Having a faith conversation with old and new friends is as easy as setting the table.
FAITH FEEDS GUIDE
MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS
BOSTON COLLEGE | THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY CENTER
The FAITH FEEDS program is designed for individuals who are hungry for opportunities to talk about their faith with others who share it. Participants gather online or in person over coffee or a potluck lunch or dinner and share a conversation using the C21 Center’s downloadable guides. The FAITH FEEDS GUIDE offers easy, step-by-step materials, including articles and questions, to guide the conversation. It’s as simple as: deciding to host the gathering wherever your community is found, selecting a themed guide, and spreading the word. All selected articles for this guide have been taken from the C21 Center’s Fall 2026 issue of C21 Resources, “Deepening Faith & Relationships in a Digital Age.”
CONTENTS Introduction to FAITH FEEDS 2 Conversation Starters/Articles Magnifica humanitas: Key Points from Pope Leo’s First Encyclical by Katie Prejean McGrady 3 Questions for Conversation 5 What AI “Reasoning” Really Means by Fr. Philip Larrey 6 Questions for Conversation 8 A Call to Preserve the Work of Being Human by Molly Wysocki 9 Questions for Conversation 11 Resources for FAITH FEEDS Frequently Asked Questions 13 Checklist to Get Started 14 Facilitator Resources 15 Gathering and Closing Prayers 16
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MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS
ARTICLE 1
KEY POINTS FROM POPE LEO’S FIRST ENCYCLICAL By Katie Prejean McGrady Magnifica humanitas has arrived, and it is beautiful. It is well worth reading in full, because it is a wonderfully written, deeply thoughtful, clearly prayed-through text that I think will stand the test of time.
3) The world in which we live is rapidly changing, and Pope Leo is calling us to ask one key question about what is unfolding: What are we building? Leo poses a few key questions worth considering:
Leo’s first encyclical shows us his heart and invites us to consider what is happening in this current age, and how each of us is uniquely grand, dignified, valuable, and loved.
“Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to orient ourselves? What direction should we choose as people and as a human community?” (MH, 6).
Magnifica humanitas is not a screed against AI, nor is it a fullthroated endorsement of the technological advancements of the AI tools surrounding us. It is a consideration of the moments we face, how history got us here, how the social doctrine of the Church can guide us, and the responsibilities we each have in the current age of artificial intelligence. Here are important themes/points from Magnifica humanitas as you sit down to read it.
And to guide us through these questions, he offers two scenarios/characters: the building of the Tower of Babel and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.
1) Magnifica humanitas is magnificent, painting a picture of the grandeur of God writ large in the world, seen and experienced fully within His creation (namely us humans) and when we encounter the face of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Pope Leo makes clear that we grand and magnificent humans face a pivotal choice: Will we build Babel or will we construct a city of God? 2) The social doctrine of the Church is a rich and deep well. Pope Leo traces its historical development, the ways it has been taught, interpreted, and implemented in the Church and world, and challenges us to consider that the teachings of the Church concerning the principles of common good, universal destination of goods, subsidiarity, solidarity, and social justice are more than nice ideas. These are ever-present realities we must embrace, live, fight for, and proclaim boldly, especially as people of faith.
“With the heart of a shepherd and a father, I ask everyone to abandon the construction of yet another Tower of Babel and to join forces in building up the common good, so that humanity will never lose its beauty, and the world once again will come to recognize the human heart as the place where God desires to dwell.” (MH, 16). 4) Humanity will always be greater than anything humans make, and while AI is a valuable tool, it is just that: a tool. AI is created and man made, and therefore under our control. We must fashion the use of AI around guiding principles and an ethical, moral code because technology is far from morally neutral. If artificial intelligence is set to try to build a new kind of conscience, a new kind of human, then this shows us the very real human desire for more, and that can ultimately only be satisfied in a relationship with Christ. This is key: Pope Leo does not spend his time in this encyclical just telling the world how to use or not use AI. Instead, he, as the shepherd and Father we need, points us back to Jesus. That is the only lens through which we can tackle any changes in the world, technological or otherwise. Humanity is magnificent because of the most magnificent human, Jesus, and we transcend ourselves in relationship with Him, through grace.
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ARTICLE 1 FRIENDSHIP 5) AI risks automating the human spirit, and as such, we have to ensure that AI and technological advancements are tools for us. We cannot become cogs in a machine that are simply productive and efficient. Our dignity, and the dignity of our work is paramount, and it comes not from what we do but simply because we are. That which is artificially intelligent cannot and must not replace that which is real and wise. 6) Peace is not merely an idea, or even just an ideal. It is a craft, and an unarmed and disarming peace is of the utmost importance in the world today. Leo extensively explores and calls out the military-industrial complex, the ways in which AI and technology create a divided world that can lead to quick, forever war, and a belief that holds (wrongly) that peace is just far too difficult to achieve. War is easy. Peace takes time, and Pope Leo asks us to work to create peace within so that peace can reign throughout. 7) Humans long for more. We would not have transhumanism, or post-humanist or even AI-driven movements and advancement if there was not a desire within the human heart for more. We are restless, after all, and our Augustinian Pope quotes St. Augustine to remind us the restless heart only comes to a satisfied stillness in the Lord. Some in this world falsely believe we can build the more, invent the more, and code the more. But no! That more for which we long can only be found in God. …as a believer among believers, I invite everyone to contemplate, in the face of the Son of God, the grandeur of humanity that shines a light also on the era of AI….No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil. Even when machines excel in efficiency, a human face that asks to be gazed upon remains the center of our history.” (MH, 233). 8) We are not without hope in the age of AI. In fact, we should never be without hope when facing change. Because it is precisely in the face of change that God shows the strength of his arm, and the scattering of the proud, as he casts down the mighty, lifts up the lowly, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty-handed.
Read the first encyclical of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV
This is what Mary proclaims, what she prays, when faced with a challenge and a wild change in her life. She “bursts into a hymn of praise and joy. 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.” (MH, 243). In the age of AI, we must do the same. Just like Mary, we can see God’s invisible work in history and among mankind and ultimately direct our gaze to His face. In the end, this is the question posed: What ultimately safeguards humanity? In short: a civilization of love, which we build in relationship with God and others. What protects us in an age of AI? Remembering it is a tool that we use, not a tool that uses us. What brings us hope in this rapidly changing era? The face of Jesus Christ, the fuel that is the Eucharist, and communion with one another. We are the ones, loved into our existence, who must decide what to do with the time given to us. Pope Leo invites us to do with that time what we dignified, free, loved, creative, magnificent humans alone can do: build the civilization of love. “The civilization of love will not arise from a single or spectacular gesture, but from the sum total of small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanization…it is worthwhile pausing to reflect on some aspects of how we, each in our own way, can cooperate in building the civilization of love.” (MH, 213). Katie Prejean McGrady is an award-winning author, speaker, podcaster, and host of SiriusXM’s The Katie McGrady Show on The Catholic Channel. She is also a Vatican analyst for CNN and collaborates with the Vatican Dicastery for Communications on Digital Media initiatives. This article excerpt was originally published on May 25, 2026 and is reprinted with permission: https://katieprejeanmcgrady.substack.com/p/10-key-pointsfrom-pope-leos-first.
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MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS “We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace.” (MH 15] —Pope Leo XIV Summary
In her article, Katie Prejean McGrady summarizes eight main points of Pope Leo’s first encyclical, articulating the pope’s call to safeguard human dignity. Urging readers to ask themselves and their communities what kind of world they want to build, she echoes Pope Leo’s insistence that artificial intelligence must remain a tool that serves humanity. She concludes by reiterating Pope Leo’s invitation to build a ‘civilization of love.’
Questions for Conversation
1. Which of McGrady’s eight points resonated most with you? 2. How can we build a ‘civilization of love’ in a polarized society? What actions can you take to contribute? 3. McGrady, and Pope Leo, argue that technology is not morally neutral. Why not, and how can we grapple with this claim as we use the technology?
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WHAT AI “REASONING” REALLY MEANS
ARTICLE 2
By Fr. Philip Larrey A lot of today’s AI tools now advertise something called “reasoning.” That sounds impressive, but it can also be confusing. When a machine gives a step-by-step answer, is it really reasoning in the same way a human being reasons? This matters, because the words we use shape how we think about the mind, truth, and what makes human beings unique. In ordinary life, human knowing begins with experience. We see things, hear things, remember things, and make sense of what happens around us. But we do more than take in information. We also think about it. We look for meaning, ask questions, and try to understand what something is and why it matters. In the classical tradition, especially in Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, this is part of what makes human reason special. So human reasoning is not just information processing. It is our ability to move from experience to understanding, and from understanding to judgment. We do not simply sort signals or repeat patterns. We try to know what is true. We ask whether our ideas match reality. That search for truth is at the heart of human reason. Large language models operate very differently. They do not have senses, interior awareness, or lived experience. They do not encounter the world as a human person does. Instead, they are trained on immense quantities of data and use statistical patterns to generate highly probable outputs. Even when their results appear thoughtful, what is happening is not intellectual apprehension in the classical sense. The machine is not understanding reality from within. It is calculating relationships among symbols and producing language that resembles understanding. This is one reason why the inner operation of AI is often described as a “black box.” We can observe the input and the output, while the intermediate computational process is often difficult to interpret in fully human terms. Some engineers even describe this process as extra-linguistic, since the system is not literally composing sentences step-by-step in the way a person speaks or writes.
Still, whatever terminology we choose, we should be careful not to confuse complex computation with thought in the full human sense. The machine is not reflecting on meaning. It is transforming patterns into new patterns. For that reason, calling this process “reasoning” can be misleading. The term suggests an activity proper to rational beings, beings capable of understanding, judgment, and insight. AI can imitate the outward form of reasoning with astonishing power, but imitation is not identity. Just as “artificial intelligence” does not mean intelligence in exactly the same sense as the human intellect, so, too, “AI reasoning” should not be taken as evidence that a machine possesses a mind, wisdom, or consciousness. From a broader philosophical perspective, two consequences follow from this distinction. The first concerns wisdom. Human reasoning can mature into wisdom, which is not merely the accumulation of correct answers but a deeper grasp of reality and of the good. Wisdom enables us to situate facts within a meaningful whole. It asks not only how something works but what it is for, how it should be used, and what it means for a flourishing human life. No machine, however advanced, possesses this form of interior participation in meaning. The second consequence concerns truth. AI systems do not know truth as truth. They generate outputs based on probability, pattern recognition, and optimization. This helps explain why they sometimes produce so-called “hallucinations”: statements that are fluent and persuasive, yet false. Such failures are not accidental glitches added onto an otherwise human-like intellect. They reveal something essential about the system itself. Truth is not the interior norm by which the machine knows. Rather, accuracy is approximated externally through data, training, and feedback. Here the Catholic intellectual tradition offers a particularly important contribution. The Church has long insisted that faith and reason are not rivals but allies.
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ARTICLE 2 FRIENDSHIP As St. John Paul II wrote in Fides et Ratio, faith and reason are like “two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” Human reason is a genuine participation in the intelligibility of creation. Because the world is created by God and ordered by divine wisdom, the human mind is capable of knowing reality, however imperfectly, and of seeking truth with confidence rather than despair. From a Catholic perspective, then, the difference between human reasoning and machine computation is not simply one of degree but of kind. The human person is not a sophisticated prediction engine. We are creatures made in the image of God, endowed with intellect and will, and capable of moral judgment, selfreflection, love, and openness to transcendence. Reason is therefore inseparable from the soul and from the vocation of the person. It is part of what enables us to recognize truth, choose the good, and ultimately direct ourselves toward God. This also means that wisdom cannot be reduced to data processing. For the Catholic tradition, wisdom is connected to both natural reason and grace. It includes the disciplined search for truth through philosophy and science, but it also opens onto theology, contemplation, and the moral life.
A machine may help us organize information, summarize arguments, or test possibilities. It cannot pray, repent, behold, or love. It cannot enter into communion with God, and therefore it cannot participate in the deepest horizon within which human reason finds its fulfillment. None of this means that AI is useless or threatening by definition. On the contrary, these systems can be powerful tools. They can assist research, education, communication, and discovery. But the proper way to value them is as instruments ordered to human ends, not as substitutes for human intelligence or spiritual depth. The Catholic view guards against both naïve enthusiasm and fearful exaggeration. It reminds us that technology is good when it serves the truth about the human person. If we lose sight of that truth, we risk speaking about machines in exalted terms while speaking about ourselves in diminished ones. If we preserve it, however, AI can become an aid rather than an idol. The challenge before us is not merely to build more capable systems but to remain clear about what only the human person can do: know reality, seek wisdom, love the good, and respond freely to the God who is Truth itself. Fr. Philip Larrey is a Catholic priest and professor of the practice in philosophy at Boston College. He previously held the chair of Logic and Epistemology and served as dean of the Philosophy Department at the Pontifical Lateran University in the Vatican.
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WHAT “AI REASONING” REALLY MEANS “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human. We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace.” [MH 15] — Pope Leo XIV Summary
In his article, Fr. Philip Larrey explains the difference between human reasoning and the way in which artificial intelligence processes information. Humans make meaning through personal experiences and the pursuit of truth, while AI simply produces output through advanced statistical computations. Larrey emphasizes that only humans can make moral judgements by exercising wisdom through relationship with others.
Questions for Conversation
1. What does it mean for a technology to “serve the truth about the human person”? 2. When you pose a question to AI, are you having a ‘conversation’ with it, according to Larrey? What makes human conversations unique? 3. Ignatian spirituality often touches on the idea of wholeness. What does valuing the whole person do for our relationships, and do you think AI threatens our ability to value wholeness?
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ARTICLE 3 FRIENDSHIP
A CALL TO PRESERVE THE WORK OF BEING HUMAN By Molly Wysocki These days, it is nearly impossible to engage with any kind of technology without encountering generative AI. When I search on Google, the AI Overview consolidates the relevant output into a neatly-packaged summary, as if the 0.2 seconds it took to answer my query wasn’t efficient enough. Google Docs now includes a “help me write” feature, prompting me to incorporate AI into my writing the second I open a new document. When I pose a question to Siri, I am immediately asked to choose if I’d like ChatGPT to answer the question instead.
Gemini paints pictures. Suno composes songs. Grammarly writes poems. AI’s capabilities are seemingly endless. I don’t live in the age of the dinosaurs when it comes to technology—I religiously utilize Reminders, Google Calendar, and all of the other apps you’d expect a typical college student to regularly employ. These apps serve their purpose, no doubt.
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ARTICLE 3
And yet, there’s something different about AI that unsettles me. As a student, writer, and musician, I’m deeply concerned that the creative process—the slow, messy, complicated, and fundamentally human task of perfecting a once-undeveloped idea—seems to be gradually moving into obsolescence in the age of AI. Moreover, I’m starting to believe that we as students and members of U.S. society are collectively losing our motivation to question, critique, and reckon with discomfort each time AI neutralizes nuanced questions with its agreeable tone. My identity as a student at a Jesuit, liberal arts university largely predicates my unease with AI. Boston College is a place which prides itself precisely on teaching the critical thinking, reading, and writing skills that AI threatens to outsource. The efficiency so central to the productive function of AI is the antithesis of the reflective culture at BC which I’ve grown to so deeply love. From my first day on campus, faculty and staff have encouraged me to wrestle with Father Himes’ famous three questions: What brings you joy? What are you good at? Who does the world need you to be?
I see this kind of technocratic reign inching ever closer as AI improves on a daily basis. If Pope Francis had the foresight to name this reality over 10 years ago, I’d best believe he, too, would be gravely troubled by the way AI is eroding basic social and educational skills in our present moment. This hope persists because I’ve learned that our humanity depends upon these very qualities, and I see them in action every day. As students, faculty, staff, and everyday people, may we continue to question and wonder. May we find solace in the ability to be still. May we keep making art. And may we persist in our commitment to the gritty and complicated work of being human—work which remains necessary to bear the fruit of joy and love. Molly Wysocki ’26 graduated from Boston College with majors in economics and theology and a minor in applied psychology. She is currently serving as a Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., Postgraduate Media Fellow with America Media.
Answering these questions requires intense, focused thought, energy, and time. AI seems to respond, “Why bother?” Why bother with discernment if AI can compose the song, write the poem, and paint the picture in a matter of seconds. Why bother if all of these things can be done without the tiresome emotional labor of introspection. My experience as a BC student leads me to believe that Jesuit pedagogy is well-suited to respond to this timely moral question. If we as students, staff, and faculty are to take seriously Boston College’s mission of educating “with a heart and soul,” we must acknowledge the ways in which AI’s enablement of fastpaced productivity endangers the integrity of our mission.
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A CALL TO PRESERVE THE WORK OF BEING HUMAN “Technology is not simply a tool. When it becomes the standard by which everything is judged, it begins to dictate what matters and what can be discarded, reducing creation to an object of exploitation and human beings to mere cogs in a system driven toward ever greater efficiency.” (MH 92] — Pope Leo XIV Summary
In her article, Molly Wysocki shares a student’s perspective on the use of generative artificial intelligence in a Jesuit educational environment. Concerned that the processes of critical thinking, reflection, and human conversation are severely diminished when AI is widely adopted, she calls on readers to resist the “technocratic reign” of AI by prioritizing human connection, art, and stillness. She concludes in hope, noting how Boston College’s mission of “educating with a heart and soul” can help preserve what makes us human.
Questions for Conversation
1. Wysocki states, “I’m starting to believe that we as students and members of U.S. society are collectively losing our motivation to question, critique, and reckon with discomfort each time AI neutralizes nuanced questions with its agreeable tone.” What do you think of this? Do you agree or disagree? 2. Where do you find solace amidst a “culture of frenetic busyness”? 3. What is so important about the “gritty and complicated work of being human”? What do you learn from it?
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NOTES:
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Who should participate in FAITH FEEDS? Anyone who is hungry for opportunities to talk about their faith with others who share it! The program is designed for parishes, schools, other organizations, and/or friend groups. Who should host FAITH FEEDS? Any member of the group who has a heart for bringing people together and facilitating conversations about faith is perfect to host FAITH FEEDS. (The host could choose to ask another group member to facilitate.) Where do I host FAITH FEEDS? You can host a FAITH FEEDS in-person at a location that makes sense for the participants (e.g., private home, parish center, local coffee shop, etc.) or virtually through video conference software (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, etc.). Both versions are effective for conversations and building community. If more than 10-12 are participating, we recommend splitting into smaller groups. When do we host FAITH FEEDS? You should offer a FAITH FEEDS discussion on a day and time that is mutually convenient for your group. The host can help poll the group to figure out what is best. We recommend setting aside one hour for each session.
What is the host’s commitment? The host is responsible for coordinating meeting times, location, and refreshments; sending out an invitation with materials and meeting details (including a video conference link, if online); collecting RSVPs; and determining how many conversation groups to create based on the number of participants (small groups are suggested). What is the facilitator’s commitment? The facilitator guides the conversation, asking participants to introduce themselves, sharing the FAITH FEEDS “Recipe for Success,” suggesting which articles and questions to discuss, and encouraging individuals to participate in the conversation as they feel comfortable. What is the guest’s commitment? Participants are asked to read the articles that will be discussed and to be open to faith-filled conversation. What themes are available for FAITH FEEDS conversations? The C21 Center’s website offers a large collection of themed guides (and new guides are always being added). Visit bc.edu/FAITHFEEDS for a complete list of available guides. Still have more questions? No problem! Email The C21 Center at church21@bc.edu for more information and guidance. We are here to help you get set up and support you on your journey!
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CHECKLIST TO GET STARTED STEP ONE Coordinate a date, time, location, and guest list. An hour is enough time to allocate for the virtual or in-person gathering. Select a theme/guide to use for the session. The collection of guides can be found on bc.edu/FAITHFEEDS.
STEP TWO Invite potential guests via email/text and ask them to RSVP directly to the host. Share a link to or downloaded copy of the FAITH FEEDS guide selected and ask guests to bring a potluck dish or drink to the gathering. For virtual FAITH FEEDS, send out your video conference link.
STEP THREE Decide if the host will also facilitate the conversation—if not, ask another member of the group to lead the conversation. The facilitator should review the articles in the FAITH FEEDS Guide and decide which article and question(s) will serve as a starter for your discussion. More resources for facilitators are provided on the C21 Center websites at bc.edu/FAITHFEEDS.
STEP FOUR The host should send out a reminder email/text a week or so before the FAITH FEEDS gathering. On the meeting day, the host and facilitator should plan to arrive early for in-person or virtual set up.
STEP FIVE Let the session begin! Welcome participants, make introductions, share a Gathering Prayer (suggestion offered in this guide), review the “Recipe for Success” (conversation guidelines), and open the discussion using the suggested questions. The conversation should grow organically from there. Enjoy this gathering of new friends, knowing the Lord is with YOU!
STEP SIX Before closing the session, make plans for another FAITH FEEDS and share prayer intentions and/or a closing prayer. And we would love to hear about your FAITH FEEDS experience! Contact the C21 Center at church21@bc.edu.
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FACILITATOR RESOURCES SUGGESTED TIMELINE for FAITH FEEDS Sessions are usually one hour. We recommend the following timeline and activities for facilitators: Welcome & Introductions (10 minutes) Welcome the group and offer an opening prayer Ask participants to briefly introduce themselves Share the “Recipe for Success” (ground rules) for the session Select an article and question from the FAITH FEEDS Guide to start the conversation Share conversation (40 minutes): Continue to move through questions and other articles as time allows. Closing & Sending Forth (1o minutes): Leave time at the end for planning the next session, sharing prayer intentions in the group, and offering a closing prayer.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Conversation Guidelines 1. Privacy: Keep all shared personal stories and opinions private. 2. Speak from the Heart: Use "I" statements and speak from personal experience. 3. Respect: Consider each other's viewpoints without interruption. 4. Listen to Understand: Focus on listening without needing to respond. 5. Be curious: Engage with an open mind and seek greater understanding. 6. Share the Space: Be mindful of speaking time to allow everyone to contribute. 7. Respond: Share when you are comfortable, but feel free to just listen if you prefer. 8. Express Gratitude: Express appreciation for the opportunity to learn from each other. 9. Trust: Lift up the conversation for the greater glory of God. The Holy Spirit will be there to guide. 10. Reflect: Spend a few minutes after the conversation thinking about its impact on your faith journey.
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GATHERING PRAYER Be With Us Today St. Thomas More (1478–1535)
Father in heaven, you have given us a mind to know you, and a heart to love you. Be with us today in all that we do, so that your light may shine out in our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SENDING FORTH PRAYER Fall in Love Pedro Arrupe, S.J. (1907-1991) Joseph P. Whelan, S.J.
Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything. Amen.
For more information about Faith Feeds, visit bc.edu/FAITHFEEDS This program is sponsored by Boston College’s Church in the 21st Century Center, a catalyst and a resource for the renewal of the Catholic Church. (617) 552-0470 • church21@bc.edu • bc.edu/c21