What’s in a name? When it comes to the name a new pope selects, it can mean quite a lot. Church historians say Pope Leo XIV’s choice of a name was a powerful statement that conveys both a sense of tradition and an openness to the realities of the modern world. (Read more) Here are a few intriguing facts about some of the 13 men who have taken the name Leo before our new pope, and what his choice of name might say about his pontificate.
Our new pope’s first words to the faithful were: “May peace be with you all.” His namesake, Pope Leo XIII (1873-1903), was a peacemaker who reconciled the Church with France, Russia, Germany and Great Britain. He also published the encyclical “Rerum Novarum” on workers’ rights. This foundational document for Church social teaching emphasized the dignity of workers and condemned the dangers of unchecked capitalism and socialism. Pope Leo XIII also opened the Vatican secret archives to scholars, founded the Vatican observatory to demonstrate the Church’s openness to science and was the first pope to be filmed on a motion picture camera.