U.S.
US bishops form new task force over AI concerns, meet with tech leaders
WASHINGTON — Amid recent calls from several artificial intelligence leaders for a slowdown in the technology’s development, the nation’s Catholic bishops are engaging tech leaders and lawmakers to address concerns over AI and online child safety. The bishops have also formed a task force to safeguard human dignity as AI rapidly evolves, echoing Pope Leo XIV’s urgent message in his encyclical on AI, “Magnifica Humanitas.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the developments in a Sept. 16 press release, saying its administrative committee — led by USCCB president Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City — had met at the USCCB’s Washington headquarters with “representatives from a variety of tech firms and specialists” in AI earlier that day. Following the meeting, more than a dozen bishops headed from the USCCB’s Washington headquarters to Capitol Hill, speaking with elected officials about AI and online child safety regulation. In the press release, USCCB executive director of public affairs Chieko Noguchi said the dialogue with AI experts had “focused on ways to keep any system of artificial intelligence at the service of humanity.” The exchange also stressed “the urgent need to address the real and present dangers such technology present,” Noguchi said. AI tech leaders have recently highlighted the dangers of unchecked AI as it rapidly evolves, with several experts urging an immediate downshift in development. (OSV News)
Trump addresses United Nations
UNITED NATIONS — U.S. President Donald Trump said Sept. 22 during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly that he has a decision to make on Iran: to make a deal or to “annihilate the Islamic Republic.” Trump previously threatened in April to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization,” but later backed down amid widespread outrage. Pope Leo XIV and other Catholic leaders were among those who condemned the threat as morally unjustifiable. Elsewhere in Trump’s speech, he sought to rebrand artificial intelligence, or AI, as “superintelligence,” saying that the technology would be referred to as such in official U.S. documents. (OSV News)
Embrace ‘deep spiritual bonds’ between Jews and Catholics, says bishop in Yom Kippur message
WASHINGTON — As the Jewish community marks the holiest day of its year, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania, chair of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ committee on ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, extended his “warmest wishes,” while urging Catholics to reject antisemitism and recall the “deep spiritual bonds” between Jews and Catholics. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, was observed from sunset on Sept. 20 to nightfall on Sept. 21. In a Sept. 18 video message, Bishop Bambera said that Yom Kippur “invites a searching examination of the year that has passed and a commitment to the year ahead.” Bishop Bambera noted that Jewish and Catholic faithful both seek to restore their connection to God and others. He also stressed that the Church’s “relationship with the Jewish people is not simply a matter of dialogue between two religious communities.” Rather, he said, “It is rooted in the deep spiritual bonds that unite us, including our shared patrimony and the scriptural heritage from which both our traditions draw.” As the Second Vatican Council teaches, Catholics are called to reject all forms of antisemitism, and “to deepen our understanding of Judaism and of the Jewish people,” Bishop Bambera said. (OSV News)
Pope Leo XIV names US bishops’ migration committee chair as new bishop of Joliet, Illinois
WASHINGTON — Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Texas, as the next bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. The appointment was announced Sept. 17 in Washington by Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop Cahill succeeds a period of interim leadership in Joliet under Auxiliary Bishop Dennis E. Spies, who has served as apostolic administrator since Pope Leo named Bishop Ronald A. Hicks archbishop of New York. Born in Coral Gables, Florida, in 1963, Bishop Cahill studied psychology, theology and African-American Studies before earning advanced degrees in dogmatic theology in Rome. Ordained a priest in 1990 for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Bishop Cahill served in parish ministry, seminary formation, and clergy leadership roles before Pope Francis named him bishop of Victoria in 2015. Bishop Cahill is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ migration committee. (OSV News)
WORLD
Church in Congo mourns 27 children killed in fires
BUKAVU, Congo — Catholic schoolchildren in eastern Congo gathered with candles Sept. 17 at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Bukavu to mourn 27 classmates killed in a fire that devastated homes and schools across the city. A series of fires on Sept. 10 destroyed nearly 500 homes and left at least 2,000 people homeless. Celebrating a memorial Mass, Father Patrice Mukata Bayongwa encouraged students to hold on to faith and hope. “Death plunges us into silence because we will no longer see our loved ones. We mourn their absence, but let us not forget that God is present,” he said. According to Catholic communicator Benjamin Mukanire, many of the victims took part in parish activities, including children’s pastoral groups and choir ministries. The tragedy has deeply affected families. Church leaders expressed sorrow while criticizing authorities for inadequate prevention measures. Sister Aimée Musenga called for stronger school safety standards and a “genuine culture of prevention.” Comboni Missionary Father Kasereka Amini Wasingya said the Church, through Caritas, is supporting bereaved families while praying for peace in a region already battered by conflict and humanitarian crisis. (OSV News)
