In a session that left the walls of the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) reverberating with awe and wonder, Msgr. Michael Otto Ekpenyong and Engr. Dr. Paul E. Okon delivered a joint paper titled “Quantum-AI for Understanding Divine Revelation,” ushering in a bold theological paradigm that seeks to interpret the Mystery of God through the lens of Quantum Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This presentation, delivered on the third day of the 34th CIWA Theology Week themed “Theology, Artificial Intelligence and Hope for Humanity”, was described by scholars in attendance as “a luminous leap in Catholic theological imagination.”

“We live in a universe of mystery, connectivity, and spirit. Quantum science is not opposed to faith—it leads us deeper into it,” declared Msgr. Ekpenyong, to thunderous applause.

At the heart of the paper lies a breathtaking thesis: that the mysteries of Quantum Mechanics—entanglement, complementarity, superposition, and energy transformation—provide metaphors and models that can deepen theological understanding of the Incarnation, Transubstantiation, and Divine Presence.

From the altar of consecration to the quantum field of energy, Msgr. Ekpenyong invited his audience to contemplate the Eucharist not only as sacrament but as a divine field of entanglement, in which the consecrated bread is more than symbol—it is spiritual energy, matter transformed, the body of Christ truly and wholly present.

“Matter equals energy, and energy is spirit. In this, quantum science affirms what theology has long known by faith,” he explained.

Quoting St. John Chrysostom and St. Thomas Aquinas, the paper reverently affirmed that it is Christ Himself, not the priest, who causes the bread and wine to become the Body and Blood of the Lord—a divine transformation far more mysterious and profound than any algorithm could replicate.

The second part of the paper, led by Engr. Dr. Paul Okon, explored Quantum Artificial Intelligence (QAI) not as a replacement for human or divine intelligence, but as a tool that may contribute to deeper theological understanding, scriptural analysis, and even peacebuilding.

The speakers emphasized that Quantum-AI, when rightly understood and ethically harnessed, can serve as a “hermeneutical lens”—a digital servant to theology—opening new pathways for biblical interpretation, theological data modeling, and catechesis in the digital age.

“QAI cannot replicate the soul. But it can help theologians and scientists converse in a common language, where mystery is not dismissed but digitally mirrored,” said Dr. Okon.

The presentation ended with a bold challenge to CIWA and Catholic institutions worldwide:

Establish AI-QAI research hubs within theological faculties, Launch inter-disciplinary websites for AI-theology dialogue, Train seminarians and researchers in coding, data analytics, and theological quantum hermeneutics

“CIWA must not only profess the faith—it must live it as a research community of mystery and meaning,” Msgr. Ekpenyong concluded. “This is a Kairos moment. Let us take the quantum leap.”