Why Pope Leo Called Child Protection a Church Mandate
Pope Leo put child protection where it belongs, at the center of the Church's moral life. The hard part is whether parishes, schools, and dioceses will act like he meant it.
What Pope Leo Saw in Madrid That Processions Alone Can't Fix
A million Catholics turned out for Corpus Christi in Madrid. I'm less interested in the crowd size than in the uncomfortable sentence Pope Leo slipped into the middle of it.
Why Odiong's Life Sentence Doesn't End the Church Story
Odiong's conviction matters. So does the ugly fact that complaints apparently led to conversations, not removal.
What Leo Found in Africa That Rome Needed to Hear
Leo's first audience after Africa wasn't travel scrapbook material. It was sharper than that, and a lot more hopeful.
What Pope Leo Said in Cameroon That Governments Hate Hearing
Pope Leo went to Cameroon and said something blunt about the Anglophone conflict. I think that matters more than diplomatic niceties usually do.
The Pope Answered Trump With One Line
Pope Leo didn't match volume with volume. He answered with something steadier, and I think that's the part people will remember.
Nobody Saw This Part of Leo's Algeria Trip Coming
The headlines want the pope-versus-Trump fight. I keep coming back to where Leo went first, and what that says about the Church.