Held after the death of Pius IX, who had had the longest pontificate since Saint Peter, it was the first election of a pope who would not rule the Papal States.

Or should they turn away from the policies of Pius IX and choose a more liberal pope who could work for reconciliation with the king of Italy?

Other broader issues included Church-State relations in Italy, the Third French Republic, Ireland and the United States; the heresy Leo XIII later called Americanism; divisions in the Church caused by the proclamation of papal infallibility by the First Vatican Council; and the status of the First Vatican Council, which had been halted suddenly and never concluded.

Pecci had been an effective bishop whose diocese had moved from the Papal States to the Kingdom of Italy successfully, without Church problems.

He was seen as a diplomatic pragmatist with the tact and flexibility opponents of the previous pope believed Pius IX lacked.

At 68 Leo was also young enough to do the job without hindrance of health problems, but old enough to offer the prospect of a relatively short reign of ten to fifteen years.