Inside The Vatican

Latest Episodes:

Leo needs “no further treatment” for cancer Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen evaluate how Pope Leo XIV’s recovery from his lung surgery is progressing and discuss questions of how the operation might affect his immediate future plans. In the second part of the show, they look at Leo’s personal intervention on behalf of a besieged city in Ukraine.

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Chapters:

0:00 Health update and intro

1:55 Pope Leo returns to audience in St. Peter’s Square

5:59 Leo’s emphasis on family at general audience

7:47 Leo’s hospitalization and resuming work

12:07 Can Leo still go to Latin America?

17:24 Leo’s planned trip to Assisi Oct. 27

19:23 Will Leo slow down or accelerate his work?

22:53 Leo’s calls with Putin and Zelensky

28:02 Does Leo think Ukraine should cede land?

30:56 Effect of Leo’s intervention for Oleshky

35:17 Outro and credits

Links:

Follow Gerry on X: @gerryorome

Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle

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Pope Leo’s cancer diagnosis: What we know Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry explain what we know and what still remains unclear regarding Pope Leo XIV’s shocking lung cancer diagnosis. In the second part of the show, they recap the meeting of bishops on Amoris Laetitia and the election of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as the new dean of the College of Cardinals.

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Links:

First photos of Pope Leo since surgery released by the Vatican (Friday, Oct. 16)

Pope Leo has ‘resumed work’ three days after lung cancer surgery (Thursday, Oct. 15)
Pope Leo concelebrated Mass in hospital chapel as recovery from lung surgery proceeds ‘as expected’ (Wednesday, Oct. 14)
What to know about Pope Leo’s cancer diagnosis (Wednesday, Oct. 14)
Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer, Vatican announces (Tuesday, Oct. 13)
Pope Leo’s lung surgery concludes ‘positively,’ Vatican says (Tuesday, Oct. 13)
‘Amoris’ meeting discusses divorce and remarriage among human ‘fragilities’
‘Amoris’ participants agree that one major issue is affecting families: Migration.
Pope Leo confirms Cardinal Tagle as Dean of the College of Cardinals

Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle

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‘Amoris Laetitia’ at 10: The history, tensions and legacy Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Pope Francis biographer Austen Ivereigh and America executive producer Sebastian Gomes join Colleen Dulle to discuss this week’s Vatican meeting on “Amoris Laetitia,” ten years after Pope Francis published his controversial exhortation on marriage and the family. Austen and Sebastian recap the tense 2014 and 2015 synods on the family, what Pope Francis decided in Amoris Laetitia and what is to be discussed at a Vatican meeting on the document to be held Oct. 7-14 for the heads of the world’s conferences of bishops. Chapters: 00:00 10 years after Amoris Laetitia 2:09 Pope Francis calls the Synod on the family 11:30 What was at stake? 14:50 Two temptations in the Synod 19:26 Overcoming tensions and polarization 21:50 Divorced and remarried Catholics 27:56 Challenges facing families 30:30 What does Amoris Laetitia say? 37:54 Access to the Sacraments? 40:39 A controversial document 42:44 Implementing Amoris Laetitia 44:22 Pope Leo wants to discuss it

Links:

Bishops are meeting at the Vatican next week to discuss ‘Amoris Laetitia.’ Here’s what you need to know.

Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future by Pope Francis and Austen Ivereigh

Communion for the divorced and remarried, papal critics and family life: Pope Francis’ ‘Amoris Laetitia’ at 5 years

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Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle

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French Catholicism Reborn? What happened on Pope Leo’s visit to France (and why it matters for all of us) Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

This week on Jesuitical, Colleen Dulle joins hosts Zac Davis and Sebasian Gomes to discuss Pope Leo’s recent visit to France, including his messages on assisted dying, European identity and the role of the Catholic Church in a secular country. Colleen also reflects on her experience of traveling with the pope for the first time.

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Chapters:

00:00 First time on the papal plane!

4:02 Why Pope Leo went to France

6:45 Catholic revival?

9:43 Secularity in France

14:02 Pro-life issues in France

17:57 Is Europe a "Christian" culture?

24:55 Pope meets abuse victims

34:08 Liturgy and division

Links:

You can sign up for Colleen's 'Vatican Notebook' newsletter here: https://www.americamagazine.org/sign-up-for-vatican-notebook-email-newsletter

Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle

Support the show by becoming a subscriber to America Magazine!

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What to expect from Pope Leo’s trip to France Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen preview Pope Leo XIV’s visit to France, set for Sept. 25-28. The two unpack Pope Leo’s itinerary for the trip, give context for the political situation in the country and discuss what messages the pope may send to both secular and ecclesial authorities in a country and church that are being reshaped by the arrival of newcomers.

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Chapters:

00:00 News: Pope Leo to visit Latin America
2:12 Background on Pope Leo's trip to France
11:07 The EU, war, and multilateralism
15:19 The pope's diplomatic balancing act
18:20 A religious spring in France?
24:00 Scandals, wounds and reconciliation
29:20 Who the pope is meeting

Links:

Follow Gerry on X: @gerryorome

Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle

Support Inside the Vatican by becoming a subscriber to America Magazine!

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‘Baby Bishops School’: How the Vatican trains new bishops Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen discuss the “birthday gifts” Pope Leo XIV gave to the Vatican on his 71st birthday: an expansion of the Vatican Library and archives and the repeal of Covid-era salary cuts. The hosts explain Vatican salaries and what has changed financially for the Holy See since the pandemic.

In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry give a primer on “Baby Bishops’ School,” the annual training for newly-ordained bishops that recently concluded in Rome.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

0:42 Pope Leo repeals Covid-era salary cuts

4:52 How Vatican employees are compensated

7:52 The Vatican’s financial recovery since 2024

10:39 Vatican finances under Pope Leo

15:06 Vatican Library and archive expansion

18:33 Baby Bishops’ School explained

21:03 Bishops get international perspective

24:49 Pope Leo’s address to new bishops

29:43 The Pope Leo ‘style’ of being bishop

33:40 What could change for bishops under Leo

35:30 Outro and credits

Links:
Pope Leo celebrates his 71st birthday—by giving gifts to the Vatican

Is Pope Leo ‘Americanizing’ Vatican fundraising?

What Pope Leo has said about an ‘A.I. pause’

Pope Leo calls for ‘culture of negotiation’ at meeting of North and South American leaders

Synodality, multiculturalism and working with Pope Leo: Archbishop Costelloe on the Australian Catholic Church

Pope Leo warns technology cannot replace the value of human relationships

Cardinal Czerny awarded inaugural Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal

Pope Leo commemorates 9/11, praying for all who ‘bear wounds of that tragic day’

Follow Gerry on X: @gerryorome

Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle

Support Inside the Vatican by becoming a subscriber to America Magazine!

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What’s on Pope Leo’s desk this fall Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and Colleen take the opportunity of Pope Leo’s 71st birthday on Monday, Sept. 14, to look back at what he has accomplished thus far in his papacy and what major items remain on his desk for the fall, including trips to France and Latin America, a series of high-profile appointments and the ongoing trials of Marko Rupnik and Angelo Becciu.

The hosts also announce the launch of the newest America newsletter, Vatican Notebook! Subscribe here.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

3:21 Pope Leo celebrates his 71st birthday

5:50 A review of Pope Leo's first year

10:01 Pope Leo's effect on geopolitics

13:53 Pope Leo assembles a diverse new team

21:50 Leo's focus on peace, poverty and A.I.

28:10 Pope Leo is in no rush

29:10 The pope's preferences for bishops

35:11 Plans for filling bishop vacancies

37:03 Marko Rupnik trial updates

40:53 A new attitude on Vatican finances

44:30 Outro

Links:

Follow Gerry on X: @gerryorome

Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle

Support Inside the Vatican by becoming a subscriber to America Magazine!

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Pope Leo's message for the United States' 250th anniversary Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Pope Leo today received the National Constitution Center’s liberty medal and gave an acceptance speech via livestream from the Vatican. Colleen Dulle recaps his message.

Links from the show:

Read: Pope Leo’s message to the United States on its 250th anniversary

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Vatican excommunicates SSPX bishops, priests and others Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Today, July 2, in response to the SSPX’s illicit ordinations of bishops, the Vatican announced that not only were the bishops involved in the ordination automatically excommunicated and in schism, but that any clergy of SSPX or lay members who “adhere” to the schism are also to be considered excommunicated.

Links from the show:

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‘I doubt he will be diplomatic’: What Leo may say to the U.S. July 3 Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

On this season finale of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry discuss the hectic weeks before Pope Leo’s summer vacation. First they recap the pope’s trip to Pavia to visit the remains of St. Augustine and the home of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, his speech to the World Food Program and the Vatican’s denial of the German bishops’ request to allow lay people to preach homilies. They also look ahead to this week’s consistory of cardinals, the illicit ordinations planned by SSPX, the pope’s address to Americans on July 3 and his trip to Lampedusa July 4, along with how Leo plans to spend his summer vacation. In this episode, Gerry also breaks the news of how many days Pope Leo will spend in Argentina, Peru and Uruguay this fall. 0:00 Intro 1:17 Pope Leo’s visit to Pavia and Cabrini’s hometown 4:52 Breaking News - Pope Leo’s agenda for Latin America 5:44 Pope Leo’s visit to the World Food Program 10:50 Vatican says no to lay homilies during Mass 11:35 Meeting of continental synod leaders at Vatican 16:38 Consistory of cardinals on war, AI and the synod 23:49 Cardinals could discuss SSPX at consistory 28:44 Pope Leo’s address to Americans July 3 34:06 Pope Leo’s July 4 visit to Lampedusa 34:53 What we know about Pope Leo’s summer plans 39:22 Please fill out our listener survey!

Links:

Pope Leo XIV exalts first American saint Cabrini as a model for Christians for her care of migrants

Pope Leo: War is ‘fed more easily’ than the hungry

Vatican to German bishops: No lay people preaching homilies at Mass

SSPX stands firm against Vatican II in open letter to Pope Leo

Extraordinary consistory signals Pope Leo’s push to work with cardinals on global challenges