Pope Leo XIV on Inequality and Musk’s Wealth.
The new head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has harshly criticized the heads of major corporations. According to him, the excessive incomes of top managers are increasing global social inequality and threatening social stability.
In his first major interview, the pontiff noted that just a few decades ago, the salaries of company heads were only a few times higher than the earnings of workers. Now, he emphasized, the gap has become colossal: executives’ remuneration is hundreds of times higher than the salaries of ordinary employees.
“This is not only a question of economics, but also of morality,” Leo XIV said. “When wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, society loses its balance and there is a risk of serious polarization.”
Musk as a symbol of super-wealth
As an example, the pontiff cited Elon Musk. The fortune of the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, according to Bloomberg, exceeds $419 billion. At the same time, Tesla’s board of directors is considering a record compensation package for the entrepreneur, which could reach $1 trillion.
If this plan is approved, Musk will receive the largest reward in business history. Pope Leo XIV noted that such cases turn the cult of money into the main value of the modern world, and called it “a huge problem for all humanity.”
Criticism of the UN
The Pope also touched on issues of global politics. He said that the United Nations has lost the ability to effectively resolve international crises and unite states in order to find compromises. “I realize that I now face a challenge of global proportions, because from now on I am not just a spiritual leader, but also a political figure,” he said.
Reminder, the Vatican has recognized a millennial as a saint for the first time in history. On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV canonized 15-year-old Carlo Acutis, a young Italian who was known as a “God influencer” in his lifetime.
A computer enthusiast and deeply committed to the Catholic faith, Acutis died in 2006. His figure has become a symbol of the fusion of the digital age and religious spirituality. Almost 80,000 pilgrims came to St. Peter’s Square for the canonization ceremony, the first such ceremony during Leo XIV’s pontificate.
