In the last year, Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a towering moral figure offering a message of peace and solidarity that stands in sharp contrast to the language and priorities of many leading political figures, not least the president of the United States.
But in the days, weeks and months following Leo’s election on May 8, 2025, it was not immediately clear where his quiet, methodical style of governing would lead the Catholic Church.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the 133 cardinals who elected Leo were elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, it was clear that the electors were not looking for a carbon copy of the late pope. Several cardinal electors told National Catholic Reporter that finding a candidate who could foster unity was a priority in the conclave following Francis’ trailblazing, but turbulent, pontificate.
With surprising speed, they set their sights on an Augustinian missionary from Chicago to take the reins of the world’s largest church. But in keeping with his mild-mannered character, Leo did not begin his pontificate with bold rhetoric or dramatic gestures.
Even among his closest collaborators, Leo kept many holdovers from the Francis era in place rather than quickly assembling a new circle of trusted advisers who might signal the direction of his pontificate.
Many of the curial changes expected to come early in Leo’s pontificate still have yet to materialize: Several dicastery prefects, including Cardinals Michael Czerny of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Marcello Semeraro of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, and Kevin Farrell of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, have long passed the traditional retirement age of 75.
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With thanks to National Catholic Reporter and Justin McLellan, where this article originally appeared.
