"A pontiff has been chosen from among the cardinals who will continue the legacy of Pope Francis, but with a recognisable difference in his religious temperament. I believe he will be able to realise the ideas of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, which were often launched but not always achieved,“ says Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio and historian of the modern and contemporary Church.
A few days ago, in a previous interview, we agreed that many of the analyses circulating about the Conclave yet to begin were too Italian-centric. And even now that it is over, Riccardi's voice deserves attention.
To what extent will Leo XIV be able to continue in the footsteps of Pope Francis?
“He is not a clone. He does not have his predecessor's impatient and ‘portégna’ exuberance from Buenos Aires. He is a man tempered by gentle, constant service, and Francis wanted him close to him for his qualities of balance”.
What might be one aspect of their difference?
“He will seek help in governing, as he did as superior general of the Augustinians”.
In your opinion, what is the significance of the election of a cardinal from the United States?
“It may surprise many because it has never happened before. However, to understand it, you need to delve into the biography of Robert Francis Prevost.”
Please be our guide.
‘A member of the Augustinian order. He has a universal dimension, not just an American one. The risk is being caught up in the divisions of American Catholicism. Not with him. He was also a bishop in Peru in particularly deprived areas. He knows the misery of the Peruvian people. He is a citizen of this country and yesterday he spoke to the faithful in Spanish, not English.’
Does he have what Francis recommended to priests, the ‘smell of the sheep,’ of ‘shepherds in the midst of their flock’?
"He does. And he was called by Francis to head the dicastery for bishops, and he followed all his policies on the appointment of bishops, who are the future of the Church. Prevost remained above the divisions and ambitions of the Roman Curia. He was always a discreet figure. His life in the Curia was hard-working, but at the same time he stayed out of debates and discussions. His biography is really universal. American, Latin American, Roman. He's a pope of great experience. He'll find a people who have felt the void left by Francis' passing and the need for a spiritual leader. This people, as we've already seen in St. Peter's Square, will accompany him."
Where to?
“He is a man of peace, even inside the Church. People will ask themselves: will he be up to the task, given that he has no diplomatic experience?”
Speaking as Leo XIV in the square, he called for peace, but didn't mention the wars going on in Ukraine and Gaza. By choosing not to mention them on his first occasion as Pope, he showed prudence: at that moment, he avoided any words that could be interpreted as favouring one type of peace over another.
‘He's a metapolitical Pope.’
Above politics yet not lacking in knowledge of it?
“Yes, exactly”
Last November, Avvenire reported on a study according to which 56% of American Catholics voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election. How might Leo XIV approach them?
‘It's really beyond the US debates. He wasn't elected for the US debates. The fact that an American cardinal was elected showed the fear that he might be seen a representative of the world's greatest power. That's not the case here. The person chosen has a universal dimension.’
There has not been an Italian Pope since 1978. The last one was Albino Luciani. Much speculation focused on the outgoing Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. Does this mean that Italy's importance within the Church is greatly overestimated?
"A diplomatic Pope was not chosen. Parolin would have been. The choice was made for a pastor who has worked in the Curia and is considered more suited to dealing with issues of peace and war. There is an overestimation of an Italian pope. It was as if there was a sense of nostalgia, but I don't think the decision was between an Italian and a non-Italian. The choice was for a man who could carry on the legacy of Bergoglio, and Prevost was a close collaborator of his."
In the internal dialectic of the Church, which line or approach prevailed?
“The unity of the Church prevailed. Certainly, Leo XIV can reconcile those in the Curia who wanted Parolin. He is a man of synthesis. And while Bergoglio was not mentioned at the beginning of the Conclave Mass, the new Pope wanted to remember him”.
Which part of the Conclave did not appear to be successful at first glance?
“Those who wanted to go back, to put things in order, considering Francis” pontificate an impromptu period. Those who said that we should worry about the eldest son who stayed at home and not the prodigal son who left.'
Maurizio Caprara in Corriere della Sera, 9.05.2025 - translation by editorial staff
