'To all people of good will': Spokane Catholics ponder and preach Pope Leo's latest message on AI
In Professor Joe Mudd's religious studies classroom at Gonzaga University, he calls his students to investigate their own identities - a task that doesn't bode well for students keen on using AI to help with their assignments.
"I've come across reflection papers that are written by AI, and you can't help but wince a little bit at that because this is an opportunity to think about who you are and who you want to become," Mudd said. "Farming that out to a chatbot seems kind of odd."
Mudd and his students aren't the only ones who are questioning AI's role in human identity. Pope Leo XIV's encyclical - a letter from the pope to "all people of good will" has made waves for those trying to understand the technology's social role.
Called "Magnifica Humanitas," or magnificent humanity, the document was written as a guide on how to use AI to build humanity up rather than tear it down, Vicar General of the Diocese of Spokane Darrin Connall said.
Across Spokane, educators and people of faith alike are trying to understand how to interpret Pope Leo XIV's advice.
"I think it's a really significant document that's going to set the stage for his entire papacy and, actually, everything that comes after it," said moral theologian and religious studies professor Megan McCabe.
At Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, Father Tim Clancy spoke to his parishioners about the encyclical Sunday, when he reiterated the pope's message that AI isn't neutral but actually has the capacity to intrinsically change people.
The encyclical was published May 25, the 125th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical "Rerum novarum," which tackled the church's role in the Industrial Revolution. The newest document seems to continue the conversation of religion and technology, Clancy said.
He said when Pope Leo XIV chose his name in honor of Pope Leo the XIII, many Catholics believed he was marking the start of a new evolution of technological development with AI.
"He was thinking that AI is going to be at least as disruptive as the Industrial Revolution," Clancy said. "So we're going to need to rethink everything."
Like Clancy, Gonzaga professor McCabe said she was anticipating Pope Leo XIV would talk about artificial intelligence, but she wasn't expecting him to connect the technology to so many other issues, like family life, the economy, war and peace.
"Everything felt very real to me," McCabe said. "It didn't feel like the pope, sitting in the Vatican, being out of touch with reality."
Most shocking for McCabe was the pope's argument that "just war theory" may be outdated.
"Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness. The use of force, violence and weapons reflects a relational poverty that always has disastrous consequences for civilian populations," Pope Leo XIV wrote.
Rather than being "tech focused," McCabe was astounded by the breadth of the document in seemingly building a new Catholic social tradition under the conditions created by AI.
Mudd said while the document discusses AI, he thinks it actually focuses more on human dignity, particularly workers' dignity. Echoing the late Pope Francis's concern for the "poorest among us," Pope Leo XIV emphasized those who are excluded from participating in the AI-influenced economy or who may not be able to "optimize" to the efficiency standard which AI sets, Mudd explained.
The exclusion in an AI economy is a concern for both Mudd and Pope Leo. Likewise, Vicar General Connall said he's worried the wealth generated by AI is currently concentrated in too few hands.
Nonetheless, the document calls its readers to enter into dialogue and transform a "culture of power" to a "culture of negotiation." Pope Leo presented the encyclical alongside co-founder of AI company Anthropic, Chris Olah.
Mudd said while there's always a desire to form an opinion right away when a new idea emerges, he intends to continue to ponder Pope Leo XIV's encyclical to understand the deeper values presented.
"It's one of those documents that you sit with for a while," Mudd said. "You let it work on you."
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 8:08 AM.