We pause our regular “Inside the Vatican” episode this week to pick up where our America subscriber-only Conclave Debrief live Zoom event left off on Monday, June 9. Hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell briefly cover the latest Vatican headlines before inviting their producer, Ricardo da Silva, S.J.—who also participated in the live event—to join the conversation. Together, they tackle the key questions posed by America subscribers, focusing on four areas of concern:
- Inside the Conclave
What made this conclave different from the 2013 election of Pope Francis? What stood out this time? What was it like covering a conclave live from the Vatican for the first time? And how did secular media in the U.S. respond to the papal transition?
- Pope Leo and AI
What early signals has Pope Leo given about artificial intelligence, deep fakes and the ethical challenges of new technologies? How might these shape the church’s approach to rapidly evolving technology environments?
- Ongoing reforms in the church’s response to the sexual abuse crisis
What structural reforms could Pope Leo pursue to address the ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church? How might he respond to broader abuses of power—including financial misconduct and spiritual abuse—and better center and respond to survivors?
- Vatican-China relations
How might Pope Leo’s background and experience in Asia shape the Vatican’s evolving relationship with China? What diplomatic challenges and opportunities lie ahead?
[Listen and subscribe to “Inside the Vatican” on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.]
Links from the show
- VIDEO | Pope Leo’s first month: Your questions answered
- Pope Leo XIV and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have first phone call
- Mosaics of alleged abuser Father Marko Rupnik removed from Vatican News website
- Pope Leo at Pentecost: The Holy Spirit opens borders in hearts, in relationships and between peoples
- Pope Leo: Papal diplomats must always defend the poor and religious freedom
- What might help Pope Leo fix troubled Vatican finances? His American-ness.
- Pope Leo XIV names first Chinese bishop, signaling he is continuing controversial Vatican-China deal
- How will Pope Leo tackle the sex abuse crisis?
- Pope Leo: Papal diplomats must always defend the poor and religious freedom
- Pope Leo XIV’s name choice and facing the world of artificial intelligence
