Pope Leo XIV takes on billionaires
September 15, 202510:01 AM ET
Claire Giangrave
... Already positioning himself as a pope of reconciliation, Leo reflected on the reasons behind the deep polarization in society and the church today. He pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a sense of loss of the value of human life as partly responsible for sectarianism and division.
"Add on top of that a couple of other factors, one which I think is very significant is the continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive," he said.
Shortly after his election on May 8, the pope said he took the name Leo because he was inspired by Pope Leo XIII, who addressed the stresses put on society by the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century. Leo XIII's encyclical "Rerum Novarum" (On Revolutions) laid out the reasons for the church's support of the working class, fair wages and the right to unionize, while opposing communism and unbridled capitalism.
In the Crux interview, Leo XIV questioned the disproportionate difference in the incomes of modern CEOs and those of their workers, and challenged the extreme wealth of billionaires – and trillionaires such as Elon Musk. "What does that mean and what's that about? If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we're in big trouble" ...
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/15/nx-s1-5542092/in-first-interview-pope-leo-xiv-takes-on-billionaires-polarization-and-war
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