The pope’s annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia was once a run-of-the-mill affair, but in 2005, the year he was elected pope, Benedict XVI used the speech to lay out his decisive vision for the implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Francis famously used the speech to decry the “diseases” of the Roman Curia.

This week, Pope Leo XIV delivered his own first Christmas address to the Curia. On a special roundtable episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and producers Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Sebastian Gomes examine how Leo’s speech continued his predecessors’ priorities, and where it differed.

“Inside the Vatican” will take a break for Christmas and return on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, barring any breaking news.

Links from the show:

Pope Leo in Christmas address to Vatican officials asks: ‘Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia?’

Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast

Hark! The stories of our favorite Christmas carols

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The Jubilee Year is drawing to a close and Christmas is drawing near. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell cover several important arts events the Vatican has hosted in the lead-up to Christmas, including the “Concert for the Poor” featuring Michael Bublé, the Ratzinger Prize concert with conductor Riccardo Muti and a live performance about St. Peter by filmmaker Roberto Benigni.

In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry cover the final major event of the Jubilee of Hope: the jubilee for prisoners and those who work in prisons. The hosts highlight some of the key points from Pope Leo’s powerful jubilee homily.

Finally, Gerry and Colleen review some of the week’s Vatican headlines, including Pope Leo’s comments on his visit to the Blue Mosque, his message of condolence to the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting and the appointment of Bishop Ronald Hicks, as the new archbishop of New York.

Links from the show:

Pope Leo asks Michael Bublé to give his best for the poor at Vatican Christmas concert

Pope Leo attends Vatican Christmas concert for the poor featuring Catholic singer Michael Bublé

Full text: Pope Leo’s homily on the Sunday of the Jubilee of Prisoners

Executions nearly doubled in 2025. But the Jubilee Year saw other good news for death penalty abolition.

Pope Leo explains why he appeared not to pray at the Blue Mosque in Turkey

Pope Leo condemns ‘antisemitic violence,’ ‘terrorist massacre’ in Sydney

Pope Leo picks Chicago-born Ronald Hicks to follow Dolan in New York

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On Dec. 4, the final report from the Vatican’s second study commission on women deacons was published, saying that women can’t be ordained to the diaconate “as understood as a degree of holy orders,” but it stopped short of an unequivocal “no” to women deacons, saying that while its “assessment is strong…it does not allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated at this time.”

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Vatican correspondents Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell unpack the commission’s report: how it came about, why the commission seems to have left the door open to women deacons despite its “no,” and where the push for women’s ministries in the church is likely to go next.

In the second part of the show, Gerry and Colleen examine the dissolution of a Holy See fundraising commission that Pope Francis approved while he was in the hospital. Gerry argues that Pope Francis would likely have dissolved the commission, too, and Colleen raises concern that Vatican officials had asked the pope to sign off on things when he was not in a state to do so.

After our recording, Pope Leo commented on why he appeared not to pray in the Blue Mosque—a topic Colleen and Gerry discussed last week. You can read Colleen’s story here.

A correction to our production credits: Inside the Vatican was engineered by Adam Buchmueller this week.

Links from the show:

Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now

Video: Women Deacons and the Catholic Church | An Explainer

Pope Leo cancels Vatican fundraising commission announced under questionable circumstances

UPDATED: Pope Leo meets Ukraine’s Zelensky as European leaders discuss controversial U.S. peace plan

Pope Leo explains why he appeared not to pray at the Blue Mosque in Turkey

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Today, the Vatican published the results of its second study commission on women deacons. It said that women cannot be admitted to the diaconate “as understood as a degree of holy orders.”

However, it stopped short of an unequivocal “no” to women deacons, saying that while the commission’s “assessment is strong… it does not allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated at this time, as in the case of priestly ordination.”

Stay tuned to Inside the Vatican for a more in-depth look at this story, and read Gerard O’Connell’s report here: Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now

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Later this week, Pope Leo XIV begins his first international apostolic visit: a six-day trip to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2. At the center of that journey is his stop in Nicaea—today the town of İznik—where the first ecumenical council (325 A.D.) set down the Nicene Creed, the profession of faith that has united Christians for seventeen centuries. Pope Francis had hoped to make this pilgrimage in May; now, Pope Leo is taking up the mantle.

We’re re-running our deep dive episode on Nicaea today—originally published before Pope Francis’ death. It explores the history of Nicaea and its ongoing importance for Christians, particularly in working toward a common Easter date.

In the show’s introduction, producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., updates listeners on Pope Leo’s new document on Christian unity, released to commemorate the council’s anniversary, and on a recently issued doctrinal note on monogamy from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In the deep dive, you’ll hear from:

Aristotle (Telly) Papanikolaou, Professor of Theology and the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture at Fordham University 

John Chryssavgis, deacon of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina in Canada and a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity 

Married professors Ben Hohman, a Roman Catholic, and Claire Koen, an Eastern Orthodox Christian

Sandra Beardsall, Professor Emerita of Church History and Ecumenics at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon, Canada, an ordained United Church minister and a member of the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission

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Links from the show:

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and executive producer Sebastian Gomes unpack the news from the reports and analyze in-depth the work of the groups studying women’s ministries, seminary formation and the appointment of bishops.

Links from the show:

Synod study groups on ‘controversial’ issues release interim reports

To submit contributions to the liturgy working group: [email protected] (Further info)

The debate on women deacons in the Catholic Church: A short documentary

Podcast: Inside the top secret process of appointing a Catholic bishop

The changing face of seminary formation: Group therapy, digital detoxing and more listening

Pope Leo to Hollywood: Don’t give up on movies (or movie theaters)

Pope Leo fulfills Francis’ promise: 62 Indigenous artifacts returned to Canada

On World Day of the Poor, Pope Leo calls on government leaders ‘to listen to the cry of the poorest’

More information on Pope Leo’s Q-and-A with American youth
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On “Inside the Vatican” this week, Senior Vatican Correspondent Gerard O’Connell explains what we know about the meeting, what cardinals are expecting, and what it means that this will be Pope Leo’s first big agenda item that was not already planned for Pope Francis.

Links from the show:

Buy Gerry’s new book (Spanish edition) El último Cónclave!

Pope Leo to call College of Cardinals to Rome for a two-day January meeting

Vatican News: Augustinian Fr Daleng new vice regent of Pontifical Household

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On “Inside the Vatican” this week, Vatican correspondents Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss the new doctrinal statement on Mary and look at St. John Henry Newman being named a doctor of the church and co-patron of Catholic education.

Links from the show:

Pope Leo says ICE should allow ‘pastoral workers’ to bring detained migrants Communion

Vatican officially says no to controversial titles for Mary: ‘Co-redemptrix’ and ‘Mediatrix of all Graces’

Pope Leo declares St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the church and co-patron of Catholic education

St. John Henry Newman’s unique approach to conscience

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Pope Leo XIV delivered remarkably candid responses at a jubilee gathering for synodal teams and participatory bodies, in what senior Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell called “perhaps the most extraordinary session” he has witnessed since Leo’s election.

0:00 Intro

0:27 Interfaith peace meeting

1:48 Synod Jubilee Q-and-A

17:06 Synod Jubilee homily

23:45 Visit of King Charles III

28:54 Address to Popular Movements

34:28 Meeting with Jesuits

41:05 Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica

46:04 Outro and Credits

Links from the show:

Watch the Synod Jubilee Q-and-A

Read: Pope Leo’s homily on what it means to be a synodal church

No, synodality is not a ‘Trojan horse’ that will destroy the church.

Pope Leo and King Charles make history with first-ever joint prayer service in Sistine Chapel

Pope: Popular movements must fill void left by society’s inhuman indifference

Full Text: Speech to the Popular Movements

Pope Leo’s address to the Jesuits: ‘The church needs you at the frontiers.’

Analysis: Why is Pope Leo letting Cardinal Burke say the Latin Mass at the Vatican?

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