With enduring gratefulness for the recent memory of how much the pontificate of Pope Francis meant for the Church and world, on May 8 and 18, 2026, we will celebrate the first anniversary of the election and inaugural Eucharist of the pontificate of Leo XIV.

And although, in the millennial history of the Church, a year is very little time to take stock of the ministry of the current Pope, this brief tour allows us to glimpse the imprint of his pontificate, something of his personality and temperament and to underline the emphases that are emerging in his mission of guiding, at this moment in history, the Catholic Church.

The election of Leo XIV to succeed Francis in the Chair of Peter brought a sense of novelty in several respects. First, and contrary to what many thought to be counterproductive and unwelcome: the idea of handing over the “power” of guiding the Catholic Church, in addition to the political, economic, military, cultural, and other forms of influence long held by the United States, a Pope of American origin was chosen: Robert Prevost, born on September 14 in Chicago, Illinois.

In addition, Leo XIV is a member of the Order of St. Augustine, of which he served as Prior General in two consecutive terms, with many years of pastoral and missionary experience in Latin America, especially in Peru, where he served as bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo.

Robert Prevost chose “Leo XIV” as the name for his pontificate. This name connects it with the pontificate of Leo XIII, to whom we owe, in modern times, the Church’s special concern for social issues and for developing the Social Doctrine of the Church, which springs from the Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth, especially with his encyclical RERUM NOVARUM, of May 5, 1891.

This characteristic of a pope concerned with social issues in the Church’s relationship with the world and in the evangelizing task of illuminating life in society with the criteria of the Gospel appears from day one in all of Leo XIV’s interventions. This was demonstrated in his first Apostolic Exhortation, issued on October 4, 2025, which focused on attention to the poor and on criticism of the economic elites, following the line of Pope Francis.

Thus, Leo XIV has defended human dignity amidst poverty, labor inequality, and loneliness. In many of his speeches, his exhortations to peace stand out, along with his strong criticism of war, his interest in housing and health, his concern for the exploitation of migrants, refugees, and workers, and his concern for the family, etc.

Other aspects that have stood out during this first year of Leo XIV’s pontificate and that emerging to shape the profile of what will be his ministry as head of the Catholic Church include his style as an “academic pastor” and his “institutional serenity,” a sign of his sober and structured character, perhaps shaped by his formation as a canonist and as an Augustinian. His personality has shown signs of an approach marked by closeness and human warmth without ostentation. His appearances are measured and his discourses profoundly theological.

Leo XIV has been, little by little, forming the work team that will accompany him in his universal shepherding, with a style “soft in form, but firm in substance” (“Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re”). Without breaking with the great pontificate of Francis, Leo XIV has sought to consolidate reforms within the Church, focusing on their juridical aspects. The inauguration of the FRANCISCAN YEAR has been a powerful sign of communion with the interests of his predecessor and of the emphasis on themes such as humility and poverty.

He has summoned and brought together all the cardinals of the Church, as a sign of his commitment to the need for dialogue and listening for the task of synodality in the life of the Church. His North American and Latin American heritage, in addition to his command of several languages, allows him to act as an inter-cultural bridge both in world conflicts and in the call for unity within the Church and in the ecumenical relationship with other churches or religions, as, for example, he did when praying in the Vatican with the King of England, Charles III, head of the Anglican Church.

In summary, the pontificate of Leo XIV is emerging as a reflective leadership and a balance between tradition and the necessary reforms that historical changes are posing – as enormous clamors and challenges – to the evangelizing task of the Church in the world; a pontificate of firmness in faith and, at the same time, of serene human closeness.

We join in grateful prayer to God for this first anniversary of this pontificate; we ask the “Lord of the harvest” to bless Pope Leo XIV, and we hope that his years of shepherding as head of the Catholic Church and spiritual leader of humanity will be filled with many blessings for all. Ad multos annos!

Mario J. Paredes is the President of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Catholic Leaders. The International Academy of Catholic Leaders aims to train leaders from a Catholic perspective to transform the social, political, and economic world in light of the Social Doctrine of the Church. We have 25 schools across the Spanish-speaking world and a newsletter that reaches more than 40,000 people.