Fr Richard's Homily - St Mary's Manchester
Homily for the Ampleforth Society Mass
St Mary's (The Little Gem), Manchester Tuesday, 23 June
You know the story of St Lawrence. He was a deacon whose responsibility was to distribute food and funds to the poor and needy. The Emperor, hearing that this Christian had wealth at his disposal, ordered Lawrence to bring him the riches of the Church.
After initially refusing, Lawrence agreed to present the Church's treasures at an appointed time and place. Before doing so, however, he distributed all the money he possessed and gathered together the poor, the sick and the needy. When the Emperor arrived, Lawrence pointed to them and declared: "Here are the riches of the Church."
Enraged, the Emperor ordered that Lawrence be put to death on a gridiron. Tradition tells us that after half an hour of suffering, and with the sort of fortitude that perhaps makes him an appropriate patron for an English Catholic public school, Lawrence remarked with a stiff upper lip: "You can turn me over now; I'm done on this side."
We remember Lawrence as a martyr. The word martyr means "witness". Witness to what? Three things.
First, that people matter more than money.
Secondly, that the example of one individual can make an extraordinary difference. Lawrence was not a Bishop, nor even a Priest. He could never have imagined that his actions would still be remembered one and three quarter millennia (seventeen centuries) later, or that he would become the patron saint of monasteries, numerous parishes and schools throughout the world.
Thirdly, he reminds us of the importance of keeping a sense of humour, or perhaps more accurately, of remaining positive and hopeful even in the darkest circumstances, or we might put it, staying positive in the direst of straits.
Interestingly, all three of these themes are reflected in Pope Leo's recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on Artificial Intelligence. It is a substantial document, but above all it is a hopeful one. The Holy Father recognises that Artificial Intelligence can bring enormous benefits. Yet he insists that technology must remain at the service of humanity and never be allowed to dominate it.
Like St Lawrence, the Pope emphasises that people matter more than profits or the accumulation of wealth. The benefits of AI should be shared widely and used for the common good. If technological advances lead to job losses, then some of the resulting economic gains should be invested in helping people acquire new skills and new opportunities, perhaps in areas such as caring for an ageing population.
The Pope also identifies the temptation to believe that the problems we face are too large and that we, as individuals, are too small to make any difference. Perhaps Lawrence himself could have felt that way when confronted by the power of the Emperor. Yet the lesson of Lawrence's life is precisely the opposite. One person's courage, conviction and witness can echo through the centuries.
Pope Leo reminds us that we all have a responsibility to bear witness today. Not, thankfully, by being burned alive, but by engaging thoughtfully with the opportunities and challenges that AI presents. We should speak about these issues, contribute to the public conversation, and encourage our political leaders to establish regulations that ensure AI remains a tool that serves humanity rather than controls it.
Like St Lawrence, we are called to witness to the truth that people are the true riches of the Church and of society. If we remember that, then whatever technological advances the future may bring, they will remain a blessing rather than a threat.
Amen.
