19th-Century Catholic Teachings, 21st-Century Tech: How Concerns About AI Guided Pope Leo’s Choice of Name

19th-century Catholic teachings, 21st-century tech: How concerns about AI guided Pope Leo’s choice of name

(The Conversation) — The most recent Pope Leo’s writings about workers’ rights amid the Industrial Revolution form the foundation of modern Catholic social teachings.

19th-century Catholic teachings, 21st-century tech: How concerns about AI guided Pope Leo’s choice of name

An 1878 photograph of Pope Leo XIII and members of his court, taken by Jules David. Wikimedia Commons Nathan Schneider, University of Colorado Boulder When Robert Francis Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV, it could have meant many things. There were 13 Leos before him: The first, Leo the Great, was a fifth-century theologian who helped heal the doctrinal divisions among early Christians; Leo X, a member of the powerful Medici family, helped p…

DEBATE: The new pope has chosen to take the name Leo XIV. The choice is not accidental, but signals the kind of pope he wants to be. The pope himself has said that he chose the name because he is following in the footsteps of Leo XIII. What can the legacy of the previous pope who bore the name Leo tell us about what we can expect from the new pope?