When referring to certain interpretations of transhumanism and posthumanism, which propose overcoming the limits of our human condition through technology, the encyclical letter The current Pope states that we are faced with utopian (or even dystopian) ideologies, characterized by the glorification of the strong, with a dangerous eugenic tendency that runs counter to human dignity.
«It is one thing to integrate technologies into a human and relational vision; it is quite another to be guided by a vision that disregards limits and promises a purely technical “salvation”» (MH, 117).
Catholic doctrine teaches that limitations are inherent to our nature as creatures; added to these are the wound of original sin, which has separated us from God’s original plan, and the personal sins that subsequently accumulate within perverse social structures. Therefore, there will always be suffering of one kind or another, which we must, of course, combat with wisdom and concerted effort, but which we are not capable of completely overcoming.
In the context of the history of salvation, the Lord invites us to view these negative aspects as challenges and calls to recognize our limitations with humility and realism: in this way, we can learn from our mistakes and failings, overcome vain and harmful self-sufficiency, and grow in understanding, kindness, and wisdom.
«Everything that represents a “limitation”—disability, illness, old age, suffering, vulnerability—tends to be viewed primarily as a flaw that must be corrected, rather than as a space in which human beings mature and open themselves to relationships. Instead, we must remember that human beings do not flourish notwithstanding of the limit, but often through the limit. “A vision of reality in the light of faith helps us recognize what we call the ”contingency» of the things of this world. While, on the one hand, it is necessary to try to eliminate the suffering that marks human life, on the other hand, it is wise to acknowledge our inherent finitude” (MH, 118).
Mistakes and injustices—which so often painfully tear at the fabric of human existence—are, at their core, a call for us to reach out with solidarity and mercy to those who suffer, to lighten their burden to the best of our ability; likewise, life’s hardships contain an invitation to acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty and to trust in his providential love, which often surpasses our limited understanding.
«It is precisely in our finitude that compassion, sincere concern for the needs of others, generosity that surprises even in the midst of darkness and failure, spiritual experience, and the worship of God find their place» (MH, 119).
The Promethean dream of eliminating all forms of suffering in this temporary life—even at the cost of discarding the weak and turning human beings into impersonal, programmed machines—must give way to the courage to use our imperfections and shortcomings to make us more human, precisely through love for our neighbor and faith in the good God, who transforms apparent defeats into fruits of life, for those who trust and love always win.
«Finitude, when embraced in truth, does not impoverish human beings, but rather opens them to the recognition of the face of God and of the other. Moreover, precisely because they experience their limitations—vulnerability, pain, failure—they can recognize their own dignity and that of others as inviolable. And in the very experience of these limits, they remain capable of sensing a brotherhood greater than themselves and of recognizing injustice as a scandal» (MH, 122).
In short, the Holy Father encourages us to see in the challenges posed by our fallible and frail nature an opportunity to better understand the truth and to love the good of others more deeply, so that we may unleash the potential hidden within the paradoxical human condition:
«Humanity—magnificent and wounded—must not be replaced or surpassed; it can embrace technological progress to alleviate suffering and open up new possibilities, provided it does not renounce what makes it who it is—that is, the capacity for relationship and love» (MH, 126).
