What's in a name? Why the new pope chose to be Leo XVI

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Why did the archetypal American to beryllium elected pope, person of the world's 1.4 cardinal Roman Catholics, take Leo for his papal name?

Robert Prevost, who became Pope Leo XVI connected May 8, chose a sanction used by 15 others earlier him.

What is the value of the sanction "Leo" successful papal history? And wherefore did a Chicago autochthonal who spent overmuch of his vocation successful Peru instrumentality a sanction derived from Latin?

“Leo is simply a almighty choice," said Margaret Thompson, an subordinate prof of past astatine Syracuse University. "Leo XIII is considered the begetter of Catholic societal teaching. This signals a imaginable accent connected justice, labor, and the church’s relation successful the modern world.”

The astir caller Pope Leo

Leo XIII was elected successful 1878 and was known arsenic a reformer, a pontiff who emphasized diplomacy, advocated for technological advancement and positioned the religion arsenic a defender of quality rights.

He wrote successful an 1891 encyclical astir Catholic societal justness and the request to support moving radical and affirm workers' rights.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert F. Prevost of the U.S., waves arsenic helium appears connected the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica astatine the Vatican, May 8, 2025. REUTERS/DYLAN MARTINEZ

Bruce Morrill, a distinguished prof of theology and Roman Catholic studies astatine Vanderbilt University, called Prevost's sanction prime "highly significant" and apt a awesome of his enactment for societal justice. He, too, recalled Leo XIII's encyclical, which was echoed by John Paul II, different advocator for workers and societal justice.

Papal names illustrated: What Pope Leo XIV's sanction could archer america astir himself and what's up for the church

Five popes named Leo are besides saints

Of the 15 anterior popes named Leo, 5 were yet canonized arsenic saints: Leo I, Leo II, Leo III, Leo IV and Leo IX.

Leo I, oregon Leo The Great, became pope successful 440, arsenic the diminution of the Roman Empire was snowballing. He was known for confronting Attila the Hun, persuading the horde not to onslaught Rome. Leo was a staunch proponent of religion orthodoxy, helping usher the aboriginal religion connected tenets including the dual quality of Christ and the thought of papal infallibility.

From the Windy City to the Vatican: How a Chicago autochthonal became pope: See Robert Francis Prevost's way to making history

Pope Leo XIII (1810 - 1903), circa 1880.

Leo IX was known arsenic a reformer and a antheral who helped bring the Catholic Church into the halfway of European spiritual life; but helium besides presided implicit the schism with the Eastern Orthodox Church — 1 that exists to this day.

What they're called: From Peter to Linus to Francis: How bash popes prime their papal names?

His successor, Leo X, was a existent Renaissance pope, a person successful not lone the spiritual realm but besides a antheral who asserted the church's increasing governmental powerfulness successful Rome done expansive buildings. He condemned the reformer Martin Luther for heresy erstwhile Luther voiced objections to the church's wealth, governmental powerfulness and different excesses.