Pope Francis may well be remembered as the "pope of synodality" who brought this neologism to the attention of the whole Church. Since his election, Pope Leo XIV has already shown signs that he is a fundamentally "synodal pope," not so much because he promotes the notion of synodality, but rather by how he embodies it in his way of being and style of leadership. This paper examines the personalities, backgrounds, and governance practices of each pontiff to analyse their respective contributions to the synodal renewal of the Church. A key characteristic uniting the two pontiffs is the cultural and ecclesial framework of Latin America. Indeed, in their own rights, each of their pontificates could be interpreted as bringing to the level of the whole Church the Latin American reception of the Second Vatican Council. If there is a clear continuity in their basic priorities, there are visible differences in style and temperament. A former student of chemistry, Francis' governance style sometimes engendered (chemical) reactions at various levels of the Catholic Church. Francis did not shy away from polarities, in line with his doctoral work on the theology of Romano Guardini. Leo's education in mathematics and canon law aligns with his more composed, calm, staid, and gradual approach. Whereas Francis seemed to be in a hurry to reform the Church, Leo appears keen to take his time, with ample room for deep listening as the discernment matures. Leo has the institutional experience and personality type to undertake the patient calculus necessary to enable the prophetic vision of reform, rooted in Vatican II and reinvigorated by Francis, to settle into the structures and norms of the Catholic Church. What remains to be seen is whether synodality will durably reshape the exercise of papal authority and the functioning of the Roman Curia, and to what extent the Bishop of Rome will foster the ongoing implementation of a synodal culture at all levels of the Church moving forward.