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On May 8th, after a one-day conclave in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, the new Pope, Leo XIV, the first American to hold this office, was announced to the waiting masses in Rome and the entire world watching online.
Who is the man whom the 135 cardinals elected pope in secret, centuries-old procedures? This question has long since ceased to be a matter of concern only to Catholics. Since the Second Vatican Council, which ended in 1965, the papacy has defined its mission as advocating for human rights in general and religious freedom in particular. John Paul II's resounding "no" to the Iraq war resonated just as powerfully as Pope Francis's call for peace in Gaza and Ukraine. Its commitment to interfaith dialogue and its dedication to the preservation of creation are further characteristics of the contemporary papacy. Here, too, Catholics and others expect the new man in the Vatican to continue to consider these issues as his own.
Biographies
Prof. Alexander Görlach studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. His PhD "The Interreligious Dialogue Between the Holy See and Islamic Institutions in Egypt and Turkey" (2007) was supported academically by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. As a student Alex interned at Radio Vatican. In his career as a journalist and commentator he has always been returning to topics concerning the Catholic Church and its political role.
Elaine Papoulias is the Executive Director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) at Harvard University, where she leads the Center’s strategic, academic, and administrative efforts to advance the interdisciplinary study of Europe. From 1999 to 2012, she directed the Kokkalis Program at Harvard Kennedy School, expanding academic and leadership opportunities related to Southeastern and East-Central Europe. Beyond academia, she has worked in public affairs, communications, and policy advising across sectors.Papoulias holds degrees from Wesleyan University and The Fletcher School at Tufts. She serves on several international boards and has a strong interest in democratization and development in Southeastern Europe. She is fluent in Greek and has a working knowledge of Persian.
On May 8th, after a one-day conclave in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, the new Pope, Leo XIV, the first American to hold this office, was announced to the waiting masses in Rome and the entire world watching online.
Who is the man whom the 135 cardinals elected pope in secret, centuries-old procedures? This question has long since ceased to be a matter of concern only to Catholics. Since the Second Vatican Council, which ended in 1965, the papacy has defined its mission as advocating for human rights in general and religious freedom in particular. John Paul II's resounding "no" to the Iraq war resonated just as powerfully as Pope Francis's call for peace in Gaza and Ukraine. Its commitment to interfaith dialogue and its dedication to the preservation of creation are further characteristics of the contemporary papacy. Here, too, Catholics and others expect the new man in the Vatican to continue to consider these issues as his own.
Biographies
Prof. Alexander Görlach studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. His PhD "The Interreligious Dialogue Between the Holy See and Islamic Institutions in Egypt and Turkey" (2007) was supported academically by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. As a student Alex interned at Radio Vatican. In his career as a journalist and commentator he has always been returning to topics concerning the Catholic Church and its political role.
Elaine Papoulias is the Executive Director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) at Harvard University, where she leads the Center’s strategic, academic, and administrative efforts to advance the interdisciplinary study of Europe. From 1999 to 2012, she directed the Kokkalis Program at Harvard Kennedy School, expanding academic and leadership opportunities related to Southeastern and East-Central Europe. Beyond academia, she has worked in public affairs, communications, and policy advising across sectors.Papoulias holds degrees from Wesleyan University and The Fletcher School at Tufts. She serves on several international boards and has a strong interest in democratization and development in Southeastern Europe. She is fluent in Greek and has a working knowledge of Persian.
On May 8th, after a one-day conclave in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, the new Pope, Leo XIV, the first American to hold this office, was announced to the waiting masses in Rome and the entire world watching online.
Who is the man whom the 135 cardinals elected pope in secret, centuries-old procedures? This question has long since ceased to be a matter of concern only to Catholics. Since the Second Vatican Council, which ended in 1965, the papacy has defined its mission as advocating for human rights in general and religious freedom in particular. John Paul II's resounding "no" to the Iraq war resonated just as powerfully as Pope Francis's call for peace in Gaza and Ukraine. Its commitment to interfaith dialogue and its dedication to the preservation of creation are further characteristics of the contemporary papacy. Here, too, Catholics and others expect the new man in the Vatican to continue to consider these issues as his own.
Biographies
Prof. Alexander Görlach studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. His PhD "The Interreligious Dialogue Between the Holy See and Islamic Institutions in Egypt and Turkey" (2007) was supported academically by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. As a student Alex interned at Radio Vatican. In his career as a journalist and commentator he has always been returning to topics concerning the Catholic Church and its political role.
Elaine Papoulias is the Executive Director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) at Harvard University, where she leads the Center’s strategic, academic, and administrative efforts to advance the interdisciplinary study of Europe. From 1999 to 2012, she directed the Kokkalis Program at Harvard Kennedy School, expanding academic and leadership opportunities related to Southeastern and East-Central Europe. Beyond academia, she has worked in public affairs, communications, and policy advising across sectors.Papoulias holds degrees from Wesleyan University and The Fletcher School at Tufts. She serves on several international boards and has a strong interest in democratization and development in Southeastern Europe. She is fluent in Greek and has a working knowledge of Persian.
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