VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥� issued of his papacy on Thursday, denouncing a world that 鈥渋s losing its heart鈥� during times of global turmoil marked by 鈥渨ars, socio-economic disparities and the uses of technology that threaten our humanity.鈥�
The document titled 鈥淒ilexit Nos,鈥� Latin for 鈥淗e Loves Us,鈥� was issued to coincide with the 350th anniversary of St. Margaret Mary Alocoque's first apparition, which helped spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus revealing his love of humanity.
The social encyclical appeals to the faithful to 鈥渕editate鈥� on Jesus鈥� love in a world in which consumerism and algorithms obscure humanity. It is his fourth encyclical, the best-known of which to date is the 2015 or 鈥淧raised Be,鈥� which cast care for the environment in moral terms.
In 鈥淒ilexit Nos,鈥� the pontiff did not cite specific examples of global turmoil in the 220-paragraph document issued in eight languages, although he frequently refers to conflicts from in homilies, weekly prayers and global travels.
Francis often asks for prayers for the 鈥渕artyred鈥� people of Ukraine and most recently cited 鈥渋nhumane attacks鈥� in Gaza. In the Middle East conflict, he has tended to take a balanced line, often mentioning Israel and the hostages still held by Hamas alongside the suffering of the Palestinians.
In the document, the pontiff said the failure to 鈥渇eel that something is intolerable鈥� in the suffering on both sides of conflict 鈥渋s a sign of a world that has grown heartless.鈥�
鈥淲hen we witness the outbreak of new wars, with the complicity, tolerance or indifference of other countries, or petty power struggles over partisan interests, we may be tempted to conclude that our world is losing its heart,鈥欌�� he wrote.
The pope warned that consumer-driven societies 鈥渄ominated by the hectic pace and bombarded by technology" risked losing access to an 鈥渋nterior life,鈥� the nature of which requires patience.
He noted that algorithms have revealed that 鈥渙ur thoughts and will are much more 鈥榰niform鈥� than we had previously thought. They are easily predictable and thus capable of being manipulated.鈥�
In an era of artificial intelligence, "we cannot forget that poetry and love are necessary to save our humanity,鈥欌�� he wrote.
Vatican encyclicals are the most authoritative form of papal teaching and traditionally take their titles from the first two words of the document.
Mons. Bruno Forte, a theologian who is archbishop of the Italian archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto, said the 鈥淒ilexit Nos鈥� encyclical "can be truly considered as a summary of everything that Pope Francis has said and wishes to say to our brothers in humanity. He says, 鈥楪od loves you and has shown you in the best way, through Jesus.' 鈥�'
Forte said the document should not be viewed as 鈥渏ust a spiritual refuge,鈥� but as a proposal of 鈥渓ove, mutual reception and forgiveness.鈥�
The Associated Press
