Robert Prevost - the given name of Pope Leo XIV - shared the reasons behind the choice of his papal name, a decision that, he said, reflects both his spiritual inspiration and his vision for the future of the Church.
“I thought of taking the name of Leo XIV for different reasons, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII, in fact, with the historic encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed social issues in the context of the first industrial revolution,” he said.
In addition to this, the Supreme Pontiff also stated that precisely that is his relationship with Pope Leo XIII because “today the Church offers everyone its heritage of social doctrine to respond to another industrial revolution and to the developments of artificial intelligence that generate new challenges in defending human dignity, justice, and work.”
On May 8th, the world witnessed the announcement of Leo XIV as the new leader of the Vatican.
These are the political positions of Pope Leo XIV that will determine the future of the Catholic Church
Prevost has also shared his opinions on geopolitics. One of his strongest statements was related to the war between Ukraine and Russia. In April 2022, Prevost spoke with the Peruvian media outlet Semanario Expresión. There he indicated that the Catholic Church should mediate in conflicts.
And described the events in Ukraine as “a true imperialist invasion where Russia wanted to conquer a territory for power reasons.” Furthermore, he strongly criticized the political leaders who did not dare to condemn Russia’s military actions.
Steve Bannon, a former Trump advisor known for his ultraconservative positions, had indicated that the possible election of Prevost would be “unfortunate.”
Likewise, several media outlets have highlighted an account on the social network X that goes by the name of Robert Prevost, and apparently belongs to the current pope.
What stands out is that he has shared several posts criticizing the Trump administration’s stance on migrants, a population that Prevost worked hard for during his career. In fact, several acquaintances have highlighted his advocacy for the rights of Venezuelan migrants who had to arrive in Peru.