on the Feast Day of St Bede is not a coincidence.
“In her recent work ‘Bede and the Theory of Everything’ (Reaktion Books-2025) Michelle Brown, states that St Bede was more than a significant religious figure and great historian.
“She argues that St Bede’s reputation is so great ‘because of his remarkably joined up thinking and his ability to see the bigger picture, his studies embracing diverse areas in pursuit of a ‘theory of everything’ in which the arts, sciences and faith were integrated.’
“I would imagine it is this integrated perspective of arts, sciences, genuine human development along with our relationship God and service of one another, which will be an important focus of Pope Leo’s encyclical.
In these day of AI, St Bede – Pray for us.”
Fr C Hughes
20/05/2026