Pope Leo XIV has spent his first two weeks in office slowly speaking to the press, unfurling his vision for the papacy and going about his job.
He’s also making sharp statements, discussing social justice and signaling the direction of his papacy, continuing many of Pope Francis’ priorities.
Pope Leo XIV greets US Vice President JD Vance, during the Holy Mass for Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration at St. Peter’s Square. (Photo by Maria Grazia Picciarella / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
On Sunday, by some standards, he snubbed U.S. Vice President JD Vance with a short, 17-second greeting in order to give other world leaders more time. This came after the pope’s first major homily, in which he lambasted “wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference” and criticized the negative effects of our “economic paradigm,” which “exploits the earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest.” (Leo met with Vance in his office the next day.)
And that came after a week of outlining the direction of his political priorities. One of his first actions as pope was to visit the grave of the late Pope Francis and speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He followed that with his first press conference, in which he called for peace in Ukraine and Gaza, press protections, responsible journalism and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
However, one of his first orders of business was simply to explain his chosen title. When Cardinal Robert Prevost was announced as the newly elected pope, he was introduced to the public as Pope Leo XIV. All popes take on a title while in office. However, it wasn’t initially clear why he chose this name and what it signified.
On Saturday, Pope Leo held his first meeting with his cardinals to outline a vision for the papacy under his leadership. He revealed he chose the name in honor of Pope Leo XIII, whose vision of Catholic social justice is one he wants to embody in his papacy.
“In our own day, the church offers everyone the treasury of its social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor,” he explained.
This is the 14th time a pope has chosen “Leo,” Latin for “lion” for his title. The first was Leo the Great (440-461) in the fifth century. Among other famous popes with that title was Pope Leo X (1513-1521), who issued a famous papal bull against Martin Luther during what became the Protestant Reformation. Modern Roman Catholics are likely more aware of Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903), whose encyclicals have served as the backbone of all modern Catholic social teachings.
“Some opportune remedy must be found quickly for the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class.”
In 1891, Pope Leo XIII released his encyclical Rerum Novarum, also known as Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, to the world, in which he outlined a vision for just economics in light of the industrial revolution and the collapse of Europe’s guild system. Among his arguments, he condemned the power-worship and hostility toward tradition among revolutionary socialist movements while affirming that industrial capitalism needed to be reined in by unionization, improved working conditions and the right to private property.
“Some opportune remedy must be found quickly for the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class: for the ancient workingmen’s guilds were abolished in the last century, and no other protective organization took their place,” wrote Leo XIII. “Public institutions and the laws set aside the ancient religion. Hence, by degrees, it has come to pass that working men have been surrendered, isolated and helpless, to the hardheartedness of employers and the greed of unchecked competition.”
Leo XIII’s position effectively condemned both unrestrained capitalism and Marxist revolutionaries, which developed into Roman Catholic alternatives to socialism like the English Distributist movement, popularized by G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc.
Pope Leo XIV’s decision to echo a previous pope’s focus on social justice and workers’ rights tracks with his reputation. While his politics are relatively private, he has spoken out in favor of migrant rights, worker rights and resolving ongoing wars.
It appears now his concern about artificial intelligence also will be a driving issue for his papacy and influenced his chosen title. He’s spoken prominently about the dangers AI poses to workers’ rights and already is calling for international regulations.
This marks a continuation of Pope Francis’ criticisms of AI, particularly after fake images of the pope began flooding the internet in 2023. He warned, in a January 2024 letter, that ambivalence toward the ongoing AI revolution posed dangers due to the spread of false narratives and distortion of reality.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, Leo also warned them of their responsibility to avoid spreading confusion and ideology.
“The church must face the challenges posed by the times. In the same way, communication and journalism do not exist outside of time and history. St. Augustine reminds of this when he said, ‘Let us live well, and the times will be good. We are the times.’”