28 May 2026

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has welcomed the release of the important first encyclical by Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas.

The Pope speaks to the need to safeguard human dignity and agency against the systematic use of AI.

MACS Executive Director, Dr Edward Simons, said it is both a timely and important contribution in terms of the perspectives it provides.

‘This encyclical offers many important insights for Catholic education,’ Dr Simons said.

‘Pope Leo rightly highlights the challenges posed by AI in education, including the very blunting of our natural human inquisitiveness and desire to know the truth.

‘The Holy Father also speaks powerfully of the problem of unrestricted use of social media and digital devices, particularly on young developing minds.’

In June 2025, MACS acted to reduce the harmful impacts of social media and digital devices through the implementation of its system-wide Vision for Engagement.

‘MACS was one of the first movers to limit the use of non-essential digital devices in the school environment,’ Dr Simons said.

Pope Leo’s encyclical will further inform MACS’ development of a system-wide response to the challenges and opportunities presented by AI.

Contact: media@macs.vic.edu.au