Responding to Pope Leo’s call in the digital age: Asian Church reflects on AI and digital ministry
Church leaders and Catholic communicators from across Asia take part in a plenary session on artificial intelligence and digital ministry during the Bishops’ Meet in Hong Kong. Photo credit: Radio Veritas Asia
Church leaders and communication professionals across Asia are reflecting on how faith can remain present and pastoral in the age of artificial intelligence, responding to Pope Leo’s call for guidance in the digital world.
They are taking up his appeal to support younger generations as they engage with emerging technologies rather than hindering their participation.
Responding to the challenge, the Office of Social Communications of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) this week convened more than 30 bishops, priests, and lay media professionals in Hong Kong for a three-day gathering centered on the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Pastoral Challenges in Asia.”
Participants examined how rapidly evolving technologies are reshaping evangelization, formation, and community life while discerning how the Church can engage digital innovation with responsibility, compassion, and hope.
The reflection coincides with the release of a new theological publication by the Asian Research Center (ARC) titled Cyberchurch – Neighborhood of Other/s (Kapwa): An Ecclesiological Model for a Digital Age, authored by Filipino theologians Rico C. Jacoba and Agnes M. Brazal.
The open-access book explores how faith communities can authentically live out Christian mission in online spaces and proposes a contextual ecclesiological model grounded in the Filipino concept of kapwa, meaning shared personhood and relational solidarity.
The authors examine emerging expressions of church life in cyberspace, including online faith communities connected with traditional parish structures and those operating entirely in digital settings.
- Newsletter -The book evaluates whether such communities may be recognized as genuine forms of ecclesial presence rather than merely temporary or functional substitutes for physical worship. Drawing on biblical foundations, the authors cite passages such as Matthew 18:20, “where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them,” as theological support for online gathering as an authentic Christian community. They also reinterpret the parable of the Good Samaritan, viewing the digital realm as a contemporary “highway” where believers are called to practice compassion, justice, and neighborliness toward those they encounter online.
The book highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the Church’s engagement with digital platforms as virtual worship services, prayer groups, catechesis, and pastoral care became lifelines for many communities across Asia and beyond. These developments, the authors argue, demonstrated both the promise and the pastoral necessity of expanding the Church’s vision of communion beyond physical spaces. At the same time, Cyberchurch acknowledges ethical and pastoral challenges, particularly the persistent digital divide, which excludes populations lacking internet access, technological resources, or digital literacy. The authors caution that any ecclesiology of cyberspace must remain attentive to issues of social inequality and inclusion, ensuring that digital ministry does not further marginalize the poor or vulnerable. Published by ARC of St. John’s University in Bangkok as part of its commitment to advancing Asian theological scholarship, the book aims to support pastors, educators, missionaries, and church communicators seeking creative and responsible ways to accompany believers in an increasingly digital world. The volume is available for free download through the Asian Research Center Facebook page (ISBN: 978-974-487-172-5).
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