The speech, the clothes, the name: Three clues about new Pope's leadership

Sydney Morning Herald

09-05-2025

'It could be said that Leo's first appearance on the balcony meant: 'I am not Francis, but Francis' vision will continue.' '
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Kurt Martens, who teaches at The Catholic University of America in Washington, said references in Leo's speech to embracing the whole world as well as synodality were signs the new pope would continue to focus on the poor and those on the margins of societies.
The clothes
Unlike Francis, who spurned many of the trappings of the papacy from the day he was elected, Leo wore the 'mozzetta', an elbow-length red cape, over his white cassock, suggesting a return to some degree of tradition.
He also wore an ornate red and gold stole with illustrations of the four gospels in the New Testament over his shoulders, the gold pectoral cross that is traditionally offered to a pope when he accepts the office, and a white skullcap, known as a 'zuchetto' or 'pileolus'.
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Francis wore all white vestments and a simple cross when he first appeared on the balcony in 2013, signalling his desire for simplicity, before later adding the stole.
The new name
For most of the Catholic Church's first millennium, popes used their given names. The practice of adopting a new name became ingrained during the 11th century, and from the mid-20th century, new popes began to choose names signalling the aim of their papacy, according to Reverend Roberto Regoli, a historian at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.
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The last pope to take the name was Leo XIII, an Italian who led the church from 1878 to 1903. That Leo softened the church's confrontational stance toward modernity, especially science and politics, and laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought. His most famous encyclical, Rerum Novarum of 1891, addressed workers' rights and capitalism at the beginning of the industrial revolution.
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told reporters the new Pope's decision to be called Leo XIV was a deliberate reference to the previous Leo, although some academics speculated he could also have wanted to signal a strong line of continuity: Brother Leo was the 13th-century friar who was a great companion to St Francis of Assisi, the late pope's namesake.
The name 'is a deep sign of commitment to social issues', Manhattan University's chair of religious studies Natalia Imperatori-Lee said.
Where does he stand on key issues?
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Though he has kept a low media profile, Leo is seen as ideologically aligned with Francis, particularly in prioritising outreach to the poor, care for migrants, and a less hierarchical vision of church leadership. He told the Vatican's official news website last year that 'the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom'.
On women in the church, Leo's views appear aligned with Francis', who opened more leadership roles to them than any previous pontiff, while affirming the church's teaching barring the ordination of women as priests, The Washington Post reports.
However, Leo's record also contains more conservative elements. In a 2012 address, he criticised Western media for promoting 'sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel', referencing same-sex families and what he called the 'homosexual lifestyle'. While he supported Francis' pastoral move to allow Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, he showed only reserved backing for blessings of same-sex couples.
His handling of clerical abuse cases during his time in Peru is expected to come under closer scrutiny now that he has ascended to the papacy.
Still, within the Vatican, Leo is regarded as a unifying figure. His international experience and quiet diplomacy allowed him to navigate the ideological and regional divides among the cardinals. His election may mark a stylistic shift from Francis' more outspoken leadership, but not necessarily a reversal of his reforms.
The new Pope's brother, John Prevost, described him as being very concerned for the poor and those who don't have a voice, saying he expects him to be a 'second Pope Francis'.
'He's not going to be real far left and he's not going to be real far right,' he said. 'Kind of right down the middle.'
What is the Augustinian order he's a part of?
The new pope was formerly the prior general, or leader, of the Order of St Augustine, formed in the 13th century as a community of 'mendicant' friars dedicated to poverty, service and evangelisation.
The order's requirements and ethos are traced to the 5th century St Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity. It works in about 50 countries, promoting a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others.
A core value of the order is to 'live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God'.
Heir apparent
In many ways, Francis saw Prevost as his heir apparent.
Francis sent Prevost to take over a complicated diocese in Peru, then brought him to the Vatican in 2023 to serve as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. In January, Francis elevated him into the senior ranks of cardinals, giving him prominence going into the conclave that few others had.
But there had long been a taboo against electing a pontiff from a country whose geopolitical power loomed so large in the secular sphere. Prevost, a Chicago native, was seemingly eligible because he's also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.