Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, addressed cardinals on Saturday, expressing his resolve to continue Pope Francis’s path of humility and service.
“Beginning with Saint Peter and up to myself, his unworthy Successor, the Pope has been a humble servant of God and his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this,” he said, as reported by the Vatican.
The newly elected pope explained his choice of name as a tribute to Leo XIII, who championed workers’ rights during the first Industrial Revolution. “I chose to take the name Leo XIV because the 19th-century pontiff addressed the social question in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution,” he stated.
He pointed out that today’s social teachings must address new challenges posed by the current Industrial Revolution and artificial intelligence, which threaten human dignity and labor justice. His inauguration mass is set for May 18 in the Sistine Chapel, marking a historic moment for the Catholic Church.
