AI & the Vatican: Pope Leo XIV escalated his stance against AI-generated creativity, telling artists the Church needs a “spark of humanity” that algorithms can’t replicate, and warning of an “ontological difference” between human art and machine output. Tech vs. Faith: The debate spilled into Silicon Valley as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticized Anthropic’s push to explore AI consciousness and religion, framing it as a safety issue and a surrender of human judgment. Vatican Culture: The Vatican opened an exhibition focused on preserving knowledge, spotlighting how the Holy See has long protected books and manuscripts. Arts, Memory & Persecution: A new look at Marc Chagall’s “White Crucifixion” recalls how Jewish persecution shaped his work, including Nazi confiscations and public humiliation. Church Leadership: Bishop Robert Barron met Pope Leo XIV in a private Vatican audience, and the pope named Cardinal Mauro Gambetti to succeed as archbishop of Chieti-Vasto while St. Peter’s archpriest post remains unfilled. Faith & Media for Kids: A Catholic bishop stars in a new animated children’s TV series aimed at bringing faith into the digital world. Environment Through Art: Ghana’s tourism minister urged collective action to protect nature—“If we stop preserving nature, we die”—linking environmental stewardship with creative arts and youth education.