Technologies in the Magisterial Law of the Catholic Church
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46282/bpf.2025.48Keywords:
technologies, Magisterial law, Catholic Church, ethics, artificial intelligence, Antiqua et novaAbstract
The article focuses on a detailed examination of the Catholic Church’s approach to rapidly evolving technologies, with particular attention to the digital environment and the dynamic development of artificial intelligence. Drawing on an analysis of selected documents of the Church’s Magisterium, the study identifies the principal conceptual orientations, normative priorities, and ethical criteria through which the Church responds to the challenges posed by technological progress and its social and cultural implications. A central position in the discussion is occupied by Antiqua et nova, a document jointly issued in January 2025 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education. This document provides a current, systematic, and value-grounded overview of the Church’s teaching on artificial intelligence and its deployment within contemporary society. Its conclusions establish a comprehensive framework for legal, moral, and public debate regarding the limits and potential of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need for continuous discernment, ethical vigilance, and critical assessment of emerging technologies. The document further underscores the essential importance of clearly assigning personal responsibility in cases of malfunction or misuse of AI systems, highlighting that even in an era of increasing automation, human judgment remains a decisive component of ethically sustainable technological development.
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