Inside The Vatican
Each week, Colleen Dulle goes behind the headlines of the biggest Vatican news stories with America’s Rome correspondent Gerard O’Connell. They break down complicated news stories that have a whole lot of history behind them in an understandable, engaging way. Colleen and Gerard give you the inside scoop on what people inside the Vatican are thinking, saying—and planning.
Episodes
‘Amoris Laetitia’ at 10: The history, tensions and legacy
In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Pope Francis biographer Austen Ivereigh and America executive producer Sebastian Gomes join Colleen Dulle to discuss this week’s Vatican meeting on “Amoris Laetitia,” ten years after Pope Francis published his controversial exhortation on marriage and the family. Austen and Sebastian recap the tense 2014 and 2015 synods on the family, what Pope Franc
French Catholicism Reborn? What happened on Pope Leo’s visit to France (and why it matters for all of us)
This week on Jesuitical, Colleen Dulle joins hosts Zac Davis and Sebasian Gomes to discuss Pope Leo’s recent visit to France, including his messages on assisted dying, European identity and the role of the Catholic Church in a secular country. Colleen also reflects on her experience of traveling with the pope for the first time.
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Chapters:
00
What to expect from Pope Leo’s trip to France
In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen preview Pope Leo XIV’s visit to France, set for Sept. 25-28. The two unpack Pope Leo’s itinerary for the trip, give context for the political situation in the country and discuss what messages the pope may send to both secular and ecclesial authorities in a country and church that are being reshaped by the arrival of newcomers.
S
‘Baby Bishops School’: How the Vatican trains new bishops
In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen discuss the “birthday gifts” Pope Leo XIV gave to the Vatican on his 71st birthday: an expansion of the Vatican Library and archives and the repeal of Covid-era salary cuts. The hosts explain Vatican salaries and what has changed financially for the Holy See since the pandemic.
In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry give
What’s on Pope Leo’s desk this fall
In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen take the opportunity of Pope Leo’s 71st birthday on Monday, Sept. 14, to look back at what he has accomplished thus far in his papacy and what major items remain on his desk for the fall, including trips to France and Latin America, a series of high-profile appointments and the ongoing trials of Marko Rupnik and Angelo Becciu.
The
Pope Leo's message for the United States' 250th anniversary
Pope Leo today received the National Constitution Center’s liberty medal and gave an acceptance speech via livestream from the Vatican. Colleen Dulle recaps his message.
Links from the show:
Read: Pope Leo’s message to the United States on its 250th anniversary
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Vatican excommunicates SSPX bishops, priests and others
Today, July 2, in response to the SSPX’s illicit ordinations of bishops, the Vatican announced that not only were the bishops involved in the ordination automatically excommunicated and in schism, but that any clergy of SSPX or lay members who “adhere” to the schism are also to be considered excommunicated.
Links from the show:
The Vatican and SSPX controversy, explained
Vatican declar
‘I doubt he will be diplomatic’: What Leo may say to the U.S. July 3
On this season finale of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry discuss the hectic weeks before Pope Leo’s summer vacation. First they recap the pope’s trip to Pavia to visit the remains of St. Augustine and the home of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, his speech to the World Food Program and the Vatican’s denial of the German bishops’ request to allow lay people to preach homilies. They also look ahe
‘Like I’ve rarely seen him’: Pope Leo’s visit to Spain
Pope Leo visited Spain from June 6-12, a visit that drew record-breaking crowds. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell recaps for Colleen Dulle the highlights from the pope’s three stops: Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. On the last day, Gerry reports, Leo spoke out against those who take advantage of migrants “like I’ve rarely seen him,” shouting, “Stop! Repent!”
After thi
Anna Rowlands on the ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ debates
Pope Leo’s encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas,’ published May 25, has sparked debates in the worlds of technology and theology while galvanizing online creators opposed to artificial intelligence. Anna Rowlands, a theologian and co-presenter of the text with Pope Leo, joins Colleen Dulle to parse the encyclical’s reception, its contributions to Catholic teaching, and whether workers can use the encyc
EWTN president named head of Vatican communications
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss EWTN News President and COO Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado as prefect of the Vatican’s dicastery for communications. They unpack some of the challenges currently facing the dicastery and analyze the appointment in light of the Vatican’s previously strained relationship with EWTN. In the second half of the show, Gerry gives
Pope Leo's A.I. encyclical: Top takeaways from “Magnifica Humanitas”
This week on a special “Inside the Vatican” roundtable, a discussion of “Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo’s groundbreaking first encyclical on protecting the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. Host Colleen Dulle sits down with her co-host and senior Vatican correspondent, Gerard O’Connell, as well as America’s president and editor in chief, Sam Sawyer, S.J.
They discuss the documen
Pope Leo's Encyclical: "Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed."
Pope Leo released his encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on “safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence” today, May 25.
(Read the encyclical here. And find America Magazine's extensive coverage of the encyclical here.)
Pope Leo presented the encyclical at the Vatican along with the panel of experts, including Christopher Olah, a co-founder of one of the world’s leading AI
What we know about Pope Leo’s A.I. encyclical
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell look ahead to Pope Leo’s forthcoming encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” which is rumored to be a long document dealing with themes of artificial intelligence and humanity. Ahead of the document’s expected release on May 25, Gerry and Colleen recap what is already known about the document, the Vatican’s previous work on A.I. and
Marco Rubio’s Vatican visit, explained | Inside the Vatican podcast
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Pope Leo XIV, along with recent developments between the Vatican and the Society of St. Pius X, which has committed to illicitly ordain bishops without the Vatican’s approval. In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry look at the pope’s visits to Pompeii and Naples,
Deep Dive: An American Pope–How it happened and what it means
One year ago today, Leo XIV was elected the first pope from the United States of America. A year into his papacy, we examine how the U.S. evolved from a nation with a long history of anti-Catholicism to one welcoming an American-born pope, and why the cardinals defied a longstanding taboo against a pope from a global superpower.
Interviews include:
- Kathleen Sprows Cummings, the John A. O’Brien
‘Speaking fearlessly’: Pope Leo’s Africa Trip
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry O’Connell gives Colleen Dulle an inside look at Pope Leo XIV’s visit to four African countries. Between speaking out against corruption in Cameroon, denouncing inequality in Angola and visiting a prison in Equatorial Guinea, Gerry notes that Pope Leo never strayed from his central message of peace and justice—even when a Truth Social post from U.S. Presiden
Vatican Diplomacy 101
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Archbishop Joseph Marino, former president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy which trains Vatican diplomats, joins Colleen Dulle to give a crash course on Vatican Diplomacy: Who are nuncios? What do they do? And what difference do they really make?
Before the interview, Colleen also gives some updates on the week’s Vatican news.
00:00 Pope Leo wraps his
‘Don’t Take the Bait’: A Roundtable on Trump’s Pope Comments
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” America Editor-in-Chief Fr. Sam Sawyer, SJ, joins Vatican Correspondent Colleen Dulle and Executive Editor Ashley McKinless for a roundtable discussion on the recent comments President Trump and other administration officials have made about Pope Leo, and the pope’s response given en route to his tour of four African countries.
In the first part of the show, Col
Pope Leo: Trump’s Iran threat “unacceptable”
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry recap a packed two weeks of Vatican news, covering Pope Leo’s first Holy Week celebrations and his comments on President Trump’s threat to wipe out ‘an entire civilization.’
After this episode was recorded, reports were published recounting a contentious meeting at the Pentagon between the nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre
Catholic women react to the Vatican’s report on women’s leadership
In March 2026, the Vatican’s doctrine office released its final report on women’s participation in the life and leadership of the Catholic Church. The report brings to a close the two-year work of Study Group 5, which, as part of the Synod on Synodality, was tasked with studying women’s ministries and leadership. In this special roundtable conversation, editors at America magazine discuss the repo
The inside story of Pope Leo XIV’s election
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle is joined by guest host Ashley McKinless for an interview with Gerard O’Connell and his wife and journalist Elisabetta Piqué about their new book, “The Election of Pope Leo XIV: The Last Surprise of Pope Francis.” They discuss pre-conclave maneuvering, including organized resistance to Pope Francis's reforms, as well as their decision to report conc
Pope Leo is using every way possible to advocate peace
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss Pope Leo’s consistent statements pushing for peace and an end to armed conflicts worldwide. In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry unpack a few brief stories including Pope Leo receiving the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center, his new home in the apostolic palace and the Vatican’s appeals cour
Is Iran a ‘just war’? U.S. Cardinals weigh in
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss comments from Pope Leo XIV and three cardinals on the Iran War, including one cardinal’s analysis of whether the conflict meets the requirements of a “just war.” In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry give an overview of the three synod study group final reports that have been released so far: on digital missi
Why Pope Leo was ‘economic with words’ on Iran war
On Saturday morning, Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior regime figures. The following day, Pope Leo appealed for peace, urging world leaders to stop “the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.” This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Veteran Vatican Correspondent Gerard O’Connell explains why he s
SSPX rejects Vatican dialogue offer
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss the announcement of several new papal trips, as well as the Society of St. Pius X’s rejection of a Vatican offer for dialogue and what could happen next. In the second part of the show, the hosts look at the situation of Ukrainian Catholics and the Vatican’s efforts to help end the war on its fourth anniversary.
0:0
Pope Leo’s first Lent begins
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Senior Vatican Correspondent and Contributing Editor Ricardo da Silva, S.J., discuss the Vatican’s decision not to join President Trump’s Board of Peace, Pope Leo’s Lenten message, and the pope’s plans for the first Lent since his election last May.
0:00 Intro
0:35 Vatican declines Board of Peace invitation
5:06 Pope Leo’s Ash Wednesday plans
7:17 Pope Leo’
The Vatican and SSPX: A Timeline
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle are joined by longtime Vatican journalist John Thavis to discuss the strained relationship between the Vatican and the Priestly Society of St. Pius X, after the Society said it plans to ordain new bishops July 1 with or without papal permission.
0:00 Intro
1:08 Pope Leo travel updates
4:36 What is the Society of St. Pius X?
Minneapolis Bishop on ICE, immigration and Pope Leo
Bishop Kevin Kenney was born in Minneapolis and has ministered to Latino communities there for years. Now an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he speaks to America about the realities facing Latino Catholics on the ground and what the Catholic Church is doing to support them.
0:00 ICE outside churches and schools
4:45 How the Catholic Church is responding
10:00 Ta
How the Vatican is thinking about Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invitation
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Junno Arocho Esteves, international correspondent for OSV News, joins host Colleen Dulle to explain what factors the Vatican is likely weighing in its decision-making on whether or not to join the “Board of Peace.”
Links from the show:
Vatican weighs joining Trump’s Board of Peace but calls for respect for international law
Top Vatican official calls violenc
U.S. cardinals speak out against Trump on Greenland, Venezuela and Ukraine
On “Inside the Vatican,” America Chief Correspondent Kevin Clarke joins Colleen Dulle to discuss the cardinals’ statement, analyzing its content, precedents, and potential impact on the U.S. Catholic hierarchy.
Links from the show:
Vatican expert John Allen shaped a generation of Catholic reporters
Vatican weighs joining Trump’s Board of Peace but calls for respect for international law
Card
Pope Leo's foreign policy
Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado this week, only the latest in a monthslong series of statements and meetings that have shown the Vatican repeatedly pushing for peace. This week, David Gibson of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture joins host Colleen Dulle to discuss Pope Leo’s approach to foreign policy.
Links from the show:
New York Times O
What we learned from Pope Leo’s first consistory
Few events in Pope Leo’s young papacy have built as much anticipation as his first consistory. Summoning the cardinals of the Catholic Church to Rome for two intense days of meetings, the pope laid out clear signals about the direction for the church and a new collaborative style of governance.
On “Inside the Vatican” this week, hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss the key takeaways f
Pope Leo’s first Christmas address to the Vatican Curia
The pope’s annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia was once a run-of-the-mill affair, but in 2005, the year he was elected pope, Benedict XVI used the speech to lay out his decisive vision for the implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Francis famously used the speech to decry the “diseases” of the Roman Curia.
This week, Pope Leo XIV delivered his own first Christmas address to the Cu
Vatican hosts prisoners for final Jubilee Year event
The Jubilee Year is drawing to a close and Christmas is drawing near. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell cover several important arts events the Vatican has hosted in the lead-up to Christmas, including the “Concert for the Poor” featuring Michael Bublé, the Ratzinger Prize concert with conductor Riccardo Muti and a live perform
The women deacons commission report, explained
On Dec. 4, the final report from the Vatican’s second study commission on women deacons was published, saying that women can’t be ordained to the diaconate “as understood as a degree of holy orders,” but it stopped short of an unequivocal “no” to women deacons, saying that while its “assessment is strong…it does not allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated at this time.”
This week on “Ins
Update: Study commission says ‘no’ to women deacons—for now
Today, the Vatican published the results of its second study commission on women deacons. It said that women cannot be admitted to the diaconate “as understood as a degree of holy orders.”
However, it stopped short of an unequivocal “no” to women deacons, saying that while the commission’s “assessment is strong… it does not allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated at this time, as in the
Inside Pope Leo's first foreign trip
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Why is Pope Leo visiting Nicaea?
Later this week, Pope Leo XIV begins his first international apostolic visit: a six-day trip to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2. At the center of that journey is his stop in Nicaea—today the town of İznik—where the first ecumenical council (325 A.D.) set down the Nicene Creed, the profession of faith that has united Christians for seventeen centuries. Pope Francis had hoped to m
Synod study groups publish reports
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and executive producer Sebastian Gomes unpack the news from the reports and analyze in-depth the work of the groups studying women’s ministries, seminary formation and the appointment of bishops.
Links from the show:
Synod study groups on ‘controversial’ issues release interim reports
To submit contributions to the liturgy working group: syn
Pope Leo to call world’s cardinals to Rome for meeting
On “Inside the Vatican” this week, Senior Vatican Correspondent Gerard O’Connell explains what we know about the meeting, what cardinals are expecting, and what it means that this will be Pope Leo’s first big agenda item that was not already planned for Pope Francis.
Links from the show:
Buy Gerry’s new book (Spanish edition) El último Cónclave!
Pope Leo to call College of Cardinals to Rome for
Vatican bans controversial Marian title ‘co-redemptrix’
On “Inside the Vatican” this week, Vatican correspondents Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss the new doctrinal statement on Mary and look at St. John Henry Newman being named a doctor of the church and co-patron of Catholic education.
Links from the show:
Pope Leo says ICE should allow ‘pastoral workers’ to bring detained migrants Communion
Vatican officially says no to controversial
Pope Leo’s candid Q-and-A on synodality
Pope Leo XIV delivered remarkably candid responses at a jubilee gathering for synodal teams and participatory bodies, in what senior Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell called “perhaps the most extraordinary session” he has witnessed since Leo’s election.
0:00 Intro
0:27 Interfaith peace meeting
1:48 Synod Jubilee Q-and-A
17:06 Synod Jubilee homily
23:45 Visit of King Charles III
28:54
Inside the first exclusive interview with Pope Leo XIV
When Elise Allen, senior correspondent for Crux, sat down with Pope Leo XIV for his first full-length interview since his election, she heard echoes of Pope Francis’ inclusive vision—“todos, todos, todos”—but also a key difference. As she told Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell, hosts of “Inside the Vatican,” that when it comes to affirming church teaching, Leo is “much more willing to say that up
Has Pope Leo’s honeymoon ended? U.S. Catholics push back
Pope Leo is drawing criticism from some U.S. Catholics over his consistent pro-life ethic, particularly after responding to questions about Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich’s plan to honor Senator Dick Durbin with a lifetime achievement award, despite Durbin’s support for abortion rights.
While he said he was not familiar with all the details, Pope Leo expressed confidence in Cardinal Cupich’s judg
Pope Leo’s ‘Dilexi Te’ in continuity with Pope Francis
Pope Leo XIV has released his first major teaching document, “Dilexi Te” (”I Have Loved You”). The apostolic exhortation, addressed “to all Christians on love for the poor,” was begun by Pope Francis and completed by Pope Leo. It emphasizes that the poor reveal a fundamental way of encountering Christ.
Gerard O’Connell, senior Vatican correspondent, and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., associate editor, j
Deep Dive: The Swiss Guard, between tradition and reform
The Swiss Guard is the oldest army in the world. Steeped in tradition, bearing the weight of history, the Pontifical Swiss Guard—like the whole of the Catholic Church—is in a constant balancing act between safeguarding heritage and responding to modern-day needs.
In this deep dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” the team reports from the Swiss Guard’s barracks on how the historic corps is naviga
Pope Leo’s surprise appointment to lead the Vatican bishops’ office
Pope Leo made a surprise appointment to fill the position he left behind as Prefect for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, the office that vets and recommends candidates to lead dioceses around the world. The man he chose, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, age 67, is an Italian bishop and member of the Carmelite Order. He was not, per Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell, among the names circulated
The Vatican's 'trial of the century' dramatically re-opens
As protests for Gaza shut down ports, schools and transit services in Italy this week, Pope Leo spoke again about the Holy Land, on Sunday greeting representatives from various Catholic groups that are “engaged in works of solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip.” This week on Inside the Vatican, co-hosts and Vatican correspondents Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss Pope Leo’s comment
Pope Leo XIV gives his first interview
Andrea Bocelli and Pharrell Williams hosted an unprecedented pop concert in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday night, Sept. 13, the eve of Pope Leo XIV’s 70th birthday. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” America Vatican correspondents Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss the concert, the Pope Leo’s birthday, and excerpts from his first major papal interview.
The hosts discuss Pope Leo’s comment
The Canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” America Vatican correspondents Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss the canonization of Sts. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. Gerry shares the sense of renewal he sees in the church given the popularity of these saints among young Catholics, and Colleen asks about some of the political and financial considerations in the saint-making process.
In the
Pope Leo meets James Martin, SJ; discusses LGBT ministry
Welcome to the eighth season of Inside the Vatican!
This week, America’s Senior Vatican Correspondent Gerard O’Connell and Vatican Correspondent Colleen Dulle unpack two significant meetings Pope Leo XIV held this week: One with their colleague the Rev. James Martin, S.J., and the other with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Gerry and Colleen reveal the significance of seemingly small details like
Who is Pope Leo XIV | Part III: From Peru to the papacy
Father Robert Prevost, O.S.A., has long been recognized as a bridge builder—a pastor who listens deeply, builds consensus, and seeks unity without imposing authority. In the third and final episode of our first-ever “Inside the Vatican” Deep Dive series on Pope Leo XIV, we follow his extraordinary journey—from his early years as pastor and formator in northern Peru to the chair of St. Peter.
Pope
Who is Pope Leo XIV | Part II: Ministry amid terror in Peru
Father Robert Prevost’s early years in Peru shaped his ministry and vision for the church—but few know the brutal reality he encountered there in the 1980s and 1990s.
In this second episode of our “Inside the Vatican” Deep Dive series on Pope Leo XIV, we follow the future pope to northern Peru. He first served in Chulucanas as a canon lawyer, helping establish the new diocese after its elevation
Who is Pope Leo XIV | Part I: From Chicago’s South Side to Augustinian Priest
No one expected a pope from the U.S. In this first-ever “Inside the Vatican” Deep Dive series, those who know him best reveal who Pope Leo XIV—“the American pope”—really is.
Across three episodes, we trace his vocation from Chicago’s South Side through his formative years as an Augustinian friar in the Midwest; training as a canon lawyer in Rome; early ministry in Peru as canon lawyer, priest and
After U.S. bombings on Iran, Pope Leo calls for diplomacy over destruction
Following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Pope Leo renewed his persistent plea for peace—condemning escalating violence and urging diplomacy over destruction. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss his appeals for an end to war since his election and his unexpected remarks at the premiere of a play about journalist Paola Ugaz, who exposed abuse in Soda
Pope Leo’s call for peace—and a (video) appearance in Chicago
Pope Leo appeals for “reason and responsibility” amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran—and lights up the jumbotron in Chicago. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerry O’Connell report on the pope’s plea for peace and his message to 30,000 faithful at Rate Field, where he urged them to be “beacons of hope” in a divided world.
Find full show notes and related links o
Roundtable: Pope Leo XIV, AI ethics, sexual abuse crisis reforms, Vatican–China relations
We pause our usual “Inside the Vatican” weekly format to continue the conversation from America Media’s subscriber-only Conclave Debrief event this past Monday, June 9. Hosts Colleen Dulle, Gerard O’Connell, and producer Ricardo da Silva respond to subscriber questions about Pope Leo XIV and the recent conclave.
Gerard compares this conclave with the 2013 election of Pope Francis, highlighting w
Not Francis 2.0: Cardinals’ first impressions of Pope Leo XIV
Gerard O’Connell shares insights from his interviews with seven cardinal-electors about why they chose Pope Leo XIV: a missionary with a global outlook, a leader known for deep listening, a promoter of synodality, and someone they found deeply credible. We also cover Pope Leo’s first priestly ordinations in Rome, where he urged new priests to live “lives that are known, lives that can be read, liv
Leo XIV greets Vatican employees with humility, warmth—and a €500 bonus
Pope Leo XIV met with 5,000 Vatican employees this week, thanking them for their dedication and recognizing their role as the Vatican’s “institutional memory.” To acknowledge their extra work during the papal transition, he surprised them with a €500 bonus. We discuss what this gesture reveals about his leadership style and efforts to boost staff morale. We also recap his packed Sunday schedule: h
The opening message of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy
A week into the papacy of Pope Leo XIV—the first U.S.-born pope—hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell take stock of the emerging contours and dimensions of his leadership. They begin with his private meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and what it might suggest about his diplomatic approach amid tensions between the Vatican and the U.S. over issues like migration and climate. They then
What Pope Leo’s first days tell us about his priorities
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the first days of Leo XIV’s historic papacy.
Today, Pope Leo met with members of the Vatican press corps and the thousands of other media in Rome covering his election, telling them to be peacemakers and calling for the release of all imprisoned journalists.
On our final episode recorded in Rome, the
Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian friar. Here's what that means
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. In this episode, the team discusses the Augustinian (and American) roots of Pope Leo XIV.
They discuss:
Pope Leo XIV is an alum of Villanova University. What’s the atmosphere is like on campus right now?
The Augustinian roots of Pope Leo: the intellectual, spiritual and social principles that will lead his ministry
How poverty, chas
What Pope Leo XIV’s speedy election means for the Catholic Church
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. In this episode, veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O'Connell speaks to Colleen Dulle and Sam Sawyer, SJ about the unexpectedly quick election of Pope Leo XIV, who was elected on the fourth ballot in the conclave.
They discuss:
What the speedy election tell us about the conclave?
Why a pope from the U.S. was thought to be "impossible", and w
Habemus papam! The first American pope is elected
Welcome to the America magazine conclave podcast. We are thrilled to join the church in welcoming Pope Leo XIV!
Our team was just in St. Peter’s Square for the historic election, and we’re here with first reactions and some important details about the life and ministry of the missionary Augustinian friar turned pope: the now former-Cardinal Robert F. Prevost.
Links from the show:
Robert Fra
There's only one thing left for Catholics to do: pray.
Do we really trust the Holy Spirit to guide the election of a pope? What does that trust feel like? Are we hopeful or fearful for what is to come? Why does it feel so hard to pray in Rome sometimes?
The cardinals have asked for our prayers repeatedly in the run-up to the conclave. While they are sequestered away on the second day of conclave, Sebastian Gomes, Ashley McKinless, Zac Davis and J.D.
Black smoke on first vote. But what happens after a pope is elected?
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope.
In today’s episode from Rome, the team discusses:
The protocols being followed by the cardinals in conclave
The “habemus papam” moment, what the pope wears and other telling symbolic gestures
What happens in the days immediately following the elect
Where the cardinals stand one day before the conclave
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. In today’s episode from Rome, the team discusses the frontrunners entering the conclave, and explains how the voting could quickly confirm papabile lists or pivot to an unexpected candidate.
Featuring:
Gerard O’Connell, America’s Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave that Changed His
What happens inside a conclave? Everything you need to know.
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope.
In today’s episode from Rome, the team discusses:
Final preparations for the conclave, including additional meetings for the cardinals
President Trump’s A.I. pope image
Covering the conclave for secular media, with NPR’s Scott Detrow
The quirk
Will the next pope embrace synodality–or reject it?
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope.
In today’s episode from Rome, the team discusses:
The security measures being taken at Casa Santa Marta, where the cardinal electors will stay during the conclave, including lock inspections and sealed windows
The history and recent rise of betting on who
At the conclave, politics and prayer come together. Is that a problem?
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope.
In today’s episode from Rome, the team discusses:
The latest conclave news, including the installation of the chimney of the roof of the Sistine Chapel and how many cardinals have arrived in Rome
The cardinals have asked Catholics to pray for them and the
Choosing a pope: What qualities the cardinals will look for in the conclave
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope.
In today’s episode from Rome, the team discusses:
Cardinal Beniamino Stella’s stunning attack on Pope Francis in Wednesday’s general congregation meeting of the College of Cardinals
The “election” of a new bishop in mainland China—while the chair of St. P
Will the next pope be Italian? And the unfinished business of Francis’ papacy
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope.
In today’s episode from Rome, the team discusses:
President Donald Trump’s choice for pope
The latest from the cardinal pre-conclave meetings
The question: Will the next pope be an Italian?
The unfinished business of Pope Francis’ papacy, incl
Clarity, Confusion, Unity: Unpacking the conclave’s code words
Welcome to America magazine’s Conclave Podcast. Our editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope.
In today’s episode, the team discusses:
- The controversial presence at the pre-conclave meetings of Cardinal Becciu, convicted of embezzlement, and Cardinal Cipriani, who was sanctioned by the Vatican for alleged sexual abuse
- The topics emerging in the cardinal
The Conclave is more than a referendum on Pope Francis
America Magazine’s editors are on the ground in Rome covering the conclave to elect the next pope. As part of the coverage, the team is producing a new podcast episode every day and releasing it on Inside the Vatican and Jesuitical.
In today’s episode, the team discusses:
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- The College of Cardinals by the nu
Deep Dive: The Pope Has Died. What Happens Next?
Pope Francis—the first Jesuit and Latin American pope—has died.
As 1.4 billion Catholics begin mourning the loss of their pastor, and the world grieves one of its most prominent spiritual leaders, the Church remembers the pope who saw himself not only as the bishop of Rome, but as a parish priest to the whole world.
Now, a momentous process begins in Rome: the funeral, the mourning rites, and th
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“We’ve lost a friend on earth—and gained one in heaven,” says Gerard O’Connell as he mourns Pope Francis. In this special Inside the Vatican roundtable, recorded the day after the pope’s death, hosts Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle join their producer, Ricardo da Silva, S.J., for a heartfelt conversation about the life, legacy and final days of a pope who changed the Catholic Church—and changed
Pope Francis has died at age 88
Pope Francis died early this morning at 7:35 a.m. Rome time. He was 88. His death follows a 38-day hospital stay for double pneumonia that ended last month.
He died at Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse where he lived. A brief service was held there, led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, who now oversees preparations for the next conclave.
In announcing the pope’s death, Cardinal
Deep Dive: The Council of Nicaea and the struggle for a common date of Easter
The Nicene Creed, which emerged from the Council of Nicaea, remains a foundational declaration of Christian faith today. But what exactly was Nicaea? Why does it still matter to Christians centuries later?
This special deep dive unravels what made the council groundbreaking and explores how it continues to impact Christian life today. Host Colleen Dulle brings listeners inside its rich history t
The Rise and Fall of Theodore McCarrick
Former cardinal Theodore McCarrick died on April 3; he was the first cardinal to be removed from the College of Cardinals over sexual abuse and was ultimately laicized. This week, we’re re-presenting “Inside the Vatican”’s 2020 deep dive, “The Rise and Fall of Theodore McCarrick,” which was published just after the Vatican published an unprecedented report into how McCarrick was able to rise throu
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