“Peace be with you”.

Those were the first words spoken from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to the massive crowd below by the newly chosen pontiff, now known as Pope Leo XIV.

133 cardinals from around the world voted in a handful of rounds before the final decision was made and the white smoke billowed from the Sistene Chapel chimney.

Formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, Leo is the first pope from the United States – a choice that shocked some and has many wondering what this may signal.

Host Melanie Ng speaks with religious scholar Héctor Acero Ferrer from the Institute for Christian Studies about the new pontiff and how he will position himself on the world stage.

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Is Hollywood North in jeopardy, based on a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump?

After musing about hitting foreign film production with a 100% tariff, there are concerns this could shut down the film industry in Canada.

Host Mike Eppel is gauging reaction from Andrew Barnsley, President of the Toronto Film School.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter