We recently had the privilege of viewing the coast of Alaska and witnessing a glacier and its evident decline in size. Dawes Glacier, near Juneau, is an awesome site, but also a clear indicator of our changing climate. The international assembly of people on the cruise ship was united in its awe of the glacier.... Continue Reading →

The newest papal encyclical and the oldest Christian theologians turn out to be reading from the same page. Something is striking about watching the Catholic Church respond to artificial intelligence. While many respond with either uncritical enthusiasm for new technology or anxious warnings about its pitfalls, Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (”On the Safeguarding... Continue Reading →

A reflection on Magnifica Humanitas through the eyes of Mortimer Adler and Thomas Merton On 25 May 2026, Pope Leo XIV released Magnifica Humanitas — a papal encyclical addressing artificial intelligence and what it means to be human. It takes a clear moral stand: human beings possess a dignity no machine can replicate, and no algorithm can... Continue Reading →

I posted this on the ITMS Facebook page today, but wanted to share it with you. Since Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical came out, there has been more discussion about the meaning of Catholic Social Teaching (CST), you know, the best-kept secret in the church, especially in the US. Thomas Merton helps Christians understand that social... Continue Reading →

A See–Judge–Act reflection on divine presence, classical metaphysics, and what it means for how we live A note on the method: The See–Judge–Act approach, rooted in Catholic social thought and associated with Cardinal Joseph Cardijn, invites us first to observe reality honestly, then to evaluate it through the lens of scripture, reason, and faith, and... Continue Reading →

Two thoughtful voices from different worlds—a liberal New York Times podcaster and a newly elected pope—arrive at a strikingly similar warning: artificial intelligence poses a profound challenge to human values. Their paths to this conclusion differ, but both detect an unsettling risk at the heart of AI’s rise. The Podcaster Who Can’t Figure Out His... Continue Reading →