Philippine Catholic Bishops Receive Orientation on Artificial Intelligence Ethics
In a significant development for the Catholic Church in the Philippines, approximately seventy bishops participated in a specialized seminar focused on the responsible application of artificial intelligence within pastoral ministry. This orientation session commenced on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center located along United Nations Avenue in Manila, as officially reported by CBCP News. The gathering served as a preparatory event leading up to the 131st plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.
Ethical Framework and Security Considerations
The comprehensive seminar placed strong emphasis on the ethical dimensions, moral implications, and potential security risks associated with artificial intelligence technologies. Simultaneously, it explored the transformative potential of AI to support and enhance the Church's evangelical mission in contemporary society. During his opening address, Caceres Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon, who chairs the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications, articulated the critical necessity for the Church to engage with emerging digital technologies through a lens of careful discernment, pastoral wisdom, and unwavering moral responsibility.
Spiritual Reflection and Leadership Guidance
Following the educational sessions, the assembled Church leaders participated in a solemn Mass celebrated by Pagadian Bishop Ronald Anthony Timoner at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in New Manila, Quezon City. In his homily, Bishop Timoner offered profound spiritual guidance, urging his fellow bishops to cultivate humility, deepen their capacity for discernment, and refrain from making judgments based solely on external appearances. He reminded the assembly that "God does not judge by appearances but searches the innermost recesses of our hearts, and often chooses the unlikely or ordinary to accomplish extraordinary things."
Organizational Context and Future Proceedings
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines comprises eighty-three active bishops, forty-two retired bishops, and four priests currently serving as diocesan administrators. Participants are expected to engage fully in the four-day seminar running from January 20 to 23, which will be immediately followed by a three-day plenary assembly scheduled from January 24 to 26. This important gathering will be presided over for the first time by Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, who was elected as CBCP president on December 1, 2025, succeeding Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Diocese of Kalookan.
