• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
        • CR for Kids
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Shop
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
        • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • Kids
  • Radio/Podcasts
        • Catholic Review Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
        • In God’s Image
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis baptizes a baby during Mass in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Jan. 12, 2025, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Vatican statistics: Baptisms down, but first Communions, confirmations up

March 26, 2025
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2023, while the number of seminarians, priests, men and women in religious orders, and baptisms all declined, according to Vatican statistics.

However, the Vatican’s Statistical Yearbook of the Church said, 9.1 million people received their first Communion in 2023, up from 8.68 million people the previous year, and almost 7.7 million people were confirmed, up from 7.4 million people in 2022.

At the end of 2023, the number of Catholics in the world reached 1.405 billion, up 1.15 percent from 1.389 billion Catholics at the end of 2022, according to the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics, which publishes the yearbook.

This came despite a smaller growth rate in the world’s population, which, for that period was 0.88 percent. According to the United Nations’ Demographic Yearbook, the estimated mid-year world population for 2023 was approximately 8.045 billion.

The Vatican published its statistical yearbook offering data “on the life and activity of the church in the world in 2023” at the end of March.

The yearbook cautioned that its numbers were based on the information it received back from its surveys and that of 3,188 dioceses and other jurisdictions about 140 did not send information.

The number of Catholics “does not include those in countries that because of their present situation have not been included in the survey,” it said, adding that it estimated that number to be about an additional 5 million Catholics. Mainland China and North Korea, for example, had no data in the yearbook.

The percentage of Catholics as part of the global and continental populations remained about the same as in 2022. Catholics represented about 17.8 percent of the global population at the end of 2023, it said. The highest proportion is in the Americas with 64.2 percent of its population being baptized Catholic. Europe follows with 39.6 percent and Oceania with 25.9 percent. In Africa, 19.8 percent of the population is Catholic and the lowest proportion of Catholics by continent is Asia with 3.3 percent.

While the number of Catholics is increasing, the administration of the sacrament of baptism has continued to decrease worldwide, according to the yearbook. It fell from 17,932,891 baptisms administered in 1998 to 13,327,037 in 2022 and 13,150,780 in 2023. A peak was reported during the Holy Year 2000 when 18,408,076 baptisms were administered worldwide.

The yearbook said the “general downward trend in the relative number of baptisms” has been “following closely the trend in the birthrate in most countries.”

It said the ratio of infant baptisms to the Catholic population is of “great significance” because it notes differences between one country and another. While the world average is 7.4 infant baptisms per 1,000 Catholics, the highest ratios are in American Samoa (71.2), several islands in Oceania (37.7 to 21.8), followed by Burundi (23.6), Cambodia (22.3), Timor Leste (20.3) and Myanmar (20.1). The lowest ratios are in Armenia, Georgia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, Tunisia and Algeria (below 1) followed by Russia and Djibouti (1.1).

The total number of adult baptisms registered in 2023 was 2,696,521, which is about 20 percent of the total number of baptisms. The highest proportion of adult baptisms is in Africa (35.9 percent) and the lowest is in Europe and the Middle East.

The Catholic Church had 5,430 bishops at the end of 2023, an increase of 77 bishops from 2022. The majority of them are serving in the Americas and Europe.

The total number of diocesan and religious order priests decreased by 734 men to a total of 406,996, the Vatican office said. The only significant increase in the number of diocesan and religious order priests was in Africa and Asia, which was not enough to offset the declines in the Americas and Europe.

While the number of religious-order priests had increased by 297 men in 2022, the number went down to 128,254 in 2023, about what it had been in 2021. The number of diocesan priests continued to decrease globally with 278,742 men at the end of 2023.

The yearbook also offered a chart tracking the overall change to the number of diocesan clergy from 2013 to 2023 by calculating how many of those already serving were newly ordained, minus those who died and those who left the priesthood. It showed there was modest growth from 2013 to 2016 (0.31 percent to 0.05 percent) followed by a negative rate starting in 2017 that peaked in 2020 during the pandemic (-0.73 percent). The rate was recorded at -0.45 percent in 2021 and -0.12 percent in 2022.

The number of Catholics per priest increased slightly to 3,453 from 3,408 Catholics per priest in 2022.

The total number of religious brothers continued to decrease in 2023 from 49,414 to 48,748 and the total number of religious women, it said, was down to 589,423 from 599,228 at the end of 2022 — a decrease of 9,805 women or 1.64 percent.

The number of permanent deacons continued to increase. There were 51,433 permanent deacons at the end of 2023 — a 2.54 percent increase over the previous year, with the highest numbers being in the Americas.

The number of seminarians continued to decrease globally with a 1.67 percent average rate of decline from 2018 to 2023. There were 106,495 seminarians at the end of 2023 with the only growth — 383 men — being in Africa.

The number of Catholic weddings celebrated around the world in 2023 was down from 1.97 million in 2022 to 1.85 million; of those, about 10.3 percent involved a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic.

13 things to know about Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI

Maria Wiering

May 25, 2026

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0615-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-THINGS-TO-KNOW-1820276.jpg’, description: ’13 things to know about Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

What does it mean to safeguard our humanity? That question is at the heart of Pope Leo XIV’s much anticipated first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” released May 25. The following are some key things to know about this weighty papal letter.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0615-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-THINGS-TO-KNOW-1820276.jpg’, description: ’13 things to know about Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-292769’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading 13 things to know about Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI

Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake

Courtney Mares

May 25, 2026

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T1430-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-POPE-SPEECH-1820302.jpg’, description: ‘Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Pope Leo XIV called for vigilance as he spoke at the Vatican press conference May 25 to present his first encyclical on artificial intelligence, saying his conversations with industry leaders — including “very troubling voices” who warned of autonomous weapons systems beyond effective human governance — had led him to the conviction that AI “needs to be disarmed.”

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T1430-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-POPE-SPEECH-1820302.jpg’, description: ‘Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-292779’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake

‘Magnifica Humanitas’ a call for moral wisdom in the age of AI, panelists say

Junno Arocho Esteves

May 25, 2026

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T1330-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-PRESS-CONFERENCE-1820313.jpg’, description: ‘‘Magnifica Humanitas’ a call for moral wisdom in the age of AI, panelists say’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Just as it did in the industrial age, the Catholic Church is called to discern the rapidly evolving advances of digital technology in the light of the Gospel, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T1330-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-PRESS-CONFERENCE-1820313.jpg’, description: ‘‘Magnifica Humanitas’ a call for moral wisdom in the age of AI, panelists say’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-292773’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ a call for moral wisdom in the age of AI, panelists say

10 quotes from Pope Leo’s first encyclical you should know for the era of AI

OSV News

May 25, 2026

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0515-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-QUOTES-1820199.jpg’, description: ’10 quotes from Pope Leo’s first encyclical you should know for the era of AI’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Here are 10 quotes that provide a glimpse into what the encyclical contains:

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0515-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-QUOTES-1820199.jpg’, description: ’10 quotes from Pope Leo’s first encyclical you should know for the era of AI’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-292763’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading 10 quotes from Pope Leo’s first encyclical you should know for the era of AI

‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God

Courtney Mares

May 25, 2026

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0515-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-OVERVIEW-1820160.jpg’, description: ‘‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence “Magnifica Humanitas” May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.”

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0515-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-OVERVIEW-1820160.jpg’, description: ‘‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-292755’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading ‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God

What the pope’s new encyclical on AI Is asking of you

Charlie Camosy

May 25, 2026

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-before-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-before-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-before-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0620-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-COLUMN-CAMOSY-1820281.jpg’, description: ‘What the pope’s new encyclical on AI Is asking of you’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-before-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Many have heard that this new technology threatens to displace all sorts of workers, but such a threat, as real and profound as it is, is by no means the only one.

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(‘#facebook-after-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
facebook: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘facebook’);
}
});
$(‘#twitter-after-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
twitter: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { twitter: { via: ‘CatholicReview’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘twitter’);
}
});
$(‘#pinterest-after-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
pinterest: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { pinterest: { media: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525T0620-MAGNIFICA-HUMANITAS-COLUMN-CAMOSY-1820281.jpg’, description: ‘What the pope’s new encyclical on AI Is asking of you’ } },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘pinterest’);
}
});
$(‘#linkedin-after-292741’).sharrre({
share: {
linkedin: true
},
urlCurl: ‘https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/plugins/genesis-simple-share/assets/js/sharrre/sharrre.php’,
enableHover: false,
enableTracking: true,
disableCount: true,
buttons: { },
click: function(api, options){
api.simulateClick();
api.openPopup(‘linkedin’);
}
});

});

Continue Reading What the pope’s new encyclical on AI Is asking of you

Copyright © 2025 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Carol Glatz

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Bishop John H. Ricard, first Black bishop of Baltimore and Pensacola-Tallahassee, dies at 86
  • Archbishop William E. Lori has announced the appointment of new pastors and the assignments of permanent deacons
  • Parish scarred by clergy abuse creates memorial for survivors
  • Monsignor Joseph Lizor, oldest priest in Baltimore archdiocese and former Edgemere pastor, dies at 94
  • Former Baltimore pathologist professes perpetual vows with Children of Mary

| Latest Local News |

‘Traveling museum’ from Catholic Charities will visit Baltimore June 2-3

Archbishop William E. Lori has announced the appointment of new pastors and the assignments of permanent deacons

Former Baltimore pathologist professes perpetual vows with Children of Mary

Monsignor Joseph Lizor, oldest priest in Baltimore archdiocese and former Edgemere pastor, dies at 94

Bishop John H. Ricard, first Black bishop of Baltimore and Pensacola-Tallahassee, dies at 86

| Latest World News |

13 things to know about Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI

Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake

‘Magnifica Humanitas’ a call for moral wisdom in the age of AI, panelists say

10 quotes from Pope Leo’s first encyclical you should know for the era of AI

‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God

| Catholic Review Radio |

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • 13 things to know about Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI
  • Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake
  • ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ a call for moral wisdom in the age of AI, panelists say
  • 10 quotes from Pope Leo’s first encyclical you should know for the era of AI
  • ‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo’s AI encyclical warns of temptation to build future excluding God
  • What the pope’s new encyclical on AI Is asking of you
  • Pope Leo’s encyclical on AI a ‘powerful reminder’ of human dignity, says Archbishop Coakley
  • ‘Magnifica Humanitas’: Reading Pope Leo’s vision between the lines
  • Pope urges humanity to build civilization of love in digital world

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2026 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED