It can be easy for Catholics to lose sight of the forest for the trees. Sometimes we can lose sight of the bigger global picture, get distracted from what matters most for humanity, even give into the temptation to zero in too much on internal ecclesial life. In more recent years, the Church has also been burdened by internal debates and feuds which distract us from the mission Christ entrusted to us.
The reality is that too often we do not look much different from the world. The world we live in is changing rapidly. But what is shaping and influencing this change? Are our increasingly fractured politics and overly selfish economics to determine humanity’s future? Are the most sensitive geopolitical decisions soon to be determined by our technological advancements?
Wake up call
Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas,” released May 25, is a wake-up call for the Church and the world. Adding his voice to the Church’s social teaching, and reiterating the tradition he now stewards, Pope Leo has raised his voice to refocus priorities, shift perspectives and offer the means to chart a course to peace.
“Magnifica Humanitas” is a summons to see humanity for its “grandeur,” implicit in being made in God’s image. As human rights and dignity are continually weakened and violated in an increasingly secularized and godless world, Pope Leo urges us to collaborate in advancing God’s vision to counter the threats to human flourishing and the common good.
As with any social questions, ultimately the Church must “lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ.” Pope Leo is particularly concerned in the encyclical with “how AI (artificial intelligence) is transforming certain aspects of life and society, in particular the serious implications for human dignity.” The “civilization of love” — which St. Paul VI longed for amid the Cold War, with its threats to global peace and economic stability — is one that Pope Leo calls us to build anew today in the thick of contemporary challenges and divisions threatening humanity.
This summons is at the heart of “Magnifica Humanitas.” “We must resolutely recover this vision, for the civilization of love is no naïve utopia, but a demanding project, which consists in translating charity into structures of justice, giving institutional form to fraternity, and regarding others — whether individuals or peoples — as allies necessary for building the common good,” he writes.
Mary as a model
As a keen pastor, Pope Leo offers practical steps for doing so. Still, it can seem daunting, idealistic or futile. To weave hope, Pope Leo points to Mary as a model for “sharing who we are and what we have, so that the presence of Jesus may grow among us and his Kingdom take shape.”
“Her soul magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior, because he chose a young, poor, and humble girl for his plan of salvation. Mary suddenly sees all of history through the lens of this revelation,” he writes. Her life illustrates how God’s will “is often hidden beneath the opaque context of human events that see ‘the proud, the mighty and the rich’ triumph,” Pope Leo writes, “yet his secret strength is destined in the end to be revealed.”
Pope Leo invites us to consider Mary as we undertake our mission in today’s world, allowing her to “guide our steps through this time of change and preserve in each of us true faith in the Gospel, so that we may bear witness to the grandeur of humanity, in which God has made his dwelling.”
Ultimately there is no greater calling for Christians at this moment of history. And nothing should distract us from it. Mary’s commitment can inspire ours.
Let us pray that Mary’s intercession will help open our eyes to the wisdom of “Magnifica Humanitas” and allow it to guide our steps to building a civilization of love at this moment in history when that mission must be reinvigorated.
Michael R. Heinlein is author of “Glorifying Christ: The Life of Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I.” and a promised member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators.
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