Two Americans with a vested interest in Catholic education met recently in Rome.
One was Marywood University President Lisa Lori.
The other was Pope Leo XIV.
Lori was among delegates of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities who attended a special audience with Pope Leo earlier this month while visiting for ACCU’s 2026 Rome Seminar.
"I told him who I was, about our sisters — our IHM sisters — and what we do here at Marywood, and he was very appreciative," Lori said.
Marywood University was founded in 1915 by the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lori, who was appointed its 13th president two years ago, is the first layperson to serve in the role.
She met Pope Leo following his address to the Catholic college and university presidents, in which the pontiff spoke about the importance of Catholic education, the fragmentation of knowledge, and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
Pope put AI in focus for educators
Those are topics the pope explored in depth last month in an encyclical letter "On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Age of Artificial Intelligence."
"He realizes the reality of artificial intelligence and technological changes that are just accelerating at an incredible pace right now. In fact, that was the message across the whole Vatican," said Lori, who said the ACCU delegates met with other church leaders during their visit.
"They recognize that it's a game-changer," she said of their views on AI. "They equate it to the Industrial Revolution, when you don't realize what's happening until years after it's already happened."
"It's the reality, it's here, it's not going away, and it has the potential to do things like cure diseases. But it also has the potential to be very bad if used for inappropriate purposes," she said.
Lori felt the message she was hearing in Rome accorded with what her school has been doing.
"It was affirming for me to hear this, because in recent years, rather than ignoring artificial intelligence, we here at Marywood have been focused on the ethical use of it, guided by our faith and our mission, and that is really what the crux of what he was trying to say," she said.
"There's a fear that artificial intelligence is going to replace human jobs. I don't see it that way. I see it as a tool, and I think he sees it as a tool too, where it could do great things," Lori said. "We just have to use it ethically, and keep the humanity in it."
It's an issue Lori began considering shortly before coming to Marywood after a 25-year career as an attorney.
"I was a partner in a big firm in Philadelphia. One of the things we were talking about among the partners was they were concerned that AI going to replace lawyers. I remember saying I don't see that ever happening because you're always going to need the human piece — it's just a tool," she said.
"I was saying it back then and I say it to students now, too, although I do feel their stress and I empathize with them," Lori said.
"But I truly do not believe AI is going to replace humans. I believe it's going to be a tool," she said. "What I really want students to do is learn how to use it again — I emphasize ethically, properly — as a tool to enhance the work that they're doing, and just make them better at what they do, and make their lives easier."
The idea of ethical use is being stressed on campus: There is software in place to help professors flag papers written with AI but submitted as a student's own work. Lori said she is aware of cases in which students failed as a result.
"Our faculty are on it," she said. "It is something that is on everybody's radar."
Lori also met Pope Francis
Lori's visit with Leo was not her first with a reigning pontiff. She had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis in 2024, not long after being named university president.
That was another gathering of Catholic college presidents, and Lori recalled Francis being wheeled into the room. The pope, in his late 80s, moved from a wheelchair to a chair, then stood to address his guests.
"He was unscripted, just spoke right from the heart. And then he said, after about 10-15 minutes, 'OK, I have some time, let's talk, anybody have any questions?' He was very, very outgoing and warm," she said.
Leo, 70, seemed seemed "shy, almost ... more introspective," Lori said.
"But it was just, I think, humbling and awestruck and impressive. I mean, he's very impressive," she said, praising Leo for recognizing "modern issues" and "making an effort to reach out to the younger folks."
Lori also was impressed to learn during the visit that Leo had just named a female layperson to serve as as Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, which oversees the Holy See’s communications systems.
The appointment of Maria Montserrat Alvarado continues a policy started by Pope Francis to give more lay people positions of leadership and responsibility in the church, Vatican officials said.
"I think he's doing really good work, I do, and he's focused on, I think, the right issues, the absolute right issues," Lori said.
Marywood in Florence
There was another key item for Lori to attend to while in Italy: She had to travel to Florence to handle some business matters related to the opening of a new academic site there.
The new Marywood in Florence building will open in August with about 45 architecture students, Lori said, but it will open to education students in the spring, and ultimately other programs.
"Instead of sending our students to study abroad with other schools, we will do our own study abroad, and other schools could come to us," said Juneann Greco, special advisor for strategic communications for the president's office.
"It's in a beautiful space in the heart of Florence, in the Santo Spirito area, a building from the 17th century," Lori said of the property leased for the project. "It's just gorgeous with a huge courtyard."
