Leo’s first year: Through the eyes of the cardinals
One year after his election, Pope Leo XIV is still revealing the shape of his pontificate as the cardinals who chose him reflect on his leadership, priorities and pursuit of unity.
(Catholic Herald) — Two days after Cardinal Robert Prevost accepted the vote of his brothers in the College of Cardinals to become Pope, the newly minted Leo XIV outlined the priorities of his papacy. As of May 8, 2026, the cardinals and the Church at large are provided with the opportunity to assess Leo’s first year on the papal throne and examine how he has exercised his office.
In some quarters, a lively debate over Leo’s character still rages with as much intensity as it did during the first hours after he waved to the cheering crowds from the Loggia on the evening of his election. Many have seen their wildly varying predictions remain unfulfilled; others are still waiting for him to reveal himself, while a smaller number have determined that the man we see already is the real Leo.
Emerging from the conclave last year, the cardinals spoke of a man who listened well and deftly handled debates in a manner that somehow satisfied both parties. Despite the numerous crises of doctrine, liturgy, government and simple practice of the Faith, Leo has not jumped headlong into any particular one, nor set about clearing house and reinventing the wheel.
Whether Leo can deliver on the cardinals’ hope of peacefully satisfying quarrelling parties remains to be seen in terms of how he addresses the key issues he inherited from Francis, such as the doctrinal crises of Amoris Laetitia and Fiducia Supplicans; ecclesial governance and the rise of synodal laity over the ordained hierarchy; liturgical peace; the future of the persecuted Church in China; and the haemorrhaging numbers of faithful in the once Catholic West.
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{Speaking exclusively to this correspondent, a number of the College of Cardinals who took part in the May 2025 conclave gave their assessment of Leo’s first year, his papal style, and the elements which have stood out to them so far.
The full interviews can be read in the latest edition of the Catholic Herald magazine, or online at this link.}