Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas dropped this week, and keen readers might have been surprised, in the middle of the Pope’s dissertation on AI…
…to read, embedded in the document, a quote from Gandalf!
Here’s how Leo sets it up in paragraph 213: “The twentieth-century Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien, in the words of a protagonist in one of his novels, described our responsibility in this way: ‘It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.’”
Gandalf, the wise wizard, makes this statement as the protagonists are planning how to defeat the dark lord Sauron. But how does this fantasy world, with magic rings and mysterious creatures, relate to the Pope’s document that focuses primarily on AI advancements in the real world?
The quote is actually very apropos for Pope Leo’s message.
Leo opens the document with a detailed history of the evolution of the Church’s social doctrine, exploring how ancient truths Catholic teaching were applied to newfound moral questions such as communism, the world wars, and the industrial revolution.
But reading that history, it can be easy to fall into an apathy over the problems of the world. How are we supposed to hope for better things to come when there is such a history of tragedy and evil?
Tolkien, through Gandalf, shows us the key to trust and peace: focus on “the fields that we know.”
In other words, rather than obsessing over the problems of the whole wide world, what are the areas of our life that we can actually control? What good does it do to spend more time consuming content about wars across the world than we do working on our spiritual life, improving our own relationships, or building healthy habits of our own?
This theme runs throughout the document, such as here in paragraph 68: “Every woman and man is called to take ownership of his or her own life and to contribute to the formation of society.”
Leo certainly spends time addressing moral questions in society, economics, and government. But he stresses the importance of working on ourselves and making sure we focus on the areas of our lives where we have the most impact.
One thing is for sure: Tolkien, as a lifelong Catholic who wove his faith into his stories, would have been absolutely delighted to see his greatest work quoted by the Pope! For our full breakdown of the main points in the encyclical, click here.
As Leo’s first encyclical and the Church’s first official response to artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas is sure to be a cornerstone of his legacy. Honor the first US pope with this wooden rosary rack, featuring a quote from His Holiness: “Mother Mary wants to walk with us.” Safely store your rosaries while taking daily inspiration from Our Lady’s love and presence! Find yours today at The Catholic Company!
