Anna Hartz
Pope Leo XIV Criticizes Extreme CEO Pay, Questions Global Priorities
For decades, debates about money and power have shaped conversations about fairness.
From workers struggling to make ends meet to executives taking home enormous bonuses, the gap has only grown wider. Now even religious leaders are weighing in.
Questions CEO Pay
Pope Leo XIV has criticized the way modern corporations reward their leaders. In his first press interview, excerpts of which were released Sunday, the pope questioned the enormous pay packages given to CEOs, reports Digi24.
He mentioned the case of Tesla’s Elon Musk, who is set to receive around $1 trillion in stock.
Elon Musk Becoming Trillionaire
“Sixty years ago, CEOs earned four to six times more than their workers,” Leo said in the interview.
Today they earn 600 times more. Yesterday it was announced that Elon Musk will become the world’s first trillionaire. What does that mean? If money is the only thing that matters, then we have a big problem.
The New Pope Believes in Prepared Interviews
The interview was conducted in late July for a biography now in preparation. Leo XIV, born in Chicago, has kept a more restrained public style compared to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who often gave interviews.
Instead, Leo usually prefers prepared texts. The excerpts were published on the Catholic website Crux.
Concerns of Global Politics
The pope also shared concerns about global politics. He said the United Nations is no longer capable of carrying out its mission of effective multilateral diplomacy.
“The UN should be the place where many problems are solved,” he said. “But today it has lost its ability to bring people together.”
The Role as A World Leader
Leo XIV also reflected on his own role since being elected pope. He admitted that he felt ready to guide the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world spiritually.
But he felt less prepared for the role of global leader on the political stage.
“The new aspect of this mission is that I have been propelled into the role of world leader,” he said. “I am learning a lot. I feel challenged, but I am not overwhelmed.”
The War in Ukraine
In the same interview, he touched briefly on his hopes for peace in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
He called for greater efforts to end the suffering and bring the conflict to an end.
This article is made and published by Anna Hartz, which may have used AI in the preparation
