By Fr. OKHUELEIGBE OSEMHANTIE ?, Port Harcourt

In a compelling keynote address delivered at the 34th CIWA Theological Conference, the Most Rev. Christopher Naseri, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Calabar, issued a prophetic challenge to the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA): ?To take the mission of evangelizing Artificial Intelligence by storm.?

Reaffirming the urgency and enduring relevance of the conference theme, ?Theology, Artificial Intelligence, and Hope for Humanity?, Bishop Naseri described the theme as a bold theological venture into one of the most decisive frontiers of the modern world. ?Remove God from man, and what remains is artificial,? the bishop declared. ?Hope for humanity endures because God remains sovereign over creation.?

He emphasised during Day One of the conference on Monday that genuine hope is not passive optimism but an act of prudence?a deliberate and intelligent participation in God?s ongoing work in the world. ?Theology,? he stated, ?is humanity?s articulate response to the innate longing for God. It is the mirror through which we discover our true nature and evaluate our existential agenda.?

Bishop Naseri called on CIWA to embrace the challenges and potentials of Artificial Intelligence through critical engagement, pastoral attentiveness, and theological creativity. He recommended the adoption of tools such as Magisterium AI and Vulgate AI?digital platforms that facilitate doctrinal clarity and scriptural interpretation in the age of intelligent machines.

?The human desire to know is what draws us into communion?first with each other, and ultimately with God,? he noted. ?Artificial Intelligence may be programmed to perform tasks with astonishing precision, but it cannot think in the true, spiritual sense. It cannot contemplate, it cannot pray, it cannot love. And so, we must evangelize AI?not by baptizing algorithms, but by ensuring that our use and development of AI is guided by Gospel values.?

Bishop Naseri encouraged CIWA community to engage in prayerful reflection and discernment in their interface with AI, even suggesting the praying of a ?Litany for Faithful Engagement with AI? as a spiritual posture toward technological advancement. He referenced Antiqua et Novae (nn. 116?117), reminding the audience that no self-destructive effort of humanity will succeed in effacing the enduring Word of God.

?Human intelligence,? he concluded, ?is but a shadow of Divine Intelligence. Let us ensure that our scientific progress remains in the light of that eternal wisdom.?

The bishop?s thought-provoking address set a deep theological tone for the conference, inspiring participants to contemplate the intersections of faith, technology, and the future of the human person.

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