Pope Leo XIV rules differently

After one month in office, Leo XIV has already made a number of appointments and given speeches. The lines of his - presumably long - term of office are beginning to emerge.

1. continuity with Francis

On some points, Leo explicitly placed himself in the continuity of his predecessor. This applies to the appointment of women to leadership positions as well as his appreciation of the papal environmental letter "Laudato si" from 2015 and the vision of a church that should reach out to all people without discrimination. He also wants to continue the synodality revitalised by Francis, i.e. the participation of all believers in the Church. Leo also calls on priests to reach out to people and show solidarity with the weakest.

2. balance in the church

A polarisation in the Church that has grown under Benedict XVI and Francis was lamented during the cardinals' consultations prior to the papal election. Leo sees it as his core task to promote the unity of the Church and overcome divisions so that it can be a role model in a divided world.

3 Symbols and rules

In terms of dress and protocol, Leo XIV chose a middle course between the strict Benedict XVI and the relaxed Francis. This includes the comeback of the "ring kiss": Leo XIV allows it again. The Pope's pectoral cross has also changed. Gold can now be seen again alongside silver.

4 The Pope's flat

Pope Francis' life in the Santa Marta guest house has cost a lot of money - through lost rental income and salaries for more security staff. In addition, there are now renovation costs for the Pope's official flat in the Apostolic Palace. The upcoming move back in is seen as a symbol of the difference between the two pontificates: Francis was all about staging modesty and closeness to the people, while Leo is all about tidying up and returning to order after twelve years of a state of emergency.

5th team player

Leo XIV wants to involve cardinals and Vatican heads of authority more closely in decision-making. At the very first meeting with the College of Cardinals, he authorised a debate. And in an address to the Curia, he said: "Popes come and go, the Curia remains." This was the sharpest break with his predecessor, who often claimed to be the sole decision-maker and guarantor of the unity of the Church. Leo XIV, on the other hand, announced that he wanted to "make himself small".

6 Back to the private secretary

Francis did not have a long-term personal secretary as a confidant and organiser of his appointments. Leo XIV was different: like many previous popes, he appointed a young clergyman as his private secretary: Edgard Ivan Rimaycuna Inga, whom he still knew from Peru.

7. professional foreign policy

Francis often took a multi-pronged approach to foreign policy: sometimes he did everything himself, occasionally he appointed informal special envoys, but he also allowed the established Vatican diplomacy to continue working. Most observers expected Leo XIV to pursue a predictable foreign policy under the leadership of the Secretariat of State.

8 Open questions

Pope Leo XIV has not yet said how he will act on important issues concerning the future of the Church. These include the Vatican's financial deficit and the unresolved status of the World Synod of Bishops. He is expected to restore the balance between the principles of synodality and episcopal collegiality. It is possible that he will establish an "ecclesial general assembly" alongside the Synod of Bishops, in which lay people can also have a say.

It is also unclear how he will continue pending ecclesiastical court proceedings. These include the case of Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was demoted by Francis due to a property scandal and then sentenced to a long prison sentence at first instance. Another is the case against the former Jesuit priest Marko Rupnik, who has been pending for years and is accused of sexual assault by women religious.

The Pope's future communication strategy is completely open. Francis often relied on spontaneous interview statements, with which he made headlines worldwide, but embarrassed his apparatus. So far, there are only fake interviews of Leo XIV on the internet.