The Bioethical Priorities of Pope Leo XIV
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Pope Leo XIV in the short time since his election has already expressed himself forcefully on several bioethical topics. Unsurprisingly, he emphasizes the human dignity of every person with special attention to the most vulnerable, notably the unborn, elderly, and sick. He has also brought up the challenge of artificial intelligence several times. Prior to his election as pope he spoke clearly on the ethical problems associated with gender ideology and the “homosexual lifestyle.”
In his first audience with ambassadors and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, he told them the following:
It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies. This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, “a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society.” In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.
Later in the same short speech, he said, “the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth” were challenges of our time.
There is clearly a great deal of continuity in the priorities expressed by Pope Leo XIV with Popes St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. The area, however, that he already seems to be indicating as a new priority is artificial intelligence, or AI. Recent years have seen an ongoing explosion in the power and extension of AI in many fields, including biomedicine. One of the most troubling new AI developments is lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) that use AI to target and kill people with no direct human control over the drones or similar weapons. Given Pope Leo’s frequent calls for peace, from his first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the intersection of AI and war will probably be a high priority for him, especially as international bodies attempt to bring LAWS into international conventions and treaties.
Our pope chose the name Leo because he sees our age as having similarities to the struggles of Pope Leo XIII, who defended exploited workers in the midst of the industrial revolution at the turn of the 20th century and had to face the rise of Marxism. It is undeniable that we are living during a time of unprecedented technological and scientific changes. The biomedical breakthroughs of the last few decades and the pace of current discoveries are a major challenge for the Church. Instead of having centuries to ponder the correct magisterial response, our shepherds are now expected to react extremely quickly. It has been impressive to see how fast documents like Antiqua et Nova were released to help guide the faithful and all persons of goodwill concerning artificial intelligence. I believe and hope that the crucial field of bioethics will be a major priority of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate.
There is a wise political proverb that affirms “personnel is policy.” It highlights the point that those chosen by leaders to implement their plans have tremendous influence on how well and faithfully those ideas become concrete realities. Administrators can either further or thwart the intentions of presidents, prime ministers, or popes. Many will therefore be watching the early appointments of Pope Leo XIV to key posts.
Among the very first actions of Pope Leo were the replacement of Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia as grand chancellor of the Pontifical Theological Institute John Paul II for Marriage and the Family and president of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope Francis nominated Archbishop Paglia to head both institutions, which had been created by Pope St. John Paul II. All objective observers noted that over the last several years Paglia changed the focus of both the John Paul II Institute in Rome and the Academy for Life in a decidedly more liberal direction.
The JPII Institute in particular had its statutes changed in 2019 and large numbers of administrators and faculty members dismissed. Instead of continuing the doctrinal approach of St. John Paul II, notably the theology of the body, a new emphasis was placed on secular anthropology and sociology. Therefore, many will be hopeful that the new grand chancellor, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the current vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, will have different priorities. Just the fact that Reina was chosen is a return to the way things were done prior to Pope Francis, when the vicar for Rome was also grand chancellor. Time will tell if the new leadership returns to the founding charism of the JPII Institute. It should be noted that the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage & Family at The Catholic University of America in Washington DC is effectively independent of the institution of the same name located behind St. John Lateran and has stayed very faithful to the vision of Pope St. John Paul II as all the changes were taking place in Rome.
Pope Leo also named a new president for the Pontifical Academy for Life, Msgr. Renzo Pegoraro, who had previously been chancellor of the institution. This seems to be much more of a choice of continuity with Archbishop Paglia. The two worked closely together for many years. There have been multiple controversies over public statements and appointments of members of the Pontifical Academy for Life that conflicted with Catholic teaching on the defense of human life in recent years. Again, we will soon know if necessary corrections to the personnel and priorities of the Academy for Life will be carried out. That is certainly something to be hoped for and prayed for by those who love the Church.
Joseph Meaney received his PhD in bioethics from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. His doctoral program was founded by the late Elio Cardinal Sgreccia and linked to the medical school and Gemelli teaching hospital. His dissertation topic was Conscience and Health Care: A Bioethical Analysis. Dr. Meaney earned his master’s in Latin American studies, focusing on health care in Guatemala, from the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from the University of Dallas with a BA in history and a concentration in international studies. The Benedict XVI Catholic University in Trujillo, Peru, awarded Dr. Meaney an honorary visiting professorship. The University of Dallas bestowed on him an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters in 2022.