Is the Church Changing? 7 Decisions Pope Leo XIV Made That Pope Francis Woouldn't

From Totus Catholica

Seven things Pope Leo XIV changed that Pope Francis never would, and none of them is a law. Two popes, one chair, and a growing list of moments where they chose the exact opposite path. Robert Francis Prevost, the first American pope, an Augustinian friar, the 267th man to sit in the chair of St. Peter, was elected in May 2025. In the months since, a pattern has become impossible to ignore. This is not a war against Francis. It is something quieter and more interesting: a careful, deliberate restoration of things Francis had set aside, in how a pope dresses, where he lives, how he prays, how he governs, even how he handles money. Same faith, same chair, very different instincts. A cape, an apartment, a summer palace, a Latin Mass, a council of cardinals, a line drawn on blessings, a salary restored. Any one of them could be waved away as a small administrative choice. Taken together, they all move in one direction: toward the visible, inherited shape of the papacy that Francis, for his own sincere reasons, chose to set aside. And to be fair to both men, Leo kept Francis's heart, his love for the poor, his pleas for peace, most of his appointments. This is not a grudge. It is one question answered seven separate times: what is the office of Peter actually for? So watch Rome these months with prayer rather than suspicion, and pray for the man who carries that office for a season. Continuity is not weakness. Sometimes it is the boldest act of all. In this video: • Why the red mozzetta on election night was the first signal, sent before a single word • The 10 month wait before the apartment move, and what the patience itself says • Cardinal Burke's Latin Mass at the altar of the chair, with Leo's personal permission • A pope who says no in public and a pope who will not are not the same pope • Why Leo credited Francis while ending Francis's pay cuts ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 Two Popes, One Chair 1:36 The Red Mozzetta Returns 2:31 Back to the Papal Apartment 3:20 Castel Gandolfo Reopens 4:14 The Latin Mass at St. Peter's 5:40 The Cardinals Are Consulted Again 6:53 The Public Line on Blessings 📜 SOURCES & FURTHER READING • Election night, May 2025: the first American pope stepped onto the balcony wearing the red mozzetta and embroidered stole, the cape popes have worn at solemn moments for more than six centuries, set aside by Francis for 12 years. • Early 2026: after 10 months, Leo moved into the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, the window where popes have traditionally led the Angelus. Francis lived at the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse for his whole papacy. • Castel Gandolfo, the summer home of popes since the 1600s and a museum under Francis, restored by Leo from the summer of 2025, with Mass and the Angelus prayed with the crowds in the square. • The Latin Mass: Cardinal Raymond Burke celebrated a solemn pontifical traditional Latin Mass at the altar of the chair in St. Peter's with Leo's personal permission. Of the 34 permissions the Vatican issued last year, 24 went to the United States. Cardinal Arthur Roche confirms the restrictions stay on paper. • The blessings line: on the papal plane returning from Africa, Leo said the Holy See does not agree with formalized blessings of couples beyond what Francis specifically allowed, which was spontaneous and informal only. • The pay restoration: Leo lifted the pandemic-era pay cuts on cardinals and senior officials and openly credited Francis's original decision. No back pay, no blame. Not an undoing, an ending. 🔗 EXPLORE MORE 🌍 Website: https://totuscatholica.org/ Rosary Guide: https://totuscatholica.org/rosary ✉️ Contact: https://totuscatholica.org/contact 🔍 Examination of Conscience: https://catholicexaminationofconscien... 📚 Free eBooks: https://buymeacoffee.com/totuscatholi... 👥 Become a Totus Insider: https://buymeacoffee.com/totuscatholi...