(OSV News) — During the homily at his inauguration Mass, Pope Leo XIV said: “I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family. Love and unity: these are the two dimensions of the mission entrusted to Peter by Jesus.”

It was a moving beginning, which outlined Leo’s desire for a papacy that would be able to heal wounds of division and lead a united church forward on the path of love. It is a lofty goal, and yet it is the only one worth having. The 12-year pontificate of Pope Francis, while powerful in its advocacy of peace, the poor, the marginalized, the immigrant, and the environment, in many ways deepened the already growing fissures of division among the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Now, the church needs a unifying leader, and Pope Leo knows it.

While a full picture of Pope Leo XIV is still emerging, it can confidently be said that the Chicago-born pontiff is not a carbon copy of his predecessors. While he has referred frequently to Pope Francis and has liberally quoted Popes St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and St. Paul VI, Pope Leo has shown himself to be his own man. He has signaled a shift from his immediate predecessor by returning to traditional papal dress and once again vacationing at Castel Gandolfo during the summer. He is almost certainly to live at the apostolic palace, which is currently undergoing renovations. At the same time, Pope Leo has also indicated his embrace of a synodal church, as well as one that cares deeply for the poor, the environment, and for peace — all, as previously stated, hallmarks of the Francis papacy.

In the same way that any understanding of Pope Francis had to be informed by his Jesuit background and charism, no understanding of Pope Leo is complete without the recognition that he is, as he proclaimed on the date of his election, “a son of St. Augustine.” In the first months of his pontificate, Pope Leo has referred frequently to St. Augustine, including mentioning him to young people at the Jubilee of Youth at the beginning of August. And he uses this masterful doctor of the church to bring people’s focus back to Jesus, their Lord and Savior.

“Dear young people, every person naturally desires a good life, just as lungs long for air, but how difficult it is to find it!” Pope Leo said Aug. 2 at a prayer vigil during the Jubilee. “Centuries ago, St. Augustine understood the deepest desire of our hearts, even without the technological developments of today. He, too, had a restless youth, but he did not settle for less; he did not silence the cry of his heart. He sought the truth that does not disappoint and the beauty that does not fade. How did he find it? How did he find true friendship and a love capable of giving hope? By finding the one who was already looking for him, Jesus Christ.”

With Pope Leo XIV being the first pope born in the United States, the recent weeks have presented some standout cultural American moments, such as when he donned a White Sox baseball cap in St. Peter’s Square or received hand-delivered pizza from his favorite Chicago pizzeria. But Leo also maintains a close connection with the people of Peru, where he served for many years as a priest and then a bishop. At the end of July, he met with a delegation from that country. He also hired a Peruvian chef at the Vatican. It is clear that Pope Leo is a pope with a foot in both the north and the south, and we should expect his decision-making and perspective to reflect that experience.

While Pope Leo’s papacy has to date projected steadiness, thoughtfulness, restraint, and discretion, many Catholics are anxious to see more. As we approach the fall, all eyes will be on the new pontiff’s decisions — especially whom he selects to replace himself as head of the Dicastery for Bishops. Also, how he will handle the former Jesuit artist Father Marko Rupnik scandal, as well as pastoral frustrations over the status of the Traditional Latin Mass, keeping the two-fold mission of love and unity firmly at the fore.

As he exits the “honeymoon phase” of his papacy and moves on to the serious business of church governance, Pope Leo has our prayers, support, and love. For most of all in his first 100 days, Pope Leo has shown himself to be a lover of Jesus Christ, and a man who desires to help others love Jesus, too.

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The members of the OSV Editorial Board include Father Patrick Briscoe, OP; Gretchen R. Crowe; Paulina Guzik; Matthew Kirby; Peter Jesserer Smith; and Scott P. Richert.