SEOUL (UCAN): The Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea, conferred the Achievement Award in Humanities and Social Sciences on Italian Franciscan Father Paolo Benanti at the 20th Mystery of Life Awards Ceremony, held at The Catholic University of Korea on June 9, the archdiocese said in a statement.
The Seoul Archdiocesan Committee for Life hosted the award ceremony. The committee’s chairperson, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul, and the nation’s prime minister, Kim Min-seok, were among the dignitaries present.
Others included Seoul’s retired archbishop, Andrew Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung and Auxiliary Bishop Job Yo-bi Koo of Seoul.
In his acceptance remarks, Father Benanti reflected on the meaning of the “mystery of life” in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
“That word, mystery, signals something that does not yield to mere calculation, that cannot be reduced to data, that demands of us not only analysis, but reverence,” the priest said.
The Archdiocese of Seoul established the Mystery of Life Awards was established in 2006 to defend the dignity and value of human life and to promote Catholic bioethics in society.
Father Benanti also warned against reducing human beings to mere data.
That word, mystery, signals something that does not yield to mere calculation, that cannot be reduced to data, that demands of us not only analysis, but reverence
Father Paolo Benanti
“AI systems do not know how to see a person. They see patterns. They see correlations. They see behavioural signals and preference vectors,” he said.
He reminded his listeners that “technology is not destiny,” and that the dignity of human life must be the measure by which every technological choice is judged.
Besides his role for the Vatican, Father Benanti is chairperson of the Italian government’s Commission on Artificial Intelligence for Information. He is also a former member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.
Three other prominent personalities were also awarded for their contributions
Professor Won-Suk Chung from the Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, received an achievement award in Life Sciences for his contributions to research on neurodegenerative diseases.
Professor Sujeong Kim from the College of Nursing of the Catholic University of Korea received an encouragement award in Humanities and Social Sciences for her work on care ethics in medical settings.
The Human Resource Development Foundation from India received an encouragement award in the activity category for its work with Dalit communities and its commitment to human rights and human dignity.
The winners received a plaque in the name of Archbishop Chung, together with prize money of 100 million Won for the Achievement Awards and 30 million Won [US$19,741] for the Encouragement Awards.
Archbishop Chung thanked the winners for their witness to the dignity of life in their fields of expertise.
“Through this award ceremony, I hope the value of life will be more widely shared and that a culture of respect for life will be further rooted in our society,” the archbishop said.
The prime minister, Kim, emphasised that protecting life is “not only a religious concern but also a national and social responsibility.”
