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 JD Vance, exploring what it might reveal about his diplomatic approach amid ongoing tensions between the Vatican and the United States over critical issues such as migration and climate change.
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The conversation then turns to the pope’s inauguration Mass, a liturgy that drew over 200,000 people to St. Peter’s Square. There, Pope Leo quoted St. Augustine, received the woolen pallium and the Fisherman’s Ring—both ancient symbols of papal authority—and visibly fought back tears as the ring was placed on his finger. These poignant moments offered early glimpses into the heart and weight of his papacy.
Finally, Colleen and Gerry reflect on how the pope’s early private audiences, formal speeches and video messages suggest a papacy in continuity with Pope Francis, yet possibly distinguished by a more scripted, deliberate style and a gift for expressing ideas with arresting elegance. One phrase he has already repeated might offer a defining glimpse into his papal politic: “disarmed and disarming.”
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