Updated 12 May 2025 at 11:32 IST
Pope Leo XIV Says His Papal Name Came From Artificial Intelligence
Pope Leo XIV revealed that artificial intelligence played a key role in his decision to adopt the name "Leo," drawing inspiration from Pope Leo XIII, who led the Church during the industrial revolution.
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Pope Leo XIV Says His Papal Name Came From Artificial Intelligence | Image:
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Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected Pope told the College of Cardinals in his first official speech that artificial intelligence played a big part in choosing his papal name "Leo." Using the impact of Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church during the industrial revolution, as a link between the past and the present, the pope talked why he chose to take the name Leo.
The official translation of Pope Leo XIV's speech, reads as follows: "I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII, in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.”
Like the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, the Catholic Church sees artificial intelligence as both a moral issue and a major global force that will affect society and the economy.
Church leaders are paying more attention to AI and how it affects society. There was a paper released by the Vatican in 2024 that talked about the ethics of artificial intelligence, its limits, and how it shapes people's ideas about what is true. Additionally, that document added to earlier warnings from Pope Francis, who expressed worry about AI's ability to create and share false information.
During a time of rapid industrialisation, Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903) is known for fighting for workers' rights and social justice. By talking about him, Pope Leo XIV makes a clear connection between the problems of that time and the problems we face now in a world shaped by big data, robotics, and digital technology.
In such a personal and symbolic choice, this is the first time a pope has addressed artificial intelligence. This shows that the Church is paying more attention to understanding and responding to the digital age. Although AI is still changing, the Catholic Church seems ready to help decide how it should be used and how it should affect society.
Published 12 May 2025 at 11:32 IST