Glastonbury Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Hingham, MA, will offer a three-night virtual symposium in September focused on "Magnifica Humanitas" ("Magnificent Humanity"), Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical and a major new Church document addressing human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence.

Issued on May 15, 2026, the encyclical examines the moral, spiritual, and social questions raised by artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Its release coincided with the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's landmark social encyclical "Rerum Novarum," drawing a deliberate parallel between the challenges of the Industrial Revolution and those emerging from today's rapid technological change.

In "Magnifica Humanitas," Pope Leo XIV places the human person at the center of the Church's response to technological progress, emphasizing that every person is made in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity. The encyclical urges the responsible use of technology to serve the common good, resist dehumanization, and guide ethical decision-making through principles such as solidarity, subsidiarity, and justice.

The symposium will be held virtually on Sept. 8, 15, and 22 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Each session will examine sections of the five-chapter encyclical and invite participants to consider how Catholic social teaching can inform contemporary debates about artificial intelligence, human dignity, and shared responsibility:

-- Sept. 8: Introduction, overview and chapters one and two on humanity and social teaching of the Church with Father Sam Sawyer, SJ, editor of America Magazine.

-- Sept. 15: Chapters three and four on technology and AI with Father Thomas Reese, SJ, analyst for Religion News Service and commentator for National Catholic Reporter.

-- Sept. 22: Chapter five on technology, war and violence; conclusions with Michael Sean Winters, columnist for NCR and The Tablet.

Please register on-line at www.glastonburyabbey.org. If you have any questions, call 781-745-2155, ext. 300. A donation of $20 per session or $50 for all three sessions is welcome.