What’s behind the Pope’s apology for slavery in his encyclical letter ? | DW News

Key Concepts

• Transatlantic Slave Trade: The historical forced migration and enslavement of over 12 million Africans, historically permitted by papal decrees.
• Magnifica Humanitas: Pope Leo’s first encyclical, serving as a manifesto on safeguarding human dignity in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
• Digital Colonialism: The process by which technology companies and powerful nations extract data and exploit personal lives, mirroring historical colonial extraction.
• Subsidiarity: A Catholic social teaching principle advocating that matters should be handled by the smallest, lowest, or least centralized competent authority, ensuring all stakeholders have a voice.
• Synodal Church: A participatory model of church governance that emphasizes gathering diverse voices to discuss and address global challenges.
• Autonomous Weapon Systems: AI-driven military technologies that operate beyond direct human control, which the Pope argues must be "disarmed."

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1. The Historic Apology and Historical Context

Pope Leo, the first U.S. Pope and a descendant of both enslaved people and slave owners, issued a formal apology for the Catholic Church’s historical role in the transatlantic slave trade.

• Historical Failure: The Church previously issued decrees that permitted European nations to enslave non-Christians.
• Rationale for Apology: Professor Leo Kadomo notes that while previous popes have acknowledged this failure, the current apology serves as a necessary step in recognizing that religious institutions historically condoned and profited from slavery. It reinforces the Church's ongoing commitment to condemning all forms of human bondage.

2. AI as a New Form of Slavery and Colonialism

The encyclical Magnifica Humanitas draws a direct parallel between historical slavery and the risks posed by the digital revolution.

• Mechanisms of Control: AI is identified as a tool that can keep populations in conditions of dependence by controlling human consciousness and behavior.
• Exploitation of Labor: The supply chain for AI—specifically the extraction of mineral resources—is linked to human trafficking and the commodification of persons.
• Digital Colonialism: Professor Kadomo argues that Africa is being treated as a site for data extraction. She states: "Colonialism assumes new forms. It no longer dominates only bodies, but appropriates data, transforming personal lives into exploitable information."

3. The Role of the Church in AI Governance

Rather than seeking to act as a governing body for technology, the Church aims to act as a facilitator for ethical discourse.

• Principle of Subsidiarity: The Church advocates for a multi-stakeholder approach where designers, affected communities, wealthy nations, and developing nations sit at the same table.
• Common Good: The primary objective is to ensure AI is developed to serve the "entire human family" rather than a "privileged few."
• Call to Action: Pope Leo explicitly called for the "disarming" of AI, a term chosen to awaken global conscience regarding systems that operate beyond human control.

4. Institutional Responsibility and Global Perspective

Professor Leo Kadomo, a theologian and member of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, highlights the importance of integrating academic and theological perspectives into global policy.

• The Dicastery’s Role: The work involves affirming human dignity in the modern era, specifically by applying Catholic social teaching to economics, migration, and political theology.
• Global Vision: The approach emphasizes a "global perspective," moving away from centralized power structures toward a model of participation and shared responsibility.

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Synthesis and Conclusion

The central argument presented is that the Church must evolve from its historical complicity in human exploitation to becoming a moral architect for the digital age. By linking the historical trauma of the transatlantic slave trade to the modern risks of AI—such as data extraction, labor exploitation, and autonomous weaponry—Pope Leo and his advisors are framing technology as a human rights issue. The takeaway is that the future of AI must be guided by the principles of human dignity and inclusivity, requiring a collaborative, global effort to prevent technology from becoming a new, invisible form of colonialism.