Leo XIV, the dialogist Pope under tension

The mandate that the College of Cardinals seems to have given Pope Leo XIV was to continue the reforms outlined by Pope Francis, while paying special attention to the unity of the Church. Unity in reform, unity for reform. Cardinal Prevost's first gestures and words as Pope suggest this. His recognition of the legacy of the "Pope of the End of the World" and his gesture of going to pray at his tomb were as clear as his decision to appear on the central balcony of the Vatican Basilica wearing the papal mozzetta and the gilded pectoral crucifix, which his predecessor had dispensed with.

A reversible double mandate: reform and unity, unity and reform. An impossible task, how to reconcile both demands? On the one hand, the motto "Ecclesia semper reformanda" (The Church is always reforming) , which Francis took up to summarize the Second Vatican Council 's vocation to renewal; and, on the other, the exercise of the ministry as Bishop of the Roman Church may be a sign and foundation of the unity of the entire Church.

Contrary to speculation before the Conclave about divisions within the Church, the speed with which Cardinal Prevost achieved the two-thirds majority needed to be elected as the new Pontiff shows that his brother cardinals have seen in this Augustinian born in Chicago and pastored in Peru outstanding qualities for such a role.

However, the fact that the cardinals have quickly found a candidate who can unite their will does not mean that differences within the Church do not exist. More precisely, we could explain the widespread satisfaction surrounding the election of Leo XIV by the fact that, for the moment, the fear among the various factions, divided over, among other issues, the ecclesiastical model, has dissipated : the Bergoglians feared a conservative restoration, the moderates feared polarization, and the traditionalists feared that the deepening of the reforms would lead to a radicalization that could cause the erosion of the doctrine of the faith. For now, Leo does not bring a conservative restoration, nor an accentuation of polarization, nor an immediate radicalization. White smoke.

The new Pope maintains his episcopal motto, "In Illo uno unum," taken from a sermon by Saint Augustine. This phrase, "In that one, we are one," reflects the Augustinian vision of Christian unity: a single faith in Christ, despite the diversity of believers, to form one Church. The cardinals' request seems to fit perfectly with the profile of the chosen one.

Robert Prevost unites North and South. The United States and Peru. Mission and administration. Tradition and future projection. Collegiality and primacy. The Curia and its peripheries. Contemplation and action. The Universal Church and the particular churches. Heaven and Earth. He unites without annulling the poles. How is it possible to sustain this Unity? How can we assess unity and, at the same time, advance the reformist legacy of Francis's papacy?

Ratzinger's abdication in 2013 had made it evident that the bond of leadership between pastors and faithful was broken: the pedophilia scandals involving the hierarchy of the Catholic Church; the stagnation in the implementation of the openness established by the Second Vatican Council; a severe and exclusionary approach to matters of sexual and family morality; financial mismanagement; the centralization of decision-making in Rome and its Curia and indifference to the voices of particular churches; the ostentation of wealth and power by some princes of the Church; the decline in baptisms, priestly vocations, and attendance at religious services in Europe— all of this had shaped the scenario in which Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected.

Francis' legacy is that if the Catholic Church is to emerge from the general crisis into which it found itself at the beginning of the 21st century, which became apparent after the resignation of Benedict XVI, it must project itself with new models of pastorate , new ways of leading the People of God. Synodality, the reform of the Roman Curia, the de-Europeanization of the Church, preference for the discarded, care for our Common Home, the privilege of hospitality over rigorism, and an attitude of listening, discernment, and dialogue are the most salient features of the model of pastorate that the Argentine outlined during his pontificate.

Francis sought to restore the pastorate based on an ecclesial model based on synodality, that is, a path of spiritual renewal and structural reform to make the Church more participatory and missionary. The synod ceases to be an event and becomes a method: gathering to dialogue, discern, and decide. The synodal Church presupposes the co-responsibility and participation of the entire People of God, who are henceforth recognized as the communal and historical subject of the mission.

Cardinal Prevost is deeply committed to the path he has embarked on. From his first words as successor to the Apostle Peter, he reaffirmed his "full adherence" to the Second Vatican Council, as developed by the papacy of Francis; he called for a "synodal" Church and "always close especially to those who suffer most." Furthermore, he chose the name Leo XIV, recalling his predecessor Leo XIII, the Pope of social doctrine, who in the encyclical Rerum Novarum championed the protection of private property, questioned class struggle, advocated for the defense of workers and their organizations, and advocated for state intervention to protect workers.

True reform necessarily comes into conflict with those who resist it. The open, deliberative, and consultative path of leadership generates tension with those who feel their prerogatives are at risk. For the second time, the Catholic Church has an American pontiff: is the Church prepared to deepen de-Europeanization? There can be no synodal unity without unity with tension. How can we sustain unity and at the same time proclaim the redemption of the marginalized, migrants, humble farmers, abused women, abused children, and the devastated Earth?

The new Pope chose his first trip to Turkey, to attend the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. At this first ecumenical council in history, held in 325, the central objective was the preservation of the unity of the Church. It began to define the dogma of the Trinity, with a formula of "unity in distinction": one God who is simultaneously Father, Son, and Spirit. Prevost draws on tradition to project his mission. Pope Leo XIV will have to put all his qualities and learning into practice to face the dual challenge of reform and unity.

Nicolás Dallorso holds a PhD in Social Sciences and specializes in Social Policy Planning and Management. He conducts research at the Gino Germani Institute and is a Conicet fellow.