Can AI Take Over Clergy Work?
The work of the clergy is a sacred vocation meant for human beings, not artificial intelligence, for several important reasons. To serve as a priest, a person must have a genuine calling. This path requires love, faith, and hope in Jesus Christ, along with an inner belief that shapes one’s life and ministry. In addition, priests and bishops must make serious moral and spiritual decisions—something AI cannot truly do.
One essential way priests and bishops are ordained and serve God is through God’s calling. This calling is a relationship between God and humanity, not between God and machines. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save humanity and draw people closer to Him. The priesthood is therefore more than a job; it is a calling from God. A priest becomes a messenger of God, spreading His word with love and faithfulness. AI cannot do this with genuine love, and it cannot receive God’s calling because it lacks personal belief and a spiritual life.
Secondly, when God sent Jesus Christ into the world, new light and life entered human hearts and transformed lives for the better. To become a priest, a person must have love, faith, and hope in Jesus Christ and truly believe in Him. This inner faith guides every decision and gives strength to serve God and others. AI cannot have love, faith, or hope. It cannot believe in Jesus or understand His teachings in the way human beings are called to understand them. Pursuing the priesthood is not simply a career choice; it is a sacred calling that requires a human heart fully devoted to God.
Finally, AI cannot make moral decisions the way humans can. Being a priest or bishop involves making serious, life-changing moral and spiritual judgments that affect people’s lives. These decisions require wisdom, prayer, guidance from the Holy Spirit, and a deep understanding of right and wrong rooted in faith. Clergy must listen to people’s struggles, offer counsel, proclaim forgiveness, and guide them according to God’s teachings. AI can provide information and programmed responses, but it cannot truly understand human suffering, temptation, repentance, or the spiritual needs of a person. Because of this, AI cannot carry the responsibility of leading people morally and spiritually in the way clergy are called to do.
In conclusion, AI cannot take over the work of the clergy because this role is not merely a profession but a sacred calling from God. Priests and bishops serve through faith, love, hope, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They must have inner belief, moral judgment, and a human heart dedicated to God. AI does not have a soul, faith, or the ability to truly believe and love. Therefore, the work of the clergy will always remain a vocation meant for human beings who are called by God to serve Him and His people.
Nikolas Frendian