"Francis has opened doors, and Leo is now beginning to organize the spaces behind them" says Jesuit

Andreas R. Batlogg has written books about Pope Francis as well as one of the first biographies of Pope Leo XIV. Now he has reflected on Francis's legacy and drawn a comparison between the two popes.

The Jesuit Andreas R. Batlogg sees no break between Pope Leo and his predecessor Francis. Rather, it is a shift in tone, Batlogg told the portal "Kirche und Leben" on Friday. In terms of content, numerous themes are being continued. These include synodality, social issues, and the global perspective. "Francis has opened doors, and Leo is now beginning to organize the spaces behind them," said Batlogg, who has written several books about Pope Francis. He is also the author of one of the first biographies of Pope Leo XIV.

Regarding possible internal church divisions during Francis's pontificate, the Jesuit said that there was open resistance not only behind the scenes. "Francis has repeatedly offended the Curia, sometimes even deliberately provoking it. This did not go unpunished," Batlogg explained. The Argentinian was not a man of bureaucracy, but rather relied on personal contacts and direct communication.

Resistance among Cardinals

The resistance among cardinals and bishops was "sometimes considerable," Batlogg continued. He cited the Amazon Synod as an example. There, Francis was on the verge of taking a further step regarding mandatory celibacy. "Then there was massive opposition. And he put the brakes on," Batlogg said. The situation was similar at the World Synod, which became an open-ended process. This created ambiguities, but at the same time opened up new possibilities. "These possibilities now need to be filled," the Jesuit said.

Batlogg described the relationship between Rome and Germany under Francis as ambivalent. Francis was troubled by the loss of faith, high numbers of people leaving the Church, and at the same time, the fact that the organization was well-organized. Furthermore, misunderstandings arose, for example regarding the German reform project, the Synodal Path. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that the former Pope's focus was strongly on other regions of the world – particularly Latin America, Africa, and Asia. "That is where he saw the future of the Church. Europe faded into the background," said Batlogg.

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