News from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development - June 2026
Magnifica humanitas. Two words that defend every person on this planet, celebrating their beauty, dignity and identity as created and loved by God. Two words that stand as a bulwark against standardisation, discrimination, exclusion and exploitation, rejecting every attempt to manipulate the human person, so as to reduce humanity to the service of economic or ideological interests.
The Encyclical of Pope Leo XIV is striking for its realism and its lucid, penetrating reading of the present age. “For an algorithm, an error is a flaw to be corrected; for a person, however, an error can be a catalyst for profound change” (MH 128).
In a world increasingly dominated by the logic of efficiency and calculation, this text powerfully reminds us that the value of the human person is measured neither by performance nor by usefulness. It invites us to rediscover an anthropology of relationship, in which vulnerability and the capacity to rise again become paths to growth. Where technology tends to homogenise, the human being remains an open mystery, capable of freedom and renewal.
This also applies to the mission and work of our Dicastery, which is committed to promoting and safeguarding the integral dignity of every person, accompanying each one in their vocation to authentic fulfilment.
Pope Leo XIV, in presenting to the world and to all the people of God, his first Encyclical Letter, focused on the care for the human person in the time of Artificial Intelligence, said “I invite all members of the Church and of the human family: let us learn to listen to one another, face the present challenges with courage, and cooperate in building a more human and fraternal society. [...] Please take with you a commitment to stay awake and, as ‘artisans of hope’, to keep on building the worksite of our time. May the Spirit of the Risen Lord Jesus sustain our work together.”
To accompany the release of the Encyclical Magnifica humanitas, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has made available a series of pastoral and educational resources (a summary, 5 infographics, 2 videos, and a pastoral resource kit) designed to foster its understanding and dissemination.
Pope Leo XIV has also approved the establishment of an Inter-Dicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence (AI) which, in its first year, will be coordinated by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD).
Publication of the theme of Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2026
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Is 2:4) is the theme of Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, published in the Bulletin of the Holy See.
The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will be on 1 September, thus beginning the Ecumenical Season of Creation, which will conclude on 4 October, the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi.
CR4E: the Catholic response to global emergencies is renewed and expanded
From the experience gained during one of the most dramatic moments of recent years, a more structured, broader, and shared response now emerges. Various Catholic organizations and institutions have created a space for collaboration on global emergencies: the alliance “Catholic Response for Emergencies” (CR4E), a tool to address in a coordinated way the humanitarian crises that mark our time.
Good practices of the Church in Europe ensuring the fundamental rights of migrants and refugees
The Catholic Church in Europe has strengthened its commitment to migrants, seeking structural solutions and promoting integral human development. The fifth edition of the Report on the Pastoral Care of Migrants by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, produced in collaboration with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, presents forty good practices adopted in various countries to guarantee fundamental rights such as education, decent housing and dignified work.
Sr. Smerilli’s Mission to Spain: The centrality of Integral Human Development
A mission to Spain took Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, F.M.A., Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD), to the cities of Madrid and Bilbao. Her first stop was the National Gathering of Christian Entrepreneurs and Executives, held in Madrid from May 7 to 9 to mark the 75th anniversary of Acción Social Empresarial (ASE).
A Week Behind Closed Doors to Look More Clearly to the Future
It was a week dedicated to fraternity and sharing. From 23 to 30 April, the staff of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) spent an ‘intensive week’ together within the walls of Palazzo San Calisto and beyond. It was an opportunity to meet, to take stock of their work, to share experiences, and to plan for the future, including with colleagues operating in distant countries: Philippines, USA, Argentina, Bolivia, Portugal, and Algeria.
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