The Japan Times - Tradition, Trump and tennis: Five things about Pope Leo

Here are five things to know about his first year as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

- Understatement, tradition -

Leo has an understated style which contrasts that of his Argentine predecessor Francis, who was known for his spontaneous and at times fiery temperament.

Equally at ease in Italian and Spanish as his native English, the American rarely offers off-the-cuff remarks. He listens, consults and prefers long-term reflection over swift decision-making.

The 70-year-old has revived several traditions abandoned by Francis, such as wearing the red mozzetta, or short cape, for formal occasions.

He has also moved back into the papal apartments in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, which Francis rejected in favour of a more modest Vatican guesthouse, and has resumed the use of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

- Social priorities -

In line with his 19th-century namesake Leo XIII, who championed workers' rights during the Industrial Revolution, the pope has warned repeatedly of the challenges posed by the new technological revolution, specifically artificial intelligence.

He has warned that AI can lead to "social control" and has denounced the ravages on the environment caused by the search for rare earth metals needed in technological devices.

Leo's first major publication, "Dilexi Te", put the fight against poverty at the centre of the Catholic Church's mission.

During a recent tour of Africa, he denounced inequality, corruption, and the unjust exploitation of natural resources by "tyrants".

Like Francis, and in keeping with the two decades he spent as a missionary in Peru, Leo has also made the plight of migrants a key part of his agenda. This summer, he will visit two landing points for arrivals from Africa, Spain's Canary Islands and Italy's Lampedusa.

- Fraught relationship with Trump -

For the past month, Leo's papacy has been dominated by a clash with US President Donald Trump.

At first, he left it to US bishops to speak out against the administration's policies, only directly criticising Trump's immigration clampdown after several months.

His anti-war rhetoric has been growing since January and culminated in his condemnation of Trump's threat to destroy Iran as "truly unacceptable".

The US president slammed the pontiff as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" -- to which Leo replied that he had a "moral duty to speak out".

Observers said the episode marked a turning point, cementing the pope's refusal to allow himself to be used for political ends.

- The challenge of unity -

Faced with ongoing tensions within the Catholic Church between conservative and reformist factions, the pope has multiplied his appeals for unity, reflected in his motto: "In Illo uno unum" (One in Christ).

By allowing the return of the Latin mass in St Peter's Basilica, Leo reached out to traditionalists.

To address criticism dating from Francis's time that the pope ruled unilaterally, Leo has also sought the input of more voices.

He summoned cardinals from around the world to Rome for two councils -- one in January, another in June -- to involve them more closely in the Church's major decisions.

He has nonetheless faced challenges to his authority, including from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, a traditionalist Catholic community which has threatened to ordain new bishops without Vatican approval.

- Tennis and White Sox -

Behind the gravity of his office, Leo cultivates ordinary tastes that make him more relatable -- he is a fan of tennis and swimming and wears a smartwatch under his cassock.

Although he no longer goes to the gym, he continues to indulge his love of sport on Tuesdays, his day off, at Castel Gandolfo.

A proud Chicago native, Leo remains a loyal supporter of the White Sox baseball team, happily echoing the team's slogans when they are shouted out by passers-by during papal drive-bys.

The mathematics graduate never skips his daily game of Wordle, an online game in which players must guess a word in six attempts, competing with his brother John.

H.Hayashi--JT