That theme has carried through his life and may suggest how he aims to lead as pope. During the homily at his inaugural Mass at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo echoed an idea and a particular Bible verse from the document. “Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him,” he preached on Sunday. He wrote in his thesis that “the virtue of humility is indispensable for any superior” and referenced the New Testament book of 1 Peter: “Be examples to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you.”

It’s almost like he read the Gospel of Mary.