Pope Leo XIV to Priests: Write Homilies With Your Brain, Not AI

The Pope's Position

Pope Leo XIV has explicitly instructed Catholic priests to avoid using AI tools when preparing homilies — the sermon-like addresses given during Mass. The Pope emphasized that priests should engage in personal scripture reflection and draw on their direct relationship with their congregation to deliver authentic, meaningful messages.

Why It Resonated Beyond Religion

The story earned 419 points on Hacker News with 340+ comments, quickly transcending its religious context to become a broader discussion about AI in creative and professional writing. Key questions debated:

Is AI-assisted writing inherently less authentic than writing from personal reflection?

Where should the line be drawn for professionals who use AI as a writing tool?

Does AI ghostwriting constitute a form of inauthenticity or deception toward an audience?

A Broader Signal

While the Vatican's instructions apply specifically to priests, the underlying question applies broadly: for writing that is meant to be a direct expression of a person's thought, values, or expertise — homilies, academic work, journalism, personal communication — what does it mean to hand that voice to an AI? The Pope's stance represents one clear answer, but the debate across society is far from settled.