Leo XIV has taken his first serious steps, even correcting his predecessor.

In which area did Leo XIV correct Pope Francis’ decision?
What communication channel is the Pope creating with the media,
and what impression did the new bishop Pavol Šajgalík make?
Pope Leo XIV has already made a series of his first serious decisions, correcting his predecessor in one matter. In Slovakia, the Church was busy with the episcopal ordination of the new bishop of the ordinary, Pavol Šajgalík, as well as with legislative proposals concerning church and private schools. 

These and other topics were discussed in Vatican Seven, which resumed its video format after a month.

The Pope’s horse. Although in television news, the so-called “animal at the end” usually appears at the end of the news block, in our case, we devoted it to the beginning. It is a white Arabian stallion named Proton, which Pope Leo XIV received as a gift from a Polish breeder.

“It may have been a bizarre event from our point of view, but it caught the attention of Catholic internet users around the world. It was really very nice to see the Pope leading him by the reins,” who recalled that after the conclave, photos of missionary Robert Prevost sitting on a horse in the Peruvian mountains had already been circulated.

The deputy editor-in-chief of the daily Post added that horses were once essentially the papal Popemobile. “Pope Pius IX, for example, was a passionate rider in the 19th century. Simply put, popes and horses somehow go together. So we’ll see if, in addition to tennis, the pope will have a new hobby in Castel Gandolfo, namely riding Proton,” 

If we could describe the first months of Leo’s pontificate as a cautious trot, the last month looked like a brisk gallop.

Just look at the events surrounding the new pope’s first serious steps. 

The first significant document, the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You), was published. The first crucial episcopal appointment concerns Vienna, where the Pope has appointed Josef Grünwidl, who has served as the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna for the past few months, as Cardinal Schönborn’s successor.

The Pope also had his first meeting with victims of abuse, and his first foreign apostolic journey was announced, which will take him to Turkey and Lebanon at the end of November. At the same time, we saw the Pope’s first apostolic visit to the Apennines Peninsula, accompanied by Italian President Sergio Mattarella. And we could go on.

Francis’s first correction. In addition to the events mentioned above, there were at least two that deserve special attention. The first is the fact that Leo XIV corrected his predecessor, Pope Francis. “This is a specific matter of an economic nature,”

During the reform of the Roman Curia, Pope Francis decided that all investment activities should be the responsibility of the Institute for Religious Works, also known as the Vatican Bank. Leo XIV has now overturned this decision with the issuance of the motu proprio Coniuncta cura on the investment activities of the Holy See, and he has decided that responsibility in this area should be shared. 

“In other words, the Vatican Bank will no longer have a privileged position in investments, but several Vatican offices will decide on investments. Simply put, responsibility will be spread more widely and will be shared.” 

The Durbin case. The second event resonated particularly in the United States, as the American pope unexpectedly entered into a sensitive controversy that was being debated in the US church.

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich decided to award Chicago Democratic Senator Dick Durbin a prize for his life’s work, especially for his contribution to the care of migrants, which was met with intense criticism not only from some lay people and priests, but also from some American bishops, who pointed out that Durbin is a well-known pro-choice politician, i.e., he supports abortion. 

Journalists asked the Pope about this case, and he pointed out that it is necessary to consider not only the issue of abortion, but also the senator’s entire life context, as he helps migrants and thus also protects human life, and is also against the death penalty. 

Among the critical reactions to the Pope’s statement was that there is a hierarchy of truths in the sense that defenseless children in their mother’s womb cannot defend themselves and must be protected, simply because they are the most vulnerable. “So you could see what a controversy erupted around the Pope’s statement,”

“Ex Gandolfo.” The Pope’s statement on the American case took place during a format that was unfamiliar to us under Pope Francis. Since the beginning of September, Pope Francis has been spending Tuesdays at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, returning to the Vatican on Tuesday evenings. A group of television reporters awaits him in front of Villa Barbering, asking him questions mostly about current events.

“It is possible that the Pope was looking for a way to stay in touch with journalists. We will see if the tradition of statements on board the plane will continue, as he will not be going on his first foreign trip until the end of November,” , who recalled that this type of statement was also called “ex aereo” under Francis, meaning from the air, from the plane. These were the Pope’s answers, which also made the headlines in the media. “I took the liberty of playing with words a little and saying that in the case of Leo XIV, we are seeing something like ‘ex Gandolfo’ for now.”

Film highlight. In Vatican Seven, you will also learn why the series Task on the MAX platform (formerly HBO) about a motorcycle gang intrigued you and how spiritual life is related to the main character of the series—the head of the FBI unit, played by the well-known actor Mark Ruffalo.