Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, stands explicitly in the tradition of Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum 135 years ago. Both seek to uphold the dignity of human work in the age of the machine. The present Leo warns eloquently against building the Tower of Babel rather than, like Nehemiah, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem

Pope Leo XIV warned Monday of a profound moral collapse driven by technology, war and a widening disregard for human life.

The 83-page papal circular titled “Magnificent Humanity” calls for government regulation of AI companies and protection and retraining of workers who may be impacted.