All posts tagged: Pope

Stephen Colbert Late Show Last Episode: Paul McCartney, Wormhole, Pope

Stephen Colbert Late Show Last Episode: Paul McCartney, Wormhole, Pope

Published by Daniella Wilson

Nine months after Stephen Colbert announced the cancellation of the long-running Late Show, he presided over the final episode of the CBS late night show, with Paul McCartney serving as his final guest after, Colbert joked, his “white whale” guest of the pope “canceled,” disappointed with the hot dogs offered in his dressing room. At the top of his monologue, the host said originally the Late Show team had planned to do a “huge special” for the final episode, but then they realized that “every episode is special.” “The best way to celebrate is to do a normal show and talk about the national conversation,” Colbert said. With that, the host launched into a news-focused monologue, frequently interrupted by star cameos from the audience, including from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows. Unexpectedly, though the monologue was remarkably light on politics for a show that’s become known for its cutting comedy about President Donald Trump and other political figures. In fact, Trump himself wasn’t even mentioned by name in the final Late Show, including …

Pope Leo’s popularity gives Vatican finances a boost, but old questions remain

Pope Leo’s popularity gives Vatican finances a boost, but old questions remain

Published by Sam Flores

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — When Pope Leo XIV sat down for his first interview after his election as pontiff with Elise Allen at Crux, he surprised many Vatican watchers by stating that he was not particularly concerned by the historically troubled finances of the Catholic institution. “We have to keep working on it,” he said, “but it doesn’t keep me up at night.” That phrase stood at odds with the Vatican’s history of financial scandals and lack of transparency — including the death of “God’s banker” Roberto Calvi in 1982 and the more recent scandal tied to the Vatican’s purchase of prime real estate in London. The Holy See, which includes not only the departments of the Vatican curia but also papal embassies and representatives all over the world, has been functioning on a structural deficit for years. Even though the Holy See reported a 1.6 million euro surplus for 2024, its structural deficit remained around 44 million euro, roughly half the deficit of the previous year. But Leo inherited a financial situation that is …

Pope creates artificial intelligence study group as Vatican prepares to release his first encyclical

Pope creates artificial intelligence study group as Vatican prepares to release his first encyclical

Published by Sam Flores

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has created a study group on artificial intelligence, the Vatican said Saturday, as he gears up to release his first encyclical that is expected to emphasize the need for an ethics-based approach to the technology that prioritizes human dignity and peace. The Vatican said Leo had decided to create the in-house study group because of the acceleration in AI’s use, “its potential effects on human beings and on humanity as a whole (and) the church’s concern for the dignity of every human being.” The announcement came a day after Leo signed his encyclical, 135 years to the day after his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, dated his most important encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” or Of New Things. That document addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway. It became the foundation of modern Catholic social thought, and the current pope has already cited it in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same …

Pope Leo launches AI commission – POLITICO

Pope Leo launches AI commission – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The announcement came a day after Pope Leo signed his encyclical, a letter drawn up by the pontiff and sent to bishops to provide instructions or guidance on moral questions. His new encyclical, which should be made public in coming weeks, is expected to consider the question of AI within the church’s social teaching, which also covers issues such as labor, justice and peace. It’s not the first time Pope Leo has waded into questions of AI. Just a few days after he was elected in May 2025, he told cardinals that the Catholic Church owed it to the world to offer the “treasury of its social teaching” to confront the challenges posed by AI on “human dignity, justice and labor.” In June 2025, Pope Leo criticized the potential negative consequences of growing AI use. After noting AI’s potential for good, the pope said there is a possibility for “misuse for selfish gain” and as a way to “foment conflict and aggression.” “All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, …

Pope Leo to visit France in September – POLITICO

Pope Leo to visit France in September – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

His trip to France, as well as a previously announced June visit to Spain, showcases the Vatican leader’s interest in building ties with secular Catholic countries in Europe. It will be the first papal visit to France in 18 years. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the news Saturday, sharing on social media that “we are delighted that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has confirmed his trip to France. This visit next September will be an honor for our country, a joy for Catholics, and a great moment of hope for everyone.” Macron visited the Vatican in April, where he extended once more the invitation from the president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline. “It’s a great joy, but also a great responsibility,” said Aveline on Saturday. The pontiff will also travel to Lourdes, a renowned Catholic pilgrimage site in southwest France. Pope Leo is also scheduled to visit Spain in June, when he will meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid and also travel to Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Source …

Believe Me review: Jeff Pope delivers another powerful, unflinching drama

Believe Me review: Jeff Pope delivers another powerful, unflinching drama

Published by Daniella Wilson

A star rating of 4 out of 5. It’s the early hours of the morning. A young woman takes a black cab home after a night out in London. The seemingly friendly driver tells her he’s had a win at the casino and invites her to celebrate with him. Insisting she has a drink, which he provides, the female passenger accepts it out of politeness. Unbeknown to her she has been drugged, and she slips into unconsciousness. The following morning, horrifying details of how the driver sexually assaulted her start to come back. This was the ordeal endured by the numerous victims of prolific sex attacker John Worboys, who is played with nuanced menace by Daniel Mays in Believe Me – ITV’s unflinching four-part true-crime dramatisation of the case. Dubbed “the black cab rapist”, Worboys preyed on vulnerable women for years using the same twisted modus operandi. But his crimes went undetected for far too long. Writer Jeff Pope’s shocking articulation of the story tells how the system drastically failed Worboys’s victims, who felt the …

Pope Leo Dons Throwback-Style Nike Sneakers For a Rome Stroll

Pope Leo Dons Throwback-Style Nike Sneakers For a Rome Stroll

Published by Sam Flores

We were all burned by the AI-generated prank images of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket, but this time, the papal street style is real. In a set of photos that’s sweeping the internet, Pope Leo was well and truly seen in a pair of Nike sneakers, paired with his traditional, priestly robes. Pope Leo XIV in 2026 Vatican Pool/Getty Images The suddenly ubiquitous images have been taken from Leone a Roma, a Vatican-produced documentary about the Chicago-born pope’s years in Rome before his ascension to the Catholic church’s highest role, which happened almost a year ago today. The pontiff’s casual footwear choices, therefore, do not appear to be a secret preference: Though the rules imposed by the church in terms of priestly clothing respect tradition and formality, a film planned for distribution on Vatican media channels was certainly scrutinized for any impropriety. That it’s public news that Pope Leo shared a shoe brand with Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Cristiano Ronaldo is hardly an accident. Source link

The Pope Wore a Pair of Obscure Old Nikes

The Pope Wore a Pair of Obscure Old Nikes

Published by Jenni Sidey

For a variety of reasons, Pope Leo XIV isn’t like the other popes. For example, the first American pope is a Chicago native who is prone to wearing his love for his hometown sports teams on his sleeve (or rather, on his head), especially during the MLB season. (Next time the pontiff posts a biblical X missive on what failure can teach us, go check to see if the White Sox lost that day.) Also, he’s a Villanova graduate and avid follower of their hoops legacy, even writing about the team during their championship heyday in the mid-2010s. Thirdly, his real name is Bob. So this week, when the Vatican dropped a trailer for Leone a Roma, a documentary they’ve produced about His Holiness’s days in the city of Rome, it shouldn’t have come as any surprise when eagle-eyed viewers noticed an unmistakable black swoosh on his shoes in one shot. That’s right. This Pope wears Nikes. In the clip, the sneakers are visible in a split-second archival shot from the pope’s early days in …

How the Pope Connects War, Immigration, and Abortion

How the Pope Connects War, Immigration, and Abortion

Published by Daniella Wilson

Throughout year one of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has been especially vocal about two issues: immigration and war. The first American pope has spoken of the “inalienable rights” of migrants and lamented the growing, global “zeal for war.” He told a delegation of U.S. clergy last fall that “the Church cannot be silent” in a time of mass deportations, and said in March, a month after the United States began attacking Iran, that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” His opposition to the conflict has provoked President Trump’s ire and earned him rebukes from prominent right-leaning Christians. The Fox News anchor Sean Hannity deemed Leo “more interested in spreading left-wing politics than the actual teachings of Jesus Christ.” Vice President Vance advised the pope “to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” Regarding the pope’s statements about immigration, the podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey accused him of confusing “toxic empathy and Biblical love.” These critiques, however, miss something crucial about Pope Leo’s reasoning. His statements indicate that …