Leo XIV

The New Pope and Catholic Reform

Christopher R. Altieri

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Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Continuum
03 February 2026

Biography: religious & spiritual; Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church; Christian leaders & leadership; Christian ministry & pastoral activity

When Robert Francis Prevost OSA appeared on the loggia of St. Peter’s on 8th May 2025, he surprised the world.

The first North American pope is a quiet man few had heard of, following the legacy of one the most media savvy pontiffs in history. Yet with subtle gestures, Pope Leo has shown that he is a bridge-builder, a man willing to unite the factions in a deeply divided Church.

In this comprehensive book which joins biography with critical examination of the state of the Church, veteran journalist Christopher R. Altieri explores Prevost’s life and work, from his early years in Chicago to his ministry in Peru, and how he came to be chosen as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Altieri provides insight into the politics of the 2025 conclave, alongside Pope Leo’s choice of papal name, and the major challenges and deep-rooted problems of the Church that he now must run – and all at a time when the world is asking big questions about what it means to be human in a complex ethical world of AI and global conflict.

Through this Pope Leo emerges as a quiet man of true humility, with a track record as an efficient administrator and conciliatory figure, whose background in Canon Law might just offer him the skills needed to govern and reshape the modern Church.

By: Christopher R. Altieri
Imprint: Bloomsbury Continuum
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781399430890
ISBN 10: 1399430890
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 03 February 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Preface and acknowledgments Chapter 1: A radical choice Profile of a pope Pope Leo: What happened? The Challenge of Reform What reform looks like No “Golden Age” Chapter 2: A restless heart (Extra)ordinary beginnings Cerca y personal: Augustinian, missionary, prior Prior general, bishop, cardinal The hand of providence Chapter 3: “Peace be with all of you.” Radically moderate The power—and limits—of gestures and signs Strange bedfellows: The College of Cardinals in brief The conclave of May 2025 in context Vicar of Christ: The man and the office Chapter 4: An Augustinian pope Power and order in the Augustinian mind One commonwealth of all Christians: In illo uno unum Journeying together Pope Leo XIV: Two keys to understanding Human nature and power in society: an Augustinian view Citizen and stranger Augustinian optimism Chapter 5: A Lion of springtime Technological eclipse Worse (and also better) Attention deficit How the Church communicates Leo XIV and the “culture of encounter” From the personal to the institutional – continuities and discontinuities Interlude: The State of the Vatican (and the state of the Church) Reform “on the go” Teaching and governance: Fernández in the DDF In form for action(?): The Church on the international stage The Church’s shifting centre of gravity Things come to a head: Fiducia supplicans Unsustainable: Vatican finances in crisis Looking forward: The papal in-tray Chapter 6: Communications, curial culture, Synodality The challenge of reform: Vatican Communications Communication as listening: “Synodality” and the Synod of Bishops Romanitas Institutional memory In short Chapter 7: Financial reform Misconceptions Peter’s Pence: Myth, facts, conjecture Signs of the times A threefold challenge for Pope Leo XIV A long time coming The bottom line Chapter 8: Reform of justice Leo XIV: Unfinished business Justice in a fallen world Practical challenges: Justice as closeness to victims The requirements of natural justice Natural justice and judicial independence Reserve powers The conciliarist controversy and its aftermath Chapter 9: The nature and limits of papal governing power Governing power as such Justice in the ecclesiastical system Twin challenges: transparency and judicial independence Secretly untenable What could Pope Leo XIV do? Preliminary indications: theory and practice An investigative arm A Matter for the Synod of Bishops? Making the pallium mean something (again) Conclusion: Drivers of crisis Notes

Christopher R. Altieri holds a PhD (research doctorate in philosophy) from the Pontifical Gregorian University, and was Executive Editor of the Catholic Herald. He has nearly two decades’ experience in journalism. An expert on the Vatican, Altieri is an accomplished investigator who has broken and reported major stories on a host of issues related to Church governance. His books include How To Read the News without Losing Your Faith (2021, CTS) and Into the Storm: Chronicle of a Year in Crisis (2020, TAN Books).

Reviews for Leo XIV: The New Pope and Catholic Reform

Chris Altieri is a provocative and passionate writer, with views forged by decades of experience and a deeply original intelligence. He’s never been better than he is here, as he plumbs the early promise of the papacy of Leo XIV, from the tri-cultural character of the new pope’s formation to his roots in a distinctly Augustinian spirituality. While it’s all compelling, read Alteri especially on the looming challenges of institutional reform – which, as ever, is where the rubber truly meets the road. This is essential reading, not only on the pope but on the church in our times. * John L. Allen Jr, Editor-in-Chief, Crux * I've long regarded Altieri as the most incisive of Vatican watchers. This book, tackling a critical topic in a readable way, is yet further proof that I'm right. * Stephen Bullivant, Professor of Theology and Sociology, St Mary's University (UK) and University of Notre Dame (Australia) * Christopher Altieri offers more than insight into the background and thinking of Pope Leo, as important as that is. In lucid, balanced prose, he provides a cogent, honest, wise analysis of the situation of the Church in this present moment in a way that few other authors are managing right now: grounded in the historical, theological and spiritual realities of the Church as it is and as it is called to be in this broken world, so needful of the Gospel, clearly proclaimed and confidently – and competently – shared. * Amy Welborn, writer and former correspondent Our Sunday Visitor * Few journalists can match Christopher R. Altieri’s depth of knowledge about the Vatican and the Catholic Church. In this timely and incisive book, he draws on first-hand experience with Church institutions and leadership, alongside academic expertise in political philosophy and a profound historical sensitivity, to offer a compelling portrait of Pope Leo XIV—the first U.S.-born pontiff. Tracing Leo’s path from Augustinian missionary to curial insider, Altieri examines the challenges he inherits from Pope Francis and the complex task of governing a global Church. This is a sharp, authoritative look at the early days of a pivotal pontificate and what lies ahead. * Francis X. Rocca, former Vatican correspondent, The Wall Street Journal *