A new papacy involves both steady continuity and great change, and the arrival of Leo XIV has been no different.
Thanks to the media-saturated world in which we live, there was great anticipation prior to his first foreign trip, not merely for the voyage itself but for the in-flight press conference on the return journey.
Would he even hold one, Vaticanistas asked themselves, or would he leave that as a chapter which closed with the death of Francis?
Such plane pressers often proved to be among the more controversial moments of the Francis papacy, with his seemingly off-the-cuff remarks about doctrine, morality and even politics delighting journalists eager to make a splash with the headlines.
It was returning from his first international trip to World Youth Day in Brazil in July 2013 that Francis’s famous “who am I to judge” phrase was made.
Given Leo’s notably measured and more precise style of language, it was hard to envisage what form such an in-flight conference might take.
So it was that, flying from Beirut to Rome on 2 December, Leo brought both continuity and change.
Continuity, in that he did indeed field a number of questions from the press, but change in both the manner and style of his replies.
There was no “who am I to judge” moment to haunt him throughout his papacy.
Instead, what emerged was a marked restraint and precision, combined with spiritual honesty, which carried throughout his replies and offered arguably one of the most revelatory moments about the Pope and his character.
Of course, what most captured public attention first were his comments on how to understand who Prevost actually is.
His recommendation of the book The Practice of the Presence of God as being “my spirituality for many years” caused the work to become an overnight bestseller online.
Indeed, when a man describes how he instantly relinquished his own plans of a quiet retirement in order to accept the weighty responsibility of the papacy, how can one fail to be won over when he explains his rationale was based in “a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead”?
But aside from winning hearts and minds, Leo’s other answers revealed more of the style of papacy which the Church should expect: a quiet reign, but one in which certain laws are keenly respected; a papacy in which he will be friendly and amiable while also trying to win disputes for the canonically correct stance.
How can this be surmised?
Firstly, through his response when asked about his feelings in the conclave, when Leo quickly replied that “I believe very strictly about the secret of the Conclave, even though I know that there have been public interviews where some things were revealed.”
As pontiff, Leo is the only one who does not have to worry legally about maintaining the secrecy of the conclave.
His evident desire to ensure that secrecy remains intact suggests a minute attention to discipline that would certainly be a welcome influence in the Vatican and in the Church at large.
Secondly, even when prompted and primed to give a laudatory comment about the German bishops, Leo diplomatically and politely refused to do so.
Not only that, but he gave support to German Catholics who have voiced concerns about the heterodox direction of the Synodal Way in the country.
Nor will Leo’s not-so-subtle allusion to the German Synodal Way forming a schism have been missed by the German bishops.
“There is an ongoing process there as well, to try and make sure the German Synodal Way does not, if you will, break away from what needs to be considered as a pathway of the universal Church.”
He spoke of his hope and expectancy that negotiations will “work out positively”, but when such phraseology comes from the Pope it is not so much a simple pious wish as a diplomatic command.
In less than half an hour, Leo revealed more about himself than he had done over the previous seven months: amiable and diplomatic, certainly, but with an undercurrent of palpable concern for ecclesial unity and law.
So far, this has emerged as his governing style, and unless he has some great change in store, it is likely to be his modus operandi going forward in the foreseeable future.
This will win him much support and warm favour from many, but it will not help him avoid the growing crises that will inevitably fester unless directly addressed.
The entire China question, for example, is not one that will end positively for the Vatican with a kid-glove approach, as attested to by local clergy concerned at the Holy See’s naivety in its negotiations with Beijing.
It is fascinating to witness a Pope develop his regnal style in real time, as he realises exactly what works and what does not in his communications to the Church, the hierarchy and the world.
In this sense, there must always be change from one pontiff to another, but married to continuity, since the Bridegroom of Christ does not change her personality like a parliament but responds to the needs of each age in the manner most appropriate.
Leo has begun to settle himself into his position, and now the Church must witness whether his style will bear the necessary fruit.