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The new American pope, Leo XIV, has somehow managed, in the four months since his election, to stay mostly out of the news. His predecessor, Pope Francis, had been committed to expanding the church’s modern appeal, reaching out to divorced and LGBTQ+ Catholics and expanding the church’s identity beyond Europe. He made enemies along the way, cracking down on the traditional Latin Mass, which had become associated with dissident traditionalism.

Leo, then known as Robert Prevost, was elected to be a safer if somewhat boring stabilizing force, meant to heal the rifts Francis left. So far, he has largely made good on that vision. He has continued Francis’ priorities on

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