Newly Elected Pope Chooses Name ‘Leo’ After More Than a Century

Jakarta, VIVA – Every time a new Pope is elected, he typically sets aside his birth name and chooses a papal name that will be remembered throughout history.

This choice is not merely symbolic, but also reflects the spirit and leadership vision he intends to embody.

Robert Prevost, the newly elected Pope, has chosen the name "Leo" as his papal name. He becomes the 14th Pope to adopt this name, and the first to do so in over a century.

For more than a billion Catholics around the world, the selection of this name sends a significant message about the character and direction of the new Pope's leadership.

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Paus Leo XIV Robert Prevost.

Photo :

• Media Vatican

"The name he chooses can indicate a particular spirit, direction, and vision of the new Pope," said Dennis Doyle, a theologian at the University of Dayton, as quoted by BBC International on Friday (May 9).

The name "Leo" holds a strong historical legacy in Catholic Church tradition. Pope Leo the Great, the first to bear the name, is remembered for his courage in preventing Attila the Hun from attacking Rome.

He was also known as a theologian and intellectual who played a key role in shaping Christian doctrine.

The last Pope to use the name was Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903.

He is well known for his encyclical Rerum Novarum, a document regarded as the foundation of modern Catholic social teaching.

This document addressed critical issues concerning labor and workers’ rights.

Given the historical weight of the name, the new Pope’s choice of "Leo" raises high expectations.

"The name Leo is a sign of deep commitment to social issues," said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of religious studies at Manhattan College.

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He was also known as a theologian and intellectual who played a key role in shaping Christian doctrine.