Deep Dive: An American Pope–How it happened and what it means

About this episode

The episode examines the election of Leo XIV as the first American pope and the implications of this historic event.

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Guests: Kathleen Sprows Cummings, Christopher Lamb, J.D. Long García

Topics covered

• American Pope
• Catholicism
• U.S. history
• Vatican
• anti-Catholicism
• papacy
• reform

Keywords

• Leo XIV
• American Pope
• Catholic Church
• Vatican Correspondent
• anti-Catholicism
• reform
• U.S. history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Notre Dame, CNN

More episodes of Inside The Vatican

• Anna Rowlands on the ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ debates · June 11, 2026 · 41 min
• EWTN president named head of Vatican communications · June 5, 2026 · 34 min
• Pope Leo's A.I. encyclical: Top takeaways from “Magnifica Humanitas” · May 28, 2026 · 41 min
• Pope Leo's Encyclical: "Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed." · May 25, 2026 · 5 min
• What we know about Pope Leo’s A.I. encyclical · May 22, 2026 · 38 min
• Marco Rubio’s Vatican visit, explained | Inside the Vatican podcast · May 15, 2026 · 36 min