Pope Leo XIV and 'New Things'

The latest episode of Acton Line just dropped, “Pope Leo XIV and ‘New Things’”.

In it I speak with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, and Daniel Wagner, chair of the philosophy department and director of Catholic Studies at Aquinas College, about the election of Pope Leo XIV.

We spend a lot of time discussing Pope Leo XIII’s encyclicals ⁠Aeterni patris and ⁠Rerum novarum and how they could inform how Pope Leo XIV approaches 21st century challenges to the church such as mass media, social media, and artificial intelligence.

During this point of the conversation, I wrestle with the tension between my own instinctual support for the automation of useless work and belief that all work can be made meaningful if offered to God in a spirit of selfless service.

Enjoy!