Pope Leo XIV said Saturday he intended to follow his predecessor's path as pontiff, praising Francis's "complete dedication to service" and explaining his name choice reflected a commitment to social causes, according to the Vatican.
Addressing a meeting of cardinals two days after being elected the 267th pope, Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost said a pontiff was "a humble servant of God and of his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this."
Describing himself as Saint Peter's "unworthy Successor" in one of his first addresses as pontiff, Leo praised Francis's dedication "to (the) sober simplicity of life."
"Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith," he said, according to a transcript of his speech to the College of Cardinals published by the Vatican.
The first leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics to come from the United States, the new pope also said he chose to be called Leo XIV as a homage to Leo XIII, a 19th-century pontiff who defended workers' rights.
"I chose to take the name Leo XIV" because his late namesake "addressed the social question in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution".
Today, the Church's social teaching is needed "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," Leo added.
In his first homily as pope Friday, Leo urged the Church to restore the faith of millions, warning that a lack of faith often went hand-in-hand with "the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society."
The Augustinian, who was made cardinal by Francis in 2023, it not a globally recognized figure although he had been on many Vatican watchers' lists of potential popes ahead of the conclave.
Over the coming days his actions and words will be closely scrutinized.
On Sunday, he will address the faithful once again from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, giving the Regina Coeli prayer.
He plans to meet with foreign diplomats to the Vatican next week and on May 18 he will preside over his inauguration mass at St Peter's Square, which is expected to draw world leaders and thousands of pilgrims.
