US EditionChicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost chooses name Pope Leo XIV. What is the history behind the name?
- Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago was elected pope on May 8, 2025, choosing the name Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter's Basilica.
- Prevost’s selection follows tradition where popes often choose names honoring predecessors, with Archbishop Gregory Aymond linking Leo XIV’s name to Pope Leo XIII.
- Pope Leo XIII, serving from 1878 to 1903, was known for social justice advocacy, including the encyclical Rerum Novarum on workers' rights and church modernization.
- Pope Leo XIV addressed the crowd saying, “Peace be with you all,” urging Catholics to be peacemakers, bridge-builders, and engage in dialogue across religions and cultures.
- As the first American-born pope, Prevost symbolizes potential continuity with Pope Francis’s legacy but may offer a more traditional stance, impacting over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
49 Articles
49 Articles
The Victoria Advocate
Joanne M. Pierce: Why the College of Cardinals chose Chicago native to be pope
When 69-year-old Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost appeared on the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time as Pope Leo XIV on May 8, he was cheered loudly by the huge crowd of pilgrims, tourists, local Catholics and…
Two thousand years of history give for much. That is why, when the protodeacon Dominique Mamberti has pronounced in Latin the name of the new pope, Leo XIV, it has been inevitable to think of other men and in other times. First, in Brother Leon, the dearest of the companions of Saint Francis of Assisi. Whoever was his disciple, secretary and confessor, Lion, of a simple and pure soul, had joined the fraternity in 1210 and remained close to the f…
Rise: Robert Francis PrevostThe first American Pontiff, born in Chicago 69 years ago, with Spanish ascendants, has become the 267 Pope under the name of Leo XIV. The one who chose to be named like this is a declaration of intent since the last pontiff who bore this name, Leo XIII, and who led the Church between 1878 and 1903, a total of 25 years, was the author of the first social encyclical Rerum Novarum, revolutionizing Christian social thinki…
American Cardinal Robert Francis Prévost was elected 267 successor of St. Peter, to lead the Catholic Church on Wednesday, May 8. He chose for his pontifical name Leo XIV. Leon is a rather common name of pope: it is the third most used name. The Johns are at the top of the podium with twenty-three representatives, followed by the Benedicts, who count sixteen. To register thus after fourteen other popes is indicative of a desire to blend into a f…
leprogres.fr
The name of the new pope is one of the most chosen by the leaders of the Catholic Church. A choice that is heavy with meaning and often aimed at honoring saints.
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