The election of Pope Leo XIV is having an immediate and concrete effect in Australia – but in a way you might not have imagined. 

In the Fair Work Commission, the country’s Catholic bishops are pushing for a major pay increase for the lowest paid workers. And they’re using a famous statement from one of Pope Leo’s predecessors – Leo XIII – way back in 1891. 

Professor Tom Barnes is an economist with the Australian Catholic University. He helped write and present the submission.