Vatican City, 5 July

In his very first sermon as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV told the cardinals who elected him that anyone who exercises authority in the Catholic Church must “make oneself small,” so that only Christ remains.

In word and deed since, Leo has seemed intent on almost disappearing into the role. The shy Augustinian missionary has eschewed the headline-grabbing protagonism of past pontiffs in favour a less showy and more reserved way of being pope.

Leo will disappear further this weekend when he begins a six-week vacation in his first break since his historic election 8 May.

Leo is resuming the papal tradition of escaping the Roman heat for the relatively cooler climes of Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer retreat on Lake Alban, south of Rome.

People who know and work with Leo expect he will use these weeks away from the public eye and the daily grind of Vatican audiences to get his head around the most pressing problems facing the church.

He's a methodical, hard-working and well-prepared manager, they say, who wants to read entire reports, not just the executive summaries, before making decisions.

Here is a look at Leo's summer homework, the outstanding dossiers he may be studying from now until 17 Aug in between dips in the pool, walks in the gardens and occasional Masses, prayers and visits in town.

Big nominations

After his election, Leo reappointed all Vatican prefects until further notice, so the Holy See machinery is still working with the old guard in place. But a few major appointments await, most importantly to fill his old job as prefect of the office that vets bishop nominations.

Leo also has to decide who will be his No 2, the Vatican secretary of state. That job, the equivalent of a prime minister, is still held by Francis' pick, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was himself an unsuccessful contender in the conclave that elected Leo pope.

Even before he gets his people in place, Leo has to get a handle on one of the most pressing problems facing the Holy See: Its troubled finances. The Vatican is running a structural deficit of around 50 million to 60 million euros ($59-71 million) and has a 1 billion euro ($1.18 billion) shortfall in its pension fund.

The Rupnik problem

There are plenty of high-profile clergy sex cases that festered during Francis' pontificate that are now are on Leo's desk. History's first American pope will be watched closely to see how he handles them, since he cannot claim ignorance about abuse or its dynamics, given the devastation the scandals have wrought in the United States.

Leo has already said it's “urgent” to create a culture of prevention in the church that shows no tolerance for any form of abuse, be it abuse of authority or spiritual or sexual abuse.

On that score, there is no case more pressing than that of the Rev Marko Rupnik, a famous mosaic artist who was belatedly thrown out of the Jesuits after its superiors determined he sexually, psychologically and spiritually abused two dozen adult women and nuns.

Even though the case didn't involve minors, it became a toxic problem for Francis because of suggestions Rupnik received favourable treatment at the Vatican under the Jesuit pope.

Nearly two years after Francis caved into pressure to reopen the Rupnik file, the Vatican has finally found external canon lawyers to hear the case, the head of the Vatican's doctrine office, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, told reporters last week.

The Becciu case

Another legal headache facing Leo is what to do about Cardinal Angelo Becciu and the Vatican's “trial of the century,” which is heading into the appeals phase in September.

The city-state's criminal tribunal in 2023 convicted Becciu and eight other people of a variety of financial crimes stemming from the Holy See's bungled 350 million euro ($412 million) investment in a London property.

The Latin Mass issue

Leo has said his priority as pope is unity and reconciliation in the church. Many conservatives and traditionalists hope that means he will work to heal the liturgical divisions that spread during Francis' 12-year papacy, especially in the US, over the old Latin Mass.

Francis in 2021 restricted access for ordinary Catholics to the ancient liturgy, arguing that its spread was creating divisions in the church. In doing so, Francis reversed his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who in 2007 had relaxed restrictions on its celebration.

AI and travel priorities

Leo has also identified artificial intelligence as a pressing issue facing humanity, suggesting a document of some sort might be in the works.

Also under study is when he will start travelling, and where.

Leo has a standing invitation to undertake Francis' last, unfulfilled foreign commitment: Marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, Christianity's first ecumenical council, with a visit to Turkey. Leo has already said a visit is in the works, possibly in late November.

Beyond that, Leo has received plenty of invitations: Vice President JD Vance extended a Trump invitation to visit the US, but Leo demurred and offered a noncommittal “at some point”.

A town awaits

The residents of Castel Gandolfo, meanwhile, are aching for a pope to return. Francis had decided not to use the retreat and instead spent his 12 papal summers at home, in the Vatican.