>> It has been just over a year since white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City announcing the election of a new pope.

The world soon learned that Robert Prevost was chosen whose journey to the papacy started here in Chicago.

Now a new biography Pope Leo, the 14th, Slife, his influences and his first months leading the Roman Catholic Church.

Joining us is at least an Allen author of the biography and Rome correspondent for the Catholic News outlet.

Crux, at least thank you for joining us.

>> Thank you so much.

It is wonderful to be with you.

>> So what is your relationship with the pope?

you know him?

>> Well, actually met Bishop Robert Prevost back in 2018.

I was reporter that I was traveling to Peru to look into some stories down there.

it asked for some interviews and he was one of interviews that I got.

I had a one-on-one meeting with him at the time.

So we have that connection.

Unit News reported him as a bishop in Peru at the time.

And then, you know, stayed in touch mildly after that for various things.

If I had a question about something, a story, I was working on, a new has tried to be as helpful as he could.

And then when Pope Francis called him to Rome in 2023, there simply are not that many Americans, you know, living and working inside the Vatican.

So it was just an occasion to, you to get back in touch with the fellow countryman, you know, a fellow American, you know, the Vatican.

And so we just established a more of a report.

My husband, I invited him eventually over to dinner in October 2024. a few months before Francis passed away.

See, you can say that we're starting to, you to become friends a bit, I guess before he was elected, you know, and just to our shock and asked soul into this evening a moment.

>> Robert Prevost.

So we know that he grew up in the south suburbs later attended Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park.

>> What those who knew him during those times have to say about him?

>> I spoke to for the biography.

You have the similar things to say.

Number one, that he was incredibly bright.

He was somebody that was seen very much as intellectually gifted as a great students.

You you know, just speaking with people who know at the time and also listening to things that other people had said, you know, everybody describe this was a straight a student who is very involved.

You know, he was sort of not he came across as shy, you know, but if he wasn't one to sit out he participated in everything, was very active in sort of the community life.

But, you know, it's cool, but also at the to you, you know, but he was also described as somebody who is very special, even classmates of his, you know, who are in the minor, some there with him in 2000.

And, you know, our makes when he was 13, 12 or 13 years old, you described as very special, very pious, you know, that even young guy from South Chicago, that age don't necessarily think about humility.

And, you highest us being like words that would describe a young man.

You know it in that context of that age.

You know, they all described in that way being somebody that there's clearly something special about him, even then.

>> since then, he's been elected the What does that mean for the direction of the Catholic Church?

>> I think it's an exciting time.

Obviously, this is historic moment.

You know, he's the first pope from the United States.

I think the world is paying attention to the papacy in a way that they have not before it.

I think it makes more relevant just because of the place United States occupies on global stage.

I you know, you can't ignore it.

And he's somebody, you know, he told me in our conversations, you know, like other popes in the past and they'd speak out about global affairs or something.

It was relevant to United States.

say, OK, maybe just doesn't understand.

Maybe there's a miscommunication.

You know, he's somebody he told me is like they can't say that.

I don't understand I'm talking about.

That.

So I think there's a general understanding that when he speaks out, he knows very much what you say.

He understands the context of the United States, but not only also of the world because course, he spent so much time in Peru as a missionary, but also traveling the world as sort of disappear general of his religious order.

The August Indians, he really travel the entire world to visit community houses all over, you know, in Africa Asia, especially somebody that understands very much the United States and its contacts and its needs and its challenges.

But also how to relate that to the rest the world.

So I think this is really historic moment.

And whatever he's gonna say, I think is going to be seen.

And as increasingly relevant and and really just sort of extremely relevant given his own background and the context in which Warren.

>> Pope Leo will likely appoint a successor to Cardinal Blase Cupich here in Chicago in some years.

Are you seeing any patterns in the types of appointments that Pope Leo is making and that he's made so far?

>> Good question.

You know, everybody wants to know what is he going to do in terms of his appointments because it drives so much that direction, right of of the Catholic Church.

so the tone that's coming out, you know, the bishop's message is, you know, I think so far he's made a few key appointments.

We look at his appointment to New York.

Of course, you picks there very clear indication and he started making little appointments here.

They're what we see is an emphasis on bishops who are sort of middle of the road, guys.

He doesn't seem to appoint bishops who are really far left or far.

Right.

If we want to use those categories, you know, is somebody that number because of his own experience abroad can easily be packed into those categories that we so often use.

You know, he thinks very much in a different way.

So the guys that he's appointing a sort of center middle of the road personalities, you not seen as particularly Poehler and either direction, but we're also seeing people with some immigrant background as well, just appointed.

You you pointed a long look, of the bishop with the enemies back.

also just appointed, you know, a bishop who had been an undocumented migrant when he first arrived United States and then became regular So he's sending subtle messages.

You know, the kind of pastor that he wants, people who understand pastors to understand the issues and the nuances, the complications, you know, but also the needs of some of the big topics of the day.

Obviously, something advocated very much on behalf of migrants, you know, and and the rights while defending, you know, that the right of the state to in on it and a country to maintain their borders.

So he wants people understand the nuances of that debate and can leave the church in that discussion.

>> At least a few seconds left, you know, prior to becoming Pope Pope Leo use Facebook and formerly known as Twitter.

How is his relationship with technology influencing his papacy?

>> This is a very good question.

It is one of the reasons by initially titled My My biography of in the original version was in Spanish and part of the subtitles.

I called him a missionary the 21st century because he is the first pope.

That is really a digital native.

And he has used apps like this.

I think he's very much the tech pope.

He said artificial intelligence is going to be a huge priority of his is a huge talking point that he wants open up a discussion on.

So I think he really is going advance, you know, the conversation about these issues and he knows what he's talking about because he did use all these absentee does use them.

I think himself, you duolingo even so the going very much lead the discussion.

And we know that we know that he speaks several languages, obviously.

>> Elise and Alan, Congrats of the book.

Thank you so much