Pope Leo XIV, like recent popes dating back to Pope John XXIII, addressed his first social encyclical to “all men and women of goodwill.” The historical novelty of this inclusive papal practice reveals a small but telling truth about the Catholic Church’s maturation in self-understanding over the last century: Evangelization happens not only through the proclamation of revealed truths, but also through dialogue with peoples and culture. It is a crucial distinction for the church’s mission to the world, one that has been meaningfully developed through synodality under Pope Francis, and now Pope Leo. In light of this development, it would be a mistake to think that “Magnifica Humanitas” is speaking exclusively, or even primarily, to the world outside the walls of the church. Don’t be fooled, Catholics. This encyclical was very much written to evangelize you and me, too.

“Maginifica Humanitas” makes an immeasurable contribution to the current dialogue about artificial intelligence. But it also goes beyond that: Leo’s encyclical will serve as a sorely needed primer on Catholic social teaching for many baptized, churchgoing Catholics. Commentators have noted its length, over 42,000 words. That is due in part to the pope’s decision to include both a historical overview of the development of the church’s social doctrine, from Pope Leo XIII to Pope Francis, and an accessible introduction to its core principles, including human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity, solidarity and care for creation.

The lessons from this section may surprise some readers. How, for example, would Catholics in the affluent West describe the church’s teaching on private property? I’m guessing most would know, or intuit, that the church certainly supports it. But how many in the same breath would say that private property is not an absolute right and is, in fact, subordinate to the corresponding principle of the universal destination of goods? Leo writes, “In the Church’s tradition, property has been viewed as a means of protecting and managing goods so that they may better serve the common good” (No. 66). Private property is good, insofar as it serves the common good, and not the disproportionate good of wealthy and powerful individuals. Pope Leo would like to remind us that this is not “a mere theological opinion, but a doctrine of the Church,” and that, “new forms of property, such as patents, algorithms, digital platforms, technological infrastructure and data” cannot “remain concentrated in the hands of a few” (Nos. 65-67).

But Leo’s instruction to Catholics goes further: “Social Doctrine is not merely a message addressed to society; it is also an examination of conscience for the Church” (No. 86). In a significant section of the encyclical, Leo explains how social doctrines must also be applied to the internal life of the Catholic community, especially in light of our ongoing synodal conversion. He links, for example, synodal calls for transparency and accountability with the doctrine of the common good, and the greater involvement of lay people in decision-making in the church with the principle of subsidiarity.

This segment of the encyclical could be Pope Leo XIV’s most consequential action on synodality to date, and I hope it is not lost amid the flurry of attention surrounding artificial intelligence. At this pivotal moment of the church’s synodal journey, when the credibility of our evangelizing mission is at stake, it is not enough for Catholics simply to tell the world which social principles it ought to uphold. The church must also embody those principles itself. It must bear witness to its own social teaching by becoming a more synodal church. “In this way,” writes Leo, “the Church will be able to bear credible witness to society that seeking the common good together, with shared responsibility and fraternity, is not a utopia, but a real possibility” (No. 89).

This highly intentional integration of synodality and the church’s social doctrine, and the exciting opportunities it opens for evangelization, reminds me of those perennially prophetic words of St. Paul VI: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” If those words are applicable to each baptized individual, they are now applicable to the collective people of God as well.

Sebastian Gomes is America's executive editor of audio and video.