Pope Leo XIV reveals message behind papal name, link to AI
‘New challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor’
Pope Leo XIV has explained that his papal name honors the Catholic Church’s tradition of social teaching while signaling a renewed focus on artificial intelligence as a defining issue of his pontificate. In his first formal address to the College of Cardinals this past weekend, he said AI presents “new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”
The newly elected pontiff said his decision to take the name Leo was rooted in continuity with Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum responded to the first industrial revolution by establishing the foundation of the Catholic Church’s modern social doctrine, as reported by Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV said today’s technological developments, particularly in artificial intelligence, demand a similar moral reckoning.
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Speaking two days after his election, Pope Leo told the cardinals that the Catholic Church now faces a second industrial revolution, one that requires a fresh application of Catholic social teaching to address the ethical questions raised by emerging technologies.
He positioned AI as a central concern, stating that it must be met with “the treasure” of the Catholic Church’s teachings on human rights and work.
The speech, delivered in the Vatican’s synod hall, included prepared remarks and an open segment for dialogue. It marked the first official audience of his papacy and followed a visit earlier in the day to the Madonna sanctuary in Genazzano, where he prayed at a basilica linked to his Augustinian order and to Pope Leo XIII.
Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, said he felt the burden of his new office deeply but expressed confidence in the support of the College of Cardinals, according to Crux. Their presence, he said, reassured him that the responsibility of leadership would not be his alone.
He also mentioned the death of Pope Francis and the days of mourning before the conclave, describing them as a profound spiritual transition and calling it a “paschal event” that must now give way to renewed commitment.
The pontiff urged the Catholic Church to move forward guided by the same hope that animated Francis’ service.
Throughout his remarks, Leo repeatedly referred to Evangelii Gaudium, the 2013 apostolic exhortation by Francis, presenting it as a template for his own mission. He said the document’s calls for a “missionary conversion” of the Catholic Church, greater collegiality and focus on the marginalized would continue to guide his leadership.
Leo stressed the role of the Church in expressing care for the “least and rejected” and the need for dialogue with the contemporary world. He urged the cardinals to renew their dedication to the path laid out by the Second Vatican Council and reinforced by Francis.
Concluding his address, Pope Leo XIV cited Pope Paul VI’s inaugural speech, expressing hope that a renewed flame of faith and love would spread worldwide. He called on the cardinals and the global Catholic Church to translate that hope into “prayer and commitment.”
The Vatican disclosed Saturday that Leo will retain the episcopal motto and coat of arms he used as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
The motto, In Illo uno unum — “In the One, we are one” — draws from a sermon by St. Augustine and reflects the new pope’s Augustinian roots. His coat of arms features a flaming pierced heart and a book, symbolizing the Scriptures and the Augustinian order.
The pectoral cross he now wears was a gift from his order when he was made cardinal in 2023 and contains relics of St. Augustine and St. Monica.
Leo’s election on Thursday was swift, coming on the fourth ballot of what was the most geographically diverse conclave in history. Madagascar’s Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana told reporters the final tally gave Leo “more” than 100 of the 133 votes — well above the two-thirds threshold, The Associated Press noted.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state and a leading papal contender, praised Leo’s understanding of modern issues and his calm, respectful leadership style. In a letter published in Italy, Parolin said Leo had shown this ability in Peru and later while leading the Vatican office that oversees bishop nominations.
