Pope Leo XIV celebrates one year since the historic election, marking the transition from a discreet cardinal to one of the most recognized figures on the planet.
His election led to something previously considered impossible: an American pope. But his pontificate witnessed a historical period of tension between the White House and the Vatican, with the Augustinian friar taking office just months after President Donald Trump’s re-election.
Those who know the pope well say he remains the same person despite the monumental changes of the past 365 days. “We don’t see any big differences,” Father Joseph Farrell, prior general of the Augustinian Order and friend of the Pope, told CNN.
“It’s still a little unbelievable to see him (as Pope), but it makes perfect sense. As one of our friars said to me: ‘It looks like he took a course for popes’.”
And the pontiff still maintains his sense of humor. Another friend and Augustinian friar, Father Tom McCarthy, said that, after the election, he hugged Leão, but later asked if he should have done so. “They were about to shoot you!” joked the pope.
So, after 12 months in office, what have we learned about the first American pope?
1 – He is not afraid to speak out – even if it angers Trump
Leo XIV’s style is thoughtful and deliberate, and as a mathematician he takes a procedural approach to solving problems. He is also more formal in dress and style than his predecessor, Pope Francis, who was more disruptive and willing to break with protocol.
However, he agrees with Francis when it comes to speaking out on immigration, the environment, poverty and the death penalty. His years in Peru, working with some of the country’s poorest communities, gave him a strong sense of social justice.
He has described the treatment of immigrants in the US as “inhumane” and recently called for the abolition of the death penalty.
“Pope Leo CNN Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian investigative journalist who knows the pope well.
The war with Iran, however, was where the pope spoke out most vehemently, taking the unusual decision to mention Trump and denounce any religious justification for the conflict.
The Pope’s speeches during a recent trip to Africa were bold, with Leo XIV stating in Cameroon that the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” and vehemently protesting corruption.
“The one thing I’ve noticed that has affected him deeply is the tragedy of war and the suffering that people go through,” Farrell said. “Your response has been very clear… that the path to resolution, to finding solutions, is not with weapons, is not with the use of weapons, is by disarming and dialoguing.”
Leo’s frank attitudes triggered a between an American-born pope and an American president. Even in the face of an extraordinary barrage of attacks, Leão appears not to have shaken.
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago told CNN that this is because the pontiff “does not see himself as a rival to any head of state” and instead his mission is to bring “a unique perspective that transcends any one nation.”
Cupich said that Trump’s criticism did not bother Leão, as “frustration and disruption are luxuries he cannot afford.” Instead, the cardinal explained that the pope “will do what is right” and “will not sit on the fence.”
2 – He’s bringing an American touch to the Vatican
The past 12 months have brought a distinctly American atmosphere to the Vatican, from the pope wearing a White Sox cap to receiving pumpkin pies mid-air during his first visit abroad on Thanksgiving Day.
In the Popemobile in St. Peter’s Square, he often chats animatedly about baseball scores (he’s a die-hard White Sox fan) and accept a slice of thick-crust pizza or your favorite candy (Peeps).
Another novelty is a pope who speaks English as his mother tongue, something that hasn’t been seen for centuries.
While Leo’s predecessors often had their speeches interpreted or subtitled in English, the current pope speaks with a Midwestern American accent, allowing his words and interventions to have a greater impact with an English-speaking audience.
3 – Leo XIV is in no rush to reform the Catholic Church
O Cardinal Blase Cupich, of Chicago, states that the pope is continuing the reformist vision of Pope Francis, who insisted on a , with more relevant roles for women and those who are not part of the hierarchy.
However, Cupich insists that Leo XIV is also continuing the work of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meeting of bishops that laid out a blueprint for the contemporary Church.
Francis memorably declared “who am I to judge” when it came to gay priests, while Leo XIV also subtly reframed questions about sexuality.
“We tend to think that when the Church talks about morality, the only moral issue at hand is sexual,” he said last month. “But in reality, I believe there are much bigger and more important issues, like justice, equality, freedom between men and women, religious freedom, that would take priority over this specific issue.”
Although the pope has indicated he will not make major changes, he is taking a gradual approach, appointing women to senior roles at the Vatican.
“Leo
And on the clerical sex abuse scandal, he met regularly with survivors, insisting that there can be “no tolerance whatsoever for any form of abuse in the Church.”
4 – The Pope is skilled in the digital environment
“He understands a lot about technology”, is how Father Tom McCarthy, a friend of Leo XIV, describes him. He is the first pontiff to feel comfortable using a smartphone, an Apple Watch and writing his own emails.
John Prevost, one of the pope’s brothers, recently told CNN that the pope guided him on how to access his new computer when it became “locked.”
He was also recently seen in Africa advising the Vatican photographer on how to compose a photo, and has helped cardinals and bishops position themselves for photos.
Leo XIV is also very attentive to the media and aware of what is being reported, having once joked with journalists: “You think you can read my mind or my face. You’re not always right.”
However, his first encyclical, a formal letter he sends to bishops around the world, is expected to focus on artificial intelligence, a topic he has spoken about several times.
5 – He is reshaping the leadership of the Church in the USA
One of the surest ways for a pope to influence the Church and its involvement in politics is through the appointment of bishops, and Leo XIV made a series of influential choices for the Church in the United States during his first year in the papacy.
In New York, he chose Archbishop Ronald Hicks, also from Chicago and who spent time in Latin America, and Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, an immigrant advocate born in El Salvador, as the next bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia.
Menjivar-Ayala, who entered the U.S. illegally by hiding in the trunk of a car in 1990, has criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
In fact, three of the first four bishops appointed by Leo XIV to the United States were born outside the country. This includes Bishop Michael Pham of San Diego, who came to the United States as a child as a refugee from Vietnam.
These choices reinforced his position on immigration: that newcomers, when welcomed and integrated, can strengthen their new home.
6 – “Lion Effect” may be linked to interest in Catholicism
His first year in office coincided with a resurgence of interest in churches in the US – and Europe –, particularly among Generation Z. His own Augustinian religious order has also reported an increase in the number of young people wanting to join, what some call the “Lion effect”.
An American-born pope has an opportunity to connect with a new generation that appears open to exploring questions of faith, particularly in the wake of Covid-19 lockdowns that have restricted religious services, and at a time of growing uncertainty.
At 70, Leo XIV is younger than his predecessors and therefore can afford to take the long view. His first year was one of adaptation, focused on consolidating himself in the role and transforming his American roots into assets, along with his experience in Latin America.
Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian investigative journalist who knows the pope well, says that his perspective has “three dimensions: the United States, a Latin America marked by diversity and a Vatican where the battles to be fought must be carefully chosen daily.”
He is also focused on his main mission as pontiff: seeking peace – even if it means angering those in power.
