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A digital Catholic imagination: Towards Full Presence in dialogue with contemporary social media

Andre Joseph Theng

Church, Communication and Culture, volume 11, issue 1 (2026), pp. 22–44

"Towards Full Presence represents the first official Church document that addresses the use of social media in its entirety. In this paper, I provide a reflection on three themes emerging in the document in relation to my empirical, sociolinguistic research into Catholic social media sites. These th ... more

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Radio in Guinea-Bissau: Die Stimme des Friedens

Frida Nsonde

welt-sichten (2026)

"Ein italienischer Priester hat vor 25 Jahren den katholischen Radiosender Sol Mansi in Guinea-Bissau gegründet. Heute ist er der meistgehörte Sender des Landes, auch weil er sich dem sozialen Zusammenhalt und der Vielfalt verschrieben hat." (Einleitung)

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Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence

Leo XIV (Pope)

Vatican City: Holy See (2026)

"Divided into five chapters, Magnifica humanitas has an underlying premise: technology is not “a force antagonistic to humanity” (paragraph 4), nor is it “inherently evil” (9). However, “technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regu ... late, and use it. Therefore, Pope Leo XIV appeals for people to build “for the common good” and to “remain human,” following a courageous mentality of shared responsibility and communion, so that the world “will come to recognize the human heart as the place where God desires to dwell” (16). [...] An ethical code for AI: The third chapter—Technology and Dominance. The Grandeur of Humanity in Light of the Promises of AI stresses the need to approach artificial intelligence with vigilance. Pope Leo warns about the “technocratic paradigm” already denounced by Pope Francis and how it can require that every choice be dictated exclusively by measuring efficiency and profits (92). On the contrary, the most powerful technology is not necessarily the best. AI can imitate and simulate the person, but it does not possess a moral conscience, empathy, or affective, relational or spiritual capabilities. The Pope urges clarity about responsibilities and accountability at every stage of the development process, focusing on adequate AI policies and legal frameworks, independent oversight, and user education. Above all, Pope Leo calls for an ethical code subject to shared standards of social justice, because “a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few” (107). Nor, he adds, should the environmental impact of new technologies be overlooked, since they require large quantities of energy and water, affecting Creation (101). Disarming AI: AI must be “disarmed,” Pope Leo XIV continues, in order to free it from the mentality of military, economic, and cognitive competition. “To disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern,” he says. “To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity” (110). He devotes ample space to a critique of transhumanism and posthumanism, which interpret progress as the overcoming of human limits. Instead, limitations are not defects to be eliminated, but a constitutive dimension of the human person, because it is in fragility and finitude that relationship and openness to God and to others mature. He says we must remember that “humanity flourishes not despite limitations, but often through them” (118). Technological progress without regression of the heart: Pursuing technological innovation at the expense of eliminating human limitations, he says, would cause an anthropological regression. “Humanity—in all its grandeur and woundedness—must never be replaced or surpassed,” he says. Technology can alleviate humanity’s sufferings and open new possibilities, but it must not deny the essence of humanity, which is our “capacity for relationship and love” (126). In the face of AI, says the Pope, “the true alternative is not between enthusiasm and fear, but between two paths of development: a progress that serves individuals and peoples, or a progress that subjects them to the mentality of power” (129). An ecology of communication and the centrality of schools: In the fourth chapter—Safeguarding Humanity at a Time of Transformation. Truth, Work, Freedom—the Pope calls for an “ecology of communication” based on truth. He urges transparency in how content is selected, protection of personal data, serious journalism founded on argumentation and verification, a new awareness in the “proper and critical” use of digital tools, and the integration of different forms of knowledge. The Church must also embody transparent and honest communication, especially in cases of injustice and abuse. The Pope also appeals for a renewed educational alliance, so that the “desire to ask questions” may not be extinguished in young people by perfect machines that make human thought seem useless (140). Pope Leo XIV, therefore, calls for renewed attention to schools as places where people learn to “seek and love the truth” (147). The dignity of work: In the “fourth industrial revolution” represented by the digital transition, the Pope emphasizes the importance of protecting the dignity of work by designing systems centered on the person and not only on performance. “The ‘new ways’ of working are not necessarily better,” he writes, “while AI promises to boost productivity by taking over mundane tasks, it frequently forces workers to adapt to the speed and demands of machines, rather than machines being designed to support those who work” (150). Technology can certainly free human beings from burdensome or repetitive tasks, but it must not lead to unemployment in the name of reducing costs and increasing profit. In this regard, the Pope expresses his hopes for a renewal of labor organizations (155). Peace and development: Pope Leo then notes the need to move beyond GDP as the measure of a country’s level of development, focusing instead on the dignity of work, shared prosperity, the reduction of inequalities, and environmental protection. Finance, he says, must focus on the development, creation, and evolution of work (159-160). Following in the footsteps of Pope St. Paul VI, the encyclical underscores the interdependence between peace and development. It calls for international cooperation capable of defining shared strategies, especially in favor of the most vulnerable countries and groups, because prosperity contributes to peace “only if it is widespread, inclusive, and sustainable” (163). The family, “primary social good”: The Pope upholds the role of the family, saying it is founded on the stable union between a man and a woman. The family is a “primary social good” and the “fundamental and irreplaceable cell of every community organization” (165), which must be supported, including through labor policies that favor stability and humane rhythms, so as to protect society’s ability to “build the future.” ‘Architecture of visibility’ and risks for freedom: Pope Leo XIV then discusses the theme of human freedom in an age when digital platforms are designed to capture users’ time and exploit their vulnerabilities. He reiterates the need to strengthen each person’s interior freedom, while also confronting the risk of social control arising from the mass collection of data and the use of algorithmic systems. Profiling, predicting, and directing behavior, he says, is “a new form of power” (171) that risks discriminating against the weakest. The Pope particularly criticizes the “architecture of visibility,” which amplifies only what is visible and shapes opinions. New forms of slavery and colonialism: AI also generates new forms of slavery, such as that of the “scarred, injured, and worn down” bodies (173) of those who work in the extraction of the “rare earth elements” needed for technology. Therefore, the Pope upholds the importance of combating new forms of slavery as another “decisive test for ethical discernment” in the digital transformation. Pope Leo XIV stresses that “the Church renews her firm condemnation of every form of slavery, trafficking, and commodification of persons” and he underscores that to not react or to tolerate grave violations of human dignity means becoming accomplices to them. At the same time, the Pope “sincerely asks forgiveness” for the delay with which the Church in the past condemned “the scourge of slavery” (174-176). The encyclical also refers to the vital information—for example, on health and demographics—used to guide economic strategies. He calls this a new face of colonialism that turns personal lives into exploitable information, making the digital environment a “space of exploitation” (178-179). Overcoming ‘just war’ theory: In the fifth chapter—The Culture of Power and the Civilization of Love—Pope Leo XIV turns his gaze to war, saying “the digital revolution is changing the nature of conflict.” The Pope calls for an ethical approach, without which decisions about the life and death of persons will become increasingly impersonal due to a use of force regarded as an “immediate and viable option” (182-183). At the root of all this is a “culture of power” that normalizes war and rehabilitates it as an “instrument of international politics,” favoring rearmament. Today, he says, public opinion is burdened by polarizing media narratives, as well as by “a disconcerting loss of historical memory,” which leaves people without a long-term vision (191). Consequently, he says, peace today is no longer understood as a task to be undertaken, but as an interval between conflicts. For this reason, Pope Leo XIV reiterates that—while preserving the right to legitimate defense in the strictest sense—the theory of “just war” must be overcome, and dialogue, diplomacy, and forgiveness must instead be promoted (192). Algorithms do not make war morally acceptable: Pope Leo expresses criticism of the growth in the arms industry, the nuclear arms race, and the emergence of new armed actors—including jihadist groups—who aim to perpetuate conflicts as a source of power and profit. He also warns against the use of weapons linked to AI, because “there is no algorithm that can make war morally acceptable.” The Pope writes, “AI does not remove the intrinsic inhumanity of conflict; indeed, it can only bring about conflict more quickly and render it more impersonal, lowering the threshold for resorting to violence, transforming defense into threat prediction and thus reducing victims to data. In this way, it will accustom us to the idea that violence is inevitable and needs only to be optimized.” The Pope urges strict ethical limits, which are shared at the international level and based on personal responsibility and the protection of civilians. “Any technology that facilitates attacks without seeing the face of human beings lowers the moral threshold of conflict” (199). Crisis of multilateralism: The culture of power also emerges from the crisis of multilateralism and the emergence of “a disorderly and conflict-ridden multipolarism” with a prevailing sense of mistrust (201). The Pope laments that the rule of law has been replaced by the law of the strongest, while the logic of power prevails over peace building and institutions established to safeguard the common destiny of peoples have now been weakened. In this regard, the Pope hopes for “profound reforms” of the UN that can overcome the current crisis of values in favor of the common good (226). An irresponsible Realpolitik: The encyclical notes that today “hybrid” wars are fought “also on the economic, financial and cyber fronts, where disinformation and campaigns that feed people’s fears are used to manipulate public opinion” so that increases in military expenditures are seen as the “only response” to an uncertain future. But all of this is only a “false realism”, an irresponsible Realpolitik that sows in people’s consciences and cultures a resignation to an unavoidable war and describes peace as a utopia (204-205). He notes that there is the possibility that some “may consider armed conflict as an effective way of diverting attention from domestic problems and a cynical tool for managing difficulties (208). The civilization of love: Christians, says Pope Leo, are called to respond to the culture of power by building “the civilization of love” and by choosing whether to feed the logic of force or safeguard peace. He recalls the memory of the saints, “righteous people and the oft-forgotten peacemakers, show us that grace does not magically eliminate conflict, but instead it inspires active resistance to evil and an astonishing creativity in doing good” (211). The Pope indicates five paths of responsibility, which include disarming words by speaking the truth; building peace in justice; adopting the perspective of victims by taking a stand, because there are conflicts in which “it is unjust to remain neutral”; cultivating “a healthy realism” that seeks practicable paths of peace through deeds, not only words. Importance of interreligious dialogue: Finally, relaunching dialogue by moving from a culture of power to a culture of negotiation is highlighted. And of decisive importance is “interreligious dialogue”, being bearers of a message of peace. He writes that “those who use the name of God to legitimize terrorism, violence or war betray his true nature, for to fight in the name of religion means attacking religion itself” (223). The diplomacy of the Holy See, he notes, “adopts the Gospel’s principle of mercy as a concrete criterion for political action.” And from this, the exhortation to prayer, since peace comes above all from God (227-228)." (https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-05/pope-leo-xiv-encyclical-magnifica-humanitas-ai.html) more

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Inteligencia artificial y desarrollo humano integral

Grupo de Trabajo de Frontera Tecnológica del Celam

Bogotá: Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño (CELAM) (2026), 86 pp.

" ¿Cómo puede la IA contribuir al desarrollo humano integral y solidario? ¿Cómo podemos hacer uso de los desarrollos tecnológicos de tal modo que contribuyan al bien común, considerando todas las dimensiones de la persona (“desarrollo integral”) y sin excluir a nadie (“desarrollo solidar ... more

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LX JMCS: Custodiar voces y rostros humanos

Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano, Comisión Episcopal para la Pastoral de la Comunicación (CEPCOM) (2026), 39 pp.

"[...] este material nace justamente en el punto donde la Jornada Mundial de las Comunicaciones Sociales, la Sinodalidad y el Jubileo de la Pastoral de la Comunicación se encuentran y se iluminan mutuamente. Las tres realidades comparten un mismo propósito: custodiar la dignidad humana mediante un ... more

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Why Silicon Valley is turning to the Catholic Church: Priests and theologians want to shape the future of AI. Big Tech is listening

Elias Wachtel

The Atlantic, April 25 (2026)

"Silicon Valley and the Vatican may “seem like strange bedfellows”—but they each have something to gain from the other, @EliasWachtel argues. He examines why Big Tech is listening to priests and theologians who want to shape the future of AI." (Publisher description)

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Photographic Practices and the Making of Religion

Moritz Lampe (ed.)

Berlin; Boston: de Gruyter (2026), 242 pp.

"What role does photography play in the construction and preservation of religious identities and beliefs? Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, the essays in this book explore this question, examining the theological reception of photography, its use in artistic and liturgical contexts, and th ... more

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Avancen para Aguas más Profundas: Caminos Sinodales de la Iglesia en la Amazonía

Julio Caldeira

Bogotá: Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño (CELAM) (2026), 281 pp.

"Este libro surge con el objetivo de profundizar en la historia y el camino de la Iglesia Católica en la región Panamazónica. Su propósito es explorar una comprensión más amplia de la realidad amazónica, destacando los procesos sinodales que han marcado la presencia de la Iglesia en este vast ... o territorio. El primer capítulo recorre los primeros pasos de la Iglesia en América y la Amazonía, destacando los efectos de la colonización y el impacto del Concilio Vaticano II, que cambió el enfoque pastoral hacia una perspectiva más integral y sinodal. El segundo capítulo abarca los hitos sinodales entre 1971 y 2013, resaltando encuentros clave como los de Iquitos y Manaus, que sentaron las bases de la sinodalidad panamazónica. En la tercera parte, se analiza el florecimiento de la REPAM (Red Eclesial Panamazónica), fundada en 2013, como un esfuerzo por articular los esfuerzos de la Iglesia en la región. El cuarto capítulo profundiza en las acciones de la REPAM entre 2016 y 2020, destacando su identidad, sus Ejes Temáticos y su crecimiento en la región. El quinto capítulo aborda el Sínodo Amazónico (2017-2019), destacando sus fases de escucha, diálogo y discernimiento, que culminaron en el Documento Final que promueve una conversión integral. El sexto capítulo presenta Querida Amazonía, la exhortación apostólica del Papa Francisco, que invita a la Iglesia a comprometerse con la región en una conversión social, cultural y ecológica. En el séptimo capítulo, se explora la CEAMA (Conferencia Eclesial de la Amazonía), que representa un nuevo modelo de participación eclesial, y en el octavo, se analiza cómo REPAM y CEAMA trabajan juntas para fortalecer la Iglesia en la región. El noveno capítulo amplía la mirada hacia la Ecología Integral, explorando la Alianza de Redes Eclesiales para la Ecología Integral (ENA) y su impacto global, y otros procesos regionales como lo vivido en la Asamblea Eclesial ALC. Finalmente, el décimo capítulo ofrece una visión general de la realidad panamazónica, la presencia de la Iglesia en la región y los testimonios de santos y mártires que han inspirado la misión de la Iglesia en la Amazonía. Este libro es un recorrido esencial sobre la Iglesia en la Amazonía, destacando el esfuerzo sinodal y el compromiso con la ecología integral y los pueblos amazónicos, invitando a todos a comprometerse con el futuro de la región y el planeta." (Presentación) more

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¿Qué es la pastoral de la comunicación?

Héctor Lopez Alvarado, Juan Javier Padilla Cervantes

Mexico, DF: Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano, Comisión Episcopal para la Pastoral de la Comunicación (CEPCOM) (2026), 14 pp.

"[...] la pastoral de la comunicación se comprende como una dimensión transversal que anima y articula la totalidad de la vida eclesial, favoreciendo la comunión interna y el diálogo con la sociedad. Su caracter integral implica reconocer la interacción entre la comunicación humana, pastoral y ... more

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The Mission in the Digital Environment

Study Group 3

Vatican City: XVI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (2026), 26 pp.

"[...] The mission in the digital environment is part of the pastoral, missionary, and synodal conversion process to which the Holy Spirit is calling the Church today. It is not merely about using digital tools to proclaim the Gospel, but about embodying this proclamation within digital culture, whe ... more

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Preserving Human Voices and Faces. Message of his Holiness Pope Leo XIV for the 60th World Day of Social Communication

Leo XIV (Pope)

Vatican City: Holy See, January 24 (2026)

"The task laid before us is not to stop digital innovation, but rather to guide it and to be aware of its ambivalent nature. It is up to each of us to raise our voice in defense of human persons, so that we can truly assimilate these tools as allies. This alliance is possible, but needs to be based ... on three pillars: responsibility, cooperation and education. First of all, responsibility. Depending on the role we play, responsibility can be understood as honesty, transparency, courage, farsightedness, the duty of sharing knowledge or the right to be informed. As a general principle, however, no one can elude personal responsibility for the future we are building. For those at the helm of online platforms, this means ensuring that their business strategies are not guided solely by the criterion of profit maximization, but also by a forward-looking vision that considers the common good, just as each of them cares for the well-being of their own children. The creators and developers of AI models are invited to practice transparency and socially responsibility in regard to the design principles and moderation systems underlying their algorithms and the models they develop, in order to promote informed consent on the part of users. The same responsibility is also required of national legislators and supranational regulators, whose task it is to ensure respect for human dignity. Appropriate regulation can protect individuals from forming emotional attachments to chatbots and curb the spread of false, manipulative or misleading content, safeguarding the integrity of information as opposed to its deceptive simulation. [...] We are all called upon to cooperate. No sector can tackle the challenge of steering digital innovation and AI governance alone. Safeguards must therefore be put in place. All stakeholders — from the tech industry to legislators, from creative companies to academia, from artists to journalists and educators — must be involved in building and implementing informed and responsible digital citizenship. Education aims to do precisely this: To increase our personal ability to think critically; evaluate whether our sources are trustworthy and the possible interests behind selecting the information we have access to; to understand the psychological mechanisms involved; and to enable our families, communities and associations to develop practical criteria for a healthier and more responsible culture of communication. For this reason, it is increasingly urgent to introduce media, information and AI literacy into education systems at all levels, as already promoted by some civil institutions. As Catholics, we can and must contribute to this effort, so that individuals — especially young people — can acquire critical thinking skills and grow in freedom of spirit. This literacy should also be integrated into broader lifelong learning initiatives, reaching out to older adults and marginalized members of society, who often feel excluded and powerless in the face of rapid technological change. Media, information and AI literacy will help individuals avoid conforming to the anthropomorphizing tendencies of AI systems, and enable them to treat these systems as tools and always employ external validation of the sources provided by AI systems — which could be inaccurate or incorrect. Literacy will also allow for better privacy and data protection through increased awareness of security parameters and complaint options." (https://www.comunicazione.va/en/giornata-mondiale-comunicazioni-sociali/gmcs-2026/gmcs-2026-messaggio.html) more

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Magnifica Humanitas: Pastoral Kit

Leo XIV (Pope)

Vatican City: Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (2026), 33 pp.

"This pastoral handbook was created to accompany individuals, groups, and communities in a simple yet profound reflection on the relationship between faith, human dignity, and technological innovation. Inspired by the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, it proposes a journey that intertwines the Word of ... more

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Predicting Parishioner Donations: A Study Comparing Lifetime Value Models on a Robust Sample of Catholic Donation Data

Enoch Hill, Alicia Graziosi Strandberg

Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing (2025), 26 pp.

"Parishioner donation behavior is of great interest to church leaders. In many ways, parishioners behave as customers, but rather than buy, they donate. In this paper, donation habits are predicted using three well-received models of buyer behavior: (a) the beta-geometric/negative binomial distribut ... more

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Misión digital y comunión eclesial. Una propuesta de inculturación pastoral y reflexión desde la normativa canónica

Verônica Brunkow

Yachay, volume 42, issue 81 (2025), pp. 49-84

"Este artículo reflexiona sobre la necesidad de una adecuada inculturación pastoral en la cultura digital, como un nuevo entorno que interpela a la Iglesia a establecer un diálogo con esta realidad emergente. El dinamismo propio de lo digital transforma valores, lenguajes y relaciones, exigiendo ... more

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Antiqua et Nova: Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence

Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dicastery for Culture and Education

Vatican City: Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Dicastery for Culture and Education (2025)

"[...] it is crucial to know how to evaluate individual applications of AI in particular contexts to determine whether its use promotes human dignity, the vocation of the human person, and the common good. As with many technologies, the effects of the various uses of AI may not always be predictabl ... more

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Del camino de Emaús a la misión en red. Hacia una Iglesia sinodal en “salida digital”

Moisés Sbardelotto

Yachay, volume 42, issue 81 (2025), pp. 85-124

"Este artículo reflexiona sobre la misión de la Iglesia en el contexto digital a la luz del mandato evangélico de anunciar la Buena Nueva. Inspirado en la pedagogía del relato de Emaús (Lc 24), el texto propone un modelo de evangelización basado en el encuentro, la escucha, el diálogo y el te ... more

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La escucha sinodal en los ambientes digitales. Una aproximación desde la experiencia “La Iglesia te escucha”

Lucio Adrián Ruiz

Yachay, volume 42, issue 81 (2025), pp. 11-47

"Este artículo busca explorar la importancia de la escucha en los ambientes digitales, comprendidos como una cultura que la Iglesia está llamada a habitar para evangelizar y construir comunión. La reflexión se centra en la experiencia pastoral de “La Iglesia te escucha”, una iniciativa desar ... more

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La sed de Dios en el mundo digital

Clara Medina Serra

Yachay, volume 42, issue 81 (2025), pp. 151-166

"El mundo digital es hoy un nuevo pozo de Sicar, donde muchas personas buscan saciar su sed de sentido, verdad y comunión. Inspirado en la simbología bíblica de la sed y el agua viva, este artículo propone una reflexión sobre la misión digital como un llamado urgente a evangelizar, dialogar, e ... more

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The Intimacy of Images: Saints, Death, and Devotion to La Santa Muerte in Oaxaca

Myriam Lamrani

Austin: University of Texas Press (2025), 224 pp.

"It's been said that Oaxacans "believe in images." Visual manifestations of saints and loved ones are a fundamental part of life there. Oaxacans also seem to have a special relationship with La Santa Muerte, a female reaper-like figure whose cult has grown rapidly as violence in Mexico has increased ... more

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Confianza distribuida, sinodalidad y misión digital. Fuerzas creativas y dinamizadoras en la vida de la Iglesia

Juan Narbona

Yachay, volume 42, issue 81 (2025), pp. 187-203

"La sinodalidad, rasgo de una Iglesia misionera, requiere una comunicación auténtica que fomente la credibilidad y la participación. Frente al individualismo y la cultura de la sospecha contemporáneos, se destaca la importancia de los bienes relacionales, en particular de la confianza. En una Ig ... more