In the months following the 2025 conclave that elected him, Pope Leo XIV warned that the astronomical and still widening gap between the rich and the poor means that "we're in big trouble."
In remarks to Catholic newspaper Crux in July, which were published over the weekend, the Pope reflected on the "continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive."
"Yesterday [there was] the news that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world," he told the newspaper.
The Pope was seemingly referring to estimates that the mercurial CEO's net worth could reach 13 figures in the coming years.
"What does that mean, and what’s that about?" the Pope asked. "If that is the only thing that has any value any more, then we are in big trouble."
His comments evoke a similar progressive stance to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who condemned capitalism and the "idolatry of money" months after being named the Pope in 2013.
In retrospect, Pope Leo's July remarks were prescient. Weeks after he sat down with Crux, the board of Musk's EV maker, Tesla, proposed a new pay package — potentially worth around $1 trillion, depending on the company's future performance — which could boost the richest man in the world's wealth to unprecedented heights.
The Pope's comments touch on an alarming trend as global inequality continues to climb. It's an especially troubling situation in the United States, which has seen its income gap grow for more than 30 years now. The richest 0.01 percent of Americans are enjoying massively accelerated income growth, with the top 12,000 households growing almost 27 times as fast as the income of the bottom 20 percent of earners.
The tech industry, in particular, has made high-ranking executives obscenely wealthy in a relatively short period of time. It's a trend that was kicked into overdrive as the hype surrounding artificial intelligence keeps growing, minting an entirely new class of billionaires at a record pace.
And the latest head of the Catholic church seems deeply concerned.
"CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times what the workers are receiving, the last figure I saw, it’s 600 times what average workers are receiving," the sovereign of the Vatican told Crux.
For now, the 70-year-old Chicago-born is still adjusting to his new life as Pope.
"I’ve followed current affairs for many, many years," he added. "I’ve always tried to stay up on the news, but the role of Pope is certainly new to me. I’m learning a lot and feeling very challenged, but not overwhelmed."
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