With the ascension of the new Pope to the Holy See under the name "Leo XIV," one of the most charged and ancient names in the Catholic Church returns to historical prominence. This marks the 14th Pope named "Leo" – a name that immediately evokes memories of persecutions, reconciliations, and confrontations, especially toward the Jewish people.
The first among them, Leo I (440–461), was among the earliest dominant popes who outlined the concept of Holy See supremacy. His doctrine positioned the Church as the successor to the nation of Israel – a concept that had direct implications for how future generations would treat Jewish communities throughout Europe.
Others followed different paths. Leo IX was among the architects of clerical reform (establishing the religious authority supremacy of the pope), and during his time, the ideological foundation for the Crusades began to form, which brought terrible disasters upon Jewish communities across Europe.
Leo X, son of Lorenzo de Medici (one of the most influential politicians during the Renaissance), was a renowned patron of Renaissance art, but his notable silence in the face of anti-Jewish decrees enabled numerous acts of harassment against Jewish populations.
Leo XII (1823–1829) stands out as one of the most antisemitic popes in modern times, distinguished by reversing progressive developments and turning back the wheel of history in the worst sense. He reinstated the Jewish Ghetto in Rome, banned Jews from certain occupations, and even forced them to attend weekly missionary sermons.
The last to hold the title more than a century ago was Leo XIII (1878–1903) – perhaps the first pope in the 19th century who demonstrated genuine tolerance toward Jews. He is regarded among the architects of "social capitalism," advocated for the protection of minority rights, and for the first time facilitated meaningful dialogue between Catholic clergy and Jewish scholars.
As a tribute to him, the current Pope selected the name Leo XIV. This represents a statement that continues the transformation the Church has undergone over the past century in its attitude toward the Jewish people. Yet when examining the more distant past, one discovers the aforementioned dark history.
Choosing a name carries symbolic weight, and in the Pope's case, it brings profound responsibility. It's the responsibility of someone continuing the path of a predecessor who first displayed a tolerant attitude toward Jews, but also one that echoes the troubling legacy of notorious antisemites. Precisely because of awareness of the dark past this name carries, the responsibility facing the new Pope, leader of 14% of the planet's inhabitants, is to ensure that such persecution never happens again.
