Pope Leo XIV’s first foreign trip was never going to be a routine pastoral visit. The geographies he chose, Turkey and Lebanon, are not only symbolic crossroads of faiths but also corridors of conflict where diplomacy, identity and history constantly collide. By stepping into these spaces at this moment, the new pontiff revealed far more about his emerging leadership style than any Vatican communiqué could. What stands out is the contrast between Pope Leo and his predecessor. While the previous pontificate was animated by urgency ~ a sense that time was limited and reforms had to be initiated quickly ~ Leo appears to be charting an almost contemplative path.

There is caution in his demeanour, and at times even the emotional weight of a man still coming to terms with the scale of the role he has inherited. Observers noted his eyes welling up in Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy........

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