The election of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, marks a historic turning point for the Catholic Church. As the first American pontiff, his ascension comes at a time of profound global upheaval—wars, climate crises, rising inequality, and a church grappling with its identity in an increasingly polarised world. Leo's papacy will either cement Pope Francis' progressive reforms or risk fracturing the fragile unity of 1.4 billion Catholics. Hopefully, his missionary roots will help him embrace Francis' vision of a Church that is "a field hospital for the wounded."

Pope Francis reshaped the Church's priorities by emphasising mercy over dogma, championing migrants and the poor, and expanding inclusion for LGBTQ+ Catholics and divorced believers. While stopping short of doctrinal shifts, his gestures had signalled a pastoral revolution in a Church that is largely reluctant to change. Leo XIV faces pressure to uphold this trajectory, particularly as conservative factions are pushing back. His inaugural homily reverberated Francis' calls for a church "that builds bridges" and prioritises the marginalised.

Ideologically, Prevost is seen as a centrist, progressive on social issues but conservative on doctrinal. Nevertheless, he must advance Francis' synodal reforms, which decentralised authority and invited lay Catholics, especially women, into decision-making. Under Francis, women gained voting rights at bishops' meetings and were appointed to the Dicastery for Bishops. Continuing this momentum is vital to addressing clericalism and revitalising a church where nuns and lay leaders increasingly fill the voids left by declining priestly vocations.

Leo's 20 years in Peru, where he served as a bishop and lived among impoverished communities, will define his papacy. This experience immersed him in the realities of the Global South which faces challenges like post-colonial distrust and poverty. His firsthand understanding of migration crises equips him to advocate for displaced populations globally, which was a priority for Francis.

His missionary background also offers a counterbalance to the mostly Eurocentric debates in the Church. While Western Catholics clash over gender ideology and clerical celibacy, African and Asian churches often prioritise poverty and interfaith tensions. Leo's ability to mediate these divergent concerns will surely stress test his leadership.

No issue looms larger than the Church's sexual abuse crisis, generally in the West. To restore trust, he must enforce zero-tolerance policies globally and empower independent oversight—a task Francis began but unfortunately, left unfinished.

Meanwhile, secularism and declining faith in Europe demand a renewed "missionary outreach," as Leo emphasised in his first Mass. His focus on spiritual meaning over materialism aligns with his namesake, Leo XIII, a pioneer of Catholic social teaching who confronted industrial exploitation. By linking climate action, economic justice, and peacebuilding to gospel values, Leo can position the Church as a moral voice in geopolitics, whether critiquing US policies or advocating for an end to wars.