Pope Leo XIV has signaled his commitment to humility and social justice as defining marks of his papacy, drawing inspiration from both his immediate predecessor and a namesake from over a century ago.
In his address to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, he praised Pope Francis for his “complete dedication to service and sober simplicity of life,” and expressed his intention to continue in that spirit.
“From Saint Peter to myself, his unworthy successor, the Pope has always been a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters—nothing more,” he said, according to a transcript released by the Vatican.
He also explained that his choice of the name “Leo XIV” reflects a desire to carry forward the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, who addressed the social questions of his time, particularly workers’ rights during the Industrial Revolution.
“Today, Catholic social teaching is needed once again,” he said, “to confront a new industrial revolution and the rise of artificial intelligence, which pose fresh challenges to human dignity, justice, and labor.”
