What's in a name? Pope Leo XIV's choice signals a commitment to social justice
SCHIAVON: Pope Leo XIV 's choice of name signals a commitment to social justice that is very much in line with the late Pope Francis ' global ministry.
'I think a lot us had a question mark when they elected an American, and then he selected the name Pope Leo XIV,' said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of religious studies at Manhattan University. 'It really means to me he will continue the work of Leo XIII.'
Pope Leo XIII, who was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers' rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age. He criticized both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching.
The name 'is a deep sign of commitment to social issues," said Imperatori-Lee. 'I think this (new) pope is saying something about social justice, by choosing this name, that it is going to be a priority. He is continuing a lot of Francis' ministry.'
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that choice of the name Leo was a reference to Leo XIII and the social doctrine of the church, in particular the Rerum Novarum encyclical, considered the Catholic Church's first social encyclical.
Another predecessor, Pope Leo I, was known for repelling the barbarian invasion of Attila the Hun in 452 A.D. and dissuading him from sacking Rome through diplomacy, Italian Cardinal Mauro Piacenza told RAI Italian state TV. He also noted that Pope Leo XIII elevated the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii to a papal basilica in 1901.
Leo could also refer to Brother Leo, the 13th century friar who was a great companion of St. Francis of Assisi. By choosing such a name, the new pope could be signaling also a very strong continuity with Francis, who named himself after the saint.
For most of the Catholic Church's first millennium, popes used their given names. The first exception was the 6th century Roman Mercurius, who had been named for a pagan god and chose the more appropriate name of John II.
The practice of adopting a new name became ingrained during the 11th century, a period of German popes who chose names of early church bishops out of 'a desire to signify continuity,' according to Rev. Roberto Regoli, a historian at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.
For many centuries, new popes tended to choose the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal. John was the most popular, chosen by 23 popes, followed by Benedict and Gregory, each with 16.
It was from the mid-20th century that new popes began to choose names signaling the aim of their papacy, Regoli said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Travel ban may shut door for Afghan family to bring niece to US for better life
Travel ban may shut door for Afghan family to bring niece to US for better life (AP) IRMO: Mohammad Sharafoddin, his wife and young son walked at times for 36 hours in a row over mountain passes as they left Afghanistan as refugees to end up less than a decade later talking about their journey on a plush love seat in the family's three-bedroom suburban American home. He and his wife dreamed of bringing her niece to the United States to share in that bounty. Maybe she could study to become a doctor and then decide her own path. But that door slams shut on Monday as America put in place a travel ban for people from Afghanistan and a dozen other countries. "It's kind of shock for us when we hear about Afghanistan, especially right now for ladies who are affected more than others with the new government," Mohammad Sharafoddin said, referring to the country's Taliban rulers. "We didn't think about this travel ban." Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 as the Western forces were in the final phase of their withdrawal from the country, they have barred education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, most employment and many public spaces. Last August, the Taliban introduced laws that ban women's voices and bare faces outside the home. President Donald Trump signed the travel ban Wednesday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Что говорит о вашем характере поза, в которой вы спите! Удивительные Новости Undo It is similar to one in place during his first administration but covers more countries. Along with Afghanistan, travel to the US is banned from Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Trump said visitors who overstay visas, like the man charged in an attack that injured dozens of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, earlier this month, are a danger to the country. The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, which isn't included in the ban. The countries chosen for the ban have deficient screening of their citizens, often refuse to take them back and have a high percentage of people who stay in the U.S. after their visas expire, Trump said. The ban makes exceptions for people from Afghanistan on Special Immigrant Visas who generally worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade war there. Thousands of refugees came from Afghanistan Afghanistan was also one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement on his first day in office. It is a path Sharafoddin took with his wife and son out of Afghanistan walking on those mountain roads in the dark then through Pakistan, Iran and into Turkey. He worked in a factory for years in Turkey, listening to YouTube videos on headphones to learn English before he was resettled in Irmo, South Carolina, a suburb of Columbia. His son is now 11, and he and his wife had a daughter in the US who is now 3. There is a job at a jewelery maker that allows him to afford a two-story, three-bedroom house. Food was laid out on two tables Saturday for a celebration of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. Sharafoddin's wife, Nuriya, said she is learning English and driving - two things she couldn't do in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. "I'm very happy to be here now, because my son is very good at school and my daughter also. I think after 18 years they are going to work, and my daughter is going to be able to go to college," she said. The family wants to help a niece It is a life she wanted for her niece too. The couple show videos from their cellphones of her drawing and painting. When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, their niece could no longer study. So they started to plan to get her to the U.S. at least to further her education. Nuriya Sharafoddin doesn't know if her niece has heard the news from America yet. She hasn't had the heart to call and tell her. "I'm not ready to call her. This is not good news. This is very sad news because she is worried and wants to come," Nuriya Sharafoddin said. While the couple spoke, Jim Ray came by. He has helped a number of refugee families settle in Columbia and helped the Sharafoddins navigate questions in their second language. Ray said Afghans in Columbia know the return of the Taliban changed how the US deals with their native country. But while the ban allows spouses, children or parents to travel to America, other family members aren't included. Many Afghans know their extended families are starving or suffering, and suddenly a path to help is closed, Ray said. "We'll have to wait and see how the travel ban and the specifics of it actually play out," Ray said. "This kind of thing that they're experiencing where family cannot be reunited is actually where it hurts the most." The Taliban criticise the travel ban The Taliban have criticised Trump for the ban, with their top leader Hibatullah Akhundzada saying the US was now the oppressor of the world. "Citizens from 12 countries are barred from entering their land - and Afghans are not allowed either," he said on a recording shared on social media. "Why? Because they claim the Afghan government has no control over its people and that people are leaving the country. So, oppressor! Is this what you call friendship with humanity?"
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
New disputes cloud fragile truce as US, China trade talks in London
US-China trade talks in London this week are expected to take up a series of fresh disputes that have buffeted relations, threatening a fragile truce over tariffs. read more US-China trade talks set to begin in London on Monday face renewed turbulence as a series of disputes threaten the fragile truce reached last month over tariffs. The two countries had agreed in Geneva to suspend most of the 100%-plus tariffs imposed during their escalating trade war, aiming for a 90-day suspension to ease global recession fears. However, tensions flared almost immediately after the May 12 announcement. The US Commerce Department issued guidance suggesting the use of Huawei's Ascend AI chips could breach US export controls, citing concerns that the chips were developed using restricted American technologies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The move drew a sharp response from Beijing. 'The Chinese side urges the US side to immediately correct its erroneous practices,' a spokesperson from China's Commerce Ministry said. US export restrictions targeting China's tech industry, particularly advanced semiconductors, have long been a point of contention between the two powers. President Donald Trump spoke at length with Chinese leader Xi Jinping by phone last Thursday in an attempt to put relations back on track. Trump announced on social media the next day that trade talks would be held on Monday in London. The latest frictions began just a day after the May 12 announcement of the Geneva agreement to 'pause' tariffs for 90 days. The US Commerce Department issued guidance saying the use of Ascend AI chips from Huawei, a leading Chinese tech company, could violate US export controls. That's because the chips were likely developed with American technology despite restrictions on its export to China, the guidance said. The Chinese government wasn't pleased. One of its biggest beefs in recent years has been over U.S. moves to limit the access of Chinese companies to technology, and in particular to equipment and processes needed to produce the most advanced semiconductors. 'The Chinese side urges the US side to immediately correct its erroneous practices,' a Commerce Ministry spokesperson said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wasn't in Geneva but will join the talks in London. Analysts say that suggests at least a willingness on the US side to hear out China's concerns on export controls. One area where China holds the upper hand is in the mining and processing of rare earths. They are crucial for not only autos but also a range of other products from robots to military equipment. The Chinese government started requiring producers to obtain a license to export seven rare earth elements in April. Resulting shortages sent automakers worldwide into a tizzy. As stockpiles ran down, some worried they would have to halt production. Trump, without mentioning rare earths specifically, took to social media to attack China. 'The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US,' Trump posted on May 30. China's Commerce Ministry addressed the matter last week when asked about claims that it had violated the Geneva agreement. It asserted that it was the United States that had undermined the truce by issuing new export control guidelines for AI chips, halting the sale of chip design software to China, and initiating visa revocations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The United States has unilaterally provoked new economic and trade frictions,' the ministry said in a statement posted on its website. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the visa move in a May 28 statement, calling it necessary for national security. Over 270,000 Chinese students studied in the US in the 2023–24 academic year. As negotiators prepare for the London meeting, analysts warn that progress could be undermined if both sides continue to escalate disputes across trade, technology, and geopolitical lines. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a May 28 statement that the United States would 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.' More than 270,000 Chinese students studied in the US in the 2023-24 academic year. With inputs from agencies.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Export controls to take center stage at US-China trade talks
Export controls—a major concern for industries worldwide—are moving to the top of the agenda of trade talks between the U.S. and China on Monday. The trade war between Washington and Beijing has in recent weeks veered away from tariffs, focusing instead on each country's restrictions on material or products the other side desperately needs. When President Trump's negotiators sit down with their Chinese counterparts in London, the U.S. side is set to press Xi Jinping's representatives to speed up exports of rare-earth minerals and magnets containing them as they agreed to in Geneva last month. The Chinese team, on the other hand, will push Washington to remove recent restrictions on the sale of jet engines and a variety of technology and other products to China. The stakes are high for the global economy, as trade restrictions imposed by the two governments are disrupting the worldwide flow of goods, raw materials and components. Since the talks in Geneva in May, trust between the two sides has eroded as each accuses the other of undermining the agreement reached there to pause sky-high tariffs. Trump nonetheless sought to strike an optimistic tone before Monday's negotiations, saying on Friday that talks with Beijing were 'very far advanced." He had described a phone call with Xi on Thursday as 'very good" and said 'there should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of rare-earth products." The White House didn't give details as to what Xi said about rare earths, and Beijing has continued to urge the Trump administration to remove its trade restrictions on China. In a goodwill gesture, China's Ministry of Commerce said Saturday it has approved a number of export licenses for rare-earth-related products, citing rising global demand driven by such industries as robotics and new-energy vehicles. 'Up until the phone call, both sides were spiraling toward uncontrolled supply-chain warfare," said Jimmy Goodrich, a China and technology expert and senior adviser to Rand. 'I think the administration played this card to get China to re-engage and back off the magnet restrictions" For Beijing, the addition of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to the American negotiating team is a welcome signal. The inclusion of Lutnick, the cabinet member who oversees export controls, suggests that Trump is willing to put the topic on the table for discussion with the Chinese delegation, led by Vice Premier He Lifeng, a trusted Xi aide. America's negotiators are led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and include U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who sat opposite Beijing's bargainers during Trump's first-term trade war with China as part of the team of his predecessor, Robert Lighthizer. Senior Chinese officials in the past few years have often complained about not having an effective channel of communication with Washington—whether during the Biden administration or the current one—over export controls, an issue Beijing sees as essential to its technological and industrial ambitions. Most recently, according to people familiar with the matter, a senior member of He's negotiating team, Li Chenggang, again raised the issue with Greer when the two met in May on the sidelines of a multilateral meeting in South Korea. At the center of the recent flare-up in tensions is what the Trump administration has said is China's violation of the Geneva agreement. During the talks there, He removed a final sticking point by agreeing to U.S. demands that China resume rare-earth exports. Yet since then, Beijing has dug in its heels, slow-walking approvals of licenses to export the minerals critical in manufacturing modern cars, chips, F-35 jet fighters and other products. China has blamed the U.S. for the breakdown, seeing a warning against the use of some artificial-intelligence chips from China's Huawei Technologies as a renewal of U.S. aggression, and complained to Washington that it undermined the trade deal. American negotiators explained to their Chinese counterparts that the warning was a restatement of U.S. policy, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Privately, even some administration officials were taken aback by the warning, according to people close to the White House. Officials at the Treasury Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the people said, were upset by the Huawei warning, put out by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, which oversees export controls. The bureau didn't go through the regular interagency process before issuing the notice, the people said. Then, in response to Beijing's slow-rolling rare-earth approvals, the bureau sent out letters and notices to companies in a variety of industries, informing them that their existing licenses to sell to China were being suspended or revoked, according to people familiar with the matter. The moves haven't been publicly announced by the Commerce Department. The products covered by the Commerce Department's letters or notices, the people said, include jet engines and related parts, which China needs to make its own commercial aircraft; software required by Chinese companies to produce chips; and ethane, a component of natural gas important in manufacturing plastics. Beijing sees these new restrictions, along with the State Department's recent announcement that it would revoke visas for Chinese students, as examples of Trump's dialing up pressure to try to extract concessions from China. The administration hasn't disclosed the motives and objectives of those moves, raising questions of whether they can be traded away for any compromises from China, including the loosening of Beijing's grip over rare-earth and other critical minerals. Some analysts point out that it would be hard for the administration to walk back measures specifically aimed at protecting national security—the traditional purpose of export controls. These analysts said export controls historically haven't been used as leverage for trade negotiations. Lutnick, during a House hearing Thursday, actually called for stepped-up enforcement of export controls to prevent China from accessing critical American tech that could help advance its ambitions in such strategic sectors as AI and aviation. 'They are trying to copy our technology," Lutnick said. 'In the race for AI supremacy, they are behind us, but they are working with the central government to get us, right, to beat us so that they will have intellectual superiority over us." Write to Lingling Wei at and Gavin Bade at
