Memory of Saint Mary Mother of the Church, celebrated on Pentecost; May is drawing to a close, and in a little while we will have an encyclical—the first from Leo XIV—which, they say, will address what is called artificial intelligence, though we are not entirely sure whether it is intelligence or what it actually is. Like everything new, it needs time to settle; the encyclical will give us a measure of where we stand in terms of understanding the issue, without forgetting that the topic is still quite incipient. We begin the week with episcopal performances in Peru and France; one day, some bishop will actually start to govern and the nonsense will stop. We are not expecting resignations—“Lord, to whom shall we go?”—but a little shame and dignity. Let us begin…
Pentecost Sunday.
Homily of Pope Leo XIV for the Solemnity of Pentecost, in which the Pope developed the theme of the Spirit of the Risen One as the “Spirit of mission”: “As the Father has sent me, so I also send you” (Jn 20:21). Leo XIV recalled that on Pentecost the Apostles began to proclaim Jesus crucified and risen, and that “the ‘mighty works of God’ (Acts 2:11) are summed up in redemption, which begins with faith.” The third aspect: the Spirit of the Risen One as the “Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:17), who “always promotes unity in truth” and defends the Church “from factionalism, hypocrisy, and fashions that obscure the light of the Gospel.” Citing Saint Augustine, Leo XIV recalled that “the Holy Spirit willed this to be a sign of his presence”: the gift of tongues understood in the one faith. The Pope concluded with a triple prayer: that the Spirit “free us from the evil of war, which is not won by a superpower but by the omnipotence of love”; that he “free humanity from misery, which is not redeemed by incalculable riches but by an inexhaustible gift”; that he “heal us from the wound of sin, through the redemption proclaimed to all peoples in the name of Jesus.”
In the Regina Coeli: “The Spirit opens the doors of the Church so that it may be welcoming and hospitable to all, even to those who have closed their doors to God, to others, to hope, to the joy of living.” He invited the faithful to reflect on “an image of the Spirit that the liturgy gives us”: the Spirit who opens doors. Leo XIV pointed out three doors that the Spirit opens wide. The first is “that of God himself”: the Spirit gives us “true faith, helps us understand the meaning of the Scriptures,” and “enables us to share in his own life.” The second is that of the Upper Room, that is, of the Church: without the fire of the Spirit, the Pontiff warned, the Church “remains prisoner to fear, timid before the challenges of the world, closed in on itself and therefore unable to dialogue with changing times.” The third is that of the heart: the Spirit “helps us overcome resistance, selfishness, distrust, and prejudice,” enabling us “to live as children of God and as brothers and sisters to one another.”
Today we have an encyclical, with Anthropic.
Magnifica Humanitas, on the protection of the human person in the age of Artificial Intelligence. The physical presence of Pope Leo XIV at the presentation of his first encyclical has been announced; he will be accompanied by Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic and a key figure in the company’s approach to algorithmic transparency.
The date chosen for the signing (May 15, exactly 135 years after Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum) makes the intention clear: the Church interprets the AI revolution in the same way it interpreted the Industrial Revolution. Just as Leo XIII defended workers from the exploitation of nascent capitalism, Leo XIV, with Magnifica Humanitas, seeks to defend the conscience, work, and biological dignity of humanity against “algorithmic substitution” and uncontrolled automation. The collaboration with Anthropic shows that ethical defense is not a utopia for philosophers but a technically viable possibility.
Christopher Olah is not just any executive: he is a pioneer of mechanistic interpretability. His scientific goal is to open the “black box” of algorithms to understand why a neural network responds in a certain way. This vision fits perfectly with the Vatican’s anthropological agenda. Anthropic arrives in Rome at a moment of rupture with Washington, following the U.S. government’s executive order prohibiting the use of its technologies in federal agencies due to the company’s refusal to grant the armed forces unlimited and unethical access to its models.
The rapprochement between the Vatican and Anthropic points to the search for a partner in Silicon Valley that has demonstrated, at high commercial cost, that it can say “no” to the logic of militarization and mass surveillance. And for Anthropic, which seeks to find the ideal political and reputational shield in Rome (and, by extension, in Europe). Linking itself to the Church’s social doctrine allows Dario Amodei and his team to gain credibility with European regulators as the only major technology company that is truly ethical and reliable, paving the way for imminent strategic investments in Europe and Italy. It seems that, for now, we are not facing a “catechism for robots,” but rather a global political push in favor of algorithmic governance with a human face. The Vatican technically legitimizes its Social Doctrine for the Digital Age, while Anthropic demonstrates that ethics in AI is not merely a marketing exercise but the only way to preserve the Magnifica Humanitas in the face of the machine.
The Peruvian bishops ask for forgiveness.
Mattasoglio spoke in his homily of a commitment “on the path of renewal,” as well as “an authentic sign of hope for humanity.” Hope after the “tragedy” caused by “a group within the Church that, unfortunately, casts a shadow over it.” “Today we want to overcome this disgrace” and move forward on the “path of reconciliation” begun by Francis and continued by Leo XIV, who, already as a bishop in Peru, addressed the issue of the Sodalitium on numerous occasions, guaranteeing support to the victims. “We come as a sign of solidarity, ready not only to ask forgiveness in the name of the Church—since it was a group within the Church that created the problem that they still live with today—but also to commit ourselves to renewing the Church and continuing on the path of renewal undertaken by the last two popes.”
The symphony of the tiles.
Artistic project on abuse, “Renaissance, la Symphonie des tesselles” In Lourdes, on March 24, 2026, a group of French bishops posed for a photograph holding fragments of mosaic. These are pieces of colored ceramic, roughly the size of a notebook, in shades ranging from deep red to slate gray. The bishops hold them in front of their chests, slightly tilted toward the camera, with expressions oscillating between solemnity and serene satisfaction. Behind them, the shrine. In front, the cameras.
These fragments are part of Rinascita, a monumental 50-square-meter mosaic (12.5 x 4 meters) designed by Sister Samuelle, a nun and artist. Composed like a 200-piece puzzle, the mosaic tells a story of reparation after the spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuses committed within the Church. For the authors, this work functions as a guarantee for the ecclesial community: the Church acknowledges, the Church repairs, the Church is reborn. But who controls the narrative of this rebirth?
In Lourdes, on March 24, 2026, the bishops pose in yet another episcopal performance for a photo with fragments of Rinascita. In their curia, in some secret archive accessible only to the bishop, are the files, the names of the abusers, the reports of the superiors who covered up, the letters from the victims never sent, the silent transfers. One day we will put an end to these episcopal theaters and have leaders who know how to make decisions and solve problems. For now, much breast-beating, but acknowledging guilt and resigning—that, no one does.
The decline of vocations.
The marked decline in vocations recorded in recent years is beginning to be felt: parishes are the first to suffer the consequences. In Verona the problem of the future of the Church is being addressed, and its bishop does not seem very concerned: “the time has come to cultivate, perhaps all together, the desire to consecrate our hearts and minds to a viable Christianity, worthy of the times we live in.” “Parishes value the presence of women in our communities.” “In parishes without a priest, community life is entrusted to a pastoral leader. This task can also be entrusted to laypeople.” Obviously, these are not ordained ministers, so they cannot assume functions such as celebrating Mass or administering the sacraments. These lay figures, both men and women, will be able to act as spiritual guides, offering support to the faithful, which will allow ordained priests to fulfill their exclusive duties while dividing themselves among several parishes. In South Tyrol, at least 500 lay men and women participate in the celebration of public liturgies, including funerals, especially in the valleys, where the need is greatest; in mountain villages it is not possible to celebrate Mass weekly.
Saint John Paul II and Vatican II.
By John Grondelski. It is hard to believe that, after a 26-year pontificate, plus the eight years of Ratzinger’s reign, the teachings and guidance of Wojtyła’s pontificate—conceived as a lens through which to observe the correct application of the Second Vatican Council—seem to have been lost. The pseudo-narrative being spread is that we had to wait until the pontificate of Pope Francis to rediscover the true goal of renewal of the Second Vatican Council, and that we are now immersed in a new adventure for its implementation. This idea is ridiculous for two reasons. First, Wojtyła was a Council Father, which Pope Francis was not, and Ratzinger was a prominent expert, which his successor evidently was not, since he was ordained a priest four years after the Council ended.
Who, then, better understood the intentions of the Council? Many of the new “ideas” are not new at all; we are living through reheated and recycled bad ideas from the 1970s, this time with the addition of “synodal discernment.” Admitting adulterers to the Eucharist was an idea that Walter Kasper and others in Germany promoted in the 1970s and 1980s. On this occasion they combined it with a twentieth-century version of Gallicanism: a local church knows better than anyone how to be a “Church,” which leads to the sin of geography. Synodality is, in many ways, a reheated version of the sensus fidelium, which, in its revisionist version, never explained how it was anchored to the logically prior requirement of the sensus fidei. The novel idea of “conversations in the Spirit” with a brief one-minute moment of silence followed by a stream of meaningless opinions is nothing short of ridiculous. We live amid continuous attempts to adorn the Council with ideas born of the “spirit of the Council,” which lack foundation in the conciliar texts and are often contrary to previously received ecclesial teaching.
The problem of the Church today is the problem of man. Efforts to adapt and “accompany” the spirit of the age often entail accepting what undermines human dignity. Protestant thinker Carl Trueman, in his new book The Desecration of Man, states that attacking authentic human dignity is also a sacrilege, because it distorts the image of God present in that dignity.
Saint John Paul II best reflected the “open windows” approach of the Second Vatican Council. He took modern thought seriously and engaged with it, beginning with his formation in phenomenology and the entire Thomistic project of Lublin in confrontation and opposition to Marxism. This meant interacting with the world “where it is,” that is, in its categories of thought, and seeking to redirect them to Christ. This approach is not comparable to the kind of internal, self-referential ecclesial introspection that has characterized the Church over the past twelve years.
The cook of Saint Pius V.
In his work “Opera Dell’arte del Cucinare,” Bartolomeo Scappi, the celebrated personal chef of Pope Pius V, considers Roman Jewish cuisine lighter than Christian cuisine, which is often rich in meat, butter, and lard. The Christian calendar included approximately 150 days of fasting per year, during which the consumption of meat and often dairy products was forbidden. Aristocratic chefs were forced to invent alternative menus, and the Jewish tradition offered proven solutions. In an era when sources on everyday Jewish life were scarce, his pages preserved traces of flavors, techniques, and eating habits that would otherwise have been lost.
Bartolomeo Scappi, the celebrated personal chef of Pope Pius V, in 1570 published one of the most important gastronomic texts of the time: Opera Dell’arte del Cucinare. More than 900 pages divided into six volumes, it is much more than a simple collection of recipes. It included illustrations, diagrams, advice on organizing professional kitchens, and details on contemporary eating habits. The presence of Jewish gastronomy is especially evident in the sixth part of the work, devoted to the nutrition of the sick and convalescent. According to Scappi, Roman Jewish cuisine was lighter than Christian cuisine, which is often rich in meat, butter, and lard. The rules of kashrut, combined with the economic difficulties of Jewish communities, had in fact favored a diet based on vegetables, olive oil, and fish.
Another decisive factor was the arrival in Italy of Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and from territories under Spanish rule, such as Sicily. These communities brought with them new ingredients and flavor combinations. Eggplant, squash, artichokes, and especially sweet-and-sour flavors were gradually incorporated into Italian gastronomy thanks to the Sephardic Jews. Flavors that were initially viewed with suspicion by the Roman aristocracy eventually conquered the tables of the nobility.
Plenary Indulgence of Pentecost.
And we close by recalling some very basic things. Fifty days after Easter, the feast of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles is celebrated, marking the birth of the Church. This day also contains a special spiritual gift: the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence by participating in the solemn singing or recitation of the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus.
It is no small matter, and in these unbelieving times it is worth recalling that an indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. In other words, even after sin has been forgiven through confession, a “wound” remains to be healed, a punishment that must be expiated in this life or in purgatory. An indulgence, nourished by the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints, allows the Church to remit this temporal punishment in full (plenary indulgence) or in part (partial indulgence). The faithful may obtain it for themselves or apply it as suffrage for the deceased, but not for other living persons.
The Enchiridion Indulgentiarum of the Apostolic Penitentiary, in number 26, clearly states that a plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in a church or oratory, devoutly participate in the solemn singing or recitation of the hymn Veni, Creator on the first day of the year or on the Solemnity of Pentecost. The same grant is given for the hymn Te Deum on the last day of the year.
To obtain a plenary indulgence, it is not enough to perform the prescribed work. The Manual of Indulgences, in number 20, requires the faithful to fulfill the so-called “usual conditions”: Detachment from sin. The exclusion of any attachment to sin, even venial, is required. This is the most demanding interior condition: if it is lacking, the indulgence is only partial. Sacramental confession. A sacramental confession made at the appropriate time is required. Several plenary indulgences may be gained on different days with a single confession. Eucharistic communion. It is necessary to receive Holy Communion, preferably on the same day the indulgenced work is performed. Prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. A Our Father and a Hail Mary, or other prayers of one’s choice, are recited according to the Pope’s intentions (not for the Pope, but for what the Pope has at heart for the Church at that moment). The three conditions of confession, communion, and prayer for the Pope may be fulfilled days before or after completing the prescribed work, although it is advisable that communion and prayer coincide on the same day. It should also be remembered that with only one Eucharistic communion and one prayer for the Pope’s intentions, only one plenary indulgence may be obtained per day.
In times when temporal punishment, purgatory, and indulgences are rarely mentioned, it is good to rediscover the spiritual richness of this ancient concession of the Church. Pentecost is not simply the commemoration of a historical event: it is a continual outpouring of grace, and the plenary indulgence linked to the Veni Creator is one of the most concrete signs of this divine generosity mediated by the Church.
“Here is your mother. And from that moment the disciple received her into his home.”
Happy reading.