Marcellin in the Age of AI: Why “Good Christians and Good Citizens” Still Matters - Br Darren Burge Reflects on Champagnat Day and Pope Leo’s Encyclical

Today we observe Champagnat Day, marking the anniversary of the day that Marcellin Champagnat entered eternal life. More than two centuries later, Marcellin’s dream of forming “good Christians and good citizens” has taken on a renewed urgency. This call resonates strongly in light of Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical, which challenges us to safeguard what is deeply human in an era of unprecedented technological advancement.

Drawing inspiration from the Holy Father’s reflection, Br Darren Burge, Provincial of Star of the Sea Province, explores how Marcellin’s vision continues to speak powerfully to our contemporary world. He reflects on what it means to form “good citizens” in an age shaped by artificial intelligence, rapid technological change, and growing social complexity.

Marcellin was born amidst the upheaval of the French Revolution, when political, social and economic change transformed every aspect of life and profoundly reshaped the relationship between the Church and society. In our own time, we are living through a similar period of disruption shaped by the technological revolution, especially the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Such change creates uncertainty and prompts deep questions about our lives, our world and where it is all leading.

Australian Iconographer and artist, Dr Ursula Betka, was commissioned to design and write an original icon in celebration of the bicentenary of the motherhouse: Notre-Dame de l’Hermitage, near Saint-Chamond, France; founded and built by St Marcellin Champagnat in 1824-25

Pope Leo XIV released his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas at this moment of profound technological change. This encyclical focuses on safeguarding the human person in this era of AI. It is probably no surprise that Marcellin also had similar questions that Pope Leo today tries to ask through his encyclical: Where are we going? What kind of society are we building? What kind of people are we becoming?

The Holy Father makes it clear that technology is not inherently evil. At the same time, he reminds us that neither is it neutral. Technology and AI are tools, but their impact depends entirely on those who create, control and use them. He explains that when left unchecked, AI can reduce people to data points, weaken relationships, distort truth and concentrate power in the hands of a few. The real challenge is not technological but human. The question is not what AI can do, but what kind of society we choose to build with it.

It is probably no surprise that Marcellin also had similar questions that Pope Leo today tries to ask through his encyclical: Where are we going? What kind of society are we building? What kind of people are we becoming?

In his own time, faced with uncertainty and profound social change, Marcellin’s response was not to fear the future or resist progress. Instead, he dedicated himself to forming young people who could navigate it with faith, wisdom, and courage. His answer to a changing world was an education grounded in the Gospel and centred on the dignity of every person.

For this reason, Marcellin’s vision of forming “good Christians and good citizens” remains especially relevant today. Like him, we as Marist educators and members of the wider Marist family, cannot be content simply to fill young minds with knowledge. We are called to form whole persons - young people with strong minds, compassionate hearts, and the courage to use their gifts in service of others.

It is important to acknowledge that technology and our own Star of the Sea Province are intimately connected. Through emails, messaging platforms and social media, we can share stories, celebrate achievements and support one another across vast distances. Today, we hear stories from remote communities in Bougainville, Kiribati, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands almost instantly. Technology has become one of the great unifiers of our Province, strengthening relationships and helping us live more fully as one Marist family.

This is technology at its best - building human connection and serving human relationships.

For this reason, Marcellin’s vision of forming “good Christians and good citizens” remains especially relevant today. Like him, we as Marist educators and members of the wider Marist family, cannot be content simply to fill young minds with knowledge

Yet while technology has the power to unite, it also has the power to exclude, and the digital divide remains a significant concern. Many communities across the Province still face challenges with connectivity, electricity and access to devices. AI risks creating a new form of digital colonialism in which people of the Province become passive consumers of technologies designed elsewhere rather than active participants in shaping their future.

Technology must not reduce humans to how useful they are! Perhaps one of the most powerful sections of the encyclical is Pope Leo’s warning against measuring human worth solely through efficiency, productivity and usefulness. AI can unintentionally reinforce this mentality. It forces us to ask questions such as: What can this person produce? How efficient are they? What value do they add? AI risks creating a worldview in which people are valued primarily for what they can do rather than for who they are.

Technology must not reduce humans to how useful they are!

Marcellin's vision points us in a very different direction. Instead of asking what a young person can produce, Marcellin encourages us to ask: Who is this child? How can we help them flourish? How can we nurture their spiritual, emotional, social and intellectual growth and wellbeing? His famous saying that "to educate children well, we must love them and love them all equally" reminds us that every child possesses dignity long before they achieve, perform or succeed.

Recognising the inherent dignity of every person also shapes how we build communities, fostering collaboration, participation and shared responsibility rather than uniformity or control. But this recognition can only happen when we form individuals who are emotionally and spiritually strong. We Marists know that formation is an ongoing journey. It is only when we are formed that we can then form young people in Marcellin’s way. It is this kind of formation - rooted in love and dignity - that prepares us to build the kind of community Pope Leo points to through the scriptural images he draws upon.

Marcellin encourages us to ask: Who is this child? How can we help them flourish? How can we nurture their spiritual, emotional, social and intellectual growth and wellbeing?

Pope Leo contrasts the Tower of Babel and the story of Nehemiah as two different visions of community. Babel was about pride, uniformity and power being held by only a few while Nehemiah tells the story of a people coming together to rebuild what had been broken. It is a story of collaboration and collective responsibility. It is akin to a synodal approach. This image resonates deeply with who we are called to be as a Province - we are seeking communion not uniformity. We are seeking to support, respect and develop what happens at the local level while maintaining and developing a Province identity as Marists. This spirit was clearly evident at the recent Champagnat Family Assembly.

We Marists know that formation is an ongoing journey. It is only when we are formed that we can then form young people in Marcellin’s way.

Many of the cultures within our Province provide a reminder of the significance of genuine human connection: relationships and belonging are central. This was so evident at Br Steve Vaea’s Perpetual Profession in Samoa. It was a community event that valued human connection above all else. These wonderful cultures of our Province can lead the way in this tech-driven world that can encourage isolation and individualism. The challenge in the years ahead will be ensuring that technology continues to strengthen that communion rather than erode it. Our task is to ensure that technology serves our relationships and enriches our diversity rather than diminishing it.

Pope Leo’s words, “Let us not be afraid to get our hands dirty on the construction site of our time,” echo Marcellin’s call to “roll up your sleeves.” While Marcellin’s construction sites were classrooms and villages, ours also include digital spaces, social media and emerging technologies. But the core message and mission remain the same, whether it is post-French Revolution France or a world grappling with AI - to build a world where every person is known, valued and loved.

On this Champagnat Day, let us roll up our sleeves and step into the construction sites of our time to help build the New Hermitage.