Who is the Antioquian woman cited in Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI?

The name of this woman from Antioquia appears alongside women who made history. Find out why she was cited by the Pope in this encyclical.

The story of Santa Laura Montoya, from Antioquia, has once again gained international relevance. This time, in an unexpected setting: an encyclical dedicated to the human, ethical, and social challenges of artificial intelligence.

According to the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV proposes a reflection on the challenges of artificial intelligence and warns that technological progress must be guided by human dignity, justice, the common good, freedom, work, and peace.

In this context, the name of the Antioquian saint appears, mentioned alongside women from different continents who, from their fields of action, contributed to making history more humane.

A mention that surprised those who study her life

For Carmen Elena Villa, journalist, director of Diálogos magazine at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and author of the upcoming book La mujer que abrazó la selva, by Paulinas, the mention of Mother Laura in this document was significant.

"That Pope Leo mentions Santa Laura in the encyclical dedicated to artificial intelligence and the defense of the human person is a very pleasant surprise," said Villa.

The reference appears in paragraph 124, alongside names such as: Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Dorothy Day, Maria Montessori, and Elisabeth Elliot. The journalist highlighted that it is relevant that a Latin American woman from Antioquia is included among female figures recognized for their contribution to humanity.

Fragment from the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, in which Pope Leo XIV mentions Saint Laura Montoya. “It’s super nice to see how a Latin American woman, and also from Antioquia, is mentioned among all these great personalities, because she was one too,” she said.

According to Carmen Elena, Santa Laura Montoya's life aligns with the central message of the encyclical because it shows a deep understanding of the human being.

Human dignity in times of technology

Santa Laura Montoya, born in Jericó, Antioquia, in 1874, was a teacher, missionary, and founder of the Lauritas Sisters. Her life was dedicated to accompanying indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, especially through education, evangelization, and the defense of their dignity.

Recognized as the first saint of Colombia, she also left a little-known legacy: she wrote more than 30 books, promoted 122 missionary houses, and approached indigenous peoples by learning their languages, customs, and ways of life.

Canonized by Pope Francis in 2013, Santa Laura, in addition to this mention, is remembered again this May 26, 2026, marking 152 years since her birth.

Saint Laura Montoya during one of her missionary journeys, in an image taken in 1920. © Archive of Saint Laura Montoya, Belencito, Medellín. Provided by Lauritas Missionary Sisters.

"In general terms, I find it a very complete, very current, and very beautiful encyclical, where it speaks of the importance of preserving human dignity and human knowledge in times of artificial intelligence," said Carmen Elena Villa.

According to the journalist, the document recognizes the possibilities of artificial intelligence, but warns that it cannot replace “humanity, contact with others, embrace, the ability to sit down and read a book, the ability to research.”

In this context, the mention of Santa Laura has a special meaning: it reminds us of a woman who dedicated her life to making visible the dignity of communities that, in her time, remained marginalized.

A woman from Antioquia in a global reflection

The inclusion of Santa Laura Montoya in an encyclical on artificial intelligence connects two worlds that, apparently, seem distant: the missionary life of an Antioquian woman from the 20th century and the technological dilemmas of the present. Carmen Elena Villa summarizes it with a revealing image: Mother Laura, who in her later years used resources like telegrams to ask for help for indigenous people, could hardly have imagined that decades later she would be mentioned by a Pope in a text about artificial intelligence.

Saint Laura Montoya with members of the Katío people, in a photograph taken in 1939. © Archive of Saint Laura Montoya, Belencito, Medellín. Image provided by the Lauritas Missionary Sisters.

The reference, according to the journalist, can also be read as an acknowledgment of the Latin American Church and Latin American women.

Thus, the encyclical not only raises questions about the digital future. It also looks at concrete lives that, from different contexts, left their mark on history. Among them is that of a woman from Antioquia who embraced the jungle, accompanied indigenous peoples, and is now remembered in a document that invites us to reflect on how to protect what is human in times of accelerated change.

Taken from: www.teleantioquia.co