Following is a statement by Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, on the release of Magnifica Humanitas, the first encyclical by Pope Leo XIV:

“The bishops and staff of the New York State Catholic Conference are grateful to Pope Leo XIV for his insightful and timely encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. In an age of rapid advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies, the Holy Father calls for a cautious approach, with the dignity of the human person always at the forefront, as we navigate the impacts on our world.

“The encyclical is an important contribution to the Church’s continually evolving and expanding social teaching doctrine. It is truly a teaching document for our times.

“Like his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who wrote the groundbreaking encyclical Rerum Novarum at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, Pope Leo XIV is not calling for an impossible turning back of the clock but, rather, he exhorts us to be unafraid yet always mindful of our relationship to God and to each other.

“He begins the encyclical with these words: ‘Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.’

“The pope’s inclusion of Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah in the official release event at the Vatican is an important symbol of dialogue and respect between the Holy See and this emerging industry and bodes well for how the document will be received. We urge all elected officials, tech leaders, and, indeed, all people of good will to read and digest Pope Leo’s insights, warnings, and hopes for humanity.”

The New York State Catholic Conference represents the state’s bishops in working with government to shape laws and policies that pursue social justice, respect for life, and the common good.