If you are a fan of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” you probably remember thinking when you first saw the High Sparrow: Wow, that guy looks exactly like Pope Francis. That guy was Jonathan Pryce, a distinguished Welsh actor on the stage and screen. And it was a likeness that proved irresistible for the director of “The Two Popes,” now streaming on Netflix. In the film, Pryce plays Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, who has been called to Rome by Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins), to discuss the latter’s decision to renounce the papacy.

We ask Pryce how he prepared to play the pope, whether the film changed his perception of the Catholic Church, and about his own spirituality.

In Signs of the Times, Pope Francis abolished the “pontifical secret” for cases of sexual abuse; how are advocates and victims reacting? Also at the Vatican, the Peter’s Pence collection comes under scrutiny for potentially misleading donors. And in U.S. church news, Gwen Stefani needs an annulment, a survey of how the length of homilies compare to sermons in other denominations and a bishop opens up about mental illness.

Tell us what you think about the episode on our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and help other listeners find Jesuitical by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts. Please consider supporting the show by becoming a member of our Patreon community. Patrons get access to an exclusive newsletter written by one of your hosts each week!

Links from the show

Pope Francis abolishes the pontifical secret for sexual misconduct cases involving clerics

Is the Vatican misleading donors? Peter’s Pence, explained.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani Are Ready to Get Married But It "Isn't Possible Currently" Because of Her Faith

An Analysis of Online Sermons in U.S. Churches

Bishop Conley announces medical leave of absence from Lincoln diocese

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/12/09/us-catholic-priests-beset-overwork-isolation-and-scandals

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