By Kolawole Ojebisi
The newly elected Pointiff has explained the reason for his choice of Leo XIV as his papal name.
Pope Leo XIV disclosed that his decision was informed by a burning desire for social causes, stressing that the commitment will define his reign.
He maintained that the name is a homage to Leo XIII, a 19th-century pontiff who defended workers’ rights and embodied social transformation.
Pope Leo XIV said this on Saturday while addressing a meeting of cardinals
He said, “I chose to take Leo XIV because Leo XIII before me addressed the social question in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution”.
Leo IX continued, “Today, the Church’s social teaching is needed in response to another Industrial Revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour,”
The 267th Pope, Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, stressed that there will not be a significant departure in his doctrine to that of his immediate predecessor, Francis.
Leo XIV said he intended to follow his predecessor’s path as pontiff, praising Francis’s “complete dedication to service”
The leader of the Catholic Church defined a Pointiff as “a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this”.
Describing himself as Saint Peter’s “unworthy Successor” in one of his first addresses as pontiff, Leo praised Francis’s dedication “to (the) sober simplicity of life”.
“Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith,” he said, according to a transcript of his speech to the College of Cardinals published by the Vatican.
The New Diplomat had reported how in his first homily as pope on Friday, Leo urged the Church to restore the faith of millions, warning that a lack of faith often went hand-in-hand with “the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.”
Robert Preston was made cardinal by the late Pope Francis in 2023.
However, despite the apparent promotion, he was not a globally recognised figure until his announcement as Francis’ successor, even though he had been on many Vatican watchers’ lists of potential popes ahead of the conclave.
As tradition demands, Pope Leo XIV will address the faithful once again from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, giving the Regina Coeli prayer on Sunday.
This will be followed by the Pope’s inauguration mass on May 18 which he will preside over
