311: AI, Pope Leo, & The Antichrist

Leo the XIV wrote a big letter about a hyperobject. Many thoughts and debates are triggered. Today we’ll look at what the hell an encyclical is, the Vatican's decade-long conversation with Silicon Valley about coding morally-sound AI, and the broken and laundered echoes of Liberation Theology in Leo’s text. Show Notes Rerum Novarum, Leo XIII, May 15 1891 Catholic Church largest non-governmental landowner Magnifica Humanitas full text Paragraph 177: memory of past complicity in slavery Thiel’s Antichrist Framing Collides with Church Doctrine Why Silicon Valley is Turning to The Catholic Church Gustavo Gutiérrez, A Theology of Liberation (1971/1973) Medellín Conference 1968, CELAM documents Camilo Torres Restrepo, ELN Colombia Ratzinger CDF investigation of Gutiérrez, 1984 James Martin SJ, "A capitalist priest reads Magnifica Humanitas," America Magazine Word on Fire publishing Magnifica Humanitas in hardcopy Brief: US v. Liberation Theology (Part 1) — November 1, 2025 Bonus: US v. Liberation Theology (Part 2) — November 3, 2025 Conspirituality Episode on Leo XIV vs Trump (Leo's immigration remarks through Good Friday) — April 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices