SCHIAVON, Italy (AP) — Pope Leo XIV ‘s alternative of identify alerts a dedication to social justice that may be very a lot in step with the late Pope Francis ’ international ministry.
“I believe lots us had a query mark after they elected an American, after which he chosen the identify Pope Leo XIV,” mentioned Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of non secular research at Manhattan College. “It actually means to me he’ll proceed the work of Leo XIII.”
Pope Leo XIII, who was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, laid the inspiration for contemporary Catholic social thought, most famously along with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed staff’ rights and capitalism on the daybreak of the commercial age. He criticized each laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving form to a distinctly Catholic vein of financial educating.
The identify “is a deep signal of dedication to social points,” mentioned Imperatori-Lee. “I believe this (new) pope is saying one thing about social justice, by selecting this identify, that it will be a precedence. He’s persevering with lots of Francis’ ministry.”
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that alternative of the identify Leo was a reference to Leo XIII and the social doctrine of the church, particularly the Rerum Novarum encyclical, thought of the Catholic Church’s first social encyclical.
One other predecessor, Pope Leo I, was recognized for repelling the barbarian invasion of Atilla the Hun in 452 A.D. and dissuading him from sacking Rome by way of diplomacy, Italian Cardinal Mauro Piacenza instructed RAI Italian state TV. He additionally famous that Pope Leo XIII elevated the Sanctuary of Our Woman of the Rosary of Pompeii to a papal basilica in 1901.
Leo may additionally confer with Brother Leo, the thirteenth century friar who was an incredible companion of St. Francis of Assisi. By selecting such a reputation, the brand new pope might be signaling additionally a really sturdy continuity with Francis, who named himself after the saint.
For many of the Catholic Church’s first millennium, popes used their given names. The primary exception was the sixth century Roman Mercurius, who had been named for a pagan god and selected the extra applicable identify of John II.
The observe of adopting a brand new identify grew to become ingrained throughout the eleventh century, a interval of German popes who selected names of early church bishops out of “a need to suggest continuity,” in keeping with Rev. Roberto Regoli, a historian at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian College.
For a lot of centuries, new popes tended to decide on the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal. John was the preferred, chosen by 23 popes, adopted by Benedict and Gregory, every with 16.
It was from the mid-Twentieth century that new popes started to decide on names signaling the purpose of their papacy, Regoli mentioned.
AP writers Nicole Winfield and Vanessa Gera contributed from Rome.
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