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Rerum Novarum
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Rerum Novarum

encyclical by Leo XIII
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Last Updated: • Article History
What's in a name? Pope Leo XIV's choice signals a commitment to social justice • May 9, 2025, 4:43 AM ET (AP)
The Latest: Robert Prevost of the United States is named Pope Leo XIV • May 8, 2025, 4:48 PM ET (AP)

Rerum Novarum, encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1891 and considered by many conservative Roman Catholics to be extremely progressive. It enunciated the late 19th-century Roman Catholic position on social justice, especially in relation to the problems created by the Industrial Revolution, and it emphasized the church’s right to make pronouncements on social issues as they related to moral questions.