12
09
2025
2025
Why is the new Pope called Leo XIV?
A name that resonates with historyWhen a pope is elected, one of his first symbolic gestures is to choose a reigning name. This name is never chosen at random: it reflects a legacy that the new pontiff wishes to assume, extend or reinterpret. By opting for the name Leo XIV, the new pope is inscribing his pontificate in a prestigious but not very recent lineage. The last pope to bear this name was Leo XIII, who died in 1903, known for his commitment to social issues, his defence of workers and his encyclical Rerum Novarum.By taking up this name again after more than a century, Leo XIV is sending a strong message: he intends to echo this tradition of a pope attentive to social challenges, close to the realities of the people, concerned with justice and the balance between progress and human dignity. This choice is therefore more than a tribute: it is a declaration of intent.
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