He warned against “the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence,” emphasizing the need for priests to actively engage their own minds. As he put it, “Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity.” He further stressed the irreplaceable human element: “To give a true homily is to share faith,” and artificial intelligence “will never be able to share faith.”
What Pope Leo XIV Meant
The Pope's message isn't a blanket rejection of technology but a call to preserve the authentic, personal, and faith-rooted nature of preaching. A homily isn't just a scripted talk—it's a shepherd sharing his lived encounter with Christ, tailored to his specific flock. Relying on AI risks turning preaching into something mechanical and detached, potentially atrophying the priest's own spiritual and intellectual muscles. He sees AI as incapable of genuine testimony because it lacks personal faith, experience, and the pastoral heart that comes from prayer, study, and real human connection.
Negatives of Using AI to Write Homilies
- Lack of Authenticity: AI-generated content can feel generic, missing the personal touch that makes a homily resonate with a particular community.
- Risk to Priestly Formation: Over-reliance could weaken a priest's ability to reflect deeply on Scripture, pray through the readings, and craft messages from personal conviction—leading to intellectual and spiritual "atrophy."
- Potential for Error or Bias: AI draws from vast data, which may include theological inaccuracies, cultural biases, or incomplete understandings of Catholic doctrine.
- Diminished Pastoral Connection: Congregations sense when a message lacks heart; it can erode trust in the priest as a genuine guide.
- Ethical Concerns: It might blur lines between human ministry and machine output, reducing the sacramental role of the priest.
Positives of Using AI to Write Homilies (When Used Wisely)
- Time-Saving Aid: Busy priests could use AI for initial research, outlining ideas, or polishing drafts—freeing time for prayer and pastoral work.
- Idea Generation: It can suggest structures, analogies, or cross-references to Scripture and Church teachings, sparking creativity.
- Accessibility for Struggling Preachers: For those less confident in writing, it could serve as a starting point to build upon with personal insights.
- Efficiency in Preparation: In an era of multiple Masses and demands, it might help ensure consistent quality without replacing the priest's input.
Even with these benefits, Pope Leo XIV's core point stands: AI should never substitute for the priest's own prayerful preparation and faith-sharing.
Prewritten Homily Resources Have Long Existed
It's worth noting that priests have had access to prewritten or subscription-based homily resources for decades—long before AI entered the scene. Services like FAITH Catholic's Daily Homilies (available since 1969), ePriest.com, Roman Catholic Homilies from Catholic Online Resources, Prepare the Word, and GraceWorks Publishing offer vetted, insightful homilies for Sundays, weekdays, and feasts. These are often used as aids for inspiration, outlines, or in cases of necessity—not full replacements. Priests typically adapt them to their voice and congregation. The Pope's concern with AI appears tied to its impersonal, non-human nature rather than the concept of external helps altogether.
In an age of rapid technological change, Pope Leo XIV reminds priests that the heart of ministry remains human: sharing faith from a place of lived encounter with Christ. Tools can assist, but they cannot replace the soul of the shepherd. There has to be moderation. Not every priest is a learned student of theology and probably got through formation barely passing. This is understandable. Not everyone learns the same or is a good learner. Those deacons and priests who have trouble organizing ideas can use AI. It can also be good to fact-check to make sure a deacon or priest in his homily is giving orthodox information on Catholicism and/or any other analogies he may tie together with the day's readings. Sometimes in homilies, comparisons to secular knowledge are used. Quotes are something quoted from both Catholic and secular sources. It is wise to make sure the quotes are authentic and what their sources are. Therefore, there should not be an outright ban on AI for homilies. It should be used in moderation.
Sources:
- Vatican News: "Pope in dialogue with Rome's priests: Be friends, beware of envy and the internet" (February 2026) – https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-02/pope-dialogue-priests-rome-young-people-internet-prayer-study.html
- EWTN News: "Pope tells priests to use their brains, not AI, to write homilies" (February 20, 2026) – https://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/pope-leo-xiv-tells-priests-to-use-their-brains-not-ai-to-write-homilies
- National Catholic Reporter: "Pope Leo tells priests not to use AI to write homilies or seek likes on TikTok" (February 21, 2026) – https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/pope-leo-tells-priests-not-use-ai-write-homilies-or-seek-likes-tiktok
- Futurism: "Pope Implores Priests to Stop Writing Sermons Using ChatGPT" (February 2026) – https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/pope-priests-ai
- FAITH Catholic Subscriptions: Daily Homilies service details – https://faithcatholicsubscriptions.com/product/daily-homilies
- ePriest.com: Homily resources – https://epriest.com/
- Roman Catholic Homilies / Catholic Online Resources – https://romancatholichomilies.com/
