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 Collegiate Professor of American Studies and History at the University of Notre Dame

- Christopher Lamb, CNN Vatican Correspondent and author of The Outsider: Pope Francis and the Battle to Reform the Church and American Hope: What Pope Leo XIV Means for the Church and the World

- J.D. Long García, senior editor at America

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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. President Donald Trump threatened to overshadow it.

0:00 Intro

1:02 Why did Pope Leo go to Africa?

5:20 Pope Leo visits the basilica of Augustine

10:00 Pope Leo’s messages to Algeria

14:57 Pope denounces corruption in Cameroon

22:40 Leo visits conflict zone in Cameroon

27:10 Leo urges church to speak out in Angola

31:07 Angola’s unequal economy

34:44 Equatorial Guinea gives Leo ‘colorful welcome’

36:49 Pope Leo’s memorable prison visit

41:47 Pope Leo in-air press conference

47:41 Outro and credits

Links:

Pope Leo walks in the footsteps of St. Augustine in Hippo

Pope Leo to Cameroon’s leaders: Break the ‘chains of corruption,’ invest in young people

Pope Leo denounces those who use the name God for military gain

Interview: Jesuit provincial on what Pope Leo’s visit meant for Cameroon

Pope Leo: I am ‘not trying to debate the president’

Pope Leo tells Angola’s Catholic leaders: ‘Never cease to denounce injustices.’

Pope Leo calls on leaders to ‘bridge the gap’ between poor and rich in Equatorial Guinea

Asked about regime change in Iran, Pope Leo says, ‘I cannot be in favor of war.’

Pope Leo speaks on same-sex blessings, migration and more on plane back to Rome

Pope Leo prays with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally in historic encounter, vows dialogue

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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 trip to Africa

2:57 Meet Archbishop Joseph Marino

6:38 Nuncios, the Vatican's ambassadors

14:00 Do Nuncios have to be bishops?

18:25 Political diplomacy and Vatican interests

24:40 Vatican diplomacy before the Iraq war

27:08 The Vatican's diplomatic toolkit

30:15 Pope Leo's diplomatic approach

Links:

Pope Leo: I am ‘not trying to debate the president’

Pope Leo in Angola: ‘Put the common good before partisan interests’

Pope Leo to Angolans: ‘Build a country where old divisions are overcome forever’

Pope Leo tells Angola’s Catholic leaders: ‘Never cease to denounce injustices.’

Pope Leo remembers ‘the great gift’ of Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death

Pope Francis remembered by those who knew him

Pope Leo’s delicate task in Equatorial Guinea: Bless the faithful, not the regime

Pope Leo calls on leaders to ‘bridge the gap’ between poor and rich in Equatorial Guinea

Pope Leo tells inmates ‘you are not alone’ during Equatorial Guinea prison visit at end of Africa tour

Pope Leo’s powerful lesson in vulnerable leadership

Pope Leo at year one: The progress of an American pope

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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, Colleen gives an update on the papal journey across Africa.

0:00 Intro

0:25 Pope Leo in Algeria

1:26 Pope Leo in Cameroon

3:00 President Trump's words for Pope Leo

4:20 Pope Leo's criticism of war

5:40 Pope Leo's response to Trump

7:50 U.S. Bishops respond to Trump

8:47 Reactions to Trump's tirade

10:30 Did Trump influence Leo's election?

13:25 Don't take the President's bait

17:05 Impact on U.S.-Vatican relation

Links:

Interview: What Pope Leo’s visit means for Algeria’s tiny Catholic population

Pope Leo’s first trip to Africa: what you need to know

Pope Leo in Algeria: ‘The future belongs to men and women of peace’

Pope Leo walks in the footsteps of St. Augustine in Hippo

Pope Leo on plane to Cameroon: St. Augustine invites us to search for God and truth

Pope Leo to Cameroon’s leaders: Break the ‘chains of corruption,’ invest in young people

Trump is trying to distract us from Pope Leo’s calls for peace. Don’t take the bait.

South Africa’s Cardinal Brislin: Trump cannot silence Pope Leo or the church

US bishops’ doctrine chair defends church’s just war tradition after JD Vance comments

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Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle 

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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, and Trump administration officials. Read more here: https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2026/04/09/vatican-pentagon-free-press/ 

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:01 Pope Leo’s message to the wealthy in Monaco

3:14 Pope says God ‘rejects’ the prayers of warmakers

7:53 Pope Leo washes 12 priests’ feet on Holy Thursday

12:01 Pope carries the cross through Colosseum

15:07 Cardinal Pizzaballa denied access to Holy Sepulchre

20:13 Pope Leo’s Good Friday call with Zelenskyy

22:30 Pope Leo’s Easter appeal for peace

25:11 Leo calls Trump’s Iran threat ‘unacceptable’

30:17 Pope Leo’s trip to Algeria

33:41 Leo to visit Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea

37:01 Outro and Credits

Links:

Is there a Catholic revival? Pope Leo seems to think so.

Palm Sunday: Cardinal Pizzaballa blocked by Israeli police from Holy Sepulchre as Pope Leo denounces war in Rome

Pope Leo’s Holy Thursday homily: ‘In this dark hour of history,’ do not shy away from your mission

The meditations at Pope Leo’s first Way of the Cross at Rome’s Colosseum: Connecting Christ’s Passion to modern suffering

On Good Friday, Pope Leo speaks with presidents of Israel and Ukraine, calling for an end to war

Pope Leo’s first Easter ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message: ‘Let those who have weapons lay them down’

Pope Leo: Trump’s threat to destroy Iran ‘truly unacceptable’

Pope Leo XIV to embark on 10-day Africa tour and trips to Spain and Monaco

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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 report’s content and proposals, and ask if the document changes the status quo for women in the Catholic Church.

Featuring:

Ashley McKinless, executive editor and co-host of the “Jesuitical” podcast

Kerry Weber, executive editor

Colleen Dulle, Vatican correspondent and co-host of the “Inside the Vatican” podcast

Molly Cahill, associate editor

0:00 The Vatican’s final report on women and ministry

4:23 Women’s reactions to the report

11:28 New ministries for women?

20:05 The horizons and limits of women’s authority

30:30 Will women be involved in decision-making?

Links:

⁠The final synod report on women: what it says, what it means and what’s next⁠

⁠Where the women deacons question stands at the Vatican⁠

⁠Full Report of Study Group 5 on “The Participation of Women in the Life and Leadership of the Church⁠”

Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at ⁠americamagazine.org/subscribe⁠

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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 conclave details despite Cardinals taking oaths of secrecy.

- 0:00 Breaking the secrecy of a conclave

- 8:10 A Vatican journalist and a war correspondent

- 12:04 Calculating the conclave vote tallies

- 15:09 Pressure campaigns and conclave maneuvering

- 22:17 How the cardinals choose a pope

- 30:10 What the cardinals think of Pope Leo so far

- 35:50 A touching personal story

Links:

The Election of Pope Leo XIV: The Last Surprise of Pope Francis by Gerard O'Connell and Elisabetta Pique

Excerpt: Behind the scenes of Pope Leo XIV’s election

Backer of Cardinal Parolin attacks Pope Francis’ push for lay involvement in church governance

Los puntos débiles de Parolin, el favorito a ser el próximo papa, y el secreto a voces de su relación con Francisco

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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 court’s decision for a partial re-trial in the “Trial of the Century.”

0:00 Intro

1:50 Did Pope Leo tell American leaders to go to confession?

5:43 Pope Leo calls for ceasefire

8:18 Wars are becoming video games

10:53 Leo’s phone call with Palestinian president

14:44 Pope Leo’s laser focus on peace and unity

17:30 Vatican’s soft power in conflicts

19:26 Pope Leo turns down invite to the US

23:13 Pope Leo moves to the Apolostic Palace

27:30 Update on the Vatican’s “Trial of the Century”

32:34 Pope Leo meets with Gareth Gore

33:26 Outro

Links:

What the Middle East needs: Not more bombs, but ‘hard, focused diplomacy’

Pope Leo to journalists: Don’t become agents of propaganda during wartime

Pope Leo to warring nations in the Middle East: ‘Cease fire!’

Pope Leo to accept Liberty Medal and address Americans on July 3rd

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Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle 

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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 mission, seminaries and women’s roles in the church.

0:00 Intro

1:04 Pope Leo’s comments on Iran

7:30 Cardinal Cupich warns against ‘gamifying’ war

12:25 Cardinal David on war technology

14:10 Cardinal McElroy on Just War Theory

21:27 New papal nuncio to the U.S.

24:33 Synod study group report on digital mission

28:31 Final report on seminary formation

31:46 Final report on women’s ministries

36:36 Why did Cardinal Sako resign?

Links:

Register for Gerry’s book launch

Pope Leo calls for a stop to ‘the thunderous sound of bombs’ in the Middle East

Pope Leo praises heroic action of priest killed by Israeli tank fire in Lebanon

Iran’s Cardinal Mathieu evacuated to Rome

Cardinals McElroy and Cupich denounce Iran war: ‘War now has become a spectator sport.’

Pope Leo appoints Archbishop Caccia as nuncio to the United States

First synod final reports published: on digital culture and seminary formation

The changing face of seminary formation: Group therapy, digital detoxing and more listening

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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 saw Leo’s comments as relatively restrained compared to John Paul II’s at the beginning of the Iraq War.

In the second part of the show, Gerry shares a story from his forthcoming book on the 2025 conclave.

0:00 Intro

2:20 Vatican response to Iran war

7:05 John Paul II on the 2003 Iraq War

9:07 Pope Leo decries 'zeal for war'

10:48 Archbishop Coakley speaks out on war

11:30 On the Christian communities of Tehran

12:50 Pope Leo talks on Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai

14:18 Cardinal Parolin's statements on the war

19:00 What difference the Vatican make

22:14 Stories from Gerry's new book on the conclave

25:40 Cardinal forgets to give away his phone

27:25 Cardinals unused to having no phones

29:00 Behind the scenes of the conclave

32:05 Is the conclave not 'top secret'?

33:26 Outro

Links:

Pope Leo urges a halt to ‘spiral of violence’ across Iran and Middle East

Cardinal Parolin on Iran war: ‘The force of law has been replaced by the law of force’

Address of Pope Leo XIV to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9, 2026

Against Unjust and Unjustified War with Iran

I regret supporting the Iraq War. We shouldn’t repeat our mistakes in Iran now.

Book Excerpt: Behind the scenes of Pope Leo XIV’s election

The Election of Pope Leo XIV: The Last Surprise of Pope Francis

Follow Gerry on X: @gerryorome 

Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle 

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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.

• 0:00 Intro

• 0:47 Papal trips for spring announced

• 7:30 SSPX rejects Vatican proposal

• 12:33 The extra letter to SSPX that Gerry saw

• 17:30 Cardinals Muller and Sarahs’s warnings

• 19:24 What’s next for SSPX?

• 24:14 Fourth anniversary of war in Ukraine

• 26:59 Vatican response to Ukraine peace talks

• 31:02 Vatican’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine

• 34:02 Situation of Ukrainian Catholics

• 38:32 Outro and Credits

Links:

Pope Leo XIV to embark on 10-day Africa tour and trips to Spain and Monaco

SSPX rejects Vatican dialogue, plans to consecrate bishops without papal mandate

Cardinals Müller, Sarah urge SSPX to submit to papal authority

Pope Leo calls for ‘an immediate ceasefire’ to the war in Ukraine

Four years of war: ‘The Ukrainian Catholic Church is wiped out every time there is Russian aggression.’

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Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle 

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