Why Pope Leo chose his name: AI, workers’ rights, new Industrial Revolution

Why Pope Leo chose his name: AI, workers’ rights, new Industrial Revolution


Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert F. Prevost of the U.S., appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, May 8, 2025.

Dylan Martinez | Reuters

Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that he selected his name in part to commemorate Pope Leo XIII for his commitment to social issues and workers’ rights during the industrial revolution.

Speaking just days after he was elected pontiff, he said that the world now faces new hurdles to workers’ rights — and humanity more broadly — due to the rise of artificial intelligence.

“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,” Pope Leo said.

Pope Leo’s remarks, his first meeting with all the cardinals since his election on May 8, provide one of the earliest indications of his vision for leadership and priorities as head of the Catholic Church.

Read more CNBC politics coverage

Pope Leo also suggested during his first meeting with cardinals since his election that he would follow the late Pope Francis’ lead on his commitment to social justice.

“It has been clearly seen in the example of so many of my predecessors, and most recently by Pope Francis himself, with his example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life, his abandonment to God throughout his ministry and his serene trust at the moment of his return to the Father’s house,” he said.

Francis, who was pope for 12 years, often garnered criticism from conservative cardinals who said he was watering down the Church’s doctrine on issues like LGBT Catholics and women’s leadership.

Leo XIII, the partial inspiration for Pope Leo’s name, was elected in 1878. He was a prominent figure in the Catholic Church’s social teaching, particularly surrounding the rights of workers and the working class.

Pope Leo is the first American pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

Reuters contributed to this report.



Source

Trump administration freezes  billion in New York City infrastructure projects, Vought says
Politics

Trump administration freezes $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects, Vought says

Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell (Russ) Vought speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House on July 17, 2025, in Washington, DC. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | Afp | Getty Images The Trump administration has frozen about $18 billion for two major infrastructure projects in New York City […]

Read More
The government shutdown fight hinges on ACA tax credits — and if immigrants should get them
Politics

The government shutdown fight hinges on ACA tax credits — and if immigrants should get them

The federal government may soon shut down, in large part because of a debate between Republicans and Democrats over Obamacare subsidies and whether some immigrants should get those financial benefits. Republicans claim Democrats want to give health care to “illegal immigrants.” Democrat, in turn, say that’s a lie. Democrats say they are only trying to […]

Read More
Trump says Harvard to pay 0 million in deal with administration
Politics

Trump says Harvard to pay $500 million in deal with administration

A glimpse into the Harvard University campus on May 24, 2025 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration had reached a deal with Harvard University after months of negotiations and that the Ivy League school will pay $500 million. “Linda is finishing […]

Read More