05/15/2026
Pope Leo is due to release his much-anticipated first encyclical which may lead us to the question...what is an encyclical? An encyclical, in the most basic sense, is an important Church document which comes directly from the Pope. Traditionally, an encyclical was a letter from the Pope to all the Bishops of the Church, or Bishops of a specific country. They "are generally concerned with matters which affect the welfare of the Church at large" (Catholic Encyclopedia). So, we can think of them as documents where the Pope is responding in real-time to what he sees as present or imminent needs of the Church and the world as a whole. Encyclicals have helped to expand on doctrine: Pope Leo XIII's "Rerum Novarum" is instrumental in our understanding of Catholic social teaching, as Pope Francis' "Laudato Si" has helped define our understanding of caring for creation.
Pope Leo XIII was pope during the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s and, as exemplified by his encyclical mentioned above, was particularly concerned that the human dignity of the working class be protected as industries rapidly changed. By taking the name of this predecessor, our present-day Pope Leo has maybe indicated that he sees the same concerns and threats to human dignity in our current world, as Pope Leo XIII saw in the Industrial Revolution.
Pope Leo's encyclical, said to be entitled Magnifica Humanitas ("Magnificent Humanity"), is suggested to be a response to a world rapidly filling with AI and will offer a declaration on the unchanging necessity of human handiwork and connection. We look forward to prayerfully walking through this document together.
PC: Vatican Media
