The Vatican has published a document asking about the future of humanity. It is now in several languages, including English, and there is a summary in English. Issues like AI, LLMs, transhumanism, posthumanism, social control media, and digital technology in general are raised in 164 points.
1. The method of the document on the sixtieth anniversary of Gaudium et spes [...]
6. Reason enlightened by faith must establish a critical comparison between new anthropological horizons and the perennial needs of the human condition: ‘Discernment must carefully distinguish between elements compatible with the Gospel and those contrary to it, between positive contributions and ideological aspects, but the more acute understanding of the world that results cannot fail to prompt a more penetrating appreciation of Christ the Lord and of the Gospel, since Christ is the Saviour of the world.’[5]
7. This discernment is inspired by the sixtieth anniversary of the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes (1965-2025), an anniversary that points the present document towards a new reflection linked to the personal and social anthropology proposed in the Constitution and in the subsequent Magisterium that has received and developed its teaching. The unique nature of Gaudium et spes must be emphasised, a conciliar Constitution with specific magisterial value, expressed in its commitment to consider carefully the condition of humanity in today’s world. For the first time in history, a document of this level systematically proposed a vision of the human being illumined by the mystery of Christ. In its wake, therefore, we have the question of re-proposing Christian anthropology today in an open and critical dialogue with the more recent questions coming from human experience and cultures. Precisely in reference to Gaudium et spes, the document places at its centre the human being, ‘whole and entire, body and soul, heart and conscience, mind and will’,[6] in order to promote that ‘integral and solidary humanism capable of creating a new social, economic and political order, founded on the dignity and freedom of every human person, to be brought about in peace, justice and solidarity.’[7] [...]
[...] 2. The challenge of the poor
164. The relentless technological development that we consider in this text, which favours above all those who already have much power, challenges us to turn our gaze to the poorest. If this development, together with the ideologies that accompany it, involves serious risks, as we have seen, these will be even greater for the weakest and most defenceless, that is, for those who count for nothing because they are of no use to the workings of the more powerful. They run the risk of becoming waste material, ‘collateral damage’, swept away without mercy. As Christians, however, we are called to see them through the eyes of Christ, who says to each of them: ‘I have loved you.’ (Rev 3:9) As Pope Leo XIV explains, Christ ‘by his love given to the end, shows the dignity of every human being.’[199] This encourages us to ‘perceive the strong connection that exists between Christ’s love and his call to be close to the poor.’[200] From this arises the duty to be particularly attentive—as humble sentinels—to the consequences that new developments in society may have on the lives of the least among us. We must respond with a prophetic word and with generous involvement. The authenticity of our faith and the human value of our lives are at stake.
Previously:
(2015) Pope Francis to Issue Encyclical on Global Warming
(2014) Vatican Hosts Conference On Alien Life in Universe
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Papas Fritas writes:
"Megann Gannon reports that nearly 200 scientists are attending a conference, called "The Search for Life Beyond the Solar System: Exoplanets, Biosignature & Instruments," co-hosted by the Vatican Observatory with the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory.
The goal of the conference is to bring together the interdisciplinary community required to address this multi-faceted challenge: experts on exoplanet observations, early and extreme life on Earth, atmospheric biosignatures, and planet-finding telescopes. 'Finding life beyond Earth is one of the great challenges of modern science and we are excited to have the world leaders in this field together in Tucson,' says Daniel Apai. 'But reaching such an ambitious goal takes planning and time. The goal of this meeting is to discuss how we can find life among the stars within the next two decades.'
According to the organizers, the conference will cover the technical challenges of finding and imaging exoplanets and identifying biosignatures in the atmospheres of far-flung worlds. Other presentations will discuss the study of life forms that live in extreme environments on Earth, which could be apt analogs for life on other planets. Scientists will give more than 160 research presentations (PDF) during this week's conference and NASA's Astrobiology Institute will broadcast a live feed of the sessions. Catholic leaders say that alien life can be aligned with the Bible's teachings. 'Just as a multiplicity of creatures exists on Earth, so there could be other beings, also intelligent, created by God,' says Father Jose Funes"
The Guardian reports that following a visit in March to Tacloban, the Philippine city devastated in 2012 by typhoon Haiyan, Pope Francis plans to publish a rare encyclical on climate change and human ecology urging all Catholics to take action on moral and scientific grounds. "A papal encyclical is rare," says Bishop Marcelo Sorondo, chancellor of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences who revealed the pope's plans when he delivered Cafod’s annual Pope Paul VI lecture. "It is among the highest levels of a pope’s authority. It will be 50 to 60 pages long; it’s a big deal." The encyclical will be sent to the world’s 5,000 Catholic bishops and 400,000 priests, who will distribute it to parishioners. Within Catholicism in recent times, an encyclical is generally used for significant issues, and is second in importance only to the highest ranking document now issued by popes, an Apostolic Constitution. “Just as humanity confronted revolutionary change in the 19th century at the time of industrialization, today we have changed the natural environment so much," says Sorondo. "If current trends continue, the century will witness unprecedented climate change and destruction of the ecosystem with tragic consequences.”
Francis’s environmental radicalism is likely to attract resistance from Vatican conservatives and in rightwing church circles, particularly in the US – where Catholic climate sceptics also include John Boehner, Republican leader of the House of Representatives and Rick Santorum, the former Republican presidential candidate. “There will always be 5-10% of people who will take offence. They are very vocal and have political clout," says Dan Misleh, director of the Catholic climate covenant. "This encyclical will threaten some people and bring joy to others. The arguments are around economics and science rather than morality." Francis will also be opposed by the powerful US evangelical movement, says Calvin Beisner, spokesman for the conservative Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, which has declared the US environmental movement to be “un-biblical” and a false religion. “The pope should back off,” says Beisner. “The Catholic church is correct on the ethical principles but has been misled on the science. It follows that the policies the Vatican is promoting are incorrect. Our position reflects the views of millions of evangelical Christians in the US.”
(Score: 2, Informative) by JamesWebb on Saturday April 04, @02:56AM (3 children)
However the fact that its thermodynamic survival where only cooperation survives, most institutions would collapse or deny. No one wants the truth, monkeys, primates, all ARM A, never gonna survive anyways. Does it monkey or does it ctenophore?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 04, @03:07AM
https://jbh.journals.villanova.edu/index.php/JBH/article/view/3166 [villanova.edu]
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Saturday April 04, @03:56AM
Today I learned that there's a biological term called "ctenophore". But Wikipedia doesn't mention how they don't (?) cooperate or fight each other for resources?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 06, @03:10AM
And yet here we are.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ChrisMaple on Saturday April 04, @03:06AM (3 children)
They put word salad into a blender and set it to "grind."
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday April 04, @01:58PM (1 child)
Blame it on the Latin.
Do they still call condom usage sinful?
🌻🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by mrpg on Saturday April 04, @03:57PM
Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—whether as an end or as a means. (16)
https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html [vatican.va]
When couples, by means of recourse to contraception, separate these two meanings that God the Creator has inscribed in the being of man and woman and in the dynamism of their sexual communion, they act as "arbiters" of the divine plan and they "manipulate" and degrade human sexuality-and with it themselves and their married partner-by altering its value of "total" self-giving. Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality.
https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio.html [vatican.va]
(Score: 2) by VLM on Saturday April 04, @03:53PM
Its a smoothie.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 04, @03:39AM (3 children)
I'll tell you this...
No eternal reward will forgive us now
For wasting the dawn.
Back in those days everything was simpler and more confused
One summer night, going to the pier
I ran into two young girls
The blonde one was called Freedom
The dark one, Enterprise
We talked and they told me this story
Now listen to this...
I'll tell you about Texas radio and the big beat
Soft driven, slow and mad
Like some new language
Reaching your head with the cold, sudden fury of a divine messenger
Let me tell you about heartache and the loss of god
Wandering, wandering in hopless night
Out here in the perimeter there are no stars
Out here we is stoned
Immaculate.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 04, @07:42AM
Neat! You used the “copy and paste” tool to put the lyrics of the song “Stoned Immaculate” into your message!
I’ll tell you what, a bunch of people would have just posted “I spent a few seconds skimming this article but I didn’t understand it, but it made me go all counterculture so you should all think about the lyrics to the song ‘Stoned Immaculate’… the first few lines are about religion or something so they’re probably apropos.” But, boy, you went all the way for us!
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 05, @01:28AM (1 child)
Somehow I made it through the 70s without hearing this Doors album,
"An American Prayer" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I86Qz5yEpME&list=OLAK5uy_nhqYrMpfi9vBYp0vkXflvwMdOBtMPj3fQ [youtube.com]
Thanks for the tip!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 05, @04:35PM
> "An American Prayer"
Suitable poetry for Easter...
(Score: 3, Touché) by sgleysti on Saturday April 04, @05:31AM
That's why he made so many of them.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Mojibake Tengu on Saturday April 04, @06:37AM (1 child)
Just before French Revolution, Catholic Church was the biggest feudal in France, by ownership of land. Before the king.
Besides, if someone manages you to believe anything stupid, he can control you to perform anything stupid too. That's the original purpose of cults.
2000 years of wringing poor people's minds for... gold. Now degraded to being leader of the greatest pedophile ring in the world only, the pope is still the biggest collector of gold trinkets on this planet.
Well, they are not afraid of future of humanity. They fear of future for themselves. Their end is nigh.
Rust programming language offends both my Intelligence and my Spirit.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 04, @09:43AM
since
"the pope is still the biggest collector of gold trinkets on this planet."
(Score: 3, Interesting) by jb on Sunday April 05, @08:16AM (1 child)
But sadly no Latin version (only English, French, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish).
(Score: 2) by cereal_burpist on Tuesday April 07, @05:02AM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_See [wikipedia.org]
The Latin version might be released later:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastical_Latin [wikipedia.org]