The story of the Pope name Leo

The story of the Pope name Leo

The new Pope Leo is now the fourth most frequent name that was chosen by popes together with Clemens. Only Johannes, Gregor and Benedikt are more popular. But there has been no Pope Leo for over a century.

The last Pope Leo

The last Pope Leo, Leo XIII., was born in 1810 in Rome occupied by France. He served from 1878 until his death in 1903 and thus has one of the longest term in the history of the church, which included 25 years

an important Pope of the social teaching

Leo XIII. is known for his contributions to Catholic social teaching. In 1891 he wrote a famous open letter to all Catholics entitled "Rerum Novarum" ("About the conditions of work"). In this pamphlet he addressed the destruction that the industrial revolution had caused in the life of the workers.

symbolism of the name Leo

In a press conference on Thursday after the conclave, the spokesman for the Vatican, Matteo Bruni, said that the choice of name was "a clear reference to the modern social locomotive of the church, which began with Rerum Novarum." Bruni emphasized that the name Leo was deliberately chosen to "refer to men, women, women, their work and workers in a time of artificial intelligence" and thus to combine the technological change of today with that of the 19th century.

leo the big and historical encounters

The first Pope Leo, who served in the 5th century, is referred to as the "Leo the Great" and is known for convincing Attila to stop his invasion and spare the Roman Empire. This encounter was recorded in a painting by Raphael from 1514, which is now exhibited in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, which the 133 cardinals entitled to vote - including Cardinal Robert Prevost, who is now Leo XIV - stepped through on Wednesday at the beginning of the conclusion.

A call to the peace foundation

in his first speech as Pope, Leo XIV called for peace. "Being with you," he called from the Balcony of the Petal Basilica. "This was the first message of the risen Christ," he added. The name Leo comes from the Latin "Leo", which means lion and implies strength and courage.

a reference to the predecessor

In his speech from the balcony, Leo XIV emphasized that the church could still hear "the weak but always courageous voice of Pope Francis", his predecessor.

Reporting by Sharon Braithwaite, Cnn.