Pope Leo XIV didn’t waste time. In his May 10, 2025, address to the College of Cardinals, he declared, “I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution.
In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.” Word on X via Vatican News is he’s even eyeing an AI-focused encyclical, channeling Pope Leo XIII’s knack for tackling big shifts. Bold move for a new pontiff. But as a Catholic game developer, musician, and studio owner, I’m skeptical. Is the Vatican ready to grapple with AI, or is this just a bid for global relevance?
I’m not here to bash Leo XIV. I’m a faithful Catholic using AI to build my upcoming Catholic board game, designed to teach and spread the faith. But I worry the Pope’s jumping the gun—listening to UN bureaucrats and fearmongering ethicists instead of Catholics like me, who are already wielding AI for the Gospel. Before he pens that encyclical, he needs to hear from the creatives.
AI: Gift, Not Curse
Let’s get one thing straight: AI isn’t Skynet. It’s a tool, and for small studios like mine, it’s a godsend. Ten years ago, a game like my game would’ve needed to hire expensive artists and that costs serious money for an indie studio. Now, AI lets my tiny team generate interactive narratives that bring St. Francis or St. Joan to life for kids. It’s not replacing us—it’s amplifying our mission to spread the faith.
Beyond gaming, AI’s saving lives. In 2024, AI-driven diagnostics boosted early breast cancer detection by 10%, catching cases human eyes missed. Catholic musicians are using it to orchestrate sacred music; educators are building AI-powered tools to teach theology. This isn’t sci-fi—it’s happening, and it’s good. So why’s the Vatican framing AI as a threat to “human dignity and justice” before celebrating its potential?
The Ghost of Rerum Novarum
Pope Leo XIII didn’t mess around. In 1891, Rerum Novarum tackled the Industrial Revolution’s horrors—child labor, sweatshops, class warfare—when the Church was late to the game. Workers were flocking to Marxism, and the Vatican had to step up with a Catholic vision: defend labor, property, and dignity without kissing up to capitalists or communists. It was a masterclass in moral clarity.
Leo XIV seems to want a sequel, with AI as the villain. Noble? Maybe. But the Industrial Revolution’s scars were visible—maimed kids, starving families. AI’s impact? It’s a mixed bag, still unfolding. Job displacement and data privacy are real concerns, sure. But painting AI as a monolith risks misdiagnosing it. Leo XIII listened to the cries of workers. Will Leo XIV listen to Catholic coders, artists, and scientists?
Vatican, Don’t Blow This
Here’s where I get twitchy. Leo XIV’s rhetoric about “human dignity and justice” sounds lofty, but it could slide into the same trap as Pope Francis’ climate crusade. Laudato Si’ was bold, but Francis sometimes sounded like a UN delegate, not a pastor. Is AI Leo XIV’s shiny new cause to cozy up to global elites? The UN and Big Tech regulators are already hyping AI as a dystopian boogeyman. If the Vatican just echoes that script, it’ll miss the mark.
AI isn’t one thing—it’s a spectrum, from war drones to evangelistic apps. Rushing to moralize without consulting Catholics in the field is a recipe for irrelevance. And let’s be real: we don’t even know if Leo XIV has any expertise or experience with AI. He’s a mathematician by training, sure, but that doesn’t automatically qualify him to lead the Church’s response to a technology he might not fully understand. I’m not saying ignore the risks. But don’t slap a scarlet letter on a tool that’s helping faithful creators build God’s Kingdom.
Listen Before You Lecture
The Church’s job isn’t to police tech—it’s to save souls. We’ve got bigger fish to fry: lukewarm Catholics, uncatechized kids, crumbling parishes. An AI encyclical won’t fix those. If Leo XIV wants to speak credibly, he needs to hear from us—the game developers coding for Christ, the musicians scoring hymns with AI, the doctors using it to save lives.
As J.R.R. Tolkien, a devout Catholic who helped translate scripture for the Jerusalem Bible, once said in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, “The wise speak only what they know.” The Vatican can’t claim wisdom on AI without first listening to those who know it best. So, hit pause. Invite Catholic innovators to the table. Let us show you how AI’s already serving the Gospel. Don’t let fear or NGO talking points drown us out. Pope Leo XIII spoke for workers because he understood their struggle. Leo XIV, get to know ours.
Conclusion: A Call to Creatives
I’m not holding my breath for an invite to Rome. But I’m not shutting up either. To my fellow Catholic creatives: keep building, keep innovating, keep shouting. Show the Church what AI can do when it’s rooted in faith. And to Pope Leo XIV: your heart might be in the right place, but your ears need to be too. Listen to us. We’re not just playing games—we’re fighting for souls, and AI’s in our arsenal.
Let’s make sure the Vatican’s voice on AI isn’t one of control or panic, but of hope, creativity, and Christ. The world’s watching. Don’t blow it.
—Wolfshead
I am not sure what to think of the new pope yet.
My first impression is that he is a moderate, but leaning towards the so called progressive side and you said he sounded like an UN delegate at times, I also had this negative impression.
He was supposedly not quite up to the task with child abuse investigation. I did not check the veracity of this claim.
The AI statement came out of the blue, but could also be just political: Something he can claim a lot of positive press for just warning about it.
I hope there is more to Leo than I can see right now. I must admit I have strong doubts. I also didn’t like his previously displayed pro-migrant stance and advocating for their “rights”. The victims of migrants weigh higher in my book.