The Catholic world has a new pope — Robert Francis Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV, begins his pontificate with an unprecedented move: artificial intelligence has been declared a top priority for the Vatican. According to GIGA, the choice of name, evoking the enlightened Leo XIII, is clearly symbolic.
This decision is not just a nod to modernity. The new pope sees AI as an ethical challenge, a pastoral tool, and a subject of theological reflection. In the coming months, the Vatican plans to create a dedicated department for AI and digital moral issues, and to revise the Catechism in the context of machine consciousness, generative systems, and algorithmic autonomy.
The Vatican has previously shown interest in AI: in 2020 it launched the Rome Call for AI Ethics, and in 2023 hosted a forum on digital responsibility. But Leo XIV, judging by his first statement, aims to elevate the discourse from expert-level to a core mission of the Church.
What could AI mean for Catholic tradition? More precise spiritual guidance? Greater access to religious knowledge? Or the risk of revelation being drowned out by digital noise?
The Catholic AI is no oxymoron. This is the beginning of a new theology — the theology of algorithms.
