An ecumenical group of bishops in the Philippines has rejected the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, warning that artificial intelligence and automated technologies could undermine human dignity, displace workers and weaken moral judgment.
The Ecumenical Bishops Forum (EBF), in a pastoral statement, called on churches to resist handing over moral decisions to automated systems and demand that technological development protect workers and serve the common good.
“We cannot baptize convenience at the expense of human dignity,” the bishops said in the statement titled “Defending Human Dignity in an Age of Automated Truth.”
The bishops raised concerns about the growing ability of artificial intelligence to imitate human reasoning, produce religious content and simulate personal relationships.
They warned against allowing machines to replace human conscience, particularly in decisions involving justice, mercy and pastoral care.
“When society begins to surrender moral judgment, pastoral discernment, and neighborly truth to automated facsimiles, it commits the ancient sin of idolatry under modern guise,” the bishops said.
The EBF also expressed concern about the displacement of workers, the spread of deceptive images and the concentration of economic power as automated technologies become more widely used.
It urged churches to defend people whose livelihoods are threatened by technological change and demand safeguards against development that benefits corporations at the expense of vulnerable communities.
“Demand that technological advancement serve the common good and protect the livelihood of workers, rather than concentrate power and wealth in the hands of corporate principalities,” the bishops said.
The bishops’ warning comes amid opposition to Pax Silica from Indigenous organizations concerned about its potential impact on ancestral lands and natural resources.
On Nov. 11, Indigenous vegetable farmers and community groups from the Cordillera protested outside government offices in Quezon City, warning that the initiative could intensify mineral extraction in territories already affected by mining and energy projects.
The protesters threw mud representing mine tailings outside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and held a noise barrage at the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
The groups accused the agencies of failing to protect ancestral lands and uphold Indigenous rights, including the requirement for free, prior and informed consent.
Organizations involved in the protests included the Kanatengan Network, Apit Tako, the Cordillera Peoples Alliance and KATRIBU.
The groups also protested outside the House of Representatives, where they rejected Pax Silica over concerns that it could increase pressure on Indigenous communities and their natural resources.
Opposition to the initiative has also emerged from Catholic university students.
The Central Student Council of the University of Santo Tomas, a Catholic university in Manila, questioned the economic benefits of Pax Silica and warned against pursuing development without addressing its potential consequences for marginalized communities.
“Projections are not promises and promises are not guarantees,” the council said, referring to reported projections that the initiative could generate hundreds of thousands of indirect and induced jobs.
The student council raised concerns about the possible effects of the initiative on the environment, cultural heritage and Indigenous ancestral lands.
It cited the opposition of Aeta communities in Capas, Tarlac, who have expressed fears of losing their ancestral lands, homes and livelihoods because of proposed development.
“We cannot celebrate foreign partnerships and economic opportunities while leaving the legitimate concerns and demands of our own people unheard and unresolved,” the council said.
The student leaders called for greater accountability in development policies and urged fellow students to join protest actions scheduled for Nov. 13 and 17.
In their pastoral statement, the EBF bishops also warned against replacing direct human relationships with artificial forms of communication, particularly in religious and pastoral settings.
They said Christian ministry requires personal encounters and moral responsibility that cannot be delegated to automated systems.
“Do not substitute the living body of Christ with synthetic presence,” the bishops said.
The EBF urged churches to preserve human responsibility in moral decisions, defend workers affected by automation and protect opportunities for prayer, silence and personal fellowship.
“Conscience is God’s sanctuary in the human person; it cannot be automated,” the bishops said.
The pastoral statement ended with a declaration rejecting Pax Silica and opposing U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to the Philippines.
“In one voice let us resoundingly declare: NO TO PAX SILICA! TRUMP, GO HOME!” the bishops said.
The statement did not identify specific provisions of Pax Silica that the bishops opposed or explain how the initiative would directly contribute to the consequences of automation they described.
Seven bishops signed the statement, including retired United Methodist Bishop Ciriaco Q. Francisco, EBF general secretary; Prime Bishop Nestor D. Poltic Sr. of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines; and Bishop Joseph G. Agpaoa, general secretary of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
The other signatories were United Methodist Bishop Ruby-Nell M. Estrella, Bishop Emelyn Gasco-Dacuycuy of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Bishop Emeritus Deogracias S. Iniguez Jr. and Bishop Rowel Arevalo of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente.
The EBF is a fellowship of bishops from various Christian denominations in the Philippines that provides pastoral guidance on social, political and economic issues, particularly those affecting poor and marginalized communities.
