Magnifica Humanitas & the Vatican’s Criticism of the West’s AI Enabled Warfare

In his first encyclical, issued on May 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV condemned the growing automation of weapons in global conflicts. This document is a direct criticism of the West’s overreliance on artificial intelligence systems in warfare.

Keeping all these considerations in mind, Christian intellectual traditions propounded the idea of the Just War theory. Tracing its roots, most notably, to the teachings of the Italian theologian and friar St. Thomas Aquinas and other notable thinkers over the years, the just war theory posits that whenever humans indulge in war, there are certain strict rules communities in general and nation-states in particular must follow.

These rules find their expression in the form of two key principles—Jus Ad Bellum and Jus in Bello.

Known as the right to go to war, Just Ad Bellum’s roots can be traced back to the Summa Theologica of Aquinas. In this theory, Aquinas outlined that in order for nation-states to wage war, they must ensure that they adhere to three principles—

Justa Causa: the possession of a right cause in waging war. This may manifest itself either in legitimate historical or territorial grievances.

Recta Intentio: It means right intention. Jus ad bellum demands that war must be waged by state actors with the express aim of avenging the........

© New Eastern Outlook