POPE LEO XIV CITES AI IN PAPAL NAME CHOICE, EMBRACES TECHNOLOGY

When white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel's chimney, it signaled a new era for the Catholic Church: the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, who stepped onto St. Peter's balcony with a message of peace and a nod to the challenges of our time.

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This week, in his first formal address to the College of Cardinals, the 69-year-old Chicago-born Robert Prevost revealed that artificial intelligence, among other modern issues, inspired his choice of the papal name Leo, drawing parallels to Pope Leo XIII’s response to the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. For the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, tech enthusiasts, and global observers, his remarks highlight a Church grappling with Al's impact on human dignity, a theme he's already weaving into his pontificate.

Adding a striking symbol of technology’s role in his leadership, Pope Leo XIV has been spotted wearing an Apple Watch, a subtle but powerful sign of his openness to digital tools.

The device, used for notifications and communication, underscores his intent to engage with the modern world while guiding the Church through the complexities of AI and other advancements.

INSPIRATION BEHIND THE PAPAL NAME

In his address to 133 cardinals in the Vatican's New Synod Hall, Pope Leo XIV explained that he chose the name Leo to echo Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903 and tackled the social upheavals of the Industrial Revolution. Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum, laid the groundwork for modern

Catholic social teaching, addressing workers’ rights and the excesses of capitalism and socialism. The new pontiff sees AI as a modern parallel, a “new industrial revolution” that challenges human dignity through job displacement and ethical dilemmas, requiring the Church's moral leadership. He noted that AI's rapid rise, transforming industries and daily life, demands a response rooted in the Gospel’s call to protect the vulnerable.