Leo XIV: What will his team be like?

There was a Peruvian priest who sat next to the Pope’s secretary in the popemobile on May 13, 2025, when Leo XIV took possession of the chair of St. John Lateran. He was Bernardito Gil, vicar general to then-Bishop Prevost of Chiclayo, and he had come to Rome to greet his former bishop, who had become Pope.

Leo XIV has an indissoluble bond with Peru. His secretary, Father Egdard Rimaycuna, comes from Chiclayo, and Prevost was his mentor. The new Pope’s cook also came from Peru, and she used to prepare meals in the Curia of the Augustinians.

Robert Prevost’s sojourns in Peru were part of a journey that led him to form faithful friendships and to a place where he felt at home and ease. It is no coincidence that Leo XIV, appearing for the first time as Pope from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, used some words in Spanish but not in English.

This strong bond with the world of Peru, however, says less than one may think it does about the team the Pope will assemble to assist him in the government of the Church. The choice of men, in this case, is fundamental. Leo XIV is called to deal with many dossiers, and it is up to him alone to decide the priorities and begin to give shape to his pontificate.

So, what will Leo’s team be like?

It seems obvious that Cardinal Pietro Parolin will remain as Secretary of State at least for a little while, just as Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Minister for Relations with States, is not expected to go anywhere.

The first crucial appointment will be that of his successor as head of the Dicastery for Bishops. It is unlikely that it will be the current secretary, Ilson Montanari, with whom Leo XIV did not have good relations. Montanari was a Francis loyalist, too. Prevost’s successor will be fished out from outside the circle of current Vatican functionaries.

Then, there will likely be a second crucial appointment: the new sostituto in the Secretariat of State. The current sostituto—basically the papal chief-of-staff—is Venezuelan Archbishop Edgard Pena Parra. He is not of retirement age and should not be in immediate danger of finding himself entirely without employ. The Pope is likely to choose, for such a demanding position in such close contact with the pontiff, a person who is more in tune with his principal than Pena parra appears to be, a person the Pope trusts implicitly.

The name of Bishop Luis Marin of San Martin, undersecretary of the Synod and an Augustinian like Leo XIV, has been mentioned. However, Bishop Marin does not seem likely to change his role, and above all, it does not appear that the Pope wants to do a “discourtesy” to one of his brothers by placing him in a complex and difficult-to-manage position.

Instead, the Pope could draw from the pool of nuncios. One name that could be considered is that of Archbishop Petar Rajic, the current nuncio in Italy, a Canadian of Croatian origin who has demonstrated himself to be balanced in recent years.

The change in diplomatic ranks represents another challenge for Leo XIV. In the coming days, he will be called upon to choose the new nuncio to the United States (Cardinal Pierre has turned 79), the new nuncio to Syria (Cardinal Zenari is almost 80), as well as to fill other vacant positions among the Pope’s ambassadors. However, his real challenge may be reforming the Ecclesiastical Academy, the school of nuncios, so that it once again becomes an institution capable of producing high-quality diplomats.

The reform of the Diplomatic Academy would be a blow to the heart of the previous pontificate, considering that the last overhaul was made during the illness of Pope Francis less than two months ago. Touching the “school of nuncios” would, therefore, have a significant symbolic significance for the pontificate of Leo XIV, as well as potentially generational impact on the Holy See.

Curiously, in the statement in which he confirms donec aliter provideatur all the heads of departments whose mandates had expired with the vacancy of the Roman see, Leo also refers to the secretaries. And so not only are the positions of the number 1s in the balance, but also the positions of the number 2s, in what is expected to be a total reversal of the balance of the Curia.

Leo XIV will not make rash moves because it is not in his nature. Yet, it is worth noting the haste with which some on the fringes of the Church apparently desire to see Leo carry out reforms.

The Bishop of Charlotte, in the United States, has made headlines with his brutal plan for implementing Tradionis Custodes in his diocese, practically banning the Traditional Latin Mass. That plan has been stymied, for now, but the damage to Bishop Michael Martin’s credibility on the US stage, as well as his standing in Rome and with his own clergy and faithful, is done.

There is also the possibility of an acceleration on the Sino-Vatican agreement front. Talks are expected to take place in the coming weeks at the Vatican, and there are rumors that the Holy See intends to make the agreement permanent and publish certain aspects of it.

Now, it is obvious that China wants the agreement to be permanent and published. However, it is also evident that such an acceleration, with a new Pope just come into office, would be a direct affront to Leo XIV, who could also decide to slow down relations with China.

Moreover, the Chinese question was also decisive in channeling the votes of the cardinals in the Conclave towards Cardinal Prevost. The Asian cardinals could not accept a candidate like Cardinal Erdo, whose nation, Hungary, is considered close to China. For the same reason, they could not vote for Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was one of the supporters of the agreement with China.

Cardinal Parolin himself took care to let it be known that the bishops appointed by China in sede vacante had been pre-approved by the Holy See. This is good news, but the fact remains that in sede vacante, appointments are not published because there is no Pope to endorse them.

In short, Leo XIV has a lot to think about.

For now, he can refer directly to his circle of trusted friends from Peru. He continues to feel Augustinian, and one can swear that he will make other pulls from the Augustinian table. Perhaps he will call upon his Augustinian brothers to fill some crucial episcopal vacancies.

At the same time, the Pope has to build a solid and loyal team. The future of the pontificate will depend in large part on the choices he makes.