All posts tagged: Catholic

Pope Leo XIV takes aim at AI warfare – POLITICO

Pope Leo XIV takes aim at AI warfare – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The encyclical is the pope’s first since his election last year. Emphasizing its significance, the pontiff took the unusual step of presenting it in person, accompanied by Canadian tech billionaire Christopher Olah, a co-founder of AI giant Anthropic. Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first Encyclical Letter “Magnifica Humanitas” focused on the rise of artificial intelligence, in The Vatican on May 25, 2026. | Alberto Pizzoli/ AFP via Getty Images In his letter to Catholic bishops and faithful around the world, Leo described AI not just as a technological issue, but as a turning point for civilization. The encyclical places particular emphasis on the dangers posed by autonomous weapons systems, algorithmic decision-making and the detachment of human responsibility from acts of war. Leo, who holds a graduate degree in mathematics and once taught physics, does not reject artificial intelligence outright. But his encyclical emphasizes AI must remain subordinate to moral principles and new legal frameworks, ensuring new technologies “truly serve humanity.” “No algorithm can make war morally acceptable,” he wrote, insisting artificial intelligence …

Catholic academy trust expansion sparks warning over religious control of state schools – Humanists UK

Catholic academy trust expansion sparks warning over religious control of state schools – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Humanists UK has warned that the proposed expansion of large faith-based academy trusts, St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust, risks entrenching religious control over state-funded education, after reports that a government-backed Catholic turnaround trust is set to become one of England’s largest.  Humanists UK said the case reflects a concern it has long raised: that academisation is opening the way for religious bodies to consolidate control over state-funded schools. In 2021, Humanists UK warned that government funding for Church academy trusts, including a Catholic ‘turnaround trust’, would extend religious influence across the school system. Expanding faith-based control of the school system risks increasing segregation of children on grounds of faith or belief, and undermines cohesion among pupils of different backgrounds. Furthermore, taxpayers’ money should not be used to fund trusts or schools that do so. The concern is especially acute in Liverpool, where Humanists UK has previously highlighted that the high proportion of religiously selective schools can leave non-religious and minority-faith families with little genuine access to inclusive local schools. In Liverpool almost 50% of …

Turnaround Catholic trust will be one of England’s largest

Turnaround Catholic trust will be one of England’s largest

Published by skeptic

A government-backed pilot turnaround trust for Catholic schools will morph into one of England’s biggest – as church bosses say 70-strong MATs are “becoming the norm”. The St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust is set to swell to 65 academies in just a few years, having originally been trialled by the government as a home for so-called “orphan” schools. It is one of three trusts that will share over 200 schools across the Archdiocese of Liverpool, which has torn up previous plans to move its primaries and secondaries into 12 smaller trusts. Source link

Pope Leo launches AI commission – POLITICO

Pope Leo launches AI commission – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The announcement came a day after Pope Leo signed his encyclical, a letter drawn up by the pontiff and sent to bishops to provide instructions or guidance on moral questions. His new encyclical, which should be made public in coming weeks, is expected to consider the question of AI within the church’s social teaching, which also covers issues such as labor, justice and peace. It’s not the first time Pope Leo has waded into questions of AI. Just a few days after he was elected in May 2025, he told cardinals that the Catholic Church owed it to the world to offer the “treasury of its social teaching” to confront the challenges posed by AI on “human dignity, justice and labor.” In June 2025, Pope Leo criticized the potential negative consequences of growing AI use. After noting AI’s potential for good, the pope said there is a possibility for “misuse for selfish gain” and as a way to “foment conflict and aggression.” “All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, …

Pope Leo to visit France in September – POLITICO

Pope Leo to visit France in September – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

His trip to France, as well as a previously announced June visit to Spain, showcases the Vatican leader’s interest in building ties with secular Catholic countries in Europe. It will be the first papal visit to France in 18 years. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the news Saturday, sharing on social media that “we are delighted that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has confirmed his trip to France. This visit next September will be an honor for our country, a joy for Catholics, and a great moment of hope for everyone.” Macron visited the Vatican in April, where he extended once more the invitation from the president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline. “It’s a great joy, but also a great responsibility,” said Aveline on Saturday. The pontiff will also travel to Lourdes, a renowned Catholic pilgrimage site in southwest France. Pope Leo is also scheduled to visit Spain in June, when he will meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid and also travel to Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Source …

Trump admin wants to seize Catholic shrine featuring 29ft statue of Jesus for Mexico border wall construction: report

Trump admin wants to seize Catholic shrine featuring 29ft statue of Jesus for Mexico border wall construction: report

Published by Sam Flores

The Trump administration is suing a Catholic diocese in New Mexico to seize land for border wall construction, a move that has led to a federal court case over religious freedom at a landmark pilgrimage site. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to acquire approximately 14 acres of land in Dona Ana County belonging to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces through what is known as the power of eminent domain. As reported by Bloomberg, the government intends to use the property to install fencing, security lighting and cameras near the base of Mount Cristo Rey. Federal officials have proposed $183,071 as just compensation for the tracts, according to the legal complaint. The site is home to a 29-foot-tall limestone statue of Jesus Christ and serves as a major religious destination. However, the Department of Homeland Security denied what it called “ludicrous” claims that the shrine would be affected. The legal battle centers on the base of Mount Cristo Rey, home to a historic 29-foot limestone statue of Christ that serves as a …

e.l.f. Cosmetics co-founder to be ordained as a Catholic priest after giving up fortune

e.l.f. Cosmetics co-founder to be ordained as a Catholic priest after giving up fortune

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Scott-Vincent Borba, co-founder of e.l.f. Cosmetics, is giving up his beauty empire for a higher calling. The former makeup mogul, 52, will soon be ordained as a Catholic priest in his California hometown by the Diocese of Fresno, marking a stark contrast from his past life in the world of cosmetics. Borba spent decades creating a name for himself in the beauty industry and helping to launch the Oakland-based makeup brand, but he decided to give up his millions of dollars in 2019 and enter seminary after losing his sense of joy in his forties. “I asked our Lord to help me be the man that he created me to be,” Borba told local ABC affiliate KGO. “And upon that instance, I had this …

Catholic diocese fights Trump administration plan to seize pilgrimage site for border wall

Catholic diocese fights Trump administration plan to seize pilgrimage site for border wall

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, signaled in a legal filing it intends to fight the Trump administration’s fast-moving attempts to seize its land through eminent domain to extend the southern border wall. The land targeted by the federal government is at the base of Mount Cristo Rey, a mountain and pilgrimage site topped by a 29-foot-tall limestone statue of Jesus Christ that dates back to 1940. The diocese said the border wall would obstruct pilgrimage routes. “The erection of a border wall through or along this holy site could irreparably damage its religious and cultural sanctity, obstruct pilgrimage routes, and transfer sacred space into a symbol of division,” the Diocese of Las Cruces said, according to legal documents.  Seizing the land or constructing physical barriers would “constitute a significant infringement on religious freedom and the rights of worship, which are protected under both the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” the diocese wrote in the legal filing Friday (May 8).  The day prior (May …

Elaborately decorated skeletons in Catholic churches across Bavaria take some visitors by surprise

Elaborately decorated skeletons in Catholic churches across Bavaria take some visitors by surprise

Published by Sam Flores

BAD STAFFELSTEIN, Germany (AP) — It is a sight that has sent shivers down the spines of many visitors: four complete skeletons draped in silk and brocade, adorned with precious stones, filigree gold, silver and lace that have been on display for centuries at the Catholic monastery church of Banz in southern Germany. The skeletons — known as Vincenzius, Valerius, Benedictus and Felix Benedictus — are the remains of so-called catacomb saints that were brought to the Benedictine monastery near the Bavarian town of Bad Staffelstein from Rome in the late 17th and 18th century. “It’s actually a little creepy,” whispered church custodian Anita Gottschlich as she looked at one of the skeletons. It seemed to be staring right back at her through its hollow eye sockets. “I notice that when older people come here who visited as children, they always look for the Holy Bodies, because they can still remember them,” she added, noting the enduring fascination the skeletons hold for people of all ages. While they may seem unfamiliar or even disturbing to …

Publicly funded, but not for all? Call to review Flintshire schools as Catholic super school planned – Humanists UK

Publicly funded, but not for all? Call to review Flintshire schools as Catholic super school planned – Humanists UK

Published by Sam Flores

Rear view of male and female students walking towards school entrance on way in to school Plans for a new Catholic super-school could soon be revived despite overwhelming public opposition. Wales Humanists has called for a full review of school provision in Flintshire to make sure it reflects the needs and beliefs of the local population, following reports that proposals could be resurrected as early as next week.  The proposed plans would see four Catholic schools closed and replaced with a single 3-18 Catholic school in Flint, backed by Flintshire County Council, the Diocese of Wrexham, and the previous Welsh Government. Public consultations previously found significant opposition to the proposals, with concerns raised about long travel distances for pupils, safeguarding, environmental impacts, and the loss of local schools.  The debate also raises wider questions about whether the school system reflects modern Wales. The Catholic Dioceses report the number of Catholics in Wales to be approximately 7% of the population. Based on the 2021 Census, Christianity overall fell below half the population for the first time, …