Person
Pope Leo XIII
Also known as: Vincenzo Gioacchino Pecci
Summary
Pope Leo XIII (1810–1903) issued the 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum on labour and capital, the founding text of modern Catholic social teaching. Pope Leo XIV has said he chose his name with Leo XIII and today's technological upheaval in mind, and dated his own first encyclical to Rerum novarum's 135th anniversary.
Roles
- Pope1878–1903
Key facts
- Known for
- Rerum novarum (1891), foundational text of Catholic social teaching
- Reign length
- 25 years — one of the longest papacies
Rerum novarum responded to the upheavals of industrialisation — poverty, unregulated labour, class conflict. Leo XIV has repeatedly drawn the parallel to artificial intelligence and automation, and released Magnifica humanitas on 25 May 2026, the 135th anniversary of Rerum novarum.
Related speeches
Related news
Sources
- Primary sourceVatican.va (Holy See) — Leo XIV — official texts, homilies, speeches and documents · Primary / official full texts
- ArchiveWikipedia — Pope Leo XIV — Wikipedia · Background reference, continuously updated
LeoPope links to primary and official texts wherever they exist. See our sources policy.