Jesuitical

This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and guest host Sebastian speak with Vatican expert Thomas Reese, S.J., a Jesuit priest who is a senior analyst at Religion News Service and former editor in chief of America magazine. 

Ashley, Sebastian and Father Reese discuss:

- The big takeaways from Pope Leo’s first consistory

- 101 on the recent history of the College of Cardinals 

- Whether Leo is continuing on the synodal path set by Pope Francis

In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Sebastian discuss Catholic reactions from Minnesota a week after the shooting death of Renee Good by an ICE officer. They also unpack the Vatican’s diplomatic involvement in Venezuela and the meeting between the new U.S.C.C.B. president, Archbishop Paul Coakley, and President Trump at the White House.

Finally, the hosts explain the history and significance of Pope Leo’s new papal staff.

 Links for further reading: 

- Read more from Father Reese at RNS

- Pope Leo says he will hold consistories with the College of Cardinals every year

- Pope Leo XIV’s papacy began today

- Pope Leo meets with Venezuelan opposition leader Machado

- Trump meets with US bishops’ president at White House

- Baptizing the lie about ICE and the killing of Renee Nicole Good

- Leo’s new papal staff highlights Christ’s victory over death

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This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and guest host Sebastian sit down with Eric Sundrup, S.J., a Jesuit priest who is the vice president for mission and ministry and university chaplain at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Father Eric has also worked on “Jesuitical” since its inception (in 2017!) in a variety of roles; today, he continues to provide faith formation for the team. 

Ashley, Sebastian and Father Eric discuss:

- What spiritual practices “worked” for them in 2025—and what they want to leave behind

- How to approach Mass with fresh eyes and ears in the new year

- Why you shouldn’t beat yourself up about not meeting your prayer goals

In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Sebastian discuss the conclusion of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and the next phase of Pope Leo’s pontificate. They unpack Catholic reactions to the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces and the recent news of Israel banning 37 humanitarian groups, including a Catholic aid group, from operating in Gaza.

Finally, Sebastian and Ashley talk about supposed divine intervention on the football field during last weekend’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game.

 Links for further reading: 

- Pope Leo says he will hold consistories with the College of Cardinals every year

- Pope Leo XIV closes 2025 Holy Year with critique of consumerism and xenophobia

- Pope Leo XIV’s papacy began today

- Pope Leo’s first Extraordinary Consistory: What should we expect?

- Venezuela, Trump and the end of ‘Pax Americana’

- Inside Venezuela’s capital after Trump administration captures Maduro

- Pope Leo: ‘The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.’

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Who’s the best TV priest? Should you name your kid after a saint? And what pilgrimage sites are on our bucket list? These are just a few of the questions Zac, Ashley and “Jesuitical” producer Sebastian Gomes tackle in our end-of-year mailbag episode!

Thanks to all the listeners who sent in questions for the hosts—we love hearing what’s on your minds. So don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] or on our Facebook page to let us know what you’d like us to discuss on the show. 

Merry Christmas, and we’ll see you in 2026!

What’s on tap?

Syrah from the Northern Rhone Valley

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This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac speak to Noah Banasiewicz, S.J. Noah is a Jesuit scholastic and lecturer in the School of Communication at Loyola University Chicago.

Ashley, Zac and Noah talk about:

- The opportunities and pitfalls of evangelizing on social media

- The fine line between evangelist and Catholic influencer

- How media theory can help us understand the evolution of evangelization

In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss the controversial ICE nativity scene at St. Susanna Catholic Church in Dedham, Mass., and Pope Leo’s comments on Ukraine and the Trump administration. They also break down the new Vatican document on ordaining women to the diaconate. 

In parish announcements, Zac and Ashley announce that they will be filming a mailbag episode and call for questions from the audience. If you have a question for the “Jesuitical” team, please send your questions to [email protected] by Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.

In As One Friend Speaks to Another, Ashley and Zac discuss their thoughts on Pope Leo’s explanation for not praying at the Blue Mosque in Turkey. 

Links for further reading: 

Noah’s article in America, “Catholic influencers have a media theory (and evangelization) problem”

Boston archdiocese tells church to remove ICE message from Nativity, but pastor refuses for now

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

Vatican report says no to ordaining women deacons—for now

Women Deacons and the Catholic Church | An Explainer video from America

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This week, Ashley and Zac debrief Pope Leo XIV's first international trip to Turkey and Lebanon, where he preached a strong message of peace and Christian unity, and shared insights from the conclave that elected him.

Then, they speak to their colleague and America's senior audio producer, Maggi Van Dorn, about the new season of her podcast, "Hark! The Stories Behind Our Favorite Christmas Carols." They reflect on Maggi's reporting trip to Coventry, England, a place of historic violence and home of the haunting Christmas hymn, "The Coventry Carol".

Links:

Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew urge Christian unity at Nicaea commemoration

In Turkey, Pope Leo pushes for unity and peace—within and beyond Christianity

Pope Leo makes a strong pitch for peace in war-threatened Lebanon

Pope Leo meets survivors of Beirut port explosion and calls for peace as he concludes Lebanon visit

Pope Leo on what he was thinking inside the conclave

Listen to “Hark! The Stories Behind Our Favorite Christmas Carols” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and at AmericaMagazine.org/Hark

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This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac chat with Daniel Corrou, S.J. Father Corrou is a Jesuit priest from the USA East Province who is currently the regional director of Jesuit Refugee Service Middle East & North Africa. Father Corrou lives and works in Lebanon, where Pope Leo XIV will visit from November 30 to December 2, 2025.

Ashley, Zac and Father Corrou talk about:

- The significance of Pope Leo choosing Lebanon for one of his first papal visits

- Lebanon’s complex socio-political and religious context

- How the region has been affected by U.S. foreign aid cuts

In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss the biggest news to come out of the U.S.C.C.B. fall meeting, held last week in Baltimore: the election of a new president and a “special message” on immigration.

In As One Friend Speaks to Another, Ashley and Zac try to find God in a board meeting.

Links for further reading: 

- Support Father Corrou’s work at the Jesuit Refugee Service

- Analysis: The U.S. bishops showed their unity on behalf of immigrants—and may have repaired their relationship to Rome

- U.S. bishops release rare message on Trump’s immigration crackdown in show of ‘fundamental unity

- New USCCB president Coakley talks immigration, Viganò criticism and Pope Leo

- Archbishop Coakley, Bishop Flores elected president and vice president of USCCB

- Pope Leo backs U.S. bishops in opposing Trump’s immigration crackdown

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This week on an interview-only episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac speak with Sister Theresa Aletheia and Sister Danielle Victoria, founding members of the Sisters of the Little Way, a private association of the faithful intending to become a religious institute, who live a mission of listening and solidarity with people who have been hurt by the church.

Ashley, Zac and the sisters talk about:

- The ins and outs of starting a religious order

- The important and complicated mission of helping abuse survivors

- Crises of faith from abuse and how to overcome them 

Links for further reading: 

Sisters of the Little Way website

Descent Into Light Podcast

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This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac chat with Chris Cimorelli. Chris is the director of the National Institute for Newman Studies and the editor of the Newman Studies Journal, and an expert on St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, the newest doctor of the church.

Ashley, Zac and Chris talk about:

- Newman’s journey from Anglicanism to the Church of Rome

- Newman’s many (and lasting) contributions to Catholic thought

- Why Catholics of every theological stripe love Newman

In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss Pope Leo’s recent comments on the importance of providing pastoral care to migrants being held in detention centers throughout the United States. They also look at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica becoming the world’s tallest church last week.

Finally, they unpack the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s new document on the proper titles for the Virgin Mary. 

In As One Friend Speaks to Another, Ashley and Zac speak to Simcha Fischer about her recent article for America: “JD Vance’s immigration comments are an insult to our Catholic faith.”

Links for further reading: 

National Institute for Newman Studies

Pope Leo’s homily declaring St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the church

St. John Henry Newman’s unique approach to conscience

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

National Institute for Newman Studies

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

Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia becomes the world’s tallest church

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

JD Vance’s immigration comments are an insult to our Catholic faith

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This week on a special Halloween episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac speak with Micah Kiel, a professor of New Testament at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, Minn., where he teaches a class called “Apocalypse-mania.” Micah is also the author of Apocalyptic Ecology: The Book of Revelation, the Earth, and the Future. 

Ashley, Zac and Micah discuss:

- How Catholics should read the Book of Revelation

- Where our obsession with the apocalypse comes from

- Revelation’s (violent) critique of empire

In Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss King Charles’s monumental visit to the Vatican, Cardinal Burke saying the Latin liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica and Pete Hegseth’s decision to retain awards for soldiers who massacred hundreds of Indigenous civilians at Wounded Knee in the late 19th century.

In “As One Friend Speaks to Another,” Ashley and Zac speak to Jackson Goodman, strategic program manager at America, about his and Zac’s upcoming participation in the New York City Marathon.

Links for further reading: 

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

Cardinal Burke celebrates traditional Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica

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

Bishop, Jesuits reject Hegseth decision to honor soldiers who massacred Lakota at Wounded Knee

Support Cristo Rey New York High School

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This week on “Jesuitical,” Ashley and Zac talk to Brendan Curran, O.P., a Dominican priest who leads interfaith partnerships at the Resurrection Project and serves on the International Dominican Commission for Justice and Peace.

Links for further reading: 

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