Question
Why did Pope Leo choose the name Leo XIV?
Answer
He told the cardinals on 10 May 2025 that he chose 'Leo' after Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum addressed the social crisis of the industrial revolution. Leo XIV casts artificial intelligence and automation as a comparable challenge to human dignity and work.
Last updated 2026-08-26
In more detail
Popes traditionally explain their name choice to the College of Cardinals in the days after election. Leo XIV made the link to Catholic social teaching explicit, and later dated his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, to the 135th anniversary of Rerum novarum. See the topic page on Artificial Intelligence.
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Sources
- Primary sourceVatican.va (Holy See) — Leo XIV — official texts, homilies, speeches and documents · Primary / official full texts
- Official sourceVatican News — Vatican News — Dicastery for Communication · Official Vatican news service
- News sourceReuters — Reuters — The Vatican · Wire reporting
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