Catégorie oBox : BuzzNews

Pope Leo XIV used his first major teaching document to deliver one of the most sweeping and politically charged messages of any modern pope, apologizing for the Vatican’s historical role in slavery while warning that artificial intelligence, economic inequality and uncontrolled technological power now threaten the human race. In an 83-page encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity) released May 25, Leo condemned what he described as new forms of “digital slavery,” and criticized the concentration of technological power among corporations while calling for stronger global oversight of artificial intelligence. The document is widely being viewed as the defining ideological blueprint for the early years of his papacy.

Pope Leo apologizes

The piece of the document sparking the most conversation is Leo’s apology for the Catholic Church’s direct role in legitimizing slavery. While previous popes condemned the slave trade or apologized for Christians’ involvement in colonial abuses, Leo became the first pope to explicitly acknowledge that the Holy See itself authorized and enabled slavery through papal decrees issued during the Age of Discovery. The encyclical specifically referenced 15th-century papal bulls that granted European powers authority to conquer and enslave non-Christians across parts of Africa and the Americas. Leo described slavery as “a wound in Christian memory” and asked forgiveness for the Church’s failures

“Yet neither can we deny or diminish the delay with which both society and the church came to denounce the scourge of slavery. This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached.”

The apology immediately drew global attention, with Pope Leo directly addressing the Vatican’s institutional responsibility rather than skirting the topic. Past papal statements typically focused on broader Christian participation in slavery without acknowledging the role official Vatican doctrine played in authorizing conquest and enslavement. The Vatican formally repudiated the so-called “Doctrine of Discovery” in 2023, but Leo’s encyclical went significantly further by publicly confronting the Church’s own legal and theological role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Activists and certain theologians have praised the move as historic, but are still arguing it should eventually be followed by discussions surrounding reparative justice and deeper institutional accountability.

Pope Leo on AI and techno-capitalists

Beyond the apology for slavery, Leo’s encyclical focused heavily on artificial intelligence and the growing influence that technology companies have on humanity. Pope Leo warned that AI systems will hand enormous economic and political power into the hands of a small number of corporations, giving them the ability to undermine democracy, truth and human dignity. He criticized the use of AI in warfare, as well as misinformation campaigns and labour displacement, arguing that technological development cannot be separated from ethical responsibility. Leo also warned against autonomous weapons systems operating beyond meaningful human control, calling for international regulation and political oversight before AI becomes too deeply embedded in military and economic systems.

« No algorithm can make war morally acceptable, »

Leo also used the document to criticize widening economic inequality and what he describes as the moral failures of modern capitalism. Building on the social justice teachings of previous popes, Leo argued that economic systems increasingly value profit over human dignity while abandoning vulnerable communities, workers and migrants. He called for stronger protections for labour, ethical oversight of technological development, and prompted AI leaders to commit to social welfare. The pope warned that societies risk becoming spiritually hollow when economic systems prioritize efficiency and accumulation over compassion and community. The encyclical echoed many themes associated with Pope Francis while framing them more directly through the lens of technology and globalization.

Defending the vulnerable

Migration and refugees also emerged as central themes throughout the encyclical. Leo defended migrants as people deserving dignity and protection rather than political scapegoats, warning against governments and movements that treat refugees primarily as threats. Pope Leo argued that wealthy countries have moral obligations toward displaced populations while criticizing increasingly popular political rhetoric focused on exclusion and fear. As a former missionary in Peru, Leo has repeatedly emphasized migration and poverty as priorities throughout his early papacy. Vatican observers noted that his comments could intensify tensions with nationalist political movements in Europe and North America, particularly amidst increasingly polarized debates surrounding immigration and border enforcement policies.

This is Pope Leo

The release of Magnifica Humanitas is being viewed as the clearest indication yet of how Pope Leo intends to define his papacy. The first American-born pope has moved quickly to position the Vatican as a major moral voice in debates surrounding artificial intelligence, inequality, labour, and technological power. Earlier this month, Leo established a Vatican study group focused specifically on AI governance and ethics ahead of the encyclical’s release. The document’s title — translated as “Magnificent Humanity” — reflects Leo’s argument that technology and economic systems must ultimately serve human dignity rather than dominate it. It is no mistake that Pope Leo asked for multiple AI leaders, including Christopher Olah, co-founder of US AI giant Anthropic, to be present for the reading.

According to Donald Trump, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is hiding in a heavily secured undisclosed location and communicating through a secret courier network as fears of assassination and internal instability continue gripping Iran’s leadership. According to U.S. intelligence officials, not even senior Iranian government figures know exactly where Khamenei is currently located. Officials claim that Iranian negotiators attempting to communicate with the Trump administration have struggled to relay information through Iran’s fractured command structure, contributing to delays in ceasefire and nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

Khamenei’s hiding has thrown a wrench into ceasefire negotiations, with the US experiencing significant difficulty communicating with Iran’s leader. A senior US official claimed that Khemenei has agreed to the general contours of Donald Trump’s newest ceasefire agreement, but there has been no official confirmation from Iran. Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social that he a final word from Iran in the following days. Iran’s Supreme Leader was injured during the US’ ‘Operation Epic Fury’, the operation that killed his father and most of his immediate family. Mojtaba Khamenei has not been officially seen or heard in public since before the start of the war.

Speculation rising

The secrecy surrounding Khamenei’s whereabouts has fueled growing speculation regarding both his health and his control over Iran’s government. Multiple reports published in recent weeks stated Khamenei suffered serious injuries during U.S. and Israeli strikes carried out under Operation Epic Fury, though Iranian officials have denied rumors that he is incapacitated. The Financial Times reported that Iranian officials privately acknowledged Khamenei sustained knee and back injuries during the conflict but insisted he remains actively involved in leadership decisions through secure communication channels. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials have claimed to remain in contact with the supreme leader despite his prolonged disappearance from public view.

The uncertainty surrounding Khamenei’s condition comes as Tehran remains engaged in fragile negotiations with the Trump administration over a potential ceasefire agreement and the future of Iran’s nuclear program following months of conflict with Israel and the United States. Reuters reported last week that Khamenei recently ordered Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium to remain inside the country, rejecting one of Washington’s central demands during ongoing negotiations. Iranian officials reportedly fear surrendering the uranium stockpile would leave the country vulnerable to future military attacks while weakening Iran’s bargaining position diplomatically.

Behind the scenes, media analysts have theorized that Iran’s internal power structure may be shifting rapidly as military figures and Revolutionary Guard commanders gain greater influence amidst the uncertainty surrounding Khamenei’s leadership. The Associated Press recently reported that Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi has emerged as one of the country’s most powerful figures during the crisis, playing a central role in negotiations and military strategy. Some regional analysts now believe Iran’s government is increasingly being directed collectively by senior Revolutionary Guard officials rather than solely by the supreme leader himself. There is also the added layer of US and Israeli attacks on Iran, continuously killing major military personnel, triggering systemic shifts inside Iran’s parliament.

The disappearance of Iran’s supreme leader from public life has also intensified concerns regarding political stability inside the country. Khamenei inherited leadership earlier this year following the death of his father, whose decades-long rule shaped modern Iran’s political and religious system. Even before Mojtaba Khamenei assumed power, reports circulated that some members of Iran’s leadership questioned whether he possessed the political experience or authority necessary to maintain control over the country during a period of growing instability. Earlier intelligence assessments reviewed by CBS reportedly suggested Ali Khamenei himself had concerns regarding his son’s suitability for leadership.

US believes Khamenei is alive

Despite the secrecy, U.S. officials have indicated they believe Khamenei remains alive and continues exercising at least some authority over negotiations and military strategy. A senior Trump administration official told CBS that Khamenei had already approved the general framework of a draft agreement currently being discussed between Washington and Tehran. President Donald Trump also stated on Truth Social that he expected final word from Iran within days. However, officials cautioned that the fragmented communication structure inside Iran continues slowing negotiations dramatically because messages often take days to reach the supreme leader through the covert courier system now protecting him.

One TikTok account posted a video of a theory surrounding the way the pyramids were built and suggested they were unbuilt. But is it true or even plausible?

TikTok is home to many anonymous accounts with hefty audiences. One of these accounts, @truth.xposer, has accumulated nearly half a million followers thanks to its faceless videos featuring an AI voiceover discussing conspiracies.

The account posted a video with more than 337,000 views, where a narrator questioned the supposed origins of the Egyptian pyramids. Then, the narrator claimed that no one “actually built” the pyramids.

“They were unbuilt,” an AI voiceover said in the video. “The evidence has been right in front of us. We just misinterpreted it … Experts once thought the Egyptians used massive ramps. But there is zero evidence a mile-long ramp ever existed.”

The video went on to suggest that ancient Egyptians carved the pyramids out of a natural, limestone mountain.

The evidence

While there is an actual unbuilt theory outside of @truth.xposer’s video, it doesn’t match the video’s description. There is no evidence that the pyramids were “unbuilt” in the way the creator suggested, and the original theory doesn’t suggest that ramps weren’t used in the pyramids’ construction.

The pyramids are so ancient and impressive in scale that their construction remains an ongoing area of study. But there is at least some evidence that ramps were involved in the construction of the pyramids.

In 2018, a team of academics from the University of Liverpool discovered “huge alabaster blocks,” which they suggested were used in the construction of the pyramids.

The real unbuilt theory

The real unbuilt theory, which was first posited by Korean independent researcher Huni Choi and popularized by the YouTube breakdown of licensed architect Dami Lee, engaged with the idea that builders carved the pyramids downward out of a larger structure.

Cleveland 13 News’ Joan Elloway-Nash, synthesizing Lee’s video breakdown, wrote that Choi’s unbuilt theory “proposes that builders first created an oversized, trapezoidal ‘step mass’ that contained an integrated ramp system.”

“This broader structure provided a flat, stable working deck near the top, allowing crews to maintain the pyramid’s exact geometry as they reached the apex,” Elloway-Nash wrote. “Under this model, the pyramid seen today emerged only after builders carved downward into the final shape from this larger mass … The remaining 2 million tons of stone did not just disappear. Choi argues they were likely recycled to build other structures in the Giza complex, including the Pyramid of Khafre. This matches known Egyptian practices of repurposing materials across different dynasties.”

Pyramids theory vs. fact

Alternative theories have still been created that propose pseudoscientific ideas. Commenters, for instance, shared some of their alternative theories when discussing @truth.xposer’s video.

“Giants built the pyramids…. the pyramids are made of stone blocks as you said in your video, yet no mountain is already made of stone blocks, so this theory is wrong,” one commenter wrote.

While the post didn’t mention extraterrestrials, it did include flashes of pseudoscientific imagery. Reed Magazine wrote that “pseudoarchaeology” (e.g., that “extraterrestrials helped the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids at Giza”) is often based in racial bias.

“You see [pseudoarchaeology] principally applied to places that are exoticized, like Peru, Native American civilizations, Meso-America, Egypt, India,” Reed College professor Thomas Landvatter told the magazine. In contrast, civilizations such as ancient Greece and Rome have not received the same level of scrutiny, at least according to the interviewed experts.

The two interviewed subjects in the story, Landvatter and technologist Beth Platte, concluded that “it is important to identify and interrogate these dominant narratives.”

Buzz News has reached out to the creator via TikTok comment, along with Egyptologist Mark Lehner via email. The story will be updated if they reply.

@truth.xposer The Great Pyramid of Giza wasn’t built, it was UNBUILT. #ancientegypt #greatpyramid #archaeology #history #story ♬ original sound – ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ xᴘᴏꜱᴇʀ™