‘The Church needs to change; the Church cannot afford to change,’ Colm Tóibín wrote recently in the LRB. In this episode of the podcast, he joins Tom to discuss how the new pope will have to navigate this paradox. He also looks back at the Francis papacy, and the way that Francis behind his smile ran the Vatican with an iron first; at relations between the ... Show More
Aug 20
Close Readings: 'Our Mutual Friend' by Charles Dickens
'Our Mutual Friend' was Dickens’s last completed novel, published in serial form in 1864-65. The story begins with a body being dredged from the ooze and slime of the Thames, then opens out to follow a wide array of characters through the dust heaps, paper mills, public houses an ... Show More
35m 43s
May 5
WOF 488: The Legacy of Pope Francis
Pope Francis passed away at the age of eighty-eight on Easter Monday. He was the first pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope to take the name “Francis,” after St. Francis of Assisi. What stood out in his twelve-year pontificate? How does his papacy co ... Show More
35m 59s
Apr 2025
How Pope Francis Changed the Catholic Church
Church bells rang out across the world on Monday to mark the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.Jason Horowitz, the Rome bureau chief at The New York Times, discusses the pope’s push to change the church, his bitter clashes with traditionalists, and what his papacy meant to t ... Show More
39m 20s
Jun 25
Why the New Pope Is Taking on AI
The new head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, is making artificial intelligence a signature issue. Last week, the Vatican hosted tech leaders at a two-day international AI conference in Rome. WSJ’s Margherita Stancati reports on why Silicon Valley is watching to see if Leo w ... Show More
21m 58s
May 27
Pope Leo XIV: The American Pope
In this episode of the Catholic Talk Show, Ryan is joined by Dr. Matthew Bunsen to discuss his new book on Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. He shares insights from his experience covering the recent Conclave, the election of Cardinal Prevost, and the unique aspects of Leo's ... Show More
57m 14s
Apr 2025
The Meaning of Pope Francis
The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 marked not just the end of a papacy but the end of an era in global politics. The moment in which Francis spoke before Congress a decade ago and identified Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King as models of Christian mora ... Show More
1h 24m
Apr 2025
About 250,000 People Paid Respects To Pope Francis Over 3 Days
With Pope Francis' funeral just hours away, the Vatican says about 250,000 paid their respects to the pontiff in St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis was known for his love of those on the margins - immigrants, the poor, those too often shunted aside. CNN’s Clarissa Ward talks with a fe ... Show More
47m 1s