The Built for God (BFG) movement, through its BFG Handbook and AI-driven tools, aligns with Pope Leo XIV’s vision for addressing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), as a means to advance the New Evangelization initiated by Pope John Paul II. Both draw inspiration from Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891), which tackled the social challenges of the First Industrial Revolution, to responsibly navigate AI’s ethical and spiritual implications while leveraging its potential to restore eternal truth and proclaim the Gospel in a secularized world. This response explores how BFG’s AI-driven tools and principles parallel Pope Leo XIV’s approach to the AI revolution, emphasizing human dignity, discernment, and the sensus fidei in the context of the New Evangelization.

The BFG Handbook and AI in the New Evangelization: A Comprehensive Alignment with Pope Leo XIV’s Vision

Introduction

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and automation, is reshaping society, much like the First Industrial Revolution addressed by Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891). Pope Leo XIV, elected on May 8, 2025, as the first American pope, chose his name to reflect this historical parallel, aiming to confront AI’s ethical, social, and spiritual challenges while harnessing its potential for the New Evangelization, a mission initiated by Pope John Paul II to reignite faith in secularized societies. The BFG movement, through its BFG Handbook, AI Chat Box, AI Podcast, and AI music, advances the New Evangelization by integrating the 3 Rs system (Restore, Renewal, Respond), aligning seamlessly with Pope Leo XIV’s vision for the AI-driven Fourth Industrial Revolution. Drawing on Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891), Leo XIV advocates ethical AI use to uphold human dignity, justice, and discernment, as articulated in his May 10, 2025, address. The BFG Handbook, guided by sensus fidei—the faithful’s instinctive discernment of truth—employs AI to restore eternal truth, encouraging discipleship and promoting unity across cultures, resonating with John 17:21’s call, “May they all be one.” Anchored in Vatican AI ethics, including the Rome Call and Antiqua et Nova, BFG ensures technology serves faith, enhancing the Church’s mission with innovative expression and global outreach.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and AI

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), which began in the early 2010s, integrates digital technologies like AI, big data, and cloud computing into industries, creating cyber-physical systems and smart factories. AI’s transformative power raises concerns about dehumanization, inequality, and labor displacement, but also offers opportunities for innovation, particularly in evangelization.

Sensus Fidei: A Guiding Principle

Sensus fidei (Latin for “sense of the faith”) is a Catholic theological concept describing the faithful’s instinctive ability to discern and live out Christian truths, guided by the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27). It operates at two levels:

• Sensus fidei fidelium: The collective discernment of the Church community.
• Sensus fidei fidelis: The individual believer’s spiritual intuition. This instinct helps the Church reject errors, embrace authentic practices, and adapt teachings to new contexts under the Magisterium’s guidance. In the AI era, sensus fidei ensures technology aligns with faith, a principle central to both Pope Leo XIV and BFG.

Pope Leo XIV’s Vision for the AI Revolution

In his May 10, 2025, address, Pope Leo XIV linked his papal name to Pope Leo XIII, stating, “Pope Leo XIII, with the historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. Today, the Church offers to all her treasure of social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and the developments of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labour”. He identifies AI as a defining force, warning that its “statistical truths” and “faceless authorship” risk undermining discernment and human connection .

As a former Augustinian priest, Leo XIV draws on St. Augustine’s legacy of service, poverty, and evangelization, symbolized by his pectoral cross containing relics of St. Augustine and St. Monica. His call for a synodal Church that listens to the sensus fidei emphasizes collective discernment, ensuring AI serves human dignity, as outlined in the Vatican’s Rome Call for AI Ethics (2020) and Antiqua et Nova (2025) .

Built for God and the BFG Handbook

Built for God is a Catholic movement dedicated to the New Evangelization, aiming to “restore the truth of our Christian faith, make disciples of all nations, and unite in holiness”. Inspired by St. Thérèse’s Little Way and Keith Hoang’s spiritual journey, it uses the BFG Handbook to guide us toward purpose, resilience, and community through:

• AI Chat Box: Provides real-time, personalized spiritual guidance, answering faith-related questions and offering doctrinally sound reflections.
• AI Podcast: The AI Podcast explores the 81 chapters of the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching), centered on John 17:21—“May they all be one”—to restore faith and strengthen unity, expressing God’s love in a universal language that resonates across cultures, histories, and creeds. By integrating the 3 Rs system, the podcast fosters personalized evangelization, global outreach, and community, guided by sensus fidei and Vatican AI ethics . The BFG Handbook, presenting the Gospel with new expression, methods, and ardor, empowers believers to fulfill the New Evangelization’s mission.
• AI Music: Inspirational songs, rooted in St. Thérèse’s spirituality, foster emotional and spiritual connections to God.
• 3 Rs System (Restore, Renewal, Respond): The Holy Trinity, as the supreme source of unity, gathers us in the sacred mission of the New Evangelization. In His love, The Father gave us the Word through The Son to “Restore” us with His truth, bringing “Renewal” to our hearts and minds through His teachings. By the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to “Respond” to the call of holiness, carrying out the mission to make disciples of all nations. The BFG Handbook provides a framework for the New Evangelization through a process centered on the 3 Rs: Restore, Renewal, and Respond.

The BFG Handbook integrates these tools with structured reflections, prayers, and community-building strategies, equipping men to combat spiritual darkness and live purposefully in an AI-driven world.

Parallels Between BFG and Pope Leo XIV

The BFG Handbook and Pope Leo XIV’s vision share a commitment to using AI ethically to advance the New Evangelization while addressing the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s challenges. Their parallels include:

The BFG Handbook as a Solution for the New Evangelization

The BFG Handbook is a powerful tool for restoring eternal truth in the New Evangelization, leveraging AI to address the challenges of a secularized, AI-driven world. Its contributions include:

• Personalized Spiritual Guidance
  The AI chat box provides tailored responses to spiritual questions, offering reflections, prayers, or catechetical insights based on user needs. For example, a user struggling with doubt might receive customized Scripture passages or reflections from the BFG Handbook, fostering a personal encounter with Christ. This aligns with Pope Leo XIV’s vision of meeting people where they are. 
• Global Accessibility
  The BFG handbook’s AI-driven translation capabilities make its content accessible across languages, supporting the New Evangelization’s mandate to reach all nations. This mirrors Leo XIV’s emphasis on inclusivity, particularly for the “least and rejected,” ensuring the Gospel reaches diverse cultures. 
• Immersive Engagement
  The handbook integrates inspirational music, inspired by St. Thérèse’s Little Way, to stir the heart and complement AI-driven tools like virtual retreats or guided meditations. This aligns with the Vatican’s HolyDeeds project, endorsed by Leo XIV, which uses AI and immersive technologies like augmented reality to share sacred stories, making faith “timeless” for younger generations.
• Structured Discernment with the 3 Rs for the New Evangelization
  The 3 Rs framework, Restore, Renewal, and Response, guides users through a structured process of recognizing truth, repenting of sin, and returning to faith. By analyzing user questions through BFG Ai Chat Box, AI Podcast, AI tailors spiritual exercises, such as journaling prompts or prayer plans, to individual needs. This fosters discernment, echoing Leo XIV’s call to maintain human agency in the face of AI’s probabilistic nature.
• Community Building and Synodality
  The BFG handbook supports virtual small groups and forums, fostering brotherhood and shared spiritual journeys. AI Chat Box analyzes user engagement to suggest community activities, aligning with BFG’s emphasis on unity and Leo XIV’s synodal vision of a listening Church that amplifies the sensus fidei.
• Ethical Education
  The BFG handbook guides users on ethical AI use, ensuring technology aligns with faith. This aligns with Leo XIV’s advocacy for “algorethics” in the Rome Call and Antiqua et Nova .
• Restoring Eternal Truth
  By countering secularism with AI-driven tools grounded in St. Augustine’s conversion and St. Thérèse’s simplicity, the handbook restores truth (John 8:32), addressing the spiritual darkness of the AI era.

Shared Ethical Framework

Both BFG and Pope Leo XIV recognize AI’s risks, such as dehumanization or the creation of “echo chambers” based on information access. Their aim is to cultivate ethical AI use to ensure technology enhances faith and human connection. The BFG Handbook ensures its AI chat box and 3 Rs system deliver doctrinally sound guidance, preventing the commodification of spirituality. Similarly, Leo XIV warns that “when moral questions are answered by probabilistic machines, we lose the habit of discernment,” advocating for “algorethics” as outlined in the Rome Call for AI Ethics and Antiqua et Nova . Both stress that AI must complement human intelligence, respect dignity, and promote the common good, aligning with Rerum Novarum’s defense of human labor and justice. The Rome Call for AI Ethics emphasizes transparency, inclusion, and responsibility, principles reflected in the BFG handbook’s careful integration of AI to serve faith, not replace it.

Role of Sensus Fidei

The sensus fidei guides both BFG and Leo XIV in ensuring AI aligns with faith. BFG’s 3 Rs system fosters collective and individual discernment, helping users reject errors and embrace truth. Leo XIV’s synodal approach relies on the sensus fidei to navigate AI’s challenges, ensuring technology serves the Church’s mission.

Summary

The BFG Handbook restores eternal truth by using AI to counter secularism and spiritual darkness, a core goal of the New Evangelization. Its 3 Rs Framework, inspired by St. Augustine’s conversion and St. Thérèse’s simplicity, guides men to recognize God’s truth (John 8:32), repent of sin, and return to holiness, addressing the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s challenges. This parallels Pope Leo XIV’s vision of applying Rerum Novarum’s principles to AI, ensuring technology upholds human dignity and justice. By fostering discernment, community, and global outreach, the handbook equips the faithful to live purposefully in an AI-driven world, proclaiming the Gospel with courage and fidelity.

The BFG Handbook, through its AI chat box, AI Podcast, AI music, and integration with the 3Rs framework, serves as a powerful solution for the New Evangelization, paralleling Pope Leo XIV’s vision for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Both draw on Rerum Novarum’s legacy to address AI’s ethical challenges, emphasizing human dignity, discernment, and the sensus fidei. By personalizing guidance, breaking language barriers, fostering community, and promoting ethical AI use, the BFG handbook restores eternal truth, equipping men to navigate the digital age with faith. As Leo XIV leads the Church into this new era, BFG’s innovative approach complements his call for a synodal, missionary Church, advancing the Gospel in a rapidly changing world.