Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health Convenes Health Care Leaders to Examine the Ethical Impact of Artificial Intelligence

I would like to inform the readers of The Sower, as well as clergy and professionals in Catholic health care, about an important national conference held at Boston College, March 20-21, 2026, dedicated to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health care and ministry, with a particular focus on its moral and ethical implications.

The event, “Artificial Intelligence, Authentic Mercy: Navigating AI Ethics in Catholic Health Care,” brought together physicians, nurses, health care executives, biomedical engineers, technologists, theologians, ethicists, and Church leaders. Participants engaged in thoughtful dialogue on both the challenges and opportunities that AI presents in our time.

It was an honor to attend this conference at the recommendation of our Metropolitan Archbishop, Borys Gudziak, representing the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States.

I was grateful for the opportunity to take an active part in the plenary discussion and to formally endorse the final statement on behalf of our Church. I also had the privilege of a personal conversation with Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro, MD., President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, who delivered the keynote address. Monsignor Pegoraro emphasized that technological progress must never come at the expense of our moral responsibility to uphold the dignity of every human person in both clinical and pastoral care.

On a personal note, Monsignor Pegoraro spoke highly of the outstanding academic and pastoral contributions in the field of bioethics by Rev. Dr. Ihor Boyko, former Rector of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Lviv and now an active member of the Pontifical Academy for Life in Vatican.

The central message of the conference is clear: while AI can be a valuable tool in both medical care and ministry, its use must always be guided by sound ethical and moral principles. The statement below offers important guidance on how AI can be responsibly integrated into Catholic health care and pastoral practice.

The Conference Statement: Artificial intelligence promises to transform healthcare. Ethically developed and deployed, AI could help make care more patient-centered, more affordable, and more accessible. It could assist clinicians in diagnosis and treatment, reduce administrative burdens, expand services to underserved communities, and address longstanding inequalities in access and quality. At its best, AI could help Catholic healthcare to carry out its mission to heal the sick.

However, AI may threaten these very goods. It may reduce patients to data points, replace human judgment, weaken the patient-clinician relationship, widen health disparities, or prioritize efficiency and financial margin over human flourishing.

Catholic healthcare exists to continue the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Its mission is to care for the sick and, in doing so, witness to the coming Kingdom of God. The adoption and use of artificial intelligence must therefore be evaluated considering this mission. The ultimate good of health care is not a product, a metric, or a return on investment. The good of healthcare is the person cared for and the person’s physical, psychological, relational, and spiritual flourishing. Efficiency and financial sustainability are important, but they are ordered to this higher end.

 Jesus encountered the suffering face-to-face. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, he teaches that mercy requires encounter, accompaniment, and love for the one in need. Pope Leo XIV contends that “technological devices must never detract from the personal relationship between patients and health care providers.”[1] AI should free caregivers to be merciful and empathetic, not free them from mercy and empathy.

Therefore, we affirm the following general ethical norms for AI in healthcare:

• AI use must promote patient well-being and whole-person flourishing.

• AI use must enhance, not erode, the quality of the patient-professional relationship.

 • AI use should expand access to care, especially for those who lack it.

 • AI must be actively monitored to reduce bias and prevent the widening of healthcare inequalities.

• Human decision-makers must remain responsible and accountable for all healthcare actions. Healthcare professionals should not delegate moral responsibility to algorithms.

• AI use should promote the well-being of healthcare professionals, administrators, and staff, respecting the dignity of their work.

• The environmental impact of AI tools should be acknowledged and mitigated.

 We invite Catholic and non-Catholic healthcare organizations to embed these ethical norms in their structures and cultures.

                                                                                                          The conference statement prepared by:

Daniel J. Daly, Ph.D. Executive Director Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health Associate Professor of Moral Theology Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry.

 [1] Pope Leo XIV, “Message to Participants of ‘AI and Medicine: The Challenge of Human Dignity,’” Vatican City, November 10, 2025, https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/pont-messages/2025/documents/20251107- messaggio-ai-medicine.html