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KERA's Think

Meet the new American pope

KERA's Think

KERA

Society & Culture, 071003, Kera, Think, Krysboyd

4.8861 Ratings

🗓️ 16 May 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Last Thursday, the first American Pope was introduced to the world as Pope Leo XIV. Christopher White, Vatican correspondent at the National Catholic Reporter and author of the upcoming book “Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, what his mission for the church might be going forward, and the significance of the papal name he’s chosen as he now looks to lead 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

In all the excitement about the election of Pope Leo the 14th, which few observers had predicted because the former Cardinal Robert Provost is American by birth, I can't stop thinking about his brief stay in the Vatican's

0:22.9

so-called Room of Tears. From KERA in Dallas, this is think. I'm Chris Boyd. We haven't heard

0:30.2

whether Leo cried as he was dressed for the first time in the unique vestments of the pontiff,

0:34.6

but there are real sacrifices that come with being named the singular

0:38.8

head of the very hierarchical Catholic Church. Maybe new popes weep in response to the extraordinary

0:44.5

honor of being selected by one's peers for a job that many covet. Maybe they feel the weight

0:49.7

of responsibility for leading the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, and more in the instant and permanent end of their relative anonymity,

0:58.0

their ability to ever be treated like a regular person for the rest of their lives. What to preserve in church tradition, where to push the church past, outdated boundaries, how to inspire and advise ordinary people and world leaders alike. It's a lot. And it will be

1:13.5

interesting to see how the Vatican's first U.S. born Pope will do the job. Christopher White is here with some

1:19.1

insights. He is Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and author of the book Pope Leo

1:25.1

the 14th, Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy, which will be

1:29.3

available in July. Christopher, welcome back to think. A real pleasure, Chris. Thank you. I do want to

1:34.9

start with just how radical this transition must be from Cardinal to Pope. What do we know about

1:41.7

how new popes handle that shift? It's an extraordinary thing. I mean,

1:47.5

up until last week, last Thursday, he could, you know, go out for a pizza. He could drive himself

1:54.4

around town, and he did. He could go out for walks. All of that changes. And those are very small things.

2:02.7

But his life is now forever in service to the church.

2:06.0

And, of course, had always been a priest from a very young age.

2:10.3

But for the rest of his life, he will now be Pope Leo the 14th.

2:15.1

He's taken a very new name. and that signals this new role that he will

2:20.5

play on a very global stage. And for a man who by nature is reserved and quiet, this will

2:27.8

take some adjustment. What do we know about the significance of the name? What did Pope Leo's in the past stand for?

...

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