When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. — Psalm 138: 3
Blog
A surprisingly hopeful dialogue with AI
In today’s world where technology – especially artificial intelligence (AI) – is moving at lighting speed, Pope Leo, in his first encyclical letter titled Magnificent Humanity, strongly feels that without clear, comprehensive moral guardrails, it is very possible AI will become significantly uncontrollable, thus pose grave risks to humanity.
Wisdom Wednesday | August 12th
Faith and politics lead us off this week, with clergy running as Democrats facing Republican attacks on their faith, anti-Muslim candidates losing primaries, and a “profoundly troubling” Michigan result.
Justice Bulletin Board | The BridgeBuilder
Justice shall walk before him, and prepare the way of his steps. — Psalm 85: 14
Wisdom Wednesday | August 5th
Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday, in August a month of remembrances and a time for the Church to teach the dangers of nuclear weapons. Archbishop Wester is honored as the 2026 Teacher of Peace by Pax Christi USA.
Baseball Icon Cal Ripken and the Virtue of Loyalty
To bring a moral perspective to the contemporary discussion, I am reprinting here without any significant changes an article I wrote in 1995 on Cal Ripken and the virtue of loyalty.
The insanity of possessing nuclear weapons
Wars have always caused needless suffering, destruction and death. But 81 years ago, the hell of war reached a new all-time immoral low when on August 6, 1945 a United States Boeing B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima instantly killing over 70,000 – mostly civilian children, women and men.
August 9, 2026, Prayers of the Faithful
This weekend we remember the 81st anniversary of the 1945 US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Moved by the Spirit of this time of KAIROS, we offer these universal intentions for the healing of the Body of Christ and the abolition of nuclear weapons:
August 9, 2026, Preaching Points for Homilies
Pope Leo recently called attention to the danger posed by the increasing involvement of Artificial Intelligence in preparations for nuclear war. Introducing his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on May 25, he said. “The Church has long been working for nuclear disarmament, aware that every great technical power can affect people’s lives and so must be accompanied by adequate moral discernment and public control. Nuclear disarmament remains a service to peace and the dignity of the human family.” (A survey of Papal commentary on nuclear abolition is here on the Vatican website.