You’ve seen the photos. The guy in the white cassock with the Chicago accent. It’s still weird to say, but here we are in 2026, and the Vatican is being led by a man who grew up in the suburbs of Illinois.
When Robert Francis Prevost was elected as Pope Leo XIV back in May 2025, the world basically did a double-take. For the first time ever, we have an American Pope. And naturally, everyone is asking the same question: is the new pope good?
Honestly, "good" is a loaded word when you're talking about the leader of 1.3 billion people. To some, he's a breath of fresh air. To others, he’s a wild card they aren't quite ready to trust. But if you want to understand the man now sitting on the Chair of St. Peter, you have to look past the "American" label and see what he's actually doing on the ground in Rome.
The Leo XIV Vibe: A "Missionary" in the Palace
Leo XIV didn't just fall out of the sky. Before he was the Pope, he was a Cardinal who spent years in the trenches of Peru. He’s an Augustinian friar by trade. That matters because his whole approach to the papacy is less "imperial monarch" and more "missionary pastor."
Early on, people thought he would just be Francis 2.0. They expected him to stick to the same script. But 2026 has shown us that Leo is very much his own man. While Pope Francis was the master of the "grand gesture," Leo is more about the long game. He's a canon lawyer. He knows how the machinery of the Church works, and he's using that knowledge to quietly restructure things that have been broken for decades.
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Take his recent moves in early 2026. He called an extraordinary consistory of cardinals just a few weeks ago in January. Most popes use these meetings to just name new cardinals. Leo? He used it to force the leadership to sit down and talk about AI and ethics. That’s a very "Leo" move—taking a massive, scary global topic and making the Church deal with it head-on.
Why Some People are Worried
Is the new pope good for the traditionalists? That’s where things get sticky.
There’s a segment of the Church that was hoping for a hard pivot back to tradition after Pope Francis passed away. Instead, they got a guy who says he wants to "re-read" the documents of the Second Vatican Council. For some, that sounds like a threat. They worry he’s going to continue a liberalizing trend that they feel has gone too far.
On the flip side, some progressives are annoyed that he hasn't moved faster on issues like women’s roles in the Church or changing the rules on celibacy. He’s careful. He’s a bridge-builder, and the problem with being a bridge is that people walk all over you from both sides.
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Breaking Down the Numbers
- Approval: About 84% of U.S. Catholics view him favorably according to Pew.
- The "American" Factor: 36% of U.S. Catholics are "extremely excited" to have one of their own in charge.
- The "Neutral" Crowd: Roughly 26% of people are still in a "wait and see" mode.
The St. Francis Connection
One of the coolest things he’s done recently—and this gives you a real look into his heart—is declaring 2026 as the "Year of St. Francis." It marks the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death.
He didn't just sign a paper and forget about it. He’s been talking about "disarming our hearts." He’s obsessed with this idea that peace isn't just the absence of war, but a personal choice we make every morning. When he stood in St. Peter's Square on New Year’s Day 2026, he looked at the crowd of 40,000 and told them to start "building a year of peace" by rejecting violence in their own lives.
It wasn't a flowery, academic speech. It felt like a coach talking to his team.
What's Actually Changing?
If you're looking for big, flashy headlines, Leo XIV might disappoint you. He’s a "slow and steady" kind of leader. But look at his appointments. He’s been putting people into power who have "smell of the sheep," as his predecessor used to say. He recently appointed Bishop Luís Manuel Alí Herrera—a guy who has been deep in the work of protecting minors from abuse—to a key position at Santa Maria Maggiore.
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He's also leaning hard into the "Leo" name. St. Leo the Great was known for defending the city of Rome and standing up to Attila the Hun. Our current Leo seems to have that same steel in his spine when it comes to global politics. He hasn't been shy about calling out the violence in Iran or the ongoing tragedies in the Middle East.
The Reality Check
Is he perfect? No. No Pope is. There are still massive questions about how he will handle the Church's finances and whether his "synodality" (basically, a more collaborative way of running the Church) will actually lead to real change or just more meetings.
But if "good" means someone who is deeply intelligent, pastorally minded, and not afraid to tackle the weird challenges of the 21st century—like how the Church handles the "virtual taking over the real"—then Leo XIV is off to a very strong start.
He’s basically a guy from Chicago who went to Peru, learned the world is bigger than the U.S., and now has to convince the rest of the world that the Church still matters.
What You Can Do Now
If you want to keep tabs on whether the new pope is good for the causes you care about, don't just wait for the mainstream news clips. They usually miss the nuance.
- Read his own words: Check the "Wednesday Audience" transcripts on the Vatican website. He’s currently doing a series on Vatican II that explains his whole vision.
- Follow the AI encyclical: He's expected to release a major document on Artificial Intelligence later in 2026. This will be the definitive guide on how the Church views technology moving forward.
- Watch the "Year of St. Francis" events: There are plenary indulgences and special events happening at Franciscan sites globally through January 2027. If you're near a Franciscan parish, there's probably something happening there.
- Stay updated on his travels: Rumors are swirling about a 2026 trip to the U.S. or Peru. If he comes to your neck of the woods, it’s worth seeing him in person just to catch the energy of this "American Papacy" firsthand.
The "Leo Era" is officially here. It’s less about revolution and more about a quiet, steady renovation. Whether that’s "good" depends on whether you think the Church needs a wrecking ball or a master craftsman. Leo XIV seems to be reaching for the toolbox.