As pontiff prepares for visit of King Charles, the contours of his papacy are slowly becoming apparent
When King Charles meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican this week, the two leaders are likely to discuss pressing global issues as well as sharing a historic moment of prayer.
In the face of volatility and rising nationalism, Leo, the first North American chosen to lead the Roman Catholic church, has begun to outline the contours of his papacy after a low-key start to his five-month-old papacy.
For conservative Catholics who hoped he would represent a break with the policies and priorities of his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, the signs are not good.
“It’s been made quite clear in recent weeks that Leo, substantively, is of the same mould as Francis,” said Christopher White, the author of Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy and a senior fellow at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
