Radio Interview: Pope Leo XIV’s biographer shares insights on the Augustinian who became pope April 27, 2026By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Books, CR Radio, Feature, Local News, News, Radio Interview, Vatican When white smoke rose over the Sistine Chapel last year, Elise Ann Allen was one of the few journalists who already knew the man stepping onto the balcony. The Rome-based correspondent for Crux had first met Cardinal Robert Prevost in Peru years earlier while covering the Church’s response to the abuse crisis – an encounter that eventually led to a dinner with the future pope and, after his election, the first in-depth interview with Pope Leo XIV. George Matysek talks with Allen about her new biography of Pope Leo XIV, published this April in English. She traces how his years as an Augustinian missionary in crisis-torn Peru shaped his pastoral vision, his instinct for synodality and his quiet but effective leadership style. She also reflects on his evolving relationship with Pope Francis, his approach to the Latin Mass debate, and his recent, pointed calls for peace. Click play below to listen to the full interview: More radio interviews Radio Interview: Get on board the Mercy Train Radio Interview: Art, faith and storytelling Radio Interview: An American Martyr – The Legacy of Blessed Stanley Rother Radio Interview: From addiction to purpose Radio Interview: Author shares her family’s tragic connection to a Nazi atrocity Radio Interview: Faith in times of crisis Copyright © 2026 Catholic Review Media Print
