Revolution sparks sacredness
In the rapidly evolving digital age, the Catholic Church continues to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements. Two contemporary figures, Carlo Acutis and Pope Leo XIV, have become emblematic of the Church's approach to the digital revolution.
Carlo Acutis, a teen of the 1990s, loved computers and saw the internet as a new continent for evangelization. He taught himself programming and used digital tools to create a website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles, which he viewed as a missionary effort. His witness stands as a guide for the digital world, teaching that young laypeople can transform society when they live for Christ.
The Church raises up Acutis as a saintly example in the digital age, similar to how Pier Giorgio Frassati was in the industrial age. Frassati, an Italian youth from the 20th century, embodied Leo's teachings by living a life of prayer and solidarity with the poor, particularly the miners. He studied mining engineering to serve the miners better, choosing a profession with harsh working conditions. Frassati's actions demonstrated that sanctity is not an abstraction and that young people could live the Gospel fully amid industrial modernity.
In the digital age, there is a need to ensure that technology serves the human person, rather than sacrificing dignity for efficiency and profit. The Church warns about the potential repercussions of Generative AI on humanity's ability to grasp and process reality, echoing the concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV. He has expressed concerns about AI's potential impact on humanity's openness to truth and beauty.
The current pope, Pope Leo XIV, an American named Robert Prevost, elected in 2025, has shown unexpected skepticism regarding artificial intelligence. He believes that society thrives when people can develop their God-given gifts and use them to meet the needs of the times and serve others generously.
Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, editor of Our Sunday Visitor, states that holiness is forged in revolution, and the Church calls us to sanctity amid the uncertainties of artificial intelligence. According to Father Briscoe, our task is not to retreat in fear but to witness with courage, humanizing the new, sanctifying the present, and living as citizens of heaven in every age. The Church's message continues to emphasize the primacy of the common good, the dignity of work, and the centrality of the family, as outlined in "Rerum Novarum" by Pope Leo XIII during the Industrial Revolution.
The Church's message is that every revolution tempts us to reduce people to things, but the Catholic answer has never wavered. In the digital age, we are reminded that the human person is not a tool but a child of God, and Christ remains Lord of history. As we continue to navigate the digital revolution, we are called to embrace new technologies with wisdom, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to the dignity of the human person.
