Leo XIV's agenda on peace and migrants. For the Curia the dossier on finances

Those who know him know that he has clear ideas of a real pontificate programme, with one point at the forefront: peace. Robert Francis Prevost, a son of Chicago with Latin America in his heart, is considered the most Bergoglian of American bishops, a position he shares with Blase Cupich, who heads the diocese of Chicago. The name chosen represents the programme: Leo XIV, which harks back to Leo XIII, the Pope who with the Rerum Novarum founded the modern social doctrine of the Church.

A choice that says a great deal about this new Pontiff, not yet 70 years old (he will be 70 on 14 September), the first North American in the history of the papacy, who thus overcomes even that sort of resistance of the Catholic Church, hitherto very deep-rooted, to entrusting its leadership to a prelate coming from the US superpower. Many issues need to be addressed quickly, including those of the papal finances: despite the reforms initiated (and largely implemented) by Francis, the Holy See suffers from a deficit of more than 70 million, due to a drop in offerings and very high expenses.

His profile responds to the needs manifested by the General Congregations, of a pastor but also capable of being a "guide", and his experience as a cardinal of such a powerful dicastery as that of the bishops, and first as a bishop in Peru and then as the superior general of the Augustinians, responds to this request. First of all Prevost possesses that 'social' profile and closeness to the poor and suffering matured over many years of missionary activity in Peru, where he was bishop of Chiclayo, which puts migrants and the poor at the top of his agenda, which fits with the contents of Bergoglio's encyclical Laudato Si'. How does he see it? He is considered a progressive on various issues, such as welcoming migrants, climate change and closeness to the poor, and more conservative on doctrinal issues, for example.

Part of the new pope's programme is in his greeting speech from the Loggia of St. Peter, which for safety's sake he wanted to read, almost all in Italian and a small part in Spanish. In these times of widespread wars around the globe, of division and fragmentation on a planetary level, the first issue remains the end of conflicts. Pope Leo spoke of 'disarming peace' and 'disarming, humble and persevering peace'. He recalled Pope Francis' last blessing to Rome and the world at home on Easter Sunday, the day before he died, thus wanting to follow up on that blessing. The invitation was also to help each other 'build bridges', 'with dialogue through encounter, uniting us all, to be one people, always at peace'.

The new Pontiff wanted to recall the will to 'walk together', as a 'united Church', a missionary Church, which still 'builds bridges'. Propositions that could not be more Bergoglian, which cannot but lead one to foresee a path of continuity, even if in the renewal of attitudes that are perhaps more laid-back, more meditated, with a style that is perhaps less overwhelming and media-driven than that of his predecessor, to whom, however, Prevost did not fail to address his "thanks". And in this he mentioned the "synodal Church", which suggests that this great building site opened by Francis will not be exhausted either.