One Year of Pope Leo: Leadership, Legacy, and the Future of the Catholic Church

One Year of Pope Leo: Leadership, Legacy, and the Future of the Catholic Church

From Harvard Divinity School by Harvard Divinity School

May 7, 2026 · 21 min

About this episode

The episode discusses Pope Leo XIV's first year of leadership and its implications for the future of the Catholic Church.

One year after his election, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership is beginning to take shape—blending continuity with change. How is he guiding the Catholic Church in a moment of global uncertainty, and what does it reveal about the future of the papacy? Raúl Zegarra, Assistant Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies, offers insights into Pope Leo's first year. Produced and hosted by Jonathan Beasley Edited by Tyler Sprouse Logo art direction by Kristie Welsh Intro/Outro music: "Shape Of Hope"; Publishers: Abbey Road Masters; Universal Production Music Ad break music: "Atmospheres"; Publishers: Aurora; Universal Production Music Sign up for the HDS Current newsletter: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/connect Harvard Divinity Bulletin: https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/ Follow HDS on social media: IG, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn (@HarvardDivinity)

People in this episode

Host: Jonathan Beasley

Guest: Raúl Zegarra

Topics covered

  • Pope Leo XIV
  • Catholic Church
  • leadership
  • legacy
  • future of the papacy
  • global uncertainty

Keywords

  • Pope Leo XIV
  • Catholic Church
  • leadership
  • legacy
  • papacy
  • global uncertainty

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Divinity School, Abbey Road Masters, Universal Production Music, Aurora

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