In the News: Hank Center Leadership on "Magnifica Humanitas"

• Lumen Christi Institute, "A.I, The Future of Work, and Pope Leo's First Encyclical with Joseph Vukov and Michael Murphy"
  • Pope Leo XIV has already spoken movingly about the isolation and stress, especially for the young, of modern life. In a different format from our normal West Suburban Catholic Culture Series lecture, philosophers Joe Vukov and Mike Murphy dialogue as they consider the prospects for the future as the Church confronts challenges such as social media, cyberreality and artificial intelligence.
• Vatican Access with Robert Duncan and Catholic News Service, "Expert Panel Reacts to Pope Leo's A.I. Warning" featuring Dr. Michael Murphy
  • Four experts on AI and Catholic teaching join Robert Duncan to discuss Pope Leo’s first encyclical on artificial intelligence and what they believe is its deeper message about the human person in a technological age. Drawing on theology, philosophy, media studies, and Catholic social teaching, they argue that the encyclical is not primarily about technology itself, but about safeguarding human dignity, relationships, attention, work, and spiritual freedom in the face of rapidly advancing AI systems. In this conversation, they explore why Pope Leo insists that human beings are more than machines, how artificial intelligence and social media can fragment identity and community, and why the Church views AI as a profoundly anthropological and spiritual challenge rather than merely a technical one. The discussion examines the future of work, the influence of algorithms on human behavior, transhumanism, digital culture, the meaning of face-to-face relationships, and the growing tension between technological progress and the cultivation of a fully human life. They also discuss their forthcoming book, "Catholic Cosmotechnics for the AI Age," and explain how Catholic liturgy, sacramental imagination, and the Augustinian tradition offer resources for understanding and responding to the AI revolution.
• Marquette University Center for Peacemaking Podcast, "The Need for Courage: AI, Ethics, and the Catholic Church with Dr. Michael Murphy" Ep. 12
  • Dr. Michael Murphy, director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago, discusses how Pope Leo XIV is already directing the Catholic Church to engage with today’s most important social issues. Having previously collaborated with then Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Murphy shares why he believes building bridges and promoting peace will be cornerstones of the Pope’s leadership. Murphy also examines Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas including the many angles from which Catholics should engage questions of AI, ethics, and the human condition. He concludes by making a case for why the humanities are more relevant—and important—now than ever.

 

Links to Podcasts:

• The Drew Mariani Show, "Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Pope Leo's New Encyclical with Dr. Vukov"

 

Links to Print Articles:

• Chicago Catholic, "Local Theologians, Experts Welcome New Encyclical on AI" by Michelle Martin
• Crux, "Amid challenges to 'Stay Human,' expert says Pope Leo got faith a seat at the AI table" by Crux Now Staff

 

Things to Read:

• Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence (New City Press, 2024)
• Reclaiming Reality (forthcoming from Ignatius Press, fall, 2026)

• “Tinderization and Transcendence: Girard, McLuhan, and the Apocalyptic Imagination" in Theological Discourses on Social Media (Routledge, 2025)
• "Technologies of the Incarnation: Catholic Cosmotechnics and New Horizons for Liturgical Participation" in Catholic Cosmotechnics in the AI Age (forthcoming from St. Augustine's Press, fall, 2026).