The Pope turns 70

Foreign policy, the poor, finances and appointments: Leo XIV's agenda comes to life

Coming soon, previews of the first interview with the American website Crux,

by Carlo Marroni

14 September 2025

3' min read

Key points

Exhortation dedicated to the poor
The conversation with the new bishops
Synodality and abuse reporting
The signal on the China front

3' min read

The first hundred days of 'government' are a political thermometer for US presidencies, which last four years, but already mean little for other countries, especially where there is a parliamentary system. For the papacy, therefore, the first hundred days mean nothing, even though Francis put a lot in the pipeline in the first three months. For Leo, the first passage of 'verification' is represented - and this is entirely by chance - by his birthday, today he turns 70.

The first three months of my pontificate

The first three months were spent mainly listening to the heads of government departments, with almost no interlocutor (some optimistically interpreted this as a sign of approval, but who knows), delving into government issues, focusing on the most pressing problems, including finances. Then, with September, things started to change, and this was expected. He took a major foreign policy initiative with an audience with Israel's President Isaac Herzog, in which he reiterated the Church's position on the two states and the cessation of bombing.

Exhortation dedicated to the poor

Then it came to light that he has finished his first document, which will be an Exhortation dedicated to the poor, which will see the light of day in October: for a real 'programmatic' Encyclical we will still have to wait. But he has given a wide-ranging interview - in truth he had already spoken to Tg1 on 19 June in a brief but dense exchange of jokes - to the American site Crux, the first previews of which will be published today and on the 18th the book by Elise Ann Allen will be published - it seems only in Peru, for now - which will contain the entire interview and more. In short, he is slowly coming out into the open, even though the youth day at Tor Vergata on 3 August was a substantial taste of his personality and thought.

The conversation with the new bishops

Another very important passage of these days is the conversation he had with the new bishops, of which the press room has released an extensive summary. From the many topics emerges a glimpse of how Leo tackles some of the knots in the life of the Church, starting with the importance of local experiences. But he also insisted on the value of witness, on the ability to renew one's contact with the world in order to answer the questions that men and women are asking themselves in these times, on the meaning of life and evil in the world: "Ready-made answers, learned 25 years ago in the seminary, are not enough," he said.

Synodality and abuse reporting

And then there is synodality, one of the cornerstones of Francis' pontificate (walking together, literally): it must be 'a style of Church, of listening and of a common search for the mission to which we are called'. On the sensitive issue of abuse, he urged the bishops to deal promptly with questions concerning inappropriate behaviour by clergy: "They cannot be put in a drawer, they must be addressed, with a sense of mercy and true justice, towards the victims and the accused". In response to questions posed by the bishops, the press room reported that the Pope spoke of the need to be prudent in the use of social networks where the risk is that "everyone feels authorised to say what they want, even false things" and added: "There are moments when reaching the truth is painful", but necessary. In this sense,' he added, 'it is useful to let oneself be helped by professionals in communication, people who are prepared in this sense, summarising his thoughts in this regard: 'Calm, a good head, and the help of a professional'.

The signal on the China front

For now, Prevost has not made any major appointments - apart from the head of the commission on abuse, Thibalt Verny, who is a Frenchman, a significant fact given the marginality until now of the Church of France in the Vatican - but a signal has arrived on the China front, a very delicate terrain: it has been reported that Joseph Ma Yan'en has taken office as auxiliary bishop of the new diocese of Zhangjiakou, an appointment that has been recognised by the Chinese authorities. A sign that the agreement signed by Francis in 2018 and gradually renewed is working, also in continuity with his predecessor, who had clashed with the first Trump administration on this point.