Elise Ann Allen discusses Pope Leo XIV’s priorities — unity, synodality, ecology, AI, and missionary outreach — and how he aims to heal polarization. The author of the interview-book about Leo XIV has given her opinions on essential aspects of what the current pontificate might be.
Editorial staff (10/03/2025 15:59, Gaudium Press Luis Javier Moxó Soto, for Religión en Libertad, interviewed Elise Ann Allen, correspondent for Crux in Rome and author of the interview-book Leo XIV. Citizen of the world, missionary of the 20th century (Debate).
We reproduce some excerpts from that interesting exchange.
—How do you think Pope Leo XIV is carrying forward Pope Francis’s legacy, and which aspects of his pontificate do you think will be most similar or different?
—In general, I don’t think it’s fair to compare one Pope too much with another; they are all different, and generally there is a certain continuity between them.
We see it with the environmental issue: it was Benedict XVI who began to speak more about care for creation, who started recycling services in Vatican City and who installed solar panels in the Paul VI Hall inside the Vatican. Then Francis wrote his encyclical Laudato Si’ and that became a pillar of his agenda. Now we are seeing Pope Leo XIV adopt this theme and carry it forward in his own way, with several steps already taken in only these five months.
That said, I can also say that many of Pope Francis’s priorities will also be priorities for Pope Leo, such as the theme of synodality and promoting a Church that is less clerical but also more welcoming and collaborative. Social justice topics will be important: migration, poverty, economic injustices, human rights, the environment. All those are themes very close to Leo’s heart, but he will also give the Church new priorities.
For example, the issue of technology and artificial intelligence will be very important, as he has already indicated, and Pope Leo will also be different in the sense that he will prioritize building unity and communion at a time of intense polarization, both in the Church and in the world. Pope Francis identified ideology and polarization as problems, but Leo’s efforts to combat them will be a hallmark of his papacy, as part of his efforts to bring peace and build bridges in the world.
—Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the importance of unity in the Church and has recognized polarization as a significant problem. How do you think the Pope is addressing this polarization, and what strategies is he using to promote unity and avoid division?
—Pope Leo specifically told me in our conversation that he is concerned about polarization in the world, and that he is trying not to worsen it with the things he says and does. As an Augustinian, unity and communion are very important to him, and as a leader he has a lot of experience bringing together people with different opinions and ideas to achieve an objective.
Leo’s strategy, I think, is simply to be himself: to carefully reflect on the things he says and does and their possible implications, and to listen attentively to people from all sides of an issue. He is a master at finding solutions to complex problems, and I think that by listening, reflecting, choosing his words carefully, and showing love to all people on all sides, he will succeed in calming the waters and healing divisions in society.
More than anything, Pope Leo will remind the world what it means to be human: he is a person deeply committed to the well-being of people, both as individuals and as a community, and I believe his love for his people and his ability to convey compassion and empathy will remind the world, step by step, what it means to be human and how to respect one another, which is the starting point for healing polarization and division at the most basic level. (…)
—The interview leaves hanging the question of whether Pope Leo XIV is a liberal trying to pacify conservatives or a conservative trying to soothe liberals. What do you think his personality and doctrinal stance reveal, and what implications does that have for his leadership?
—I don’t think there is a need to “reveal” his personality or doctrinal stance, because he has already done so. The Leo we are seeing is the authentic man, as a person and as a pastor. Leo is neither “liberal” nor “conservative,” and it is a mistake to categorize Popes in that way, because their thinking is very different. Those are loaded terms that carry preconceived ideas that do not fit the way the Church as a global institution, and therefore the Pope as its leader, sees problems and individuals.
What we see in Pope Leo is a leader who is deeply intelligent and perceptive, very attentive to the needs of modern times, and who is responding to them with a balance and reflective capacity that are authentic to his person and his personal style of governance. Leo is fundamentally a centrist; he has no “side,” and those who call him a “second Francis” or a traditionalist hero are wrong.
He will break every mold the world tries to impose on him and dispel every label attributed to him. Leo is strategically trying to calm the waters of an agitated world at the moment, and as his papacy progresses, he will potentially annoy or please everyone at some point. I think there are many surprises reserved for people on all sides.
—Pope Leo XIV has mentioned that the factor of time could play a crucial role in the evolution of doctrine. What do you think this means for the future of the Church, and what possible changes could occur in doctrine in the long term?
—As I said before, I don’t think we should interpret that too much for now. I think that, for the moment, Pope Leo has no intention of changing doctrine, but as we know, the understanding of a doctrine can change, and the expression or implementation of it could also change, although that does not mean that the doctrine itself will change. And I think expecting that would be a mistake.
Pope Leo is not in a hurry; he is taking his time and will listen and reflect well before making any decision. I think we can expect that his approach toward certain topics and doctrines could change, but the essence will probably remain the same.
—The Pope has stated that his mission is to confirm the faith of the people, adapting to the realities of different communities. What do you think this means for his leadership, and what challenges and opportunities do you see in this mission?
—Pope Leo is someone who possesses broad knowledge and experience of the Church around the world. He knows what the needs are in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific. As a missionary and as prior general of the Augustinians, his life has been dedicated to adapting to different cultures, learning and understanding the realities of the faithful in various communities around the world. He is someone who knows how to adapt because he has done it, and who knows how to convey the Gospel and encourage people in their faith across languages and borders, because he has done it. His whole life as a missionary was dedicated to this: shaping people in their faith across tongues and cultures. In this sense, he remains a great missionary, a missionary of the 21st century.
This means that his leadership will be well-grounded and capable of responding to the specific challenges and opportunities that arise, and it also means that he is in an excellent position to convey a message that reaches every corner of the world. The opportunity he has is, of course, his moral authority and the interest generated given his American nationality. The challenge, as always, is getting people to listen, especially at the political level, which is much more difficult, but which I believe Leo is more than capable of achieving.
Compiled by Adele Wong.
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