Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, is remembered for many significant writings, but one particularly striking message has recently gained renewed attention.
In a letter addressed to the United States, the pontiff delivered a chilling, one-word warning that still resonates over a century later: “Beware.”
This cautionary statement was part of a broader address that warned against rising secularism, unchecked capitalism, and the growing divide between the wealthy and the poor.
Pope Leo XIII was deeply concerned about the moral and social fabric of the United States, cautioning that a focus on materialism could lead the nation away from its spiritual foundations.
His warning came at a time when the Industrial Revolution was reshaping the American landscape, with rapid urbanization and the rise of powerful industrialists creating stark economic disparities. In his 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII emphasized the need for workers’ rights, fair wages, and the moral responsibility of the wealthy to support the less fortunate.
