Within the frame of the new and first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, “Humanitas Magnifica,” and in the context of the ongoing scientific reflections on the extent and limits of the magnificence of humanity

Rev. Prof. John Okoro Egbulefu CCE, Assisi 30 Luglio 2026

1 Humanity is magnificent. A magnificent humanity (humanitas magnifica) is not just a humanity that is great (humanitas magna), nor a humanity as human collectiveness that is great from the point of view of its multiplicity, the vastness of its population, the infinite numerosity of its members, that may be traceable to the human industrious accomplishment of the divine mandate - injunction, command, imperative - exhortation and blessing to “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28a).

2 Magnificent humanity is rather that humanity that is doing (facere) great things (magna) that God asked her to do: “… and conquer it (namely the earth). Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, and all living animals on the earth” (Gen 1:28b).

From these two orders given to humanity by God when He said to her “Conquer the earth”, and “Be masters the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, and all living animals on the earth” are deduced that threefold task of forming, and governing over and of bearing responsibility over, the seas and water masses, the sky and air and the ground of the earth and the things living and moving in them, from which the three decisive constitutive words of the above named title and topic of the present Conference have been formulated: Formation, Governance and Responsibility.

3 Magnificent humanity is a humanity that, by doing her God-given duty, has dignity.

3a) The human dignity consists in man’s worthiness to be ‘appreciated, trusted, respected, loved’; ‘recognized/approved, supported, recommended, blessed’; ‘protected, defended, forgiven/pardoned, promoted/uplifted’; ‘celebrated, praised, exalted, crowned’; ‘admired, embraced, followed, imitated’.

3b) The human dignity descends like logical conclusion from the following two premises: i) man’s knowing their duty and doing it well and completely, and ii) man’s knowing their right and claiming it adequately. Whoever knows their duty and does it well and completely and knows their right and claims it adequately, neither more nor less than it is, or concedes it freely/voluntarily/willingly and gratuitously/generously to another person, is dignified, has ever more dignity, is ever more worthy of praise.

4 Human dignity must remain the first principle guiding:

1. Science - comprising

1a) ‘Research, discovery, invention, innovation, technology’,

1b) ‘Teaching, formation, education’,

1c) ‘Studying as learning from a Master as from an authoritative and exemplary Teacher’) and

2) Culture as fruit of the human individual and collective cultivation of the metaphysical as transcendental values comprising unity or oneness, goodness, trueness and truth and truthfulness, beauty and beautifulness of 2a) humanity in general, cf. philosophical cultures, or of 2b) a particular people, populus, in a particular place, locus, or in diverse - many and different - places, loca, cf. popular local cultures, or of 2c) the present time (co-tempus) worldwide (globus), cf. contemporary global cultures; 3) governance - leadership, responsibility, and ministry as authoritative and exemplary service (cf. ‘servire con l’esempio’) and 4) global development - comprising the improvement, the progress as advancement, the promotion as the propulsion of the motion or movement - of the human individual and of the human collectiveness (namely family, community, ethnicity, people, nation, kingdom, society) from 4a) being good (namely suitable to - befitting the dignity of - and, hence, useful and, hence, desirable to, God by imitating the goodness of the only one and true and beautiful God (as of that only one true beautiful ‘Goodness itself in person’ whose ‘oneness and trueness and beauty’ are interchangeable with the ‘goodness’ (bonum) that diffuses itself into all directions and gives itself gratuitously as gift (donum) to whomever is in need of it, passing 4b) through being better, 4c) to being the relatively best, second to only God Himself as the absolutely Best.

5 In the named Encyclical - Humanitas Magnifica - Pope Leo XIV - whose pontificate is dedicated particularly to the Apostolate of Peace - teaches with emphasis that Humans - individual and collective - have to confront painful chapters of history with humility, self-impeachment, truth, forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope.

5a) Authentic reconciliation begins when we have the courage to acknowledge past wrongs, honour the dignity of every human person, and commit ourselves to ensuring that exploitation never finds new forms in our age.

5b) True greatness is found not in denying history but in remembering and recognizing the truth and allowing truth to heal memory, allowing justice to restore relationships, and allowing mercy and compassion to shape the future.

5c) As we navigate the era of Artificial Intelligence and rapid technological change, the lessons of history remind us that every innovation must serve people, not profit alone.