Human Dignity at the Level of Genus

The encyclical letter Magnifica Humanitas (MH) by Pope Leo XIV is consistent with previous Catholic social teaching in that it introduces human dignity as foundational for discussions about human rights and the common good (Leo XIV, 2026, paras. 52-56).

Rightly, it mentions that human dignity is spoken of in different ways. It zeroes in on what I will call human dignity at the level of genus rather than species: ontological dignity (Leo XIV, 2026, para. 52).

MH is building upon the clarification Cardinal Fernández made about ontological dignity in Dignitas infinita, the Declaration on Human Dignity by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith [DDF], 2024, paras. 7-9).

It is recommended to read paras. 7-9 of that Declaration because it offers a clarification about how we use the term "human dignity." It is a term that needs to be defined because speaking of human dignity can actually end up being a way of avoiding or at least masking differences in opinion about right and wrong (DDF, 2024, para. 7).

When the Church is speaking of human dignity, according to Fernández and MH we are speaking of ontological dignity (DDF, 2024, para. 7; Leo XIV, 2026, para. 52). Another way of saying that is we are speaking of substantial or essential dignity that every person possesses by virtue of being a human being created in the image and likeness of God (DDF, 2024, para. 1; Leo XIV, 2026, para. 53).

There is more to unpack when talking about ontological dignity and also important questions about impacts technologies can have on other forms of human dignity. We will look at some applications of this distinction through the lens of Health Care Ethics here on Magnifica Agentes Fidei.