In the days leading up to the conclave, various prognosticators were given to discussing the new pope in terms of his succession of recent popes: Will he be one who carries forward Francis' agenda? One who reflects Benedict XVI's approach to the Church?
During this time, I got to reflecting that the papacy is a rather different kind of institution than that. A pope who properly understands his office should see himself not as a successor of his immediate predecessor, nor of any other recent pope, in terms of leadership, governance, and unity in the Church. Rather, every pope should see himself as immediately the successor of Saint Peter.
To be sure, every pope steps into this role in an historical context that includes all the works, teachings, appointments, etc. of all the popes before him. But his singular duty, in any part of history, is to be the Rock on whom Jesus built His Church and to wield the Keys of the Kingdom.
Given this, I find it at least in some small measure auspicious that much of Leo XIV's first sermon as pope was spent in explicit or implicit reference to Saint Peter.