LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Shortly after issued his calling for the robust regulation of artificial intelligence, the Instagram meme account Saint Hoax posted a video to its more than 3 million followers about the pope鈥檚 call to 鈥渄isarm鈥� AI. 鈥淟ove my woke pope (I鈥檓 not even Catholic),鈥� the caption read.
In another viral post, one X user referenced a common meme in response to the encyclical, writing: 鈥淭he atheism leaving my body the moment the pope starts talking about how AI is an affront to God and the new Tower of Babel.”
That kind of reaction to Leo鈥檚 first encyclical, 鈥淢agnifica Humanitas鈥� (Magnificent Humanity), has been prevalent online since its release last week. That enthusiasm is driven in part by a perception, especially among young people, that few political or global leaders grasp or take seriously the known and potential ramifications of AI鈥檚 rapid rise. Leaders often have worked to accommodate the tech industry, citing the need for economic growth 鈥� and along the way, critics say, cozying up to wealthy CEOs.
鈥淧eople have really been looking for a response to AI,鈥� said Isabel Thurston, a 27-year-old comedian from Boston. 鈥淭his was the first 鈥� at least in my sphere of the world 鈥� world leader to make an announcement to this magnitude.鈥�
History鈥檚 first U.S.-born pope has demonstrated a willingness to embrace aspects of contemporary culture. He was recently spotted wearing Nike sneakers under his vestments, and in his encyclical, Leo quoted the wise wizard Gandalf from the 鈥淟ord of the Rings,” a series by Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that this is written by an American pope. There鈥檚 a spirit breathing through this document of an emphasis on individual freedom, on human happiness and human dignity,” Robert Orsi, a professor of religious studies and history at Northwestern University, said of Leo’s encyclical. 鈥淎t times, I thought the language really resonates with the Declaration of Independence.鈥�
This specific kind of cultural fluency may help explain some of his viral moments as the leader of the ancient faith.
Just weeks earlier, a group of youths visiting the Vatican coaxed the 70-year-old pontiff to do a viral hand gesture on camera known as the 6-7 meme 鈥� a meaningless 鈥渂rain rot鈥� joke among young people. Though it鈥檚 clear in the video that the pope, like most adults, doesn鈥檛 understand what they鈥檙e asking him to do or its significance, he does it anyway and is met with enthusiastic cheers. A week later, he did it again while smiling and waving to crowds from the popemobile.
The portrait that has emerged from these instances is one of playfulness, but also intentionality. The pontiff reiterates throughout 鈥淢agnifica Humanitas鈥� that it is the church鈥檚 responsibility to engage contemporary questions and challenges.
鈥淗er mission has a historical scope and entails a responsibility for the way in which social relations are built,鈥� Leo wrote about the Catholic Church. 鈥淪he cannot consider herself a stranger to the forces shaping society. On the contrary, the Church actively participates in the processes by which society grows and is organized.鈥�
Since his election last year, Leo has made a point to directly converse with 鈥� and sometimes critique 鈥� various aspects of society, ranging from politics to entertainment and sports.
Pope Francis, Vatican II and other preludes
Orsi studies the relationship between Catholicism and modernity, which he says have often historically been at odds with one another. He said Leo鈥檚 encyclical and his broader papacy, like that of his predecessor Pope Francis, is informed heavily by the still-polarizing Second Vatican Council, which brought modernizing reforms to the church more than 60 years ago.
鈥淚t鈥檚 speaking with a Vatican II voice to the modern world. So, it鈥檚 not a voice of condemnation, but it鈥檚 a voice of respect,鈥� Orsi said of Leo鈥檚 encyclical. 鈥淧ope Francis, in a sense, was the necessary prelude to this kind of encyclical. I think Francis gave a really strong encouragement to take a clear critical voice on these urgent questions.鈥�
That鈥檚 not to say there haven鈥檛 been detractors to Leo’s approach. Some criticized his decision to present his encyclical co-founder Christopher Olah. The Vatican decided to involve the tech company as part of its decade-long effort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.
In the roughly 42,300-word document, the pontiff exhorts all 鈥渕en and women of goodwill鈥� to not be afraid to get their 鈥渉ands dirty on the 鈥榗onstruction site鈥� of our time.鈥�
That willingness has sometimes led to measured but very public rebukes of policies, actions and leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and the ongoing war in Iran. Some conservatives including Vice President JD Vance, who is a Catholic convert, have invoked the concept of 鈥渏ust war鈥� theory in response to Leo鈥檚 critiques.
Church teaching has long allowed for 鈥渏ust wars鈥� 鈥� the use of force to stop an unjust aggression 鈥� as long as certain conditions are met. But Leo directly addressed this doctrine in his encyclical, calling it 鈥渙utdated.鈥� 鈥淗umanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness,鈥� he wrote.
Hollywood to baseball: American culture at the Vatican
Last November, the pontiff hosted a 鈥淲orld of Cinema鈥� day at the Vatican with actors and filmmakers including Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Gus Van Sant and Spike Lee, who gifted Leo a custom New York Knicks jersey with the number 14 and the name Pope Leo on the back.
鈥淐ultural facilities, such as cinemas and theaters, are the beating hearts of our communities because they contribute to making them more human,鈥� Leo told his Hollywood audience. 鈥淭he logic of algorithms tends to repeat what 鈥榳orks,鈥� but art opens up what is possible.鈥�
He has also not been shy about his love of the Chicago White Sox, sometimes sporting baseball caps or posing with bats 鈥� the latter inspiring a kind of subgenre of Leo memes. 鈥淧OV: you鈥檙e a priest who just asked ChatGPT to write your Sunday homily,鈥� the Rev. Harrison Ayre posted on X with a photo of Leo holding a bat and smiling.
Shortly after 鈥淢agnifica Humanitas鈥� was released, Thurston, who is Catholic, posted a video of her and a friend drinking margaritas while meticulously studying and discussing printed pages of the encyclical. It has racked up more than 3 million views on Instagram.
鈥淎n aspect that made the video going viral really joyful for me was to represent all of the Catholics or lapsed Catholics or adjacent interested parties as really celebrating what Pope Leo is saying in his encyclical,鈥� she said.
Orsi said this strategy is coming at a crucial time for the Catholic Church following years of reckoning with its legacy of . 鈥淚 think a lot of people who moved away from the church are now saying, 鈥榃ait, maybe the church does have something to say to the modern world,鈥欌�� he said.
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