On 18th August, an extensive lecture on "Magnifica Humanitas," the encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, was held at Morning Star Regional Seminary in Kolkata, India. The lecture was delivered by Fr. James G. Pattarakalayil, MSFS, Dean of Studies of the Philosophy Section, and was moderated by Fr. Anand Raj, professor of theology from the Diocese of Asansol. The gathering was attended by the religious communities near the seminary, where students of philosophy and theology pursue their studies, among them the SSCC community of Dangadighila.
In his talk, Fr. James G. clearly summarized the key points of the papal document. He emphasized that human beings flourish precisely through their frailties, which create space for sharing love and compassion with others. He also affirmed that human intelligence surpasses artificial intelligence: although AI is an admirable discovery of human creativity, it must not replace human intelligence, since it lacks feelings, values, and experience of its own. AI, he explained, is a passive tool that merely displays the data it has been fed, incapable of making autonomous decisions as humans do — endowed as they are with subjective feelings, experiences, moral sense, and values.
The speaker insisted that artificial intelligence must serve human creativity, never replace it, and called for cultivating the "golden mean": the ability to limit its excessive and unnecessary use. He concluded by recalling that technological progress must not undermine human dignity, but rather become an instrument for glorifying it in every person.
During the day, students were reminded of the importance of not relying entirely on artificial intelligence for their academic work, but rather using it as a supporting reference for their own reflections on the topics addressed.
The lecture proved especially timely, offering a response to the misuse of AI in this postmodern era while proposing guidelines for its proper and responsible use.
09/06/2026