The election of a new pope is a rare and momentous event. An ancient ritual meeting the modern world, watched by millions but experienced in solitude by the one chosen.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American to hold the papacy, steps into a role shaped by centuries of tradition, global expectation, and the quiet, personal reckoning of what it means to lead.

Whether on the world stage or in our own lives, moments of transition into leadership ask us to balance humility with vision, to honor what came before while daring to imagine what could be.

Let’s write about the complexity, challenge, and quiet humanity of stepping into new roles.

Journal Prompt

Write about a time you were handed a responsibility you didn’t seek, or perhaps didn’t feel ready for.

Describe the moment you learned of this new role. Where were you, what did you feel in your body, what thoughts raced through your mind? Did you feel the weight of tradition or expectation, or was it more a sense of personal reckoning? How did you navigate the days that followed: Did you seek guidance, resist, or embrace the unknown?

Reflect on what you learned about yourself in the process, and whether you would do anything differently if given the chance.

Fiction Prompt

Imagine a character who is unexpectedly chosen to lead a secretive, ancient society at a moment of crisis.
The society’s traditions are both a source of wisdom and a burden of expectation. Your character is an outsider in some way-by background, belief, or temperament. Write the scene where they are informed of their selection, the private moment before they must address the group for the first time, and the internal conflict between honoring the past and daring to propose a new way forward. How do they balance loyalty to tradition with the urgent needs of the present? What surprising allies or adversaries emerge?

Poetry Prompt

Write a poem in the voice of someone on the threshold of leadership, standing alone in a silent, echoing chamber before the world knows their name.

Use sensory details: the hush of ancient stone, the weight of ceremonial robes, the distant murmur of crowds. Let the poem explore the paradox of feeling both insignificant and immense, the swirl of private doubt and public expectation.

Consider using repetition or refrain to echo the rhythms of ritual and prayer. Maybe use a formal structure like a sonnet or villanelle to frame your poem.

Creative Nonfiction Prompt