I was as stunned as anyone when American Cardinal Robert Prevost was announced as the successor to Pope Francis as the bishop of Rome. But I was also pleasantly and hopefully surprised when he was introduced by his chosen name of Leo XIV. Choosing a name is not an arbitrary act by new popes. Rather, as his three immediate predecessors demonstrated, the chosen name is filled with symbolism, indicating the direction the new pope will take by invoking the memory of one or more of his predecessors (or, as with Pope Francis, a giant saint of the Church). By choosing the name Leo, Pope Leo XIV has given us a clear indication of the style and emphases that he will pursue in his pontificate.
He has told us that he will be primarily concerned with Catholic social doctrine. This will encompass issues related to economic development and finding a way to address the “new things” in the world through a distinctive and integral Catholic moral vision. Pope Leo XIV will almost certainly have a strong interest in international relations, emphasizing the applicability of Catholic moral doctrine to all aspects of economic and political life. And it’s likely that he will emphasize the true nature of liberty, one of the chief themes of his most recent namesake, Leo XIII.
Catholic social doctrine
Pope Leo XIII’s reign spanned from 1878 until 1903, one of the longest in the history of the Church. And what a productive 25 years it was! Among other things, Pope Leo XIII addressed what in the 19th century was derisively known as “Americanism.” His encyclical letters Immortale Dei (1885), Libertas Praestantissimum (1888) and Testem Benevolentiae (1889) were strong, clear criticisms of what we now would call a libertarian understanding of human freedom, especially as it developed in the United States from the political and economic philosophy of modern liberalism. Pope Leo simultaneously condemned false philosophical theories while calling for the revival of a political philosophy rooted in the historical moral doctrine of the Church.
But while these letters are important, Leo XIII’s best known encyclical is the one that began what we now call Catholic social doctrine, 1891’s Rerum Novarum.
Writing in the historical crisis of the industrial revolution, in Rerum Novarum, Leo XIII addressed the conditions of the worker, the widening gap between the rich and poor, the relationship of capital to labor and, perhaps most importantly, the false and pernicious political economic theories of Marx and his Communist heirs. These “new things” (rerum novarum) presented new problems that, Leo contended, only a robust revitalization and application of the Church’s moral doctrine could address:
Elements of the conflict now raging are unmistakable, in the vast expansion of industrial pursuits and the marvelous discoveries of science; in the changed relations between masters and workmen; in the enormous fortunes of some few individuals, and the utter poverty of the masses; the increased self-reliance and closer mutual combination of the working classes; as also, finally, in the prevailing moral degeneracy. The momentous gravity of the state of things now obtaining fills every mind with painful apprehension; wise men are discussing it; practical men are proposing schemes; popular meetings, legislatures, and rulers of nations are all busied with it.
A world leader
While he wrote these words in 1891, the social pathologies Leo XIII described are no less urgent in 2025. By taking the name, Leo XIV has told us Catholics and the non-Catholic world that his primary concern will be with these perennial “new things.” Add to these the world-wide crisis of migration, rising religious persecution and seemingly intractable regional wars — Pope Leo XIV will assume this pontificate with a full plate of global economic, political and social issues. While he is, of course, the first among equals of the Catholic magisterium, Pope Leo XIV is, by virtue of his office, a world leader.
We believe that the solutions of Catholic moral theology apply to every human being and supply the tools to address the most vexing issues, from personal morality to international development. By taking the name, Leo XIV has sent a strong, clear signal that he is willing to face these challenges in the name and spirit of his illustrious predecessors. Let us pray for his strength, wisdom and prudence as he takes up the lasting legacy of the father of Catholic social doctrine.
