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Economist Jeffrey Sachs has advised governments through some of the most consequential geopolitical transformations of the past half-century, including the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. A longtime collaborator with Vatican institutions, Sachs has worked on issues of economic justice, peace and international development under several popes, beginning with Saint John Paul II. Now, he is drawing attention to Pope Leo XIV’s warnings about artificial intelligence, personally delivering the pope’s message to world leaders during a journey across Eurasia inspired by Marco Polo. In this conversation, Sachs reflects on his encounters with Saint John Paul II, his role in Poland’s transition from communism, and why he believes the end of the Cold War was a missed opportunity for lasting peace. He challenges the idea that the United States won the Cold War, and explains why he believes American foreign policy has become dangerously focused on global dominance. Turning to the present, Sachs considers the significance of an American pope at a time of shifting world power and recounts his self-appointed mission to bring Pope Leo XIV’s message on artificial intelligence to political and religious leaders across Eurasia. He also explains why he believes the Catholic Church has a unique role to play in preventing global conflict and shaping a more peaceful world. Guest bio: Jeffrey D. Sachs is an American economist, author and professor at Columbia University who has spent more than four decades advising governments and international organizations on economic development, poverty reduction and global policy. He played a prominent advisory role in Poland’s economic transformation following the collapse of communism and later advised governments in the former Soviet Union. He is a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and his work with Vatican institutions stretches back to the pontificate of Saint John Paul II. Original music was created using AI.

Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, is planning to bring the legendary Catholic television evangelist Blessed Fulton Sheen back to life as an interactive AI hologram. Visitors will be able to see Blessed Sheen, hear him speak, and eventually ask him questions, with responses drawn from his extensive writings and recorded teachings. The project is part of a proposed museum experience dedicated to Blessed Sheen, whose pioneering television programs attracted audiences of millions in the 1950s. In this conversation, Bishop Tylka explains how the idea developed, what the hologram will look like, and how artificial intelligence could allow visitors to have a conversation with a man who died nearly 50 years ago. He discusses the ethical questions surrounding AI recreations of the dead, the safeguards intended to prevent the hologram from misrepresenting Blessed Sheen's teachings, and why he believes the technology could introduce a new generation to the Catholic faith. He also reflects on Blessed Sheen's extraordinary success as a television personality, the challenges of communicating Christianity in today's crowded digital landscape, and whether other saints might one day be brought back to life in the same way. Guest bio: Bishop Louis Tylka has served as Bishop of Peoria, Illinois, since 2022, having previously served as a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He oversees the cause for the canonization of Blessed Fulton Sheen, who was born in the Diocese of Peoria and is buried in its cathedral. Bishop Tylka has led efforts to promote Blessed Sheen's legacy, including his beatification in September 2026 and plans for the Sheen Experience, a new museum and interactive exhibition intended to introduce future generations to the celebrated Catholic broadcaster. Original music was created using AI.

As bishops from around the world gathered in Rome Oct. 7 to commemorate Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia ten years after its publication, a Catholic publisher once at the center of a Vatican controversy has returned with a new book on love and marriage. In 2014, Ignatius Press distributed "Remaining in the Truth of Christ," a defense of traditional Catholic teaching on marriage that many commentators interpreted as opposing Cardinal Walter Kasper's proposal to allow some divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion. The book became a source of controversy during the Synod on the Family. Now, representatives of the publisher have presented Pope Leo XIV with "YOUCAT Love Forever," a new guide to love and marriage for young Catholics that draws on Amoris Laetitia. In this episode, Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio, founder of Ignatius Press, and its president, Mark Brumley, revisit the controversy surrounding the earlier book. Father Fessio reflects on Pope Francis' pontificate, the challenges of defending Catholic orthodoxy, and what has changed under Pope Leo XIV. Brumley explains why the publisher challenged prevailing views during the synod, whether Amoris Laetitia represented a break with Church tradition, and why he sees continuity between the two pontificates. Ignatius Press editor Thomas Jacobi also discusses the new YOUCAT book, its origins under Pope Francis, and Pope Leo's message to young people about love and marriage. Guest bios: Father Joseph Fessio, SJ, is the founder of Ignatius Press, one of the leading Catholic publishing houses in the United States. A Jesuit priest and theologian, he earned his doctorate under Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, and has spent decades publishing works on Catholic theology, philosophy and culture. Mark Brumley is the president of Ignatius Press. A Catholic author, editor and apologist, he has worked extensively in Catholic publishing and religious education and helped oversee the publication of "Remaining in the Truth of Christ" in the run-up to the 2014 Synod on the Family. Thomas Jacobi is an associate editor at Ignatius Press, where he works on editorial projects and manuscript acquisitions. He contributed to the English-language edition of "YOUCAT Love Forever," a new guide to Catholic teaching on love, sexuality and marriage that draws on Amoris Laetitia.

As bishops from around the world gather in Rome for a meeting convened by Pope Leo XIV on marriage and the family, J.P. De Gance has been working behind the scenes to help the Church understand what's at stake. His organization, Communio, produced a report on the state of marriage in America, providing research and analysis to inform today's discussions ten years after Pope Francis published "Amoris Laetitia." In this conversation, De Gance reveals why he believes the Catholic Church has failed to respond adequately to the collapse of marriage. He explains why Catholic marriages have declined dramatically in the United States, why most parishes spend too little on marriage ministry, and how the decline of the family may be driving the crisis of faith. He also discusses his conversations with bishops from around the world, whether Pope Francis' reforms have made a practical difference, and what Pope Leo's gathering could accomplish. Guest bio: J.P. De Gance is the founder and president of Communio, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening marriages and families through churches. Previously involved in public policy, he turned his attention to marriage renewal following a family crisis that brought four nieces and nephews into his home. His work has included a major initiative in Jacksonville, Florida, where 93 churches participated in a program associated with a 24% decline in the local divorce rate over three years. Communio has since worked with nearly 600 churches and parishes in 44 U.S. dioceses.

Monsignor Karel Kasteel has worked in the Vatican for 70 years and served under eight popes, beginning with Pope Pius XII. Now 92, he has witnessed some of the most consequential moments in the modern history of the Catholic Church, including the Second Vatican Council, the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, and decades of change inside the Roman Curia. In this conversation, Monsignor Kasteel reflects on what outsiders misunderstand about the Vatican, why he believes there is far more holiness than wrongdoing inside the Curia, and what has changed over seven decades. He recalls working at the Second Vatican Council, explains why he believes the Council was necessary and remains unfinished, discusses tensions between Pope Francis and the Roman Curia, and shares what he thinks Pope Leo XIV is trying to accomplish. He also takes on Vatican legends and controversies, including politics inside conclaves, alleged spies and secret societies, the death of Pope John Paul I, the “Siri thesis,” the Third Secret of Fatima, and the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi. Guest bio: Monsignor Karel Kasteel is a Dutch priest who arrived in Rome in 1956 and has spent seven decades working in and around the Roman Curia. He assisted the secretary general of the Second Vatican Council and was present throughout the Council. He later served as dean of the Apostolic Chamber and helped organize the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Over the course of his Vatican career, he has served under eight popes and worked closely with figures including Mother Teresa, giving him a rare firsthand perspective on the modern history of the papacy and the Catholic Church. Archival images from the Filmoteca Vaticana. For more archival footage from the Second Vatican Council, watch our full-length documentary, Voices of Vatican II: https://youtu.be/Xqh_0wqTz2M?si=tz8Ciz6d_qVp6VAj Original music was created using AI.

In the days before Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic visit to France, the famous mosaics at Lourdes by Father Marko Rupnik, a priest and artist accused of sexual abuse, have been covered up. Investigative journalist Federica Tourn, who published the first interview with one of Father Rupnik’s accusers in 2022, has followed the case closely ever since. In this conversation, Tourn explains why the mosaics were covered up ahead of the pope’s visit and what the decision means for the women who have accused Father Rupnik of abuse. What do victims want from Pope Leo? Why is Father Rupnik’s artwork being concealed in France while new mosaics are celebrated at a major shrine in Brazil? And why has the Vatican’s ongoing trial yet to produce a verdict? The discussion traces Father Rupnik’s rise to prominence in the Catholic Church, the allegations against him and the Church’s response. Tourn discusses her reporting on 22 letters alleging abuse dating back to the 1990s, the secrecy surrounding the Vatican proceedings and the sources who have helped her investigation. She also reflects on why survivors trusted her with their stories, the unanswered questions surrounding Father Rupnik’s considerable artistic earnings and what genuine transparency would mean for the Church. This episode features an AI-generated English dub of Federica Tourn’s voice. The transcript and translation were reviewed and edited by CNS staff. Original music was created using AI. Guest bio: Federica Tourn is an Italian investigative journalist who has spent years reporting on sexual abuse and alleged cover-ups in the Catholic Church, particularly in Italy. In December 2022, she published an interview with Gloria Branciani, one of the women accusing Father Marko Rupnik of sexual abuse, in the Italian newspaper Domani. She has continued investigating the case, speaking with survivors, clergy and Vatican sources, and reporting on the handling of abuse allegations within the Church.

Mary Angela Schroth has spent more than 40 years working in the art world in Rome, much of that time at the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs. There, she helped launch and guide a decades-long effort with the Vatican Museums and international donors to restore the sanctuary’s extraordinary Renaissance frescoes -- images that had been obscured by centuries of dirt, pollution, candle smoke and neglect. In this conversation, Schroth tells the inside story of the Holy Stairs, traditionally believed to be the steps Jesus climbed before being judged by Pontius Pilate. How did they come to Rome? Why were the frescoes surrounding them nearly invisible for centuries? And what did it take to bring the sanctuary back to life? The discussion explores the origins of Christian Rome, the restoration campaign supported by the Getty Foundation and Vatican Museums, the discoveries made as the frescoes emerged again, and the donors who helped make the project possible. Schroth also reflects on how the work deepened her own Catholic faith, the extraordinary spiritual experiences pilgrims have reported at the Holy Stairs, and why the sanctuary’s central theme -- the suffering of Christ -- still speaks to the universal question of human suffering. Guest bio: Mary Angela Schroth is an American curator and arts administrator based in Rome. For more than four decades, she has worked with Sala Uno, the nonprofit contemporary art space she founded with priest and sculptor Tito Amodei at the complex of the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs. She played a central role in developing and supporting the long-term conservation of the sanctuary’s frescoes in collaboration with the Vatican Museums and international benefactors. Original music was created using AI; certain illustrations were enhanced using AI.

Bishop Robert Boxie is an auxiliary bishop of Washington and the youngest bishop in the United States. A former lawyer educated at Vanderbilt University and Harvard Law School, he brings both professional experience and a deeply rooted Black Catholic identity to questions of race, faith, and the life of the Church. In this conversation, Bishop Boxie explains why he believes racism is part of the reason there are so few Black bishops in America. He discusses the history of exclusion faced by Black Catholics, his own experience with a Confederate flag in seminary, what white Catholics should understand about the Black Catholic experience, and why the Church needs to speak more openly about racism. He also addresses tokenism, DEI, reconciliation, and what Black Catholics bring to the wider Church. Guest bio: Bishop Robert P. Boxie III is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington. Before entering the priesthood, he studied engineering at Vanderbilt University and law at Harvard Law School and worked in Washington, D.C. His ministry has included service to the Black Catholic community and pastoral work at Howard University. As bishop, he has spoken frequently about race, Catholic identity, reconciliation, and the importance of ensuring that Black Catholics are fully represented and heard within the life of the Church. Original music was created using AI. Special thanks to Tricia Lloyd and the Gregorian University Foundation for supplemental video footage.

Steve Metzger works inside one of the most important libraries in the world: the Vatican Apostolic Library. A medievalist and Latinist, he studies and catalogs some of the Library’s extraordinary manuscript collections, including works by St. Thomas Aquinas. In this conversation, Metzger asks what happens when AI begins to replace the hard work of reading, thinking, and wrestling with ideas for ourselves. Why is reading a book fundamentally different from getting an instant answer from a machine? What do we lose when knowledge becomes easier, faster and increasingly artificial? The discussion explores Pope Leo XIV’s warnings about AI and education, the decline of serious reading, the danger of losing control of the technologies we create, and the Vatican Library’s mission in a digital age. Metzger also explains why the Library can be understood as an “anti-Babel” -- a place that gathers the languages, texts, and cultures of humanity and puts them back into conversation with one another. Guest bio: Steve Metzger is a researcher and manuscript cataloger at the Vatican Apostolic Library in Rome. A medievalist and Latinist, his work focuses on Latin manuscripts, textual transmission, humanism, and the preservation of the Church’s written heritage.

Father Daniel Galadza is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest, liturgical scholar, and professor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. A priest of the Archeparchy of Kyiv, he also serves on the Vatican's Dicastery for the Eastern Churches and has devoted his academic work to the history, theology, and liturgy of the Christian East. Father Galadza brings both scholarly expertise and personal experience to questions surrounding Eastern Christianity, the war in Ukraine, and the relationship between the Eastern Catholic Churches and Rome. In this conversation, Father Galadza reflects on how Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Russian Orthodox Church's support for the war have transformed relations between Ukrainian and Russian Christianity. He explains what the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church can offer the wider Catholic Church, why Pope Leo XIV's early emphasis on the Eastern Churches was so significant, and why increasing numbers of Western Christians are exploring Eastern Christianity. The discussion explores the appeal of Byzantine worship, fasting, and the liturgical life, the unique vocation of the Eastern Catholic Churches as fully Eastern while remaining in communion with Rome, the recovery of authentic Eastern traditions after Vatican II, the role of married priests, and why the deepest challenge of Eastern Christianity is not simply its beauty, but the lifelong spiritual discipline it demands. Guest bio: Father Daniel Galadza is a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and professor of Eastern liturgy at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. He serves the Archeparchy of Kyiv and works at the Vatican's Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. His research focuses on Byzantine liturgy, the history of the Eastern Catholic Churches, and the theological and liturgical traditions of the Christian East.

Michael Driessen is Professor of Political Science and Director of the MA in International Affairs at John Cabot University in Rome. A leading scholar of religion and international politics, he has spent more than a decade studying interreligious dialogue, peacebuilding, and the global role of the Catholic Church. Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV appointed him as a consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.In this conversation, Driessen examines why the cardinals elected the first American pope at a moment of profound geopolitical instability, how the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have tested the limits of interreligious dialogue, and why Pope Leo XIV believes an "unarmed and disarming peace" requires something deeper than diplomacy or political negotiation. He explores the changing global order, the Vatican's relationship with the United States, the future of international cooperation in an increasingly polarized world, and whether religion still has a unique role to play in preventing conflict and building lasting peace.Guest bio:Michael Driessen is Professor of Political Science and Director of the MA in International Affairs at John Cabot University in Rome. He teaches and writes on religion and politics, international relations, and the global diplomacy of the Catholic Church. He is the author of The Global Politics of Interreligious Dialogue: Religious Change, Citizenship and Solidarity in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2023). In 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed him as a consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, where he advises the Holy See on questions relating to dialogue between religions and its contribution to peace in international affairs.

Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy is Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, the leading Catholic organization in the United States working to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice. For nearly a decade she has been at the forefront of the Catholic movement against capital punishment, engaging with bishops, lawmakers, victims' families, and people on death row. Earlier this year, she briefed Pope Leo XIV on the state of capital punishment in the United States, including the realities of Ohio's death row. In this conversation, Murphy examines the Catholic Church's development of teaching on the death penalty, why Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed that every human person retains their dignity even after committing the gravest crimes, and how the resurgence of execution methods such as nitrogen gas and firing squads has renewed the urgency of the debate. She responds to the argument that execution can bring about repentance and salvation, explains why the Church's opposition to capital punishment naturally raises questions about life without parole, and argues that justice must always preserve a genuine possibility of redemption and hope. Guest bio: Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy is Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, a national organization that educates, organizes, and advocates to end the death penalty, advance restorative justice, and promote healing for all impacted by crime and violence. She has led the organization since 2016, working closely with Catholic dioceses, religious communities, policymakers, and the Vatican to advance the Church's teaching on the dignity of every human person. She recently met with Pope Leo XIV to discuss the state of capital punishment in the United States and the Church's ongoing witness against the death penalty.

Massimo Introvigne is an Italian sociologist of religion and one of the world's leading scholars of new religious movements. He has written extensively on Catholic traditionalism, religious liberty, and the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), and has spent decades studying the movement, including interviewing Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, its founder. Following the SSPX's recent episcopal consecrations and the Vatican's declaration that they constituted a schismatic act, Introvigne offers a sociological perspective on what the future may hold for the movement. In this conversation, Introvigne argues that the SSPX's deepest disagreement with the Catholic Church is not the Latin Mass but its rejection of the Church's teaching on religious liberty and relations with other religions. He explains why he believes the Society has likely passed its period of strongest growth, how Pope Leo XIV has changed the religious landscape that once benefited the movement, and why the SSPX faces increasing competition from groups even further to its right. The discussion also explores the Society's claims about its membership, the sociology of religious movements, why stricter religious groups often grow, Pope Benedict XVI's liberalization of the traditional Mass, Pope Francis' restrictions, and what Pope Leo might do to strengthen traditional Catholic communities while preserving communion with the Church. Guest bio: Massimo Introvigne is an Italian sociologist of religion, attorney, and internationally recognized expert on new religious movements. He is the founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) and has authored dozens of books and hundreds of scholarly articles on religion, religious freedom, and contemporary religious movements. His work has included extensive research on Catholic traditionalism and the Society of St. Pius X, as well as collaboration with the late sociologist Rodney Stark on the sociology of religion.

CREDIT: Additional video footage courtesy Danny Anderson & Relic Films / Archdiocese of Denver. Archbishop James Golka is the Archbishop of Denver, having been appointed by Pope Leo XIV in 2026 after serving as Bishop of Colorado Springs. Before becoming a bishop, he was a parish priest in Nebraska, where he became known for his pastoral approach, commitment to evangelization, and work with Hispanic communities. He received the pallium from Pope Leo in Rome on June 29, 2026 as a symbol of his ministry as an archbishop and his communion with the Holy See. In this conversation, Archbishop Golka reflects on what it means to lead one of America's most dynamic Catholic archdioceses in an increasingly secular culture. He discusses why Denver has become an unexpected center of Catholic renewal, the challenges of evangelization in a politically progressive state, and why he believes many young people are searching for meaning beyond what contemporary culture offers. The conversation also explores abortion, immigration, priestly leadership, the Church's response to the abuse crisis, Catholic life online, Pope Leo's vision for bishops, the spiritual meaning of the pallium, and the personal burdens and joys of serving as an archbishop. Guest bio: Archbishop James Golka was appointed Archbishop of Denver by Pope Leo XIV in 2026 after serving as Bishop of Colorado Springs from 2021.Known for his emphasis on evangelization, discipleship, and pastoral leadership, Archbishop Golka has spoken extensively about the Church's mission in an increasingly secular society, the importance of fostering priestly vocations, and helping Catholics encounter Jesus Christ through the life of the Church. In June 2026, he received the pallium from Pope Leo as metropolitan archbishop of Denver.

Katie McGrady is a Catholic speaker, author, radio host, and one of the most recognizable Catholic media personalities in the United States. A former youth minister and theology teacher, she is the host of The Katie McGrady Show on SiriusXM's Catholic Channel and the author of several books on Catholic faith and family life. Her work focuses on evangelization, Catholic identity, discipleship, and the practical integration of faith into everyday life. In this conversation, she reflects on the changing landscape of Catholic media, the rise of religious influencers, and the opportunities and challenges of public evangelization in the digital age. She discusses how Catholicism can be both deeply countercultural and profoundly ordinary, the tensions of living one's faith publicly, and the responsibilities that come with becoming a recognizable voice within the Church. You can visit Katie's website here: https://www.katieprejeanmcgrady.com Guest bio: Katie McGrady is the host of The Katie McGrady Show on SiriusXM's Catholic Channel, a frequent speaker at Catholic conferences and events, and the author of several books on faith and family life. She studied theology at the University of Dallas, worked as a teacher and youth minister, and later became one of the leading voices in Catholic media. McGrady regularly provides commentary on Catholic affairs for major media outlets and is known for her work in evangelization, catechesis, and Catholic family ministry.