Round table discussion on the digital world, artificial intelligence, and care for our common home

Thursday July 9, the sixth day of the Under Ten Chapter of Mats, began with the celebration of the Eucharist in language groups, nourishing in prayer the fraternal spirit that sustains the chapter process.

Afterwards, Br Juan Isidro Aldana Maldonado, OFM offered a presentation on the preparation of the General Chapter 2027, providing an overall view of the horizon and the methodology of the journey leading to that gathering. It was reported that the General Chapter will be held in 2027 in Vietnam, with a synodal, fraternal, and spiritual emphasis, and with an approach that invites the Order to look at its life and mission from diverse contexts and cultures.

The heart of the morning was the round table discussion moderated by Br Daniel Nicolas Blanco, OFM, Director of the JPIC General Office, dedicated to three themes closely linked to the new frontiers of mission: the digital world, artificial intelligence, and care for our common home. In different ways, the interventions underlined that the task is not only to understand tools or trends, but to discern how to proclaim the Gospel today with fidelity to the Franciscan charism and attentiveness to real questions of real people.

In the reflection on digital evangelization, it was emphasized that the digital environment cannot be reduced to a simple instrument: it is a “place” where many people live, search for meaning, and hope to be accompanied. A genuine “digital inculturation” was therefore proposed, capable of communicating the Gospel with understandable language, with a meaningful presence, and with a style that privileges closeness and listening.

The presentation on artificial intelligence highlighted the anthropological, social, and ethical challenges posed by these technologies, especially regarding democratic life, the distribution of power, and the meaning of work. It was recalled that the decisive question is not only technical, but moral: responsibility remains in human hands, and for this reason it is necessary to form criteria and to foster a culture of evaluation, transparency, and correction.

The reflection on care for our common home placed the socio-environmental crisis within the context of the cry of the earth and the poor, and highlighted the call to a conversion of heart as the foundation of any coherent response. It also underlined the importance of recovering practices and sensitivities rooted in the Franciscan tradition, as well as the value of celebrating and supporting processes that integrate liturgy, spirituality, and commitment into the care of our common home. In the dialogue, the need for a sober and discerning use of artificial intelligence was also noted, mindful of its energy and environmental impact, in harmony with the Franciscan principle that “less is more.”

After the coffee break, the brothers continued with spiritual conversation by Conferences, following the planned methodology for sharing resonances and contributions in a spirit of prayer and fraternity.

The day’s program also included free time in the afternoon, understood as an opportunity for the brothers to visit individually those Franciscan places that could not be seen during the group visits. It is an appropriate time for contemplation, silence, and gratitude, strengthening the living memory of the charism and interior openness.

See all the photos of the meeting