The Soto family home had a few curious features. My father, Oscar, loved gardening. When newly married, he bought a home at the end of a cul-de-sac so he could have a large garden that wrapped around the house. In the garden were a variety of flowers and trees: gladiolas, snap dragons, California poppies, gardenias, orchid trees, apricots and an avocado tree, to name a few.

MADRID (CNS) -- In a highly anticipated and historic speech to Spain's parliament, Pope Leo XIV urged modern-day leaders to be guided by ancient and Catholic principles that gave birth to universal human rights based on the inalienable dignity of the human person.

While Church and state legitimately remain separate, many virtues and aims of good governance and just laws are rooted in values profoundly marked and inspired by the Christian tradition, he told hundreds of lawmakers and leaders of judiciary branches June 6 in Spain's Congress of Deputies.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Presenting the first encyclical of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV warned that artificial intelligence must be "disarmed," urging governments, tech leaders and society to confront the rapidly growing technology before it weakens human relationships, critical thinking and peace itself.

With its authoritative teaching, the 82-page encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas" ("Magnificent Humanity"), significantly boosts the Catholic Church's position as an active voice in discussions over artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, labor, human dignity and the concentration of technological power among a handful of corporations.