AS THE risk of technological advancements increase due to Artificial Intelligence (AI), the archbishop of Manila cited the need for more scientists with a deeper conscience and a commitment to place their knowledge at the service of the common good.
Cardinal Jose Advincula said integrating integrity and compassion with the pursuit of science encourages people to look forward to a better society.
“In the face of artificial intelligence, we need people who not only possess natural intelligence, but also wisdom of the heart, capable of humanizing knowledge and orienting it for the service of human dignity and the common good,” Advincula said in his homily on Monday, Jan. 26.
The mass is part of the College of Science’s 100th anniversary celebration and marks the start of its year-long events.
Advincula cited a story in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus witnessed laborers being distressed despite a bountiful harvest. He then turned to His disciples and asked them to send more workers to claim the harvest, which the archbishop said was in reference to Christly and religious vocations.
He explained that the message did not only refer to labor, but about how being a good scientist also passes as a “vocation.” that Scientific work rooted in integrity and truth can become a service to God and the common good, the cardinal added.
Advincula reminded students that alongside asking precise questions and seeking verifiable answers, they must also foster humility before the mystery of life, the universe and the human person.
“In this sense, scientists are also laborers in the Lord’s harvest, called to unite competence with conscience, reason with faith, and knowledge with responsibility,” he said.
The prelate added that the pursuit of scientific truth does not need to contradict faith; instead, it can build a path toward it.
“Scientific work, when pursued with integrity and it can be done by truth, is a participation in God’s creative activity and a service to the common good,” he added.
Advincula urged students in the scientific field to use their knowledge in pursuit of the common good and public service, emphasizing that they are not only beneficiaries but future stewards of the institution.
“May you carry forward a science that is marked by integrity, compassion, and hope. A science that serves life, protects human dignity, and contributes to a more just and humane world,” he said. F
