Reflection / Natalie Hoefer

‘You had me at Pope Leo’

Watching the announcement of the new pope on May 8 was much like watching game one of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 7, 1995—30 years and one day prior—when Reggie Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds near the end of the game, leading the Pacers to a 107-105 victory over the Knicks.

Both times, there was shock: “Did Reggie really just do that?” “Wait—is the new pope from the U.S.?”

And both times, shock turned to excitement (OK, hysteria in the case of the Pacers), pride and rejoicing as the truth set in.

But on May 8, the source of my rejoicing suddenly shifted from nationality to name. Like the “you had me at hello” line in Jerry Maguire, the new pontiff “had me at Pope Leo.”

The choice was a clear, intentional nod to Leo XIII, who served as pope from 1878 to 1903. At that moment, There were only three things I knew about him and his papacy. But there were three things that instantly warmed my heart with hope.

First was Leo’s XIII’s 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum” (“Of New Things”). Subtitled “On Capital and Labor” and written in response to the Industrial Revolution, one of its main themes addressed the rights and human dignity of workers.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has concerned me for several years—fake news, less human interaction and the loss of jobs in general but particularly those that call on unique, God-given gifts.

Turns out the new pope agrees.

Speaking to the College of Cardinals on May 10, the new pope said he chose his name “mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’ addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”

That was the “main” reason he chose the name Leo XIV. (See more news about our new pope)

But in the same speech he noted there were “different reasons” as well. He didn’t name them, but I heard in his May 8 address two other possible nods to Leo XIII I found potentially intriguing.

“God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail!” he said. Those last four words caught my attention, “evil will not prevail.” Could this be a nod to Leo XIII’s “Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel”?

He wrote the prayer after receiving a vision so frightening he fainted. While Leo XIII never documented what he saw in the vision, it is believed it dealt with spiritual warfare—hence the nature of the St. Michael prayer. It calls on him to defend us and the world in the spiritual battle with Satan.

We know in the end that “evil will not prevail.” But perhaps our new pope sees a need to renew our efforts and prayerful pleas for help in the spiritual battles of our time.

The third possible homage to Leo XIII I noticed came at the end of his May 8 address.

Leo XIII was known as “the rosary pope.” During his 25-year papacy, he wrote 12 encyclicals on the rosary. He encouraged the faithful to pray the rosary daily for peace and for challenges against “Christian piety, public morality, nay, even faith itself” (“Supremi Apostolatus Officio,” #6).

Leo XIV finished his first address with prayer “for this new mission, for the whole Church, for peace in the world,” invoking Mary’s intercession.

But he did not pray alone. Rather, he said (with my own emphasis added), “I would like to pray together with you. Let us pray together … and let us ask Mary, our Mother, for this special grace.”

And then Pope Leo lead the world in praying the “Hail Mary.” Think of the power and protection that covered the world as millions simultaneously called upon God through Mary’s intercession. I suspect “the rosary pope” would approve.

There are many other aspects of Leo XIII and his papacy that might have influenced the choice of our new pope’s name.

But even if just for the three potential nods I noticed on May 8, he “had me at Pope Leo.”
 

(Natalie Hoefer is a reporter for The Criterion and a member of St. Monica Parish in Indianapolis.) †