Why Leo?
Fr. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,
Pastor
The Letter from the Pastor in last weekend’s bulletin asked, “What’s in a name?” I went on to explain that since 1978 the name of the pope typically indicated the direction or focus of their papacy. So why Leo? We do not need to speculate or guess. In his first meeting with the College of Cardinals on May 10, he explained his choice.
After thanking the Cardinals for their support, he paid great tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis. He said, “At this moment, both sad and joyful, providentially bathed in the light of Easter, I would like all of us to see the passing of our beloved Holy Father Pope Francis and the Conclave as a paschal event, a stage in that long exodus through which the Lord continues to guide us towards the fullness of life. In this perspective, we entrust to the ‘merciful Father and God of all consolation’ (2 Cor. 1:3) the soul of the late Pontiff and also the future of the Church.”
He asked the Cardinals to renew their commitment to following “the path that the universal Church has followed…in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.” He illustrated how Pope Francis “masterfully and concretely” set forth his interpretation of that path in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudiium. Pope Leo highlighted some of the fundamental points of that Encyclical: The return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation; The missionary conversion of the entire Christian community; Growth in collegiality and synodality; Attention to the sensus fidei (the sense of the faithful), especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety; Loving care for the least and the rejected; Courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities. (cf. No. 84; Second Vatican Council and the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1-2).
Pope Leo told the Cardinals that “sensing” the call “to continue in this same path” he chose the name Leo XIV…because Pope Leo XIII’s (1897 – 1903) historical Encyclical, Rerum Novarum, addressed the social questions (of his day) in the context of the Industrial Revolution.” Pope Leo XIII’s message to the church and to the world in Rerum Novarum was “revolutionary” in its own right and was the beginning of what we now call Catholic Social Teaching. The seven themes of CST is Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; Care for God's Creation.
Clearly, Pope Leo XIV knew why he chose Leo. He explained to the Cardinals, “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 defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.”
Despite the truth within William Shakespeare’s great line from Romeo and Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” in this case, we learn a lot through a specific name.
Peace and All Good.
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