The Value of our Human Weakness

The commentary of Magnifica Humanitas (MH) has been pleasantly wide-ranging in its exploration of the doctrinal, pastoral, and theological depth of Pope Leo’s teaching on Catholic Social teaching, the dignity of the human person, and the relationship between them and artificial intelligence (AI). The role of Christian humanism, the application of the common good through an Incarnational lens, and its relationship with AI offer us an opportunity to dialogue on these matters, as Pope Leo XIV mentions throughout MH. At the onset of his letter, Pope Leo XIV makes a very clear statement about the weakness of the human condition as not an error that needs to be corrected (12). He emphasizes this point further by reminding us to avoid the desire to have a human upgrade to our current state of life (12). His reference to St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians establishes a very clear position about the gift and grace of our human weakness that places our trust and reliance in our Father,

Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor 12:8-10).

The point the Holy Father makes from the outset is the importance of addressing the basic necessities man needs to live within a Christian society. Even more, he emphasizes the need to safeguard the grandeur of humanity (15), positioning the respect and dignity of the human person as a priority above all else. Human identity is intimately linked with the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ. Hence, a proper understanding of Catholic Social doctrine must be Christocentric, one that reveals the mystery of God’s love, the source of Catholic Social Teaching. The Holy Father reminds us that the principle of Catholic Social Doctrine is woven into the principle of the common good,

where every man and woman possesses an inalienable dignity, together with rights that no human power can betray or nullify, which requires us to shape the way we live together, including our economic and political choices, and the makeup of our cities (59). For a Christian, going beyond the narrow confines of one’s own interests and committing oneself, within the limits of one’s ability, to the common good is a non-negotiable value, as is the promotion of life (59).

With respect to the common good and the respect of the human person and all of his attributes, artificial intelligence should be championed as the means to alleviate the natural hardships of life or remove the notion of human suffering altogether. The Holy Father emphasizes that any use of AI should respect the dignity of the person and not be used as a means to make a person transhuman or posthuman; in other words, AI should not be used to reengineer man or worse, removing the human anthropology of man in relation to his Christian identity and replacing it with a machine (116). This entire sequence is brought to light in the following excerpt,

The moral corruption of our limitations as created beings — namely, the evil that clearly agitates the human heart — ruins society and life, at times reaching extreme forms of inhumanity. Yet even these painful expressions of our limitations leave openings for the good. Even when persons dehumanize themselves and bring about tragedy, a small light continues to shine within humanity, one that can be rekindled, with God’s grace, along paths of conversion and reconciliation. As Viktor Frankl rightly observed, in moments of horror, “we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips (121).

The value of our human weakness is affirmed through our ability and desire to build a civilization of love. Pope Leo XIV reminds us of this important task to not simply denounce all that is evil, but also that we must live our lives in light of the crucified and risen Lord to whom the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth (210). He reminds us not to forget the power of the kingdom (Mk 4:26-32), and that our Lord makes all things new (Is 43:19). Even in our most weakened state, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that

the Lord raises up men and women who refuse to give up, who persevere in doing good, who protect the vulnerable and open pathways to reconciliation. The memory of the saints, righteous people, and the oft-forgotten peacemakers, shows us that grace does not magically eliminate conflict, but instead it inspires active resistance to evil and an astonishing creativity in doing good. Christians see the darkness and acknowledge it for what it is, yet they do not merely gaze upon it passively, for they know the light and understand that the darkness has not overcome it and cannot defeat it (cf. Jn 1:5). For this reason, even when suffering seems to have the last word, Christians serve the good and are sustained by a theological hope that gives reality both meaning and direction.

The value of our human weakness is intimately united with the mystery of the Incarnation. Physically weakened through his flesh, Christ, the Son of God, triumphed through his suffering and death on the cross, revealed in his resurrection. God enters our human weakness through His Son, thus entering into our human condition. This is why the Holy Eucharist serves as the gift God gives us through His Son, who serves as a new source of life (234). Respect for the dignity of the human person involves a Christian understanding of human suffering, the necessity of its place in society, to bring to light the common good that guides us to help those in need, and to use tools such as AI to properly promote the Kingdom of God through the Son Jesus Christ. Christ is our light, He is our Lord and King, He is the way, the truth, and the light (Jn 14:6).  We are the body of Christ, not the body of AI.