Pope Leo XIV has already told us a lot about himself, and his agenda in 10 minutesBy Riley Stuart in Vatican CityTopic:Religious Leaders1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 11:22pmLoading...abc.net.au/news/pope-leo-told-us-a-lot-about-himself-in-his-first-speech/105272036Link copiedShareShare articleThere's a saying in the Vatican that roughly translates to: a fat pope comes after a thin one.It's supposed to reflect the fact cardinals have throughout history often chosen to elect a candidate to lead the Catholic Church with a different outlook to their predecessor. New Pope Leo XIV live: Get the latest as the world reacts to the Catholic Church's new leaderOn Thursday, however, that didn't happen.Robert Prevost entered this week's conclave as a cardinal and emerged Pope Leo XIV.He was a close confidant of the previous pontiff, Pope Francis, and we learnt a lot about what he might be planning to do when he spoke for roughly 10 minutes from the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square after his election.Let me break it down for you.Pope Francis got a shout-outPope Leo was a friend of the late Pope Francis.In his address, which was delivered in Italian with part of it straying into Spanish, it didn't take him long to refer to the previous pontiff.Newly elected Pope Leo XIV was a close confidant of the previous pontiff, Pope Francis. (AP: Alessandra Tarantino)He made special mention of Pope Francis's blessing delivered from the same balcony on Easter Sunday, just hours before his death."We still have in our ears that weak but always courageous voice," Pope Leo told the crowd in St Peter's Square on Thursday evening.The fact Pope Leo drew parallels to his predecessor is unlikely to be an accident.He's not considered a compromise candidate or someone who'll take the church in a different direction.His election signals continuity for Catholics.Building bridges 'through dialogue'Loading...Peace, and the need to strive for it, was a key thread sewn through Pope Leo's address.His pontificate comes amid a backdrop of division and ongoing deadly global conflicts.Who is Pope Leo XIV and why does he overcome a taboo against a US pontiff?Photo shows Pope Leo XIV waving on the central loggia of St. Peter's BasilicaRobert Prevost — who was brought to the Vatican in 2023 as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations — becomes the first pontiff born in the United States. Aside from the deep chasms opening in the pontiff's native United States linked to the 2024 Presidential election, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to rage.As part of his opening speech, Pope Leo said: "Help us too, then help each other to build bridges — with dialogue, with encounter, uniting all of us to be one people always in peace."He then added an exclamation point: "Thank you, Pope Francis!"Pope Leo's predecessor spoke passionately about the need for global unity and peace, and if the new pontiff's first address is anything to go by, it's going to be one of the pillars of his papacy too.Augustinian austerity likelyPope Leo referred to himself in the speech as being "a son of Saint Augustine". It's important.He's going to be the Catholic Church's first Augustinian pope.It's a significant order within the church, and follows the teachings of St Augustine, including an emphasis on community and a shared pursuit of God.People watched the new pope's first address from anywhere they could. (ABC News: Riley Stuart)As a mendicant order, it relies on donations, rather than property or other funding streams, to carry out its work.Pope Leo is an Augustinian Friar. Sometimes the way they live is described as "poverty", in that they count on the generosity of others for support and also pooling shared resources.In that way there's yet another link to Pope Francis. Although he wasn't an Augustinian, he did famously live a simple lifestyle, and snubbed the opportunity to reside in the grand Apostolic Palace.Instead, he chose an austere room in a Vatican guesthouse.Pope Leo's lifelong links to St Augustine's teachings are likely to influence his papacy and it's no surprise he referenced it in his first speech.Loading...Posted 1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 11:22pm, updated 20m ago20 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 12:10amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVLIVEPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipPhoto shows Federal shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Price standing and speaking outside a voting centre.An energy giant 'drained' this householder's batteryTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows Man wearing baseball cap and khaki green t-shirt standing next to household Tesla batteryFirst Trump tariff deal boosts US shares but ASX set for flat startLIVEPhoto shows Keir Starmer and Donald Trump shake hands and make eye contact Meeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismPhoto shows image of convicted terrorist Abdul BenbrikaRelated storiesJoy sweeps St Peter's Square as Pope Leo is introduced to the faithfulTopic:Religious LeadersPhoto shows Dozens of people scream and cheer in celebration in a crowdRelated topicsHoly See (Vatican City State)Religious LeadersTop StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVTopic:Religious LeadersPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipAn energy giant 'drained' this householder's batteryTopic:Energy IndustryFirst Trump tariff deal boosts US shares but ASX set for flat startTopic:Stock MarketMeeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismJust InAustralia's political conclave theatrics feel blokey, but the future is femaleAAnalysis by Annabel Crabb11m ago11 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 12:19amShould Netflix's Adolescence be a teaching tool in schools?Topic:Parenting Teenagers19m ago19 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 12:12amRenting labelled the Pilbara's 'Achilles heel' with no clear solutionTopic:Rental Housing36m ago36 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 11:55pmIn 10 minutes, Pope Leo XIV told us a lot about himself, and his agendaTopic:Religious Leaders20m ago20 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 12:10amMore Just InBack to top