Crossroads How will Pope Leo confront schism in the US church?

Rightwing Catholic Americans in positions of power - from the vice-president, JD Vance, to Leonard Leo - may have breathed a brief sigh of relief when, after the white smoke cleared, Pope Leo XIV emerged on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica donning a traditional red mozzetta with a papal stole.

- By Stephanie Kirchgaessner

It was, observers pointed out, a starkly different choice than his predecessor Pope Francis, a reviled figure among many staunch conservatives, who had worn all white on the same occasion in 2013 to symbolise his desire for simplicity and humility.

In another nod to tradition, the American pope opted to sing - not recite - the Regina Caeli prayer in his first Sunday blessing, and dedicated one of his first audiences to the head of Opus Dei, the ultra-conservative religious order whose secret member list is believed to include prominent Catholics in Washington.

And yet, it seems widely understood that Leo, given his background, temperament and values, will largely adhere to the vision of the church set out by Pope Francis, said Massimo Faggioli, a professor at Villanova, the US Augustinian Catholic university where the pope studied. While he might like traditionalist things more than his late Argentinian predecessor, Leo cannot be called a traditionalist, Faggioli added.