BATON ROUGE — Bishop Michael Duca spoke to the Baton Rouge Press Club about the selection of Pope Leo XIV on Monday, saying that it is no accident that the new pope took the name of the pope who led the church during the Industrial Revolution.

Duca, who serves at the Diocese of Baton Rouge's bishop, said that the challenges society faces in the 21st century are similar to those at the turn of the 20th century.

“The separation of rich and poor, the way the AI begins to rob people of their human dignity, the way we have robbed people of their dignity by oftentimes depending on cheap labor for people that help come serve us, all other kinds of things you see attacking human dignity today, but in a different context,” Duca said. “So for him to choose Pope Leo, to me, is the most telling. It tells me he is a thoughtful man who is thinking very clearly about what he believes the world needs to hear, and I think he’s going to put his effort in that direction.”

The selection of the Catholic Church’s first American pontiff was a shift in more than just the attitude of the cardinals at the conclave in the Vatican, Duca continued.

“I believe this man was chosen by the Holy Spirit,” Duca said.

The bishop added that he believes people around the world are looking to Pope Leo as someone to speak out in a moral way when there is so much conflict.