Cristina Scorrano on Rielo Institute for Integral Development

Dear Migrants. I kneel before your dignity

Cristina Scorrano — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The sea, with its multiple meanings, serves as both the focal point and the backdrop in the speech that Pope Leo XIV delivered at the Port of Arguineguín (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) on June 11, 2026. It was an intense, heartfelt speech, structured around three fundamental themes: the denunciation and condemnation of mafia networks and human traffickers; an appeal to politicians and the leaders of both the countries from which migrants depart and the host countries, urging them to make decisions that guarantee the right to migrate safely but also the right to remain in conditions of peace and development; a strong affirmation of the dignity of every migrant, of the many “wounded lives arriving from the sea, stripped of almost everything, but never, ever of their dignity.”[1]

A Decisive Choosing for Humanity

Cristina Scorrano — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the Introduction to Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the pope states that magnificent humanity today faces a crucial choice: to decide whether to build a new Babel or to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, as Nehemiah did after the exile in Babylon. The conscience of every person of our time is challenged by questions that can no longer be avoided: “Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to direct ourselves? Which direction should we choose as a human community and as peoples?” * It is time for communal discernment that leads to a profound understanding of the signs of the times, in order to respond to the epochal challenges that have already emerged on the horizon. The biblical icons presented to us by “Magnifica Humanitas” are precious guides for a journey of personal and communal deepening.

A person is not an algorithm

Cristina Scorrano — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An article published on April 13, 2026, in FQ Magazine by *Il Fatto Quotidiano* tells the story of Katie, a 32-year-old former human resources employee at a company who, according to her own account, overcame postpartum depression by using AI and entrusting the algorithm with complete control over her life. “I described my dream life to the AI, and now I always follow its orders. I don’t trust myself; ChatGPT even decides whether I should wash my hair.” The number of people downloading apps capable of creating custom chatbots—structured with specific data to act as confidants, coaches, and virtual friends—is growing exponentially, especially in the Western world. “AI Companions” offer comfort; they do not judge, do not contradict, remember everything, are charming, usually have a harmonious and gentle tone of voice, and create a “relational bubble” that makes people feel good, accepted, and understood. Young people are increasingly trusting chatbots, making requests that span the most diverse fields: from ethics to medicine to spirituality. The major digital platforms are seeking experts in moral philosophy, anthropology, and theology to provide ethical and wisdom-based information to the algorithms. In virtual relationships, empathy is not necessary, nor is the effort to listen to the other. These interactions between humans and AI using GPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer), capable of generating text similar to human speech, raise at least two pressing questions: the definition of the person in their essence and in their distinction from AI, and the evolution of human language in the .....

Ghosting

Cristina Scorrano — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The term “Ghosting,” derived from the English word “ghost,” was added to the Treccani dictionary’s list of neologisms in 2024. The definition reads as follows: “Suddenly and without explanation, cutting off all contact with a person, making oneself untraceable.” Digital anthropology and psychology, within their respective fields of scientific inquiry, have described this phenomenon, which has become increasingly widespread in the age of online relationships and causes a painful sense of abandonment in those who experience it. Digital anthropology studies and seeks to understand the impact of information technologies on the human beings who use them. “One of the aims of anthropology, as Gaetano Piccolo S.J. states, is to foster self-understanding in human beings, that is, to activate a process of awareness of the existential and cultural dynamics in which they find themselves living.” In the 1990s, researchers Daniel Miller and Don Slater launched a study to examine the use and influence of the Internet on the inhabitants of the island of Trinidad. Their pioneering studies in digital anthropology contributed to defining the Internet not only as a source of information and knowledge but as a space where individuals develop and experience existing relational dynamics; the people of Trinidad used the web to communicate with distant loved ones, or forged new ones by creating unpredictable forms of connection and new community formations. These findings led to moving beyond the “digital/virtual” and “material/real” dichotomy to highlight the mutual influence of the two spheres. The “real” informs the “digital,” and the “digital” causes the “real” to evolve in new ways. The rapid and pervasive development of digital technologies has profoundly changed culture, the economy, human identity, and interpersonal relationships. For this reason, an increasingly deep understanding of how humans use technologies across various socio-cultural contexts is essential for analyzing the changes occurring in individuals’ mindsets and inner lives. Social networks and social media have become spaces of belonging, social recognition, professional interaction, communication, and the sharing of passions and feelings.

I want to know if justice is possible…

Cristina Scorrano — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This famous verse by David Maria Turoldo introduces this brief – and certainly not exhaustive – reflection on ‘justice’, a theme that is often at the heart of debates and demands. Let us ask ourselves what the meaning of the term “justice” is in a globalised, multicultural society dominated by market forces and technology, and, above all, on what foundation can the concept of “justice” be anchored if religious and moral references are no longer valid or shared? Is a society that speaks the language of weapons just? These days, the terms most frequently heard in public debate are those relating to war, violence, the death of innocent people, and armed attacks. It seems that humanity is prey to an insatiable thirst for power and is capable only of devising plans for destruction, aggression, and the invasion of spaces belonging to others. Pope Leo XIV, too, in the Angelus on Sunday 15 March, drew attention to the “dramatic situations of injustice, violence and suffering that mark our times”.