Pope Leo's First Encyclical Is Available From Ascension Press
Following the Vatican’s release of Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Ascension Press -- a multimedia producer of digital and printed content -- announced it will publish a special edition of the Holy Father’s landmark teaching on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence.
Featuring a foreword by Harvard professor and New York Times bestselling author Arthur C. Brooks PhD, and an afterword by renowned Catholic speaker and chart-topping The Bible in a Year podcast host Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension’s edition includes the full text of the encyclical and invites readers to respond to Pope Leo XIV’s call to protect human dignity amid one of the most consequential technological revolutions of our time. Learn more at www.AscensionPress.com/AI.
Pope Leo kicks off his first encyclical, writing in the foreword:
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. Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible. Yet every era also runs the risk of creating an inhumane and more unjust world. Whenever humanity is in danger of marring its true identity, we Christians lift our eyes to the Incarnate God, knowing that it is “only in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of humanity truly becomes clear.” In Jesus Christ, this humanity in its grandeur becomes the Way, the Truth and the Life, opening the path for each of us to grow toward fullness.
“Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical arrives at a defining moment when AI is forcing us to ask not only what technology can do, but what it means to remain fully human,” says Jonathan Strate, President and CEO of Ascension. “Ascension is honored to help amplify this urgent call from our Holy Father to weigh every decision we make about AI in light of the human person,” Strate said.
Signed May 15, 2026, Magnifica Humanitas marks the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, the foundational encyclical addressing moral questions raised by the Industrial Revolution. Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical draws a parallel to today’s technological age, addressing AI through the lens of human dignity, Catholic social teaching, and the Church’s mission to defend the person in every age.
“Artificial intelligence is changing how we live and work with astonishing speed,” said Brooks, who added, “Magnifica Humanitas reminds us that the future will be truly human only if it is guided by love and ordered towards love.”
“The question of AI isn’t just a societal question about the forces ‘out there’, it’s a deeply personal question for you and for me,” reflects Fr. Mike Schmitz. “Our Holy Father is inviting us to examine our hearts and ask ourselves, ‘Is the way I use AI helping me become a saint at the service of others, or is it making it harder for me to become who God wants me to be?’”
Ascension’s edition of Magnifica Humanitas will be available for preorder on May 29 at www.AscensionPress.com/AI.
Dr. Brooks is a professor at the Kennedy School and Harvard Business School at Harvard University, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. As of July 1, he will join the faculty at Vanderbilt University as Professor of Medicine, Health and Society. He is a columnist at The Free Press and a contributor to CBS News. He is also a New York Times bestselling author and speaker on the moral foundations of a meaningful life.
Fr. Schmitz is the chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota at Duluth, as well as an author and video show host who teaches the Catholic faith and Scripture. He is the host of The Bible in a Year, which recently achieved one billion downloads, and The Catechism in a Year. He is highly regarded for his pastoral clarity, warmth, and ability to speak to the questions about the Catholic faith from all comers.