Épisodes

  • Pope Leo's foreign policy

    Pope Leo's foreign policy
    Jan 16 2026
    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 Opinion: Pope Leo Confronts Trump on His Own Terms Pope Leo meets with Venezuelan opposition leader Machado Washington Post: Inside the frantic global race to find an escape route for Maduro George Orwell is more relevant than ever. Just ask the pope. Support Inside the Vatican by subscribing to America Magazine! 0:00 Intro 3:57 Vatican/Venezuela timeline in fall 2025 6:53 Parolin and Burch’s urgent Christmas Eve meeting 11:28 Pope Leo’s comments after U.S. operation 13:11 Leo XIV’s ‘State of the World’ address 20:00 Maria Corina Machado meets Pope Leo 21:50 Why Vatican diplomacy matters 24:36 Is Pope Leo a counterweight to Donald Trump? 27:44 Pope Leo’s message to the American church 29:41 Pope Francis’ vs. Pope Leo’s foreign policy 33:33 Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s foreign policies 37:30 What makes Pope Leo’s approach unique? 41:20 The Vatican’s endgame in Venezuela Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 min
  • What we learned from Pope Leo’s first consistory

    What we learned from Pope Leo’s first consistory
    Jan 9 2026
    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 from the consistory, including: - The significance of the topics chosen: synodality and evangelization - How Leo is building on Pope Francis’ legacy - How Leo’s collaborative style will shape church governance Links from the show: Pope Leo XIV’s papacy began today Pope Leo says he will hold consistories with the College of Cardinals every year‘War is back in vogue,’ Pope Leo warns in major foreign policy speech For Megaphone only: Support Inside the Vatican by subscribing to America Magazine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 min
  • Pope Leo’s first Christmas address to the Vatican Curia

    Pope Leo’s first Christmas address to the Vatican Curia
    Dec 23 2025
    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 Curia. On a special roundtable episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and producers Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Sebastian Gomes examine how Leo’s speech continued his predecessors’ priorities, and where it differed. “Inside the Vatican” will take a break for Christmas and return on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, barring any breaking news. Links from the show: Pope Leo in Christmas address to Vatican officials asks: ‘Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia?’ Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast Hark! The stories of our favorite Christmas carols For Megaphone only: Support Inside the Vatican by subscribing to America Magazine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 min
  • Vatican hosts prisoners for final Jubilee Year event

    Vatican hosts prisoners for final Jubilee Year event
    Dec 18 2025
    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 performance about St. Peter by filmmaker Roberto Benigni. In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry cover the final major event of the Jubilee of Hope: the jubilee for prisoners and those who work in prisons. The hosts highlight some of the key points from Pope Leo’s powerful jubilee homily. Finally, Gerry and Colleen review some of the week’s Vatican headlines, including Pope Leo’s comments on his visit to the Blue Mosque, his message of condolence to the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting and the appointment of Bishop Ronald Hicks, as the new archbishop of New York. Links from the show: Pope Leo asks Michael Bublé to give his best for the poor at Vatican Christmas concert Pope Leo attends Vatican Christmas concert for the poor featuring Catholic singer Michael Bublé Full text: Pope Leo’s homily on the Sunday of the Jubilee of Prisoners Executions nearly doubled in 2025. But the Jubilee Year saw other good news for death penalty abolition. Pope Leo explains why he appeared not to pray at the Blue Mosque in Turkey Pope Leo condemns ‘antisemitic violence,’ ‘terrorist massacre’ in Sydney Pope Leo picks Chicago-born Ronald Hicks to follow Dolan in New York Support Inside the Vatican by subscribing to America Magazine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 min
  • The women deacons commission report, explained

    The women deacons commission report, explained
    Dec 11 2025
    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 “Inside the Vatican,” Vatican correspondents Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell unpack the commission’s report: how it came about, why the commission seems to have left the door open to women deacons despite its “no,” and where the push for women’s ministries in the church is likely to go next. In the second part of the show, Gerry and Colleen examine the dissolution of a Holy See fundraising commission that Pope Francis approved while he was in the hospital. Gerry argues that Pope Francis would likely have dissolved the commission, too, and Colleen raises concern that Vatican officials had asked the pope to sign off on things when he was not in a state to do so. After our recording, Pope Leo commented on why he appeared not to pray in the Blue Mosque—a topic Colleen and Gerry discussed last week. You can read Colleen’s story here. A correction to our production credits: Inside the Vatican was engineered by Adam Buchmueller this week. Links from the show: Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now Video: Women Deacons and the Catholic Church | An Explainer Pope Leo cancels Vatican fundraising commission announced under questionable circumstances UPDATED: Pope Leo meets Ukraine’s Zelensky as European leaders discuss controversial U.S. peace plan Pope Leo explains why he appeared not to pray at the Blue Mosque in Turkey Support Inside the Vatican by subscribing to America Magazine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 min
  • Update: Study commission says ‘no’ to women deacons—for now

    Update: Study commission says ‘no’ to women deacons—for now
    Dec 4 2025
    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 case of priestly ordination.” Stay tuned to Inside the Vatican for a more in-depth look at this story, and read Gerard O’Connell’s report here: Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 min
  • Inside Pope Leo's first foreign trip

    Inside Pope Leo's first foreign trip
    Dec 4 2025
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    52 min
  • Why is Pope Leo visiting Nicaea?

    Why is Pope Leo visiting Nicaea?
    Nov 26 2025
    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 make this pilgrimage in May; now, Pope Leo is taking up the mantle. We’re re-running our deep dive episode on Nicaea today—originally published before Pope Francis’ death. It explores the history of Nicaea and its ongoing importance for Christians, particularly in working toward a common Easter date. In the show’s introduction, producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., updates listeners on Pope Leo’s new document on Christian unity, released to commemorate the council’s anniversary, and on a recently issued doctrinal note on monogamy from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the deep dive, you’ll hear from: Aristotle (Telly) Papanikolaou, Professor of Theology and the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture at Fordham University John Chryssavgis, deacon of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina in Canada and a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity Married professors Ben Hohman, a Roman Catholic, and Claire Koen, an Eastern Orthodox Christian Sandra Beardsall, Professor Emerita of Church History and Ecumenics at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon, Canada, an ordained United Church minister and a member of the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission Support Inside the Vatican by subscribing to America Magazine! Links from the show: Why the Council of Nicaea still matters—1,700 years later Pope Leo in Lebanon—and Catholics in the Middle East (Jesuitical podcast) Pope Leo in Turkey and Lebanon: What to expect from his first international trip The Council of Nicaea, Christian unity and a common date for Easter Pope Francis: The Catholic Church is willing to accept a common date for Easter in the East and West “In Unitate Fidei”, Apostolic Letter by Pope Leo XIV on the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea “Una caro” (“One Flesh: In Praise of Monogamy”), doctrinal note from Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 min