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Boston Globe
13-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
If you don't see the perils of AI, Pope Leo XIV has a warning
The new pope pointed to a a famous encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1891 called 'On Capital and Labor' that sought greater respect for worker's rights and unions, limited working hours, and fair wages. 'The discussion is not easy, nor is it void of danger,' the earlier pope Advertisement Leo XIV said he saw clear parallels to the current AI boom, amid the rise of massive data centers, AI bots, and tech billionaires. 'In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor,' the pope said (in a Vatican translation of the speech delivered in Latin). Advertisement Leo is only the second pope to explore the implications of AI, though so far he has focused on the darker aspects. Starting two years ago, Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, repeatedly praised the advance of technology and AI while also warning of the dangers of unchecked use of AI without moral and ethical boundaries. 'We cannot allow algorithms to limit or condition respect for human dignity, or to exclude compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and above all, the hope that people are able to change,' Francis said in a Some Massachusetts AI leaders, assembled by UMass Boston chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, In making reference to the Gilded Age industrial revolution, Leo appears to be more concerned about the potential for AI to allow for exploitation of workers and harm to society, according to Greg Epstein, Humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT who wrote a book last year about technology and religion. Epstein, who fears that technology has become a substitute for religion for many people, welcomed Leo's involvement. 'The Catholic Church has a mixed record when it comes to moral authority, but some of its best moments in history have been using its push for justice,' Epstein said. 'And I think that's what we need right now.' AI also raises concerns about devaluing human relationships, which the pope could address as well, said John Pittard, a professor of philosophy at Yale Divinity School. Advertisement 'I'm very concerned about the degradation and impoverishment of human relationships as we come to increasingly rely on AI and less on other people,' Pittard said. 'And obviously religion and Christianity and Catholicism have a lot to say about that. I would be concerned if he wasn't tuned into these challenges and issues in a significant way.' Aaron Pressman can be reached at
Irish Examiner
25-04-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
There were only 33 more Catholic marriages than civil ceremonies in Ireland in 2024
The gap between the number of Catholic and civil marriages has almost gone with 32.6% (6,425) of couples opting for a Catholic ceremony while 32.5% (6,392) chose a civil ceremony last year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. The CSO figures also show the number of marriages celebrated in Ireland fell by almost 4% in 2024. Last year, a total of 20,348 marriages were registered here, which included 668 same-sex marriages. That figure was down 4% from the 21,159 marriages celebrated in 2023, and a drop of 7.7% since 2014. Of the 668 same-sex marriages celebrated in Ireland last year, 325 were male same-sex weddings, while 343 were female. The average age for a bride in Ireland in 2024 was 35.9, while the comparable age 10 years ago was 33.0. The average age for a groom in Ireland in 2024 was 37.7, compared with 35.0 in 2014. Same-sex couples were slightly older, with the average age of males in same-sex couples 40.7, while females were 39.7. In 2024, religious ceremonies accounted for 59.5% of all marriages with counties Longford, Leitrim, and Mayo recording the largest proportion. There were 6,425 Catholic marriage ceremonies, 193 Church of Ireland ceremonies, The Spiritualist Union of Ireland performed 1,446 ceremonies, and 4,034 couples opted for other religious ceremonies in 2024. The majority of non-religious ceremonies were civil marriages which accounted for 33.1% (6,743) of all marriages. The remaining 1,507 (7.4%) couples had Humanist ceremonies. The CSO findings also show that the ratio of Catholic and civil ceremonies has reduced in 10 years, with only 33 more Catholic ceremonies than civil ceremonies taking place in 2024 compared with 6,905 more in 2014. August was the most popular month for opposite-sex marriages in 2024, while September was the most popular month for same-sex marriages. January was the least favoured month to tie the knot for both with only 653 ceremonies. Elsewhere, Friday was the most popular day of the year to get married with 7,280 ceremonies taking place, while Sunday was the least popular with only 715 ceremonies. Friday, September 6, and Friday, June 21, were the two most popular dates for opposite-sex marriages in 2024 with 211 couples getting hitched on both these dates. While Friday, July 19, and Friday, June 21, were the two most popular dates for same-sex marriages with 10 ceremonies taking place on each date. Read More Number of Catholic marriages fall in 2023 with almost a third opting for civil ceremonies
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beyond Belief Cultural Religiosity
Giles Fraser meets columnist Giles Coren, who was raised in the Jewish tradition, became an atheist and who now feels at home in a Christian church, to explore what it means to be culturally religious. Is cultural religiosity an oxymoron and totally untenable? Is it on the rise or has it always been there? Is it damaging to traditional religious practices? And, does it really matter? To examine these questions, Giles is joined by: Michael Rosen, author and poet, known for his work exploring humanism and atheism. He has co-written a book, "What is Humanism? How do you live without a god? And Other Big Questions for Kids," which looks at how humanists approach fundamental questions about morals, ethics, and the origins of life. Kate Smurthwaite, patron of the Humanist society and feminist, atheist comedian and activist. Internationally, she is probably best-known as the star of a viral video in which she claims that she doesn't have a faith because she is not an idiot. Justin Brierley, writer, documentary maker and broadcaster behind the book and podcast series, 'The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God'. Over the course of his work Justin looks at why new atheism grew old and why secular thinkers are considering Christianity again. Producers: Alexa Good & Linda Walker Editor: Tim Pemberton
