Jesuitical

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Jesuitical episodes

October 22American Catholics are souring on Trump. Here’s why.
Where do U.S. politics and Catholicism intersect? On this week’s roundtable episode, “Jesuitical” host Ashley McKinless speaks with America’s chief correspondent, Kevin Clarke, and Father Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior analyst at Religion News Service, about today’s “signs of the times.” Together, Ashley, Kevin and Father Reese discuss Pope Leo’s health post-cancer surgery, immigrant detention as a religious liberty issue, the death penalty and how these all tie into how Catholics are feeling about politics ahead of the midterm elections.
*Note: After this was recorded, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo needs no further cancer treatment. Read the latest here: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/10/21/pope-leo-cancer-test-results-treatment
Chapters:
00:00 Our topics this week
1:19 Pope Leo health update (Note: After this was recorded, the Vatican
6:22 Pope calls Putin and Zelensky
11:50 Archdiocese sues Trump administration
15:52 Religious liberty and the Sacraments
20:20 Catholics denounce public execution
26:40 Catholics are souring on Trump
31:51 A Pope Leo effect in America?
Links from the show:
The Fragility of the Pope

St. Louis archdiocese sues DHS and ICE to bring sacraments to immigrant detainees

The death of the American conscience will be livestreamed

USCCB President Condemns Plans for Livestream of Fort Hood Shooter's Execution as ‘a Barbaric Promotion of a Culture of Death’

Pope Francis: ‘death penalty inadmissible’

Pew: Trump’s support among Catholic voters drops heading into midterms

How Catholics have defended free elections—and why they must do so again
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38 min
October 15 Leo XIV biographer on the pope’s cancer diagnosis and unlikely journey from Chicago to Rome
This week on the “Jesuitical” podcast, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis speak with National Public Radio’s Scott Detrow about Pope Leo’s cancer diagnosis and Scott’s new book, American Pope: Leo XIV's Road from the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City. Scott shares his initial reaction to the pope’s lung surgery this week and provides insights into Leo’s medical history. Then, Scott, Zac and Ashley follow Robert Prevost’s incredible journey from Chicago to Peru to the Vatican and discuss what makes the first American pope uniquely qualified to lead the Catholic Church.
Chapters
00:00 Pope Leo's cancer diagnosis
2:02 A surprise conclave
4:18 Scott reacts to Leo's cancer
7:37 How Catholics in Chicago shaped Leo
13:45 Leo's leadership style
17:45 Leo's vision of the church
20:44 An unlikely bishop
29:56 A cardinal, not a bureaucrat
32:38 Did Francis prepare Prevost to be pope?
35:12 Pope Leo, the American
39:38 Open questions about Pope Leo
Links from the show:
- Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer, Vatican announces: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/10/13/pope-leo-diagnosed-with-lung-cancer-vatican-announces
- Pope Leo is walking, eating and receiving therapy after lung cancer surgery: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/10/14/pope-leo-lung-cancer-recovery-walking
- Pope Leo has ‘resumed work’ three days after lung cancer surgery: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/10/15/pope-leo-cancer-lung-surgery-recovery-work
- What to know about Pope Leo’s cancer diagnosis: https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/10/14/what-to-know-about-pope-leos-cancer-diagnosis
- American Pope: Leo XIV’s Road from the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250446053/americanpope
- No one expected Leo to be pope — except everyone who knew him as ‘Bob’: https://www.npr.org/2026/10/03/nx-s1-5987816/pope-leo-american-pope-book-excerpt
- Sign up for our Vatican newsletter: https://www.americamagazine.org/sign-up-for-vatican-notebook-email-newsletter
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49 min
October 08Why the Catholic Church still struggles to minister to families
This week on “Jesuitical,” hosts Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless speak with Joseph de Viveiros, C.R., about the pastoral consequences of Pope Francis’ groundbreaking 2016 document on family life, “Amoris Laetitia.” Father Joseph is a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection, and chaplain for the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board in North Bay, Ontario. As Pope Leo gathers bishops from around the world at the Vatican to review the document’s implementation, Zac, Ashley and Father Joseph discuss the complex challenges facing families and young couples, and how a lot of work needs to be done, especially by priests, to realize Pope Francis’ vision.
Chapters:
00:00 Auguri Ashley McKinless!
1:50 Why we're talking about 'Amoris Laetitia'
7:45 The Christian ideal vs. lived reality
12:23 People's lives are messy
16:30 Critics of Francis' approach
21:57 How to discern in conscience
25:58 How the Church forms couples
36:20 Advice for priests
37:45 Why you should get married
43:25 Parish announcements: auguri!
44:33 Faith sharing: grace in sacraments
Links:
Read “Amoris Laetitia”

Amoris Laetitia: For a new proclamation of Gospel with families and for families

Bishops are meeting at the Vatican next week to discuss ‘Amoris Laetitia.’ Here’s what you need to know.

What you need to know about Pope Leo’s October meeting on marriage and family
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54 min
October 01French Catholicism Reborn? What happened on Pope Leo’s visit to France (and why it matters for all of us)
This week on Jesuitical, Colleen Dulle joins hosts Zac Davis and Sebasian Gomes to discuss Pope Leo’s recent visit to France, including his messages on assisted dying, European identity and the role of the Catholic Church in a secular country. Colleen also reflects on her experience of traveling with the pope for the first time.
⁠Sign up for Colleen’s newsletter, Vatican Notebook⁠!

Chapters:
00:00 First time on the papal plane!
4:02 Why Pope Leo went to France
6:45 Catholic revival?
9:43 Secularity in France
14:02 Pro-life issues in France
17:57 Is Europe a "Christian" culture?
24:55 Pope meets abuse victims
34:08 Liturgy and division
Links:
⁠Pope Leo’s trip to France won’t be a victory lap—and that’s a good thing.⁠

⁠Vatican Notebook: Pope Leo navigates tensions between secularism and Catholic history on France visit⁠

⁠‘More than a monument’: Pope Leo’s speech at the newly renovated Notre-Dame⁠

⁠Pope Leo draws 800,000 to Mass in the heart of Paris⁠

⁠Vatican Notebook: Pope Leo addresses French conversion boom, warns against complacency⁠

⁠Pope speaks out against French assisted-dying and abortion laws in Lourdes visit⁠

⁠Mother: Pope Leo’s blessing of special-needs daughter recognizes ‘segment of humanity often set aside’⁠

⁠Pope Leo meets with survivors of abuse in Lourdes⁠

⁠Pope Leo: Europe must return to path of dialogue, not military buildup⁠

⁠Pope Leo is not ‘in panic mode’ about an A.I. catastrophe, but ‘we can’t just sit back’ and do nothing⁠
You can sign up for Colleen's 'Vatican Notebook' newsletter ⁠here⁠: ⁠https://www.americamagazine.org/sign-up-for-vatican-notebook-email-newsletter⁠
Follow Colleen on Instagram: ⁠@colleendulle⁠
Support the show by becoming a ⁠subscriber to America Magazine⁠!

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46 min
September 24 Fulton Sheen: The First Celebrity Bishop
This week on the “Jesuitical” podcast, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis speak with Rachel Lu about the beatification of Fulton Sheen, the American archbishop who was famous for his media evangelism in the mid-20th century. Rachel is a senior editor at Law and Liberty and a regular contributor to the National Review and America Magazine. Together they discuss Sheen’s charisma, cultural influence, and his lesser known political philosophy which defended both the public role of religion and the separation of church and state.
Chapters:
Chapters:
00:00 Beatification of Fulton Sheen
01:23 When Fulton Sheen arrived on the scene
05:20 Sheen’s philosophical training
07:34 Fighting communism
11:22 What made Sheen’s TV show so popular?
13:51 What Sheen would think of America today?
26:09 The first celebrity bishop?
34:19 Introducing "Auguri!"
36:15 Faith sharing: Praying about using A.I.
Links from the show:
Fulton Sheen Bet on America. Some Catholics Want to Call It Off.
Pope Leo calls Archbishop Fulton Sheen ‘a light of faith’ who touched millions with the Gospel
Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be beatified Sept. 24 in St. Louis
Sign up for our newsletter, Vatican Notebook!
You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.
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48 min
September 17 U.S. Bishops are finding their voice. What will they say about A.I.?
On this week’s episode of “Jesuitical,” Zac Davis and Sebastian Gomes speak with America’s President and Editor in Chief, Sam Sawyer, S.J. to discuss the impact that U.S. bishops are having on politics, AI, and more. Bishops are speaking out against war, mass deportations, the death penalty and racism, and their voices are breaking through. In this episode, Zac, Sebastian and Sam talk about why they’re having a moment, the influence of Pope Leo, and the opportunities for shaping the future of A.I.
Chapters:
00:00 Growing influence of Bishops on US politics
04:35 Opposing mass deportation
10:30 Engaging with the Trump Administration
14:05 Bishops are finding new ways to talk about issues
18:00 The influence of Pope Leo
22:43 Where Bishops stand on A.I.
29:54 How U.S. Bishops can implement Magnifica humanitas
32:55 Opportunities around A.I.

Links:
The U.S. bishops are speaking out forcefully on politics—and finally being heard
Top US bishop writes letter to Trump urging end to mass deportations of Haitians
Why are there so few African American bishops? ‘The short answer is racism’ says Bishop Boxie
Bishop Olson on racism
US bishops form new task force over AI concerns, meet with tech leaders
Pope Francis to U.S. Catholic bishops: Oppose mass deportations
Analysis: The U.S. bishops showed their unity on behalf of immigrants—and may have repaired their relationship to Rome
Artificial Intelligence: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
USCCB Positions on Artificial Intelligence
Support Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe
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You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical.

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42 min
September 10 SSPX Excommunicated: History, Pope Leo and why it all goes back to Vatican II
Schisms don’t happen often in the Catholic Church. Which makes Pope Leo’s recent excommunication of the Society of Saint Pius X big news. This week on Jesuitical, hosts Zac and Ashley speak to Shaun Blanchard, Senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia, about the history of the SSPX, their illicit decision to ordain new bishops, and what their excommunication means for more traditional groups within the Catholic Church.
Chapters:
00:00 Why we're talking about the SSPX
01:42 Why the SSPX was excommunicated
04:55 Why Archbishop Lefebvre rejected Vatican II
9:38 Lefebvre's problem with religious liberty
14:20 Was this a debate over liturgy?
18:00 Ordaining bishops crosses a line
21:33 How 17th c. Jansenism illuminates the crisis
28:45 Restricting the traditional Latin Mass
35:05 How excommunication works
38:52 Implications for the traditional Latin Mass
47:16 There's no going back on Vatican II
49:48 Learning to appreciate Vatican II
Links:
Vatican declares excommunicated SSPX bishops, warns priests and lay faithful of schism
Analysis: SSPX excommunications show what Pope Leo means by church ‘unity’
After SSPX excommunications, traditionalist Catholics face a difficult choice
5 years after Pope Francis’ Latin Mass restrictions, traditionalist Catholics reflect on ‘Traditionis Custodes’
After SSPX schism, some Catholics urge greater access to the older Latin Mass
Latin Mass, schism and cardinals in the media: The liturgy wars are back (and never really left)

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1 hr
June 25 Pope Leo and Trump aren’t the first feuding leaders: a history of papal power clashes
When President Trump took to Truth Social earlier this year and attacked Pope Leo for being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” most Catholics were understandably shocked. But a clash between a secular leader and the bishop of Rome is hardly without precedent. This week on “Jesuitical,” hosts Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless talk with Miles Pattendens, an expert on popes and papal conclaves, about the long and quirky history of feuds between popes and politicians.
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss the Vatican rejection of a request from the German bishops to allow lay people to preach the homily at Mass. Plus, a look ahead at Pope Leo’s summer plans.
And in As One Friends Speak to Another, America Media’s O’Hare fellows—Brigid McCabe, Ed Desciak and Will Gualitiere—share some spiritual insights from a year working at the intersection of the church and the world.
Jesuitical listener survey
00:00 Context
2:47 Vatican says "no" to women preaching
12:07 Pope Leo's summer schedule
16:05 History of Catholic authority
19:46 The investiture controversy
26:03 Pastoral concern or power grabs?
34:27 Henry VIII vs. Popes
39:20 How the church lost power
43:10 Moral authority on the global stage
52:00 Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo
1:00:10 Fill out our listener survey! https://forms.gle/yggZcBKeXYKbWYpM7
1:01:12 Faith sharing with our Fellows!
Learn about America Magazine's Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., Postgraduate Media Fellowship: https://www.americamagazine.org/ohare-fellows
Jesuitical listener survey: https://forms.gle/yggZcBKeXYKbWYpM7
Links:
Vatican to German bishops: No lay people preaching homilies at Mass
Extraordinary consistory signals Pope Leo’s push to work with cardinals on global challenges
Pope Leo speaks out on SSPX ordinations and U.S.-Iran deal
Pope Leo to accept Liberty Medal and address Americans on July 3
Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 1450-1700

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1 hr 15 min
June 18 What the Lost Sheep parable says about individuality, tribalism and communion
This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley sit down with Luke Burgis, the director of the Cluny Institute at The Catholic University of America and the author of The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion. They discuss why we join and leave tribes, how to form a “solid” self and what healthy group identity looks like.
In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss Vice President JD Vance’s new memoir on converting to Catholicism, the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and new statutes for the Vatican’s commission for the protection of minors. Plus, Pope Leo wraps up his successful trip to Spain on the Canary Islands—but has some trouble getting off them.
And in As One Friend Speaks to Another, Zac shares what he’s thinking about going into his very first Father’s Day.
0:00 Intro
3:30 J.D. Vance’s new book “Communion”
9:36 U.S. bishops meet for annual meeting in Orlando
19:44 Pope Leo finishes Spain trip
21:39 Papal plane trouble
24:25 Interview with Luke Burgis
25:52 The parable of the lost sheep
31:16 The age of social contagion
33:56 What Luke learned in seminary
38:05 Is your community good for you?
42:27 People respond to aesthetics
46:30 The importance of distance
48:46 The Catholic Church is unique as a community
57:20 What is the Cluny Institute?
1:02:25 What about AI?
1:05:24 Canonization
1:08:07 As One Friend Speaks to Another

Links:
The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion
Learn more about the Cluny Institute
JD Vance writes about his journey to Catholicism in his new book, ‘Communion’
Consecration 101: What the bishops’ upcoming consecration of the US to the Sacred Heart means
Pope Leo XIV approves new statutes for child protection commission
Pope Leo ends visit to Spain with a call to repent

What’s on tap?
Sancerre

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1 hr 13 min
June 11What is it like to teach a future Pope?
This week on “Jesuitical”, Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis talk to Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., who taught Scripture at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago for 44 years. She also served as America’s Word columnist from 2002 to 2005. During her time at CTU, Sr. Dianne had one very famous student, Robert Prevost—the future Pope Leo XIV. With Sr. Dianne, Zac and Ashley discuss what it’s like to be the teacher of a future pope and how approaches to teaching Scripture have evolved over time.
During Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac unpack Pope Leo’s trip to Spain and a new Sagrada Familia Lego Set, and they talk sports with Catholic perspectives on the World Cup and NBA Finals—featuring some words from O’Hare Fellow Ed Desciak.
In “As One Friend Speaks to Another,” Ashley shares an exciting announcement.
Links from the show:
Pope Leo defends the unborn and migrants in historic speech to Spanish parliament

More than one million attend Pope Leo’s Mass and procession in the heart of Madrid

Pope Leo meets Bad Bunny in Madrid

In Spain, Pope Leo denounces polarization and hails commitment to multilateralism

Lego announces new set designed after Spain’s Sagrada Família basilica

Oligarchs can’t ruin the World Cup

Celebrating faith and FIFA: Italian-American community welcomes soccer legends

Your Catholic Guide to the 2026 N.B.A. Finals: Spurs Sisters vs. Villanova Knicks
You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.
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56 min

About Jesuitical

From the publisher's feed

Jesuitical is a podcast from America Media for saints and sinners. Tune in every week for honest conversations about the Catholic Church and our world today—sometimes over drinks. Hosted by Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis.