Reader: With election of Pope Leo XIV, it is interesting to know history of Pope Leo XIII

It is with great interest that I read everything I can about our Catholic faith.

With the election of Pope Leo XIV, much has been reported on the selection of his name, especially since his predecessor with this name wrote an encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” that greatly influenced our understanding of Catholic social teaching.

I wonder how many of us are aware that Pope Leo XIII wrote at a time of massive urbanization due to the industrial revolution, and he was very aware of the dangers of the ideology that Karl Marx outlined in the book The Communist Manifesto, which he co-wrote with Friedrich Engels.

At the same time, Pope Leo XIII also understood the dangers of unfettered capitalism and the exploitation of the worker at the mercy of unscrupulous overlords.

My mother was born in a communist country, where religion was not allowed to be practiced. My father came from a devoutly Catholic family in Europe in order to start his own business in the U.S.  This has given me a unique perspective of these two dangers that Pope Leo XIII and my father understood so well.

The St. Michael the Archangel prayer was written by the previous Leo. It is well to remember that our battle is indeed a spiritual battle. May the Father, Son and Holy Ghost guide our Holy Father and each of us as we journey to our final destination.

- Lucy Bedwell | Indianapolis