The selection of the name “Leo XIV” by the newly elected Pope is being interpreted as a sign that he intends to build on and institutionalise the reforms of his predecessor, Pope Francis, according to experts.
The new Pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, became the first American head of the Catholic Church after appearing on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to greet a jubilant crowd in St Peter’s Square on Thursday evening.
His election was welcomed by global leaders, including US President Donald Trump, who called it an honour and an exciting moment, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described it as a “deeply profound moment of joy for Catholics in the United Kingdom and globally”.
According to a Vatican spokesman, the name Leo is a reference to Pope Leo XIII, who led the Church from 1878 to 1903 and is remembered for his contributions to modern Catholic social teaching, especially his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed the rights of workers and the impact of capitalism.
There is also speculation that the name may allude to Brother Leo, a close companion of St Francis of Assisi, further reinforcing the connection to Francis, who named himself after the saint.
Experts suggest that Pope Leo XIV is signalling a strong continuity with Francis’s vision and priorities.
Dr Gonzalo Velasco Berenguer, a historian at the University of Bristol, said the choice of name may be “a symbol from the new Pope to continue the work of Francis”.
Professor Brandon Gallaher from the University of Exeter added that Leo XIV is expected to be a “Francis-like pontiff”, aiming to “institutionalise Francis’s legacy in terms of linking it to the tradition of Catholic social teaching”.
“He will be a Francis-like pontiff without the intense charisma of the late pope and with a better ability to unite the Catholic factions and greater attention to the canonical details of his decisions,” Gallaher noted.
Pope Leo XIV is also known for his advocacy on behalf of migrants and those on society’s margins, a commitment he shares with his predecessor. During his time as a missionary in Peru, he developed a deep understanding of the challenges faced by communities in the global south.
In his first public appearance as pope, he greeted the crowd with the words: “Peace be with you.”
Cafod, an international development charity, said the new pope would “be a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world” and that his experience in Peru could help “elevate voices from the margins to centre stage”.
The conclave that selected Pope Leo XIV concluded in under 24 hours—an unusually swift decision—and was one of the most diverse in history, with cardinals from around 70 countries. Of the 133 cardinals who participated, 108 had been appointed by Francis.
White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel just under three weeks after Francis’s death, triggering joyous chants of “Habemus Papam”—Latin for “we have a Pope”—from the crowd.
Leo XIV now becomes the 267th pope and spiritual leader of approximately 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, regarded by the faithful as the successor to St Peter.
(NAN)