Pope Leo XIV resumes tradition of taking summer vacation; but he's got plenty of homework

In his precise archetypal sermon arsenic pontiff, Pope Leo XIV told the cardinals who elected him that anyone who exercises authorization successful the Catholic Church indispensable “make oneself small,” truthful that lone Christ remains.

In connection and deed since, Pope Leo has seemed intent connected astir disappearing into the role. The shy Augustinian missionary has eschewed the headline-grabbing protagonism of past pontiffs successful favour a little showy and much reserved mode of being pope.

Pope Leo volition vanish further this play erstwhile helium begins a six-week abrogation successful his archetypal interruption since his historic predetermination May 8.

He is resuming the papal contented of escaping the Roman vigor for the comparatively cooler climes of Castel Gandolfo, the papal summertime retreat connected Lake Alban, southbound of Rome.

People who cognize and enactment with Pope Leo expect helium volition usage these weeks distant from the nationalist oculus and the regular grind of Vatican audiences to get his caput astir the astir pressing problems facing the church.

He's a methodical, hard-working and well-prepared manager, they say, who wants to work full reports, not conscionable the enforcement summaries, earlier making decisions.

Here is simply a look astatine Pope Leo's summertime homework, the outstanding dossiers helium whitethorn beryllium studying from present until Aug 17 successful betwixt dips successful the pool, walks successful the gardens and occasional Masses, prayers and visits successful town.

Big nominations

After his election, Pope Leo reappointed each Vatican prefects until further notice, truthful the Holy See machinery is inactive moving with the aged defender successful place. But a fewer large appointments await, astir importantly to capable his aged occupation arsenic prefect of the bureau that vets bishop nominations.

The pontiff besides has to determine who volition beryllium his No. 2, the Vatican caput of state. That job, the equivalent of a premier minister, is inactive held by Pope Francis' pick, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was himself an unsuccessful contender successful the conclave that elected the pope.

Even earlier helium gets his radical successful place, Pope Leo has to get a grip connected 1 of the astir pressing problems facing the Holy See: Its troubled finances. The Vatican is moving a structural shortage of astir €50 cardinal to €60 cardinal and has a €1 cardinal shortfall successful its pension fund.

The Rupnik occupation

There are plentifulness of high-profile clergy enactment cases that festered during Pope Francis' pontificate that are present are connected Pope Leo's desk. History's first American pope volition beryllium watched intimately to spot however helium handles them, since helium cannot assertion ignorance astir maltreatment oregon its dynamics, fixed the devastation the scandals person wrought successful the United States.

The ultimate pontiff has already said it's “urgent” to make a civilization of prevention successful the religion that shows nary tolerance for immoderate signifier of abuse, beryllium it maltreatment of authorization oregon spiritual oregon intersexual abuse.

On that score, determination is nary lawsuit much pressing than that of the Rev. Marko Rupnik, a celebrated mosaic creator who was belatedly thrown retired of the Jesuits aft its superiors determined helium sexually, psychologically and spiritually abused 2 twelve big women and nuns.

Even though the lawsuit didn't impact minors, it became a toxic occupation for Pope Francis due to the fact that of suggestions Rev. Rupnik received favourable attraction astatine the Vatican nether the Jesuit pope.

Nearly 2 years aft Pope Francis caved into unit to reopen the Rupnik file, the Vatican has yet recovered outer canon lawyers to perceive the case, the caput of the Vatican's doctrine office, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, told reporters past week.

As precocious arsenic March, Cardinal Fernandez had said helium was having occupation uncovering immoderate consenting candidates. Now that Pope Francis is dead, the lawsuit whitethorn beryllium little politically delicate, adjacent arsenic the priest's supporters support his innocence.

The Becciu lawsuit

Another ineligible headache facing the caller pope is what to bash astir Cardinal Angelo Becciu and the Vatican's “trial of the century,” which is heading into the appeals signifier successful September.

The city-state's transgression tribunal successful 2023 convicted Cardinal Becciu and 8 different radical of a assortment of fiscal crimes stemming from the Holy See's bungled €350 cardinal concern successful a London property.

But the proceedings was itself problematic, with defence claims that basal defence rights weren't respected since Pope Francis intervened connected respective occasions successful favour of prosecutors.

In the months since the verdicts were handed down, determination person been caller revelations that Vatican gendarmes and prosecutors were seemingly successful regular interaction with a pistillate who was coaching the prima witnesser into testifying against Cardinal Becciu.

The once-powerful cardinal has denounced the contacts arsenic grounds that his condemnation was orchestrated from the start, from the top.

Pope Leo, a canon lawyer, whitethorn privation to steer wide of the full happening to effort to springiness the tribunal the content of being independent. But helium volition yet person to determine what to bash with Cardinal Becciu, who recused himself from the conclave but remains a cardinal with a precise unclear status.

The Latin Mass contented

Pope Leo has said his precedence arsenic pope is unity and reconciliation successful the church. Many conservatives and traditionalists anticipation that helium volition enactment to heal the liturgical divisions that dispersed during Pope Francis' 12-year papacy, particularly successful the U.S., implicit the aged Latin Mass.

Francis successful 2021 restricted entree for mean Catholics to the past liturgy, arguing that its dispersed was creating divisions successful the church. In doing so, Pope Francis reversed his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who successful 2007 had relaxed restrictions connected its celebration.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, a figurehead of the blimpish and traditionalist camp, told a caller league connected the Latin Mass that helium had spoken to Pope Leo astir the request to “put an extremity to the contiguous persecution of the faithful” who privation to worship according to the aged rite.

“It it is my anticipation that helium volition arsenic soon arsenic it is imaginable instrumentality up the survey of this question and effort to reconstruct the concern arsenic it was” nether Pope Benedict's reform, Cardinal Burke said.

AI and question priorities

Pope Leo has besides identified artificial quality arsenic a pressing contented facing humanity, suggesting a papers of immoderate benignant mightiness beryllium successful the works.

Also nether survey is erstwhile helium volition commencement travelling, and where.

He has a lasting invitation to undertake Pope Francis' last, unfulfilled overseas commitment: Marking the 1,700th day of the Council of Nicea, Christianity's archetypal ecumenical council, with a sojourn to Turkey. Pope Leo has already said a sojourn is successful the works, perchance successful precocious November.

Beyond that, Pope Leo has received plentifulness of invitations: Vice President J.D. Vance extended a Donald Trump invitation to sojourn the U.S., but the pontiff demurred and offered a noncommittal “at immoderate point”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited him to sojourn Kyiv, but the Vatican nether Pope Francis had refused a papal sojourn determination unless 1 could besides beryllium arranged to Moscow.

Pope Leo's aged diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, meanwhile, is waiting for their bishop to travel home, and past there's Argentina, which ne'er got a papal sojourn from the first-ever Argentine pope.

A municipality awaits

The residents of Castel Gandolfo, meanwhile, are aching for a pope to return. Pope Francis had decided not to usage the retreat and alternatively spent his 12 papal summers astatine home, successful the Vatican.

The municipality has recovered from the economical deed of pope-free summers, aft Pope Francis alternatively opened the papal palace and gardens to the nationalist arsenic a depository year-round.

But townsfolks cannot hold for Pope Leo to instrumentality up residence and bask the town's gorgeous water views and quiescent starry nights. It's the cleanable spot for a pope to rest, read, constitute and deliberation successful private, they say.

“Remember, galore encyclicals were written here,” noted the Rev Tadeusz Rozmus, the town's parish priest.