In his first 100 days, Pope Leo has sought to carry forward Pope Francis's compassion

The National

2 days ago

On May 18, Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago-born Augustinian priest and former missionary in Peru, began his first 100 days as Pope Leo XIV, leader of the Catholic Church. For Catholics worldwide – and I am one – the Pope is more than a spiritual leader. He is believed to be the successor to Saint Peter, whom Jesus appointed to lead his disciples. In essence, Pope Leo is regarded as the earthly representative of Jesus and is sometimes referred to as the Vicar of Christ.
Pope Leo had enormous shoes to fill, not only as the first American pontiff but as the successor to Pope Francis, who was beloved, especially by Christians in the Middle East, whom he embraced and protected.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2021, and weakened by illness, Pope Francis insisted on travelling to northern Iraq to say Mass for embattled Christians displaced and persecuted by ISIS. His advisers, horrified by the danger, tried to stop him but he went anyway, holding a poignant service at Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil that was attended by thousands and a service on the site of a church destroyed by ISIS in Mosul.
He shares Pope Francis's progressive political instincts but is quieter, more methodical
At the time, I was working in the Nineveh Plains alongside Christian communities who were under siege. Pope Francis's visit was a profound declaration that they had not been forgotten. Iraqi Christians – a community that was 1.5 million strong before the 2003 US-led invasion – had dwindled to around 300,000 people, many desperate to flee ISIS and other forms of rising extremism. Pope Francis knew how much his presence mattered and he also visited Najaf to meet Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani.
During Israel's siege and bombardment of Gaza, Francis regularly called Father Gabriel Romanelli of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, often simply to ask: 'What did you eat today?' or 'How are you?' Even as the pontiff's health failed, he continued making those nightly calls – right up until two days before his death in April.
Pope Leo has sought to carry forward Pope Francis's deep compassion. The first pontiff from the Augustinian order, he has emphasised global leadership, appointed priests from Peru and China to senior Vatican roles, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and proposed peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
One hundred days is too soon to define his papacy, but like Pope Francis, he shows a firm commitment to protecting civilians – especially those facing poverty, war, hunger and displacement. He has continued his predecessor's outreach to the LGBTQ+ community and supported greater transparency in the Church. Pope Leo is modern, embracing technology with a planned Vatican AI ethics summit, supports climate action and engages with leaders such as Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, even as her politics lean further to the right.
Challenges loom. These include the Church's dark legacy of sexual abuse, a €60 million ($70.29 billion) budget deficit, and a €1 billion pension shortfall. Conservative voices are growing louder, including that of US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert. And there is the tide of unrest in the Middle East – such as in Syria, where Christians fear reprisals after Bashar Al Assad's fall, and in Palestine.
Pope Leo has underscored the importance of the Eastern Churches and at the end of the 12-day Israel–Iran conflict, he urged all sides to 'reject the logic of bullying and revenge'. In June, he expressed solidarity after the attack on Damascus's Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church where an assailant opened fire on worshippers gathered outside before blowing himself up with an explosive belt, killing 25 people and injuring dozens more.
Following decades of the Assad family's reign of terror, Syria's government is now trying to win the support of the country's minorities. Syria's Christian community – once 10 per cent of the population and now reduced to a few hundred thousand – was left deeply shaken.
Can the Vatican meaningfully engage in peace negotiations? Pope Francis was outspoken in his support for civilians in Gaza and Syria yet the Vatican has often been side-lined, although many back-channel Christian peace efforts exist. In 2014, for example, Pope Francis hosted a 'Prayer for Peace' in the Vatican with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – the first time both sides had publicly prayed together. He also met Iranian leaders during nuclear talks and called for humanitarian corridors in Syria and Iraq, referring to the former as 'beloved and tormented'.
As his first 100 days close, Pope Leo emphasises unity and listening – urgent virtues in a time of polarisation and misinformation. He shares Pope Francis's progressive political instincts but is quieter, more methodical. A Vatican insider told The Guardian: 'He likes to do his homework.' Still, Pope Leo has been unequivocal in condemning Israel's treatment of Gaza's civilians, especially after Israeli strikes on churches and attacks on civilians waiting for food.
I cried when Pope Francis died. I felt like a child who had lost my father all over again, stranded in a troubled world. But I have faith in Pope Leo. His first 100 days suggest a pontificate rooted in patience and unity, foundations on which I hope he will soon raise a bold, moral voice for our wounded world.