Pope Leo’s defence of human rights, social justice and multilateral dialogue welcomed

‘From the Christian perspective, human rights are not an external addition to the person, but an expression of intrinsic human dignity, which the international community is called to protect and promote.’

Unesco has welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s call to “uphold the primacy and dignity of humanity” in his new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

“Looking at our own time, we cannot ignore the fact that the protection of human rights has been exposed to two particularly serious dangers,” Pope Leo warns in the encyclical. “These rights are declared in a purely formal sense, while technological progress continues alongside covert or overt violations of human dignity.”

Pope Leo will visit the Paris headquarters of Unesco, the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting peace and security through international cooperation in education, sciences, culture and information, during his apostolic journey to France from 25 to 28 September this year.

Unesco responded to the encyclical in a statement on social media: “At a time of rapid change and disruption, our position is clear: technology must advance human rights, not erode human dignity.”

It said the Pope’s message, published and launched at the Vatican on 25 May, “comes at a pivotal moment to help shape global AI governance on human terms”, and aligns with its 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, which guides AI policies in more than 80 countries.

“This encyclical is a powerful reminder that beyond innovation and technological trends, we need direction,” it said. “Beyond capability, we need responsibility. AI must serve people.”

The encyclical includes a strong defence of the United Nations and the multilateral system, warning that it is under threat from a rising “culture of power” that “infiltrates society… and grows by normalising war, pursuing ever-greater military power, taking advantage of the crisis of multilateralism and fuelling a false realism that insists that there is no alternative”.

“International organisations, particularly the United Nations, are essential instruments for promoting a civilsation of love, for they can foster dialogue among nations and promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the integral development of peoples, the protection of the most vulnerable, disarmament and the care of creation,” Pope Leo writes.

“Through such efforts, the international community can work to reduce inequalities, defend the rights of refugees and minorities, reallocate resources from military spending to human development and protect our common home.

“The Holy See supports and accompanies these endeavours, while also recognising that the current weaknesses of the UN and the international political system reveal the need for profound reforms.

“This is not simply a question of technical adjustments, for the crisis of convictions and values that also concerns the ethical foundations of nations makes it more difficult to direct multilateralism toward the true common good.”

In particular, Pope Leo says “there is still a long way to go” to ensure women’s rights “are equally and genuinely guaranteed throughout the world”.

“It is not enough to state simply that men and women have equal dignity and rights; it is necessary that this be reflected in concrete decisions, such as in laws, access to employment, education, social and political responsibilities, and the way society listens to and values women’s contributions.

“As long as this gap persists, we cannot say that society truly and fully recognises that women have the same dignity as men.”

“Instead of making progress, we are regressing from the significant turning point of the twentieth century,” Pope Leo continues. “After 1989, the collapse of communist regimes in Europe was followed by a predominantly economic globalisation, which lacked an adequate political framework capable of sustaining dialogue and peace.

“An almost blind faith was placed in the ability of the markets to generate prosperity, democracy and stability. In reality, rather than automatically generating unity and peace, globalisation has provoked fundamentalist, identity-based and nationalistic reactions.

“The result is a far cry from genuine multilateralism; instead, what has appeared is a disorderly and conflict-ridden multipolarism with a prevailing sense of mistrust.”

The encyclical singles out the process that led to the abolition of slavery, the establishment of the United Nations (1945), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and the 1951 Refugee Convention as “emblematic achievements” in “creating institutions that protect our shared life”.

“In each of these cases, the desire for good took concrete shape in public contexts – laws, institutions and practices – capable of limiting the abuse of power and defending the vulnerable,” Pope Leo said.

Caritas Social Action Network (Csan) has also welcomed the encyclical’s “timely contribution”, highlighting its “opposition to human trafficking and exploitation in an age of AI, when a dehumanised mindset regards human beings as mere tools to be exploited”.

“We have been working recently on the topic of the dignity of workers in the 21st century and look forward to engaging deeply with the new encyclical and its implications for our advocacy in England and Wales,” said Raymond Friel, chief executive officer of Csan.

Pope Leo writes the “fight against new forms of slavery is a decisive test for the ethical discernment of AI and digital transformation” and that “the Church renews her firm condemnation of all forms of slavery, trafficking and the commodification of persons”.

“The supply chains that underpin the technological industry and the digital economy need to become more transparent, so that no competitive advantage is built upon hidden exploitation … placing among their priorities the protection of workers, the fight against forced labour and the assessment of the social impact of data-driven business models,” the encyclical said.

The Pope also “sincerely ask[s] for pardon” in the encyclical for the “delay” with which the Church “came to denounce the scourge of slavery”, which he say “constitutes a wound in Christian memory”.

“Even today, colonialism assumes new forms,” Pope Leo warns. “It no longer dominates only bodies, but appropriates data, transforming personal lives into exploitable information.” 

Cafod said the encyclical is “a reminder that working towards social justice is a key part of our faith”: “We are called to live in solidarity and ensure social justice. We are asked to consider how we can move forward together and make the world better for everyone.”

The overseas aid and development charity especially welcomed the Pope’s statement that a “litmus test for social justice today is the treatment of migrants, refugees and those forced to move due to poverty, violence, climate change and environmental disasters.

“The way a society treats them reveals whether its sense of justice is driven by fear or by the spirit of fraternity.”

“He calls for the creation of safe and legal routes for migrants, dignified conditions for receiving them and genuine pathways to integration,” Cafod said. “But he also reminds us that we should address the root causes that lead to forced migration in the first place, by promoting peace and addressing economic injustice and the climate crisis.”

They also highlighted the encyclical’s statement that the “just war” theory, “which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated”, writing that today “humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness”. 

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