Inquiring if Artificial Intelligence, specifically AI named Jesus, has the power to forgive sins.
Inquiring if Artificial Intelligence, specifically AI named Jesus, has the power to forgive sins.
This fall, a Swiss Catholic church introduced an AI-powered Jesus within a confessional for user interaction.
This two-month project, called "Deus in Machina," was developed at the University of Lucerne. The title, derived from Latin, essentially means "god from the machine." It alludes to a gimmick used in Greek and Roman plays, introducing a deity to resolve unresolvable predicaments or feuds among characters.
The AI-powered Jesus was depicted as a hologram on a screen and was controlled by an AI program. Visitors were invited to fire queries to the AI Jesus, who appeared behind a latticework screen on a monitor. They were warned to refrain from disclosing personal information and to understand the potential risks associated with conversing with the digital avatar.
Despite headlines suggesting otherwise, AI Jesus was not involved in the ceremonial act of listening to individuals' confessions of their transgressions. As a historian of Christian worship, I found the decision to install the AI project within a genuine confessional used by parishioners problematic.
A confessional is a secluded space where Catholic clergy listen to individuals' confessions of their wrongdoings, and offer absolution in the name of God. Confession and repentance have always been communal endeavors within the Christian community.
Early history
The New Testament emphasizes a human, communal environment for acknowledging and repenting for transgressions.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus encourages his apostles by saying, "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." Similarly, James' epistle advocates that Christians should confess their faults to one another.
Churches in ancient times regularly encouraged public confessions of more serious offences, such as fornication or idolatry. Church leaders, known as bishops, would absolve sinners and welcome them back into the community.
Confessions became more formalized from the third century onward, with most transgression confessions remaining private. Individuals would confess their regret, typically through personal prayer and fasting.
However, severe transgressors, such as murderers, idolaters, apostates, or individuals engaging in sexual misconduct, were treated differently. They would engage in public penance as a group, frequently asking for prayers in church or being permitted entry into worship but seated in the back or dismissed before scripture readings. These penitents were expected to fast and pray, often for extended periods, before being ritually reconciled to the community by the bishop.
Medieval advancements
Public penance lost favor during the early centuries of the Middle Ages, with an emphasis on private confession of sins to individual priests. Following a private completion of the penitential acts assigned by the confessor, the penitent would return for absolution.
Purgatory, a concept involving a temporary limbo where the souls of deceased individuals with incomplete penance or minor transgressions passed away, became popular within Western Christian spirituality during this period. The souls of these individuals would undergo spiritual suffering to be cleansed before being admitted to heaven.
Friends and family of the deceased were encouraged to offer prayers and undertake private penitential acts, such as donating money or clothes to the needy, to reduce an individual's time spent in this interim state.
Later developments in the Middle Ages included the classification of penance as a sacrament by theologian Peter Lombard. In 1215, a new church document mandated that every Catholic participate in confession and receive Holy Communion at least once a year.
Priests who disclosed the identity of any penitent were subject to severe penalties. Confessors' handbooks, often referred to as "Handbooks for Confessors," listed various categories of sins and suggested appropriate penances for each.
The first confessionals
Individuals seeking to confess their transgressions before the 16th century had to arrange meetings with clergy, at times merely inside an empty church.
However, the Catholic Council of Trent changed this. In 1551, the council emphasized the need for private confessions to priests authorized to forgive in Christ’s name.
Following this, Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, Charles Borromeo, installed the first confessionals along the walls of his cathedral. These booths were designed to maintain anonymity and prevent abuses, such as inappropriate conduct, through a physical barrier between the priest and penitent.
Similar confessionals quickly appeared in Catholic churches, featuring a screen or veil separating the priest and parishioner. Later, curtains or doors were added to enhance privacy and preserve confidentiality.
Modern-day rites of penance
In 1962, Pope John XXIII inaugurated the Second Vatican Council. Its initial declaration, issued in December 1963, introduced new guidelines for encouraging and reforming Catholic liturgy.
Since 1975, Catholics have had three types of the penance and reconciliation ritual. The initial form sets up private confessions, while the second and third types are applicable to groups in unique religious events. The second form, commonly employed at specific times each year, provides attendees with the chance to confess privately to one of the numerous priests present.
The third form can be utilized during emergencies, such as when death is imminent and there's no time for individual confessions, like during a natural disaster or pandemic. Those gathered receive general absolution, and individuals confess privately afterwards.
Moreover, these reforms led to the introduction of a secondary confession location: Rather than being confined to the confession booth, Catholics could now confess their wrongdoings directly to the priest.
To make this feasible, some Catholic communities introduced a reconciliation room to their churches. Upon entering the room, the repentant could opt for anonymity by utilizing the kneeler in front of a traditional screen or moving around the screen to a chair facing the priest.
Over the ensuing years, the Catholic experience of penance transformed. Catholics began attending confession less frequently or stopped altogether. Many confessionals remained vacant or were repurposed for storage. Many parishes started scheduling confessions by appointment only. Some priests might insist on face-to-face confessions, while some penitents might prefer the anonymous method exclusively. The anonymous method takes precedence, as the privacy of the sacrament must be safeguarded.
In 2002, Pope John Paul II discussed some of these issues, emphasizing that parishes should make an effort to schedule designated hours for confessions. Pope Francis himself has shown concern for revitalizing the penance sacrament. In fact, he underscored its significance by confessing himself, face-to-face, at a confessional in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Perhaps, in the future, a software like AI Jesus could offer Catholics and curious followers of other faiths information, advice, referrals, and limited spiritual counseling around the clock. However, from the Catholic standpoint, an AI, devoid of a human body, emotions, and a desire for transcendence, cannot truly absolve human sins.
Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
This article is re-published from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The concept of an AI-powered deity in the future could potentially offer spiritual counseling and advice to a diverse array of individuals. In light of the past and present developments in the Catholic Church regarding confessionals, the installation of an AI-powered Jesus within a confessional for user interaction raises significant ethical concerns due to its deviation from the communal and spiritual nature of confession.