European Central: Pope Leo XIV Finds Refuge In Continuity, To An Extent

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For Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, both the world stage he has stepped onto and the religion he was elected to lead stand in a precarious moment in time. To many, he is seen as slightly more of a centrist than the liberal Pope Francis, but still focused on Francis’ social reforms and adapting the church to modern times. 

Thus far, Leo XIV has moved slowly, making few appointments but meeting with various world leaders and senior Vatican officials to get a lay of the land without yet changing tack.

With storm clouds brewing on the horizon geopolitically, and the Catholic Church facing internal challenges, how has Pope Leo XIV charted his course over the first two months?

The Power Of A Name

The choosing of a papal name is a deeply important tradition in the Catholic Church. It is often chosen from a previous figure who represents how the newly elected pope wants to lead the Church. The previous pope, Pope Francis, chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, who focused on peace, nature, care for the poor, and cooperation. 

Pope Leo XIV has chosen his papal name in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903. In a time of social upheaval brought about by the Industrial Revolution, Leo XIII sought to address workers’ rights amid the rise of capitalism, criticizing both laissez-faire economics and socialism. 

Now, Pope Leo XIV faces another era of social and economic upheaval, this time brought about by the rise of artificial intelligence, wealth inequality, and far-right governments. Pope Leo XIV explicitly targeted AI as a main challenge for humanity early on in his papacy. Days after becoming pope, he drew a comparison between the Industrial Revolution and AI, and the “new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.” In the latter months of his papacy, Pope Francis also targeted AI, calling it an “existential risk”.

Besides the challenges that artificial intelligence poses, Leo XIV has thus far continued Pope Francis’ legacy on social issues.

In his first address as the pope, Leo XIV signaled his hope to carry on Francis’ reforms regarding gender in the church and Synodality in the church. Speaking to Synod leaders in late June, Leo XIV encouraged them, saying that they can gather the fruits that have matured during Francis’ pontificate “and… make a forward-looking reflection.” The fruits in question refer to the controversial proposals that allowed divorced Catholics who remarry without an annulment to receive Communion, something that Pope Francis later made possible. 

On gender, Pope Leo XIV previously supported Pope Francis’s decision to allow women and non-ordained men to serve as heads of Vatican dicasteries. Leo XIV also has slowly become more pro-LGBTQIA+, saying in a 2023 interview with CNS that Pope Francis’s outreach to those communities led him to change his thinking and emphasize “the need for the Church to be open and to be welcoming”. 

However, there are important exceptions to this continuity. As Cardinal Prevost, he was opposed to the ordination of women, saying that clericalizing women is not the way to answer concerns about women’s role in the Church, but this could change, similar to his LGBTQIA+ views.

He also has moved back into the official papal residence, a departure from Francis’ arrangement of living in a suite in the Vatican’s guesthouse. This could perhaps signal a return to tradition and an olive branch to conservative Catholics, something backed up by Leo XIV’s choice to return to formal papal clothing.

Papal Reform

But there are far larger issues at hand. For starters, the Church faces a faith crisis in Europe. Despite the total number of Catholics passing 1.4 billion, Europe is going in the other direction. 

In Germany, a historic low of only 29 new priests had been ordained in the country in 2024. Additionally, around 321,000 German Catholics left the Church that year. The new pope has yet to take any concrete actions on this matter, but he has spurred optimism in the German Church’s 150 pages of resolutions pushing for women deacons, a bigger lay role in selecting bishops, and a revision of the Church’s stance on homosexuality.

This butting of heads between the Vatican and the German Church seems to be abating slightly, as Leo XIV has backed Synodality and openness in his early speeches, which could reinvigorate European faith in Catholicism.

But far more pressing has been the Vatican’s finances, with a 2024 account revealing an €83 million budget shortfall. Politico reported that part of the reason that Leo XIV was elected was his perceived Anglo-Saxon financial acumen, alongside his connections to wealthy American Catholic conservatives. 

American donors contribute the largest share to the Church, accounting for 25.2% of total donations, yet some conservative Catholics believe Pope Francis’s liberal teachings have begun to slow that flow of funds Combined with past scandals involving the Vatican Bank (something Francis went a long way in addressing), Leo XIV must now continue the restoration of confidence in the Vatican’s finances, along with reinvigorating donations from wealthy American Catholics. 

Leo XIV has sanctioned a new investigation into a witness against Cardinal Becciu’s conviction, a step towards combating corruption and perhaps cementing an independent judiciary in the Vatican. He also has said he will try to boost the Holy See’s vast real estate portfolio after complaints of underinvestment.

Papal Diplomacy

In his June 10 speech to papal representatives, Leo XIV highlighted the Holy See’s model of “human fraternity and peace among peoples,” and called the ministry of pontifical representatives “irreplaceable.” 

Already, the Vatican has been the site of multiple meetings between world leaders, with Francis’ funeral giving a host of leaders a common site to discuss various issues. Leo XIV has also pushed directly for stronger ties with certain nations like Peru and Vietnam. But the pope has thus far avoided aligning with American geopolitical aims. 

In line with Francis’ criticism of the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza, Leo XIV has made similar calls for Israel to increase food shipments into the enclave, while also calling for the release of all hostages and for all sides to respect international laws. Hunger is another focal point of his focus so far, both in its use as a weapon of war and on a broader food security related to climate change.

All of these issues are global, but Leo XIV seems to be going to lengths to make sure the world knows that he is not an American pope, but simply an American-born pope. 

Between the geopolitical tides he will have to manage, the financial and social reforms he will have to tackle, and the threat of AI and climate change, Leo XIV has his hands full. His first two months have been a story of consolidating his priorities and getting a lay of the land, meeting with as many people as possible to understand the issues he faces. He has found refuge in continuing Francis’ legacy, one that he largely agrees with, but as time goes on, Leo XIV will have to chart his own course through challenges both old and new.