It has been a little over one week since Robert Francis Prevost was elected Bishop of Rome and took the name Pope Leo XIV. In this special episode we have a discussion with Father Jim Sabak, OFM, and Deacon Matthew Halbach about Pope Leo and the significance of this historic moment. The interview took place on Wednesday, May 14, six days after the pope's election was announced.

Father Jim Sabak is a Franciscan Friar of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province and currently serves as Director of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, and the Director of Religion at The Franciscan School in Raleigh. Father Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He has taught at Siena College; The Catholic University of America; the Franciscan School of Theology; and Providence College. Father Jim’s podcast “Inbreaking of the Word” is published every Monday morning as he reflects on the readings from Mass on Sunday and helps us to take the Word with us into our weeks.

Deacon Matthew Halbach is the President of Franciscan Media. He was ordained in 2018 for the Diocese of Des Moines, IA. He is the Director of Deacon Formation for the diocese and a national author and speaker on the topics of mercy, accompaniment, evangelization, and catechesis. He earned his PhD in Catechetics from The Catholic University of America in 2014 and is a reviewer for The International Journal of Evangelization and Catechesis. Matt is a husband and also a father of six children. Click here to read this episode's show notes: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/off-the-page-by-franciscan-media/

(00:00:01) Introduction

(00:02:26) Initial Reactions to Pope Leo XIV

(00:09:39) Why the name ‘Leo’?

(00:15:42) American Pope or Missionary Pope?

(00:22:40) Artificial Intelligence

(00:28:34) Whose Pope Is He?

(00:38:13) The Role of the Pope

(00:45:04) Papal Elections: A Strange Cultural Phenomenon

(00:52:56) Can a Pope from America Help Heal Our Wounds?

(00:58:03) Predictions and Hopes

(01:07:06) Conclusion