Why Pope Leo selected his identify: AI, staff’ rights, new Industrial Revolution

Pope Leo XIV stated Saturday that he decided on his identify partially to commemorate Pope Leo XIII for his dedication to social problems and staff’ rights all through the commercial revolution.

Speaking simply days after he used to be elected pontiff, he stated that the arena now faces new hurdles to staff’ rights — and humanity extra widely — because of the upward push of artificial intelligence.

“In our own day, the church offers everyone the treasury of its social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor,” Pope Leo stated.

Pope Leo’s remarks, his first assembly with all of the cardinals since his election on May 8, supply probably the most earliest indications of his imaginative and prescient for management and priorities as head of the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo additionally advised all through his first assembly with cardinals since his election that he would observe the past due Pope Francis‘ lead on his dedication to social justice.

“It has been clearly seen in the example of so many of my predecessors, and most recently by Pope Francis himself, with his example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life, his abandonment to God throughout his ministry and his serene trust at the moment of his return to the Father’s house,” he stated.

Francis, who used to be pope for 12 years, frequently garnered grievance from conservative cardinals who stated he used to be watering down the Church’s doctrine on problems like LGBT Catholics and girls’s management.

Leo XIII, the partial inspiration for Pope Leo’s identify, used to be elected in 1878. He used to be a outstanding determine within the Catholic Church’s social instructing, specifically surrounding the rights of staff and the running elegance.

Pope Leo is the primary American pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

Reuters contributed to this document.