Pope Leo’s top priority: easing divisions

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jun 17, 2026

As he enters a papal conclave, any cardinal might consider the possibility that he could emerge as Sovereign Pontiff. If he has been listed among the papabile, he has surely thought about that prospect; perhaps he has even aspired to sit on Peter’s Throne. But even the humblest prelate, if he sees the votes stacking up in his favor, must begin thinking about what he should say if he is elected. By the time a newly elected Pontiff appears on the loggia of St. Peter’s basilica to greet the public, therefore, we can safely assume that he has thought seriously about his introduction to a waiting world.

So we can safely assume that Pope Leo XIV had weighed his options carefully before he chose the words with which he greeted the faithful: “Peace be with you!”

Consider the circumstances. The conclave of 2025 came after more than a decade of extraordinary confusion, division, and acrimony within the Church, and especially within the Vatican itself. The cardinal-electors were looking for someone who could steer the Church into calmer waters. With his very first words to the world, Pope Leo was telling us what to expect from him.

Many Catholics (myself included) might have hoped for a Pope with more dramatic plans: either to undo the damage done by the previous papacy, or to plow ahead with the plans Pope Francis had made. Pope Leo has listened politely to both sides, made appropriately measured statement to ease various fears, but avoided making firm commitments. He has chosen his steps so carefully, in fact, that after more than a year, Vatican-watchers are still speculating about what sort of Pope we have.

Some angry Catholics hear the new Pope praise his predecessor, and conclude that he might as well be “Francis II.” Others, upset for quite different reasons, charge that he is betraying the legacy of Pope Francis. The truth lies just about halfway in between those two perceptions. Pope Leo is acting as the pontifex, the bridge-builder, seeking to bring together the faithful, to restore peace and normalcy within the Church.

Whether the new Pope can successfully guide the Vatican back toward the Catholic center, relying on the officials of the Roman Curia that the old Pope left behind, is an open question. Tradition-minded Catholics are not likely to breathe easy while Cardinal Fernandez is issuing doctrinal pronouncements, or Cardinal Roche is issuing liturgical guidelines. But bear in mind that within the walls of the Vatican, too, Pope Leo must contend with the resentments created by a decade of bureaucratic infighting and peremptory leadership. He clearly wants to lower the ambient temperature before making any ambitious moves.

This cautious approach, this instinct to avoid neuralgic issues, has its own drawbacks. Insofar as there are critical issues within the Church, demanding quick and decisive action, Pope Leo is likely to disappoint. His leadership style is better suited for the “long game.” So he is content to let the protracted discussions of the Synod on Synodality play themselves out, while issuing occasional statements to assure the faithful that no doctrinal changes will be made. Whether those papal statements will be anchor enough to keep the Synod from drifting into heterodoxy is another open question.

Pope Leo has said very little about the German bishops’ radical plans, but there is clear enough circumstantial evidence that he has quietly sent some cautionary messages. He has not directly addressed the cries for relief from Traditionis Custodes, but again there are signs that he encourages diocesan bishops to accommodate the traditionalists in their flocks.

In January, when the Pope called a consistory of cardinals to discuss the Church’s pastoral needs, the question of liturgy was on the preliminary agenda. But that quarrelsome question was removed before the meeting took place. This week, as the cardinals prepare for another consistory at the end of the month, a reliable report from Rome tells us that another potentially contentious topic, the “outdated” just-war theory, has been removed from the list of issues scheduled for discussion. The cardinals will be allowed to raise these touchy issues, if they like, in their own addresses; but they will do so without any guarantee that the Vatican will take action, one way or another.

Maybe it is time to apply some variant of just-war thinking to the conflicts within the Church. Pope Leo has concluded that at the moment, given the existing tensions and divisions, applying quick solutions to current disputes would cause damage disproportionate to the good that could be achieved.