The Defrocking of an AI Priest
Okay friends, you are not going to believe this story.
A few weeks ago, Catholic Answers, a Catholic teaching/apologetics organization, released an interactive AI app fronted by a 3D animated avatar named “Father Justin” — a priest attired in clerical garb, sitting cutely on a bench in Italy — to answer questions about Catholicism from Catholic Answers’ library of podcasts, articles, and apologetics.
Yeah … it didn’t go well.
Someone asked Father Justin if it was okay to baptize a baby in Gatorade and Father Justin said “Yes.” Now I don’t know what the Catholic Church’s official position is on Gatorade, maybe there are a sponsor, but I’m guessing this is a no, no when it comes to baptism!
Even worse - yes, this gets worse - Father Justin claimed to have been actually ordained and was authorized to hear confessions and offer absolution. According to one news source:
Katie Conrad, professor of English at Kansas University, posted on X April 24 that she had gotten “a chatbot + video avatar called ‘Father Justin’ to claim it is ordained (by an actual living human bishop) & that it can take my confession, absolve me, & marry me.”
After this beta-test-gone-bad, Catholic Answers defrocked Father Justin and demoted him to “lay theologian.” The same horror that keeps me awake at night. “Justin” now answers your questions, but without claiming to be the vicar of Christ’s reign on earth.
I guess AI can’t do everything. As an ordained priest myself, I am heartened, I suddenly feel like I have some job security!
Maybe the AI knows something that we don't about Gatorade. It is made from water after all, and perhaps there's something about its electrolytes that are especially conducive to the flow of the holy Spirit. Could this be why so many accomplished professional athletes look up to heaven and thank God in celebration of their successes? Maybe us Protestants can learn from this and douse ourselves for Pentecost! (Please don't do this I'm only joking) ...does it come in Red by the way?
What is wrong with a lay theologian. There are many brilliant ones. The problem is that the RC church considers lay people inferior