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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV newscast for Friday, May 15th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day. Here we go. Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical on artificial intelligence was expected to be signed today and released by the Vatican by the end of this month. And even ahead of the document's release, the Pope has already emerged as a leading global voice on the ethical challenges posed by AI. Since his election, the Pope has addressed AI in a wide range of contexts, telling teenagers gathered in a sports stadium to use AI in such a way that if it disappeared tomorrow, you would still know how to think. Pope Leo has warned priests not to use chatbots to write their homilies, and he's called on the media to preserve human voices and faces. The Pope has also reminded legislators from close to 70 countries that AI is a tool meant to serve humans, not replace them. From a speech in Central Africa on AI's potential to change humanity's relationship with the truth, to a message to tech developers gathered in Rome, Pope Leo has returned to the subject of AI again and again in speeches and messages. That's already led Time magazine to include him on its 2025 list of the world's most influential people in AI. The Diocese of Salford in Northern England has opened the sainthood cause of Pedro Ballister, a Manchester-born student remembered for his joy, faith, and selflessness during a long battle with cancer. Ballister died in 2018 at the age of 21, and the diocese said his reputation for holiness has grown significantly since then, prompting the start of a diocesan inquiry. Bishop John Arnold of Salford is asking anyone who knew Ballister to submit testimonies, memories, or writings that could help document his life and virtues. Born in 1996 to Spanish parents, Ballister joined Opus Dei as a numerary at age 18, and he began studying chemical engineering at Imperial College London. Months later, he was diagnosed with advanced pelvic cancer. Church officials say he accepted his illness as a sharing in Christ's cross and offered his suffering for the Pope, the Church, and souls. Cardinal Arthur Roach, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, told OSV News in March that Ballister's serenity, smile, and concern for others may become a key testimony in the cause. The Cardinal said his life and example continue to draw young people today who are disillusioned by the world in which we're living. The Saint Hood Cause of Monsignor Luigi Giossani, founder of the Communion and Liberation Movement, is moving to Rome. The Archdiocese of Milan formally closed the diocesan phase of his cause yesterday, with vespers at the Basilica of St. Ambrose, presided over by Archbishop Mario Delpini. The Archdiocese said about 3,000 members of the movement attended, along with local officials, clergy, and Linda Ghissoni of the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, the Family, and Life. Monsignor Giussani, who died in 2005, founded Communion and Liberation in 1969 after seeing many young people struggle to connect faith with daily life. The movement emphasizes faith as an encounter with Christ that shapes culture, work, and society. Archbishop Delpini remembered the Communion and Liberation founder as a man of God who, with his life and his words, led people to an encounter with Christ. The diocesan inquiry gathered Monsignor Giussani's writings, testimony from those who knew him, and tens of thousands of pages of documentation. The files now go to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints for review. If his cause advances, the next step would be the recognition of his heroic virtues by the Pope. Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked an appeals court ruling that sought to pause a federal policy permitting Mifepristone, sometimes called the abortion pill, to be dispensed through the mail. The ruling, in effect, leaves in place a Food and Drug Administration policy issued by the Biden administration, which permitted Mifipristone to be distributed by mail. The Trump administration has so far left that regulation in place, prompting frustration from pro-life groups, and the administration has sought to block state challenges to miphopristone, such as Louisiana's. A lower court previously granted the Trump administration's request to pause Louisiana's lawsuit challenging the FDA's approval of miphopristone, pending the FDA's promised safety review of that drug, indicating the state could continue its challenge after that review. However, the status and timeline of the FDA's review are still unclear. The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later granted a request from Louisiana to temporarily pause the policy during its challenge. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the stay on the Fifth Circuit's ruling. In his dissent, Alito seemed to concur with Louisiana, arguing the court's unreasoned order granting stays in this case is remarkable. The Catholic Church teaches that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the first moment of conception. And since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. And finally, more than two years after a devastating explosion in Haiti's capital, Bishop Pierre André Dumas said his long recovery in South Florida has become a witness to faith, friendship, and resilience. The bishop, who leads Haiti's Diocese of Ansevol, Miraguan and serves as president of the country's Bishop's Conference, was seriously injured in a fiery blast near Port-au-Prince in February of 2024. The cause of the explosion remains unclear. Bishop Dumas, known for speaking out against Haiti's political violence and instability, suffered third-degree burns over more than 40% of his body, including injuries to his face, arms, and legs. He was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital for specialized treatment, and he's remained in the Miami area since then. During his recovery, the bishop has undergone multiple surgeries, laser treatments, and intensive therapy. The bishop said support from the local Haitian American community and from the Archdiocese of Miami has sustained him spiritually and emotionally. He described those friendships as signs of God's tenderness after enduring profound suffering. The bishop also credited Miami Archbishop Thomas Wensky for receiving him as a friend and brother in Christ. And that's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website where you can find the stories in this episode. As always, make sure to subscribe to this podcast, give us a follow on social media and bookmark osvnews.com. We'll be back on Monday. Thanks so much for listening and God bless.

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