After weeks of anticipation, Pope Leo XIV has begun to shape his government with the first significant appointments in the Roman Curia and various leadership structures within the Church. These initial decisions provide clear indications of the pastoral and organizational priorities of the new pope, elected on March 13.

The first gesture of continuity came on May 9, when the Pope provisionally confirmed all the prefects, secretaries, and heads of offices of the Roman Curia in their positions “until otherwise decided.” It was a prudent act, common at the beginning of a pontificate, which allows for a measured evaluation of collaborators before undertaking more significant changes.

However, in recent weeks, Leo XIV has begun to make concrete moves. One of the most significant was the appointment, on June 24, of Spanish Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero as a new member of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity. The Archbishop of Rabat, with a Salesian background and a strong missionary profile, joins a dicastery key to the Pope’s pastoral vision, centered on a Church close to the poor and in need of a concrete presence in the peripheries.

On the same day, four other cardinals were also appointed to this dicastery: Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Jerusalem), Arthur Roche (Dicastery for Divine Worship), Jaime Spengler (Brazil) and Giorgio Marengo (Mongolia), thus reinforcing the international and pastoral character of the body that directly manages the Holy Father’s charitable initiatives.

Another notable appointment was that of Mexican José Nahúm Salas Castañeda as the new coordinator of papal trips. This responsibility, key to the logistical and pastoral organization of the Pope’s international visits, previously fell to Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad. Salas Castañeda’s appointment, announced on June 21, confirms the Pope’s desire to incorporate new, trusted individuals into strategic tasks of his pontificate.

Also within the Curia, on May 22, Sister Tiziana Merletti was appointed secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, succeeding Sister Simona Brambilla, who is now prefect of the same organization. Merletti, a Franciscan from Alcantarina with extensive experience in accompanying religious communities, becomes one of the most senior women within the Vatican structure.

In this same dicastery, on June 25, Pope Leo XIV appointed Sister Idília Maria Carneiro, Superior General of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as a new member of the organization. This dicastery is responsible for accompanying, animating, and regulating consecrated life in its many forms, recognizing it as an essential richness for the vitality of the Church. Among the five superiors general appointed, Sister Idília stands out, whose incorporation represents a source of gratitude and joy for the entire Hospitaller family.

Idília Maria Carneiro, born in Mozambique in 1966, joined the Congregation in 1984. She holds a degree in Social Work, a Master’s degree in Spirituality and Ethics in Health, and a postgraduate degree in Human Resources Management. Throughout her religious life, she has held leadership positions in the Province of Portugal and has always been connected to the charism of hospitality, especially in accompanying people with psychological suffering. Her appointment reinforces the role of women and the value of specific charisms within the structures of ecclesial governance.

On May 30, three new appointments were announced in Curia offices: Monsignor Romanus Mbena was appointed head of office at the Dicastery for Services to Charity; Father Laurent Basanese as head of office at the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue; and Daniele Gallinella as an expert at the Vatican Apostolic Archives. All of them have technical and pastoral profiles that strengthen the work of Vatican structures.

On a more personal level, Pope Leo XIV also appointed his private secretary on May 8: the 47-year-old Peruvian priest Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, from the Archdiocese of Huancayo. His choice demonstrates the Pope’s connection with Latin America and his interest in having close, discreet, and trustworthy people in his immediate circle.

Along with the appointments to the Curia, there have also been new episcopal appointments. In Peru, Father Miguel Ángel Contreras Llajaruna of the Society of Mary was appointed auxiliary bishop of Callao on May 15. In Argentina, Alejandro Pablo Benna was appointed bishop of Morón on May 28, and Raúl Martín was appointed new archbishop of Paraná. On June 12, Jenrry Johel Velásquez Hernández was appointed bishop of La Ceiba, Honduras.

With this set of decisions, Pope Leo XIV begins to leave his mark on the life of the universal Church. Although continuity and prudence have prevailed until now, the selected profiles—missionaries, close to the poor, from diverse regions of the world—point to a pontificate with a strong pastoral sensitivity, openness to the periphery, and a leading role for Latin America.

The coming weeks could bring new developments, especially in some key dicasteries.