Ep. 260: One year of Leo, and the new sheriff in town
JD and Ed reflect on the one year anniversary of Pope Leo’s election to the papacy.
5 months ago
One year after Pope Leo XIV’s election, Episode 260 reviews his first twelve months in office and notes the arrival of a new “sheriff” figure within the Vatican hierarchy 1.
The episode marks the anniversary of Leo XIV’s papacy, which began on 8 May 2025 1.
It highlights the initiatives and changes introduced during his initial year 1.
A new official, described as a “sheriff,” is introduced as part of the Vatican’s recent reforms 1.
The role is presented as a significant addition to the Church’s governance structure 1.
The discussion suggests that both the anniversary and the new appointment signal a period of transition and modernization for the Holy See 1.
Assess Pope Leo’s pastoral priorities in his first year
Pope Leo XIV’s first-year pastoral priorities (roughly May 2025–May 2026) can be assessed as a coherent program: continuity with major post-conciliar emphases (mission, mercy, social concern), combined with a very concrete pastoral method—inculturation through deep knowledge of local communities—and a *clear insistence on protecting the Gospel-centered character of ministry even amid new technologies.
A first discernible priority is to frame his pontificate as continuing the Church’s path while updating its application to present challenges. In his address to the Cardinals he explicitly connects his choice of the name “Leo XIV” to Leo XIII’s engagement with the “social question” and then states that “in our own day” the Church offers her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in artificial intelligence that threaten “the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.”
This is not just social activism; it is presented as a pastoral necessity—because the Church’s mission includes safeguarding the human person in the social order.
In parallel, Pope Leo emphasizes continuity with Pope Francis’ legacy in terms of mercy and universal fraternity. On the first anniversary of Francis’ death, he describes Francis as proclaiming the Gospel of mercy “to everyone, everyone, everyone,” and he highlights Francis’ insistence that the Church remain open to mission, a “guardian of the world’s hope.”
Two pastoral consequences flow from this framing:
A second priority appears as a pastoral how, not only a pastoral what. In a meeting with the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, Pope Leo identifies the challenge as a progressive marginalization of religion in modern social life, asking how to respond evangelically “without returning to patterns of the past” that would be “anachronistic.”
His answer centers on knowing the community thoroughly:
“If you want to love someone, you must first get to know them.”
He stresses that continuity in the sense of repeating the same pastoral strategies is not sufficient because communities change (including in a city like Rome where he says the “streets” may be the same but “life has changed so much”).
So, in his first year, one key pastoral priority is inculturation that is accompanied—not hindered by initiatives—by starting with local reality and then discerning how the Gospel is expressed there.
A third priority is protecting the personal and ecclesial character of evangelization in the age of AI and digital media.
In the same Rome clergy meeting, Pope Leo raises the reality that even priests are encountering “artificial intelligence” and “the use of the internet.” He then gives a striking practical directive:
“I invite you to resist the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence!”
His rationale is anthropological and pastoral: AI cannot truly “share the faith.” The decisive element is that a homily is a personal ecclesial act—sharing faith as lived experience:
“to give a true homily, which is to share the faith, AI will never be able to share the faith! … people want to see your faith, your experience of having known and loved Jesus Christ and his Gospel. … we must cultivate continuously.”
Thus, Pope Leo’s priority is not anti-technology per se; it is anti-replacement—refusing to substitute data-production for pastoral presence and witness.
A fourth priority becomes visible in his engagement with states and public institutions during apostolic travel. In a press conference flight to Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), he reports a discussion with a head of state about improving health and education, including the construction of new hospitals and facilities.
He also defines the Church’s responsibility in terms of witness, preaching, and recognizing “the rights of all” and promoting “universal rights.”
Importantly, he links this outward action to a broader pastoral horizon: Francis’ witness is described as solidarity with “the poorest, the most vulnerable, the sick, children and the elderly.”
So Pope Leo’s social priority in his first year reads as integrated: proclamation (courageous proclamation of God’s word), witness, and concrete service in fields like health and education.
In addition to social and technological themes, Pope Leo highlights a cultural-pastoral priority: using remembrance and cultural inquiry to nourish hope.
In an Apostolic Letter on the importance of archaeology (for the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology), he frames the Church’s engagement with the past in explicitly theological terms:
This indicates that pastoral priorities are not limited to immediate governance or media strategy; they also include cultivating hope and meaning through legitimate cultural work.
From these communications, Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral priorities can be summarized as four interlocking directives:
Because the provided sources are primarily speeches, messages, and specific interventions (rather than a single comprehensive “program” document), this assessment is necessarily discerned from recurring themes. Still, the convergence is clear: a Gospel-centered pastoral method with social consequences, expressed with continuity and adapted to contemporary pressures. **