Leo XIV: The first steps

The first steps of a pontificate are always an exercise in communication: the new pope—whoever he is—will do small things that speak volumes about his intentions, and that is why it is important to watch new pontificates closely and analyse them carefully. The pontificate of Leo XIV is no different in this regard, so it will be important to parse out the subtle but unmistakable indications he has given, or that the facts on the ground either dictate or allow observers to surmise

By the same token, Pope Leo has not yet begun to make real governance decisions. He will likely do so only in September, after carefully considering all the possibilities. The episcopal appointments published so far have generally been decided beforehand, part of a longer process that Leo XIV did not touch. In the Curia, there has not been yet what is commonly referred to as the “spoils system.” So, it is also important for observers of the new pontificate not to attempt too much reading of the tea leaves.

What can we understand, then, from these first steps of the pontificate of Leo XIV? What direction will the Pope take?

First point: Leo XIV will give weight and importance to the Eastern Churches. Already, on May 14, shortly after his election, when meeting the pilgrims of the Eastern Churches for their Jubilee, he said that “their testimony is precious.” On June 26, meeting the members of the Reunion of Aid Works for the Eastern Churches, he even went so far as to point the finger at “the misunderstandings on the part of the Catholic community itself,” in fact following in the footsteps of his predecessor Leo XIII. Historians will point to Benedict XV, who gave the East renewed importance in the life of the universal Church, and note how Pius X powerfully asserted the need for the West to understand the East. It was Leo XIII, however, who began with his 1894 encyclical letter, Orientalium dignitas, to bring the Eastern Churches out of the cone of shadow to which the prejudice of the Latin Church had relegated them.

This attention to the Eastern Churches is not just formal. Leo XIV shows that he appreciates diversity; he realizes the work that these Churches do at the local level. In many cases, the Catholic Churches of the Byzantine rite have been the lifeline for the Christian population persecuted and under attack beyond the Iron Curtain or in the blood-soaked Middle East. The Eastern Churches are the expression of a people, and Leo XIV knows it well.

The second point is diplomatic. From the beginning, Leo XIV has established his priority for a diplomacy of truth. Already in the first Regina Coeli after his election, he made an appeal for peace in Ukraine that was precise in its manner and form, and in this way, all the appeals for peace that he has made in this first month and a half of his pontificate have been outlined. For Leo XIV, diplomacy is not an extemporaneous exercise, a mere request to the parties to cease fire and come together with goodwill. It is something that must be pursued, and the Pope will do so with the members of his diplomatic corps, whom he reminded, with a highly symbolic ring, that they work under the seal of Peter. It is a sign of attention, but it must also be framed in the need to bring harmony and a univocal response to the great crises underway.

The third point is conceptual. Leo XIV is precise in his language and does not fail to refer to the tradition of the Church. He spoke of marriage not as an ideal but as a gift, and in this way, he swept away all possible objections to the fact that Christian life is complicated and that, therefore, one must accept some compromise. Life is complex. Christian life is a vocation to be pursued, but the fact that it is difficult does not mean that one must lose sight of one’s vocation in life.

Then, there is the question of Social Doctrine. Perhaps sooner or later, an encyclical on peace will arrive – requested, among other things, by the Eastern Churches, and in particular by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church – or an even more specific one on artificial intelligence. After all, Leo XIV immediately highlighted that the theme of artificial intelligence was central to him, underlining how this is in continuity with the new challenges of the world of work, starting from Rerum Novarum, the encyclical of Leo XIII that “baptized” the Social Doctrine of the Church. Perhaps, then, there will be a Rerum Digitalium sooner or later.

However, the Pope has already provided his definition of Social Doctrine on May 17, during a meeting with members of Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice. “Social Doctrine teaches us to recognize that more important than problems, or the answers to them, is how we face them, with evaluation criteria and ethical principles and with openness to the grace of God,” said the Pope. This will likely serve as a guideline for the entire pontificate.

The fourth point concerns Synodality. Also, on June 26, meeting the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Leo XIV said that Synodality is an attitude, a “style”. In his first message after his election, he said he wanted to continue within the framework of Synodality outlined by Pope Francis.

Yes, but which Synodality?

The Synodality of Leo XIV appears to be a practice of listening rather than a governance approach. In his speech to the Council of the Synod of Bishops, he referred to it as the “Synod of Bishops.” He reiterated its institutional character, emphasizing that the institution should be traced back to its origins, specifically to Pope Paul VI. The Synodality of Leo XIV will likely be less ideological, and therefore, there will be less space for “corporate” ideas of managing the Church.

The fifth point, finally, is Christological. From the beginning of his pontificate, Leo XIV sought to restore Christ to the center. Not the Church, not prayer, not the community of believers, but Christ. Leo XIV loves to celebrate Mass; he does it whenever he can, and he always leads the celebrations. In the Jubilee of the Holy See, he led the Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy Door, carrying the Cross. In the Corpus Christi procession that returned to the streets of Rome, it was the Pope who had the Blessed Sacrament during the procession, as happened in ancient times.

These five points go before any governance choices the Pope will make. We will see whether his pontificate carries the guiding ideas already discernible all the way through and beyond his governance decisions, whatever they will be.

At the government level, many things will change. The Secretariat of State should remain unchanged at the top, at least for a while. But we will need a new prefect for the Dicastery of Bishops. The Pope will probably choose a prefect of the Pontifical Household. He will take him from the diplomatic environment to maintain a link between the Secretariat of State and the apartments (and the name that persists is that of the nuncio Rajic, who initially seemed a candidate for the role of substitute to the Secretariat of State).

There are various heads of dicasteries who are retiring, including Cardinal Farrell, Cardinal Semeraro, Cardinal Czerny, and Cardinal Koch. For now, the Pope has chosen his organizer for the trips, which will likely be more frequent and longer, perhaps always considering an Augustinian location during the year.

Leo XIV looks to Latin America for people he trusts, for now. But it won’t be like this forever. Leo is, ultimately, a Pope called to bring harmony. He has given essential signals in that direction. Perhaps he will also reach out to the traditionalist world. He did, after all, send a message of good wishes to the traditional Paris-Chartres pilgrimage.

It isn’t easy to think that the Pope will create new structures. He will renew the existing structures. And that will be, after all, a small revolution.