The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva organized a high-level conversation on Magnifica Humanitas, the First Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, dedicated to the safeguarding of the human person in the time of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The event took place in Geneva at Palexpo, Center Stage, on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, on the occasion of the AI for Good Global Summit 2026, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with other United Nations agencies and co-hosted by the Swiss Government. Among those attending were the Head and the members of the Delegation of the Vatican City State to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS): Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate and of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, Mr. Davide Giordano and Mr. Antonino Intersimone of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
During the opening ceremony, His Excellency Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, read to the participants in the Summit a message on behalf of Pope Leo XIV, signed by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness. The Holy Father assured participants of “the Holy See’s presence and openness to dialogue, especially in this epochal turning point,” recalling that Magnifica Humanitas was born of his listening to a wide range of stakeholders, but also of troubling accounts of the potential misuses of algorithms and of the loss of human agency in critical areas. The Message reiterated the desire of Pope Leo XIV to engage with all “to identify new paths for the common good and for promoting a dignified life for all.”
The conversation was introduced by Ms. Nur Sulyna Abdullah, ITU’s Chief of Strategic Planning and Membership and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, who opened the session with the screening of a short introductory video message presenting the Encyclical. She thanked the Holy Father for his Message to the Summit and for his engagement on AI, and expressed gratitude to the invited speakers, who represent the stakeholders consulted by the Holy See in the preparation of the Encyclical Letter.
The panel discussion that followed was moderated by H.E. Archbishop Ettore Balestrero.
Prof. Paolo Carozza, Co-Chair of Meta’s Oversight Board and Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of Notre Dame (USA), shared his main takeaways from the Encyclical, reflecting on the importance of ethics in the development of AI and on what Magnifica Humanitas offers to the academic community and to major technology companies as they seek to align innovation with the dignity and freedom of the human person.
Mr. Artur Kluz, CEO and Founder of Kluz Ventures and Founder of the Kluz Prize for PeaceTech, offered the perspective of an entrepreneur working at the frontier of technology, exploring how the guidance offered by Pope Leo XIV can help preserve humanity in the era of Artificial Intelligence.
H.E. Msgr. Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, and a member of the recently instituted Interdicasterial Commission of the Holy See on AI, explained why it is important for the Holy See to take an active part in the discussion on Artificial Intelligence, situating this engagement within the Church’s enduring concern for the human person and the common good, and recalling that an Encyclical continues its journey as it is received, interpreted and embodied in the concrete life of communities around the world.
In his concluding remarks, Ms Nur Sulyna Abdullah thanked the Holy See for being present and ready to engage in dialogue in the public discourse on Artificial Intelligence. She underscored that the safeguarding of human dignity and of the common good must remain the criteria for judging whether technologies truly serve humanity.
