Leo’s career history and early papal decisions hint at what we can expect. For starters, Prevost’s name choice refers to Pope Leo XIII, who was known for advocating for the working class at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Pope Leo XIII wrote the encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891, in which he called for improvements for exploited workers and put the church’s support behind the labor movement. The moment marked the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching. 

In his inaugural address to the College of Cardinals, Prevost explained that his chosen name refers to the future of work in an era of artificial intelligence. He called on the church to defend workers’ “human dignity, justice, and labor” against AI. Still, some see the pope’s chosen namesake as a signal that he will prioritize the climate. Leo the former guided the church through a transition into fossil fuels; could the latter guide us out of it?

Misleh sees a clear connection between worker protections and climate change. He hopes that the church will be a witness for the faith by caring for workers in the renewable energy industry, particularly in supply chains with rampant exploitation. For example, in Congo, women and children endure slave-like conditions as they dig cobalt, a key ingredient in rechargeable batteries such as those in electric vehicles. Misleh hopes Leo will address situations where an energy transformation comes at the expense of the poor and marginalized. 

Fletcher Harper, executive director of the interfaith environmental nonprofit GreenFaith and an Episcopal priest, agrees. “Having lived in Peru for many years, [Leo] understands the unjust impact that global north countries and corporations have on the climate and on vulnerable communities,” he said. “Having chosen the name Leo… he will understand the importance of an energy transition that leaves no one behind, including workers.”

“Pope Francis called the church to reject a throwaway society that treats the Earth and working class and poor people as disposable communities,” Fletcher added. “Pope Leo must develop that vision further—and by doing so, he can articulate a theological vision that helps heal the wound that is tearing many Western societies apart culturally and politically.” 

Carrick Reddin, World Resources Institute’s head of Faith and Sustainability Initiative, noted that faith groups have played an increasingly prominent role in international policy spaces over the last 10 years. The COP28 meeting in Dubai hosted the first Faith Pavilion at a United Nations climate conference. Going into the meeting, the world’s faith leaders signed a joint statement for climate action, organized by the Muslim Council of Elders.

“Faith communities are uniquely positioned to drive progress. They hold deep trust within local communities, carry moral authority, and steward significant financial and physical assets,” said Reddin. “However, we now need to ensure that the commitments made by faith leaders translate into real, measurable action.” 

Catholic Climate Covenant and the Laudato Si’ Movement both work to awaken Catholics to how quickly their institutions need to decarbonize. Misleh said about 30,000 US Catholics in every diocese and state are involved. 

Christina Leaño, the associate director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, said about 15,000 people globally have taken the Laudato Si’ Animators coursework, intended to empower people through prayer and action to bring Laudato Si’ to life in their parishes and communities. Leaño, who is a meditation teacher in the Zen Buddhist tradition while remaining Catholic, leads participants in how they can be both proactive and contemplative in this moment of global change. 

Faith groups alone won’t decarbonize the world or save our dwindling biodiversity, but they’re well-equipped to shepherd in a mental and spiritual shift that reassesses our relationship with each other and the natural world. 

Reddin is reminded of Gus Speth, the founder of World Resources Institute. “I used to think that the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change. I thought that thirty years of good science could address these problems. I was wrong,” he said. “The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy, and to deal with these, we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.” 

Climate change is a moral issue, added Misleh. In Laudato Si’, Francis advocated for integral ecology—a holistic approach grounded in the belief that “everything is closely related.” When anything in nature suffers, the interconnected social and economic behaviors that cause that suffering must be addressed. 

It’s this cultural transformation that Pope Leo may be well-suited to. The threat in his crosshairs, AI, doesn’t just harm workers by taking their jobs. It endangers workers who mine minerals; siphons water away from communities and into data centers; and comes with energy demands that are often still met by burning dirty fossil fuels. Leo’s defense of laborers against “another industrial revolution” could—maybe must—protect people from AI’s environmental devastation. In doing so, he would not just be a pope for the people; he could also be a pope for the planet.