PhD, the Vatican & Pope Leo XIV's AI Encyclical: Bo Bonner Reports from Europe — Bo Bonner - 06/15/2026

Bo Bonner Live from London Iowa Catholic Radio's own Bo Bonner is currently in London completing pre-residency work for his PhD at Saint Mary's University — the only Catholic university in London. His formal residential program begins in just a few weeks. Before arriving in London, Bo made two significant stops: Rome — Vatican AI Conference & Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical Bo and co-authors of Catholic Cosmotechnics for an AI Age were invited to a conference hosted by the Vatican Dicastery on Communication, timed to coincide with Pope Leo XIV's release of his new encyclical on artificial intelligence. While in Rome, the group recorded an episode of Vatican Access, an English-language podcast produced by Catholic News Service, hosted by Robert Duncan. 🎥 The Vatican Access episode is available on YouTube — search Vatican Access with Robert Duncan (Catholic News Service). Bo's core takeaway from the encyclical discussions:"You don't have to understand everything about the science involved. The Holy Father and the Church is with you. You're not alone... the sure way forward is to rest in the heart of Jesus Christ." France — John Henry Newman & Catholic Universities At the Catholic University of the West — celebrating its 175th anniversary — Bo delivered a presentation on John Henry Newman and the identity of Catholic universities, with live translation provided by colleague Luigi Rossi. Bo addressed how Newman's writings challenged utilitarian philosophies dominating English universities in his era, and how those questions are newly relevant in French Catholic academia today. Key Themes from This Interview: What Pope Leo XIV's AI encyclical means for everyday Catholics The Church's theology of communication and "media ecology" How Newman's vision of the university applies to Catholic higher education today Life abroad: no air conditioning in France, rainy bliss in London 📻 Hear more from Bo Bonner when he returns to the studio on June 29. Stay connected at IowaCatholicRadio.com #BoBonner #IowaCatholicRadio #PopeLeoXIV #AIEncyclical #CatholicCosmotechnics #VaticanAI #VaticanAccess #CatholicNewsService #JohnHenryNewman #CatholicUniversity #SaintMarysLondon #CatholicPhD #CatholicIntellectual #ChurchAndAI #CatholicMorningShow #CatholicPodcast #LuigiRossi #DeaconMarkCampbell #AlexiaBaker #FaithAndTechnology Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.