Cardinal Leo Highlights Pope Leo XIV’s AI Encyclical at Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre Annual Dinner

More than 100 Knights, Dames, and guests gathered on June 5 for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre’s sold‑out Annual Dinner of the Ordinary, held at Toronto’s historic Albany Club.

As Archbishop of Toronto, Cardinal Leo serves as the Ordinary for the archdiocese and as Grand Prior of the Canada–Toronto Lieutenancy of the EOHSJ. The annual dinner offers members a chance to hear directly from him on issues shaping the Church today.

This year, Cardinal Leo turned his attention to Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence). “It is the Holy Father’s first encyclical,” he said, “and it offers powerful insights into the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, recognizing a profound shift in our world.”

Cardinal Leo noted that the document opens with a stark warning about the risks of AI, cautioning that society could drift toward a cold, hyper‑efficient “Tower of Babel” dominated by a handful of powerful corporations. “What comes to mind,” he said, “is that we want to be engaged to build, as the Pope said, not a new Tower of Babel, which means confusion and vice, where unbridled power struggles prevail, but rather a city in which God and humanity dwell together in harmony: the City of God.”

Despite these concerns, he emphasized that the encyclical ends with hope. Technology, he said, does not dictate humanity’s future. By placing relationships, solidarity, and daily human care at the center of society, we can shape a digital age rooted in human dignity. “The key to keeping Jesus at the center—allowing Him to move our wills, enlighten our minds, and purify our hearts—is the example that has been given to us: a woman, the Blessed Mother, who said ‘yes’ to God in a way that no one else has been able to imitate.”

The Very Rev. Kevin Storey, CSB, Superior General of the Congregation of St. Basil, also addressed attendees. Using the image of a seed growing both upward and downward, he described the dual growth expected of Knights and Dames.

Outwardly, he said, “Dames and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem can be rightly proud about: a global Catholic order, directly under the protection of the Holy See, with over 1,000 years of service dedicated to the Christian presence in the Holy Land and millions donated each year from the five Canadian Lieutenancies to support schools, parishes, clinics and humanitarian aid.”

But inward growth is equally essential. “Our inward growth, while often times not easily measured, is at least as important,” he said. “How we deal with sickness, death, loss, disappointment and our sins and struggles are central to who we are and how we grow as human beings.”

Toronto Lieutenant His Excellency Dr. Colin Saldanha, KC*HS, thanked members for their fidelity to the Order’s mission. He emphasized that the Order’s support for Christians in the Holy Land—and its provision of education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid to people of all faiths—depends on the generosity of its members.

The evening closed with a performance by Robert Pilon, the acclaimed Canadian stage and concert artist known for his roles in The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. His program included several hymns and a moving rendition of the Prayer of St. Francis.

The EOHSJ is a papal order of knighthood whose members are invested in the worldwide order under the protection of the Holy See, exercising its mission of supporting the Church in the Holy Land.