The rain fell heavily over St. Peter’s Square, drenching tourists and pilgrims alike as Pope Leo XIV stood at his window, alone with his thoughts. It had been two months since the white smoke announced his election, and already the weight of the papacy threatened to crush him. His predecessor, Pope Francis, had been a beloved figure, known for his humility and progressive spirit. But Leo had been chosen for something more—something far more radical.

When Cardinal Demenity interrupted his solitude, reminding him of the Council of Cardinals awaiting his presence, Leo delayed. “Let them wait,” he said. “I’m communing with a higher authority.” This quiet defiance would set the tone for what was to come. Leo had not come to Rome to maintain the status quo. He had spent years in Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods and Peru’s most impoverished communities, learning firsthand the meaning of service. Now, he was determined to bring that same spirit to the heart of the Vatican.

 

thumbnail

 

In the stately Sala Clementina, the pope entered without ceremony, his simple white cassock stark against the opulence of the room. Twelve of the most powerful men in the Church sat waiting, their faces betraying a mix of curiosity and unease. Leo’s words were quiet but sharp. “Tomorrow, I will announce changes that some will find difficult,” he said. And then he dropped the first bombshell: the dissolution of the Pontifical Household.

The room erupted in protests. The Pontifical Household, a centuries-old institution, was considered essential to maintaining the dignity of the papal office. But Leo wouldn’t be swayed. “Christ had no court,” he declared. “This Church doesn’t need more ceremony. It needs more service.” The money saved, he explained, would go directly to refugee aid—a decision that would make headlines worldwide by morning.

Leo’s reforms didn’t stop there. He turned his attention to the Vatican Bank, a symbol of power and wealth that had long been criticized for its lack of transparency. Entering the bank’s conference room unannounced, Leo stunned its board members with his presence. “Effective immediately,” he said, “all investments in arms manufacturing, fossil fuels, and companies with human rights violations will be divested.” The board protested, citing financial losses and operational independence. But Leo was resolute. “The bank exists to serve the Church’s mission, not to accumulate wealth through morally questionable means.”

 

Pope Leo XIV declares 'I am Roman!' as he completes formalities to become bishop of Rome - Washington Times

 

The resistance was swift and fierce. Ambassadors withdrew, donors suspended contributions, and whispers of rebellion began to circulate among the cardinals. Cardinal Valente, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, warned Leo of the mounting backlash. “Some cardinals speak of extraordinary measures,” he said cautiously. “Perhaps even removal.”

Leo’s response was calm but unyielding. “Let them try. The Holy Spirit did not bring me here to be silenced by fear.”

The pope’s vision extended beyond the Vatican’s walls. He announced the formation of a new commission on Church governance, with half its members to be women and half from the global south. The commission would have real authority, challenging the centuries-old dominance of the Roman curia. “The curia exists to serve the universal Church, not to control it,” Leo said. His reforms were not revolutionary, he insisted, but restorative—a return to the early Church’s focus on community and service.

 

The future is in the hands of the One who offers the greatest hope”: Pope Leo XIV on New Year's Eve

 

As resistance grew, Leo remained steadfast. He traveled to Assisi, kneeling at the tomb of St. Francis, the saint who had once heard God’s call to rebuild a broken Church. “Francis heard Christ’s call to rebuild a Church that had grown wealthy and distant from its people,” Leo said. “Eight centuries later, we face the same challenge.”

Back in Rome, the backlash reached a fever pitch. Ten cardinals signed a document questioning the validity of Leo’s election, citing his radical departure from tradition. The threat of schism loomed, but Leo was undeterred. “Truth divides before it unites,” he said. “To those who oppose me, I offer not condemnation, but dialogue. And if dialogue fails, we continue the work anyway.”

Three months into his papacy, Leo addressed the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Thousands had gathered below, their faces a mix of hope and apprehension. Behind him, the dissenting cardinals sat stone-faced, while the crowd strained to hear his every word.

 

Pope Leo XIV holds inaugural mass at St Peter's Square | Pope Leo XIV | The Guardian

 

“The Church has been imprisoned by its own grandeur,” Leo said. “It is time to return what was never truly ours. The wealth of the Church belongs to the poor. We have been stewards, not owners.” He announced that the Vatican would sell one-third of its art treasures and property holdings, using the proceeds to establish a global fund for refugee assistance, climate action, and poverty alleviation.

Leo’s words were met with a mixture of awe and outrage. Some praised his boldness, calling him a prophet of our time. Others accused him of dismantling centuries of tradition and undermining the Church’s influence. But Leo remained focused on his mission. “The Church does not belong to the pope or the cardinals,” he said. “It belongs to Christ alone.”

As the hymn rose from the crowd, Leo bowed his head, allowing the moment to speak for itself. The revolution had begun—not with violence or edicts, but with a simple, stubborn insistence on returning to the roots of faith. The thousand-year traditions were ending, and something older and newer was taking their place.