Pope Leo XIV waving from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica after being chosen pope on May 8. His choice of the name Leo and his appearance in the short stole known as the mozzetta, harking back to Pope Benedict XVI’s first appearance after becoming pope, suggests this Pope Francis ally will be a bridge builder as well as a counterpoint to conservatives. *Photograph by Edgar Beltrán / The Pillar.*

With Leo, the College of Cardinals checkmates Trump

May 13, 2025

So who had Robert Francis Prevost on their bingo card?

No one, right? The election of the cardinal to succeed Pope Francis as Leo XIV came so far out of left field as to be outside the park of the Chicago-born Leo’s beloved White Sox. And yet, it didn’t take long to see that the choice of Leo – calm, centered, bespectacled, math-studying, multilingual, trumpet- and tennis-playing ,Republican primary-voting, Francis-mentored Leo – was the perfect one to countermand the rising American nationalism under President Donald J. Trump.

Are Biden and Israel losing the war of words -- and images?

November 8, 2023

All life is narrative. Control the narrative, and you control public perception and opinion.

At the moment, Israel and President Joe Biden seem to be losing the narrative thread. I say “seem,” because I haven’t interviewed everyone in the world on this, of course. But based on what’s making news, former President Donald J. Trump and the Palestinians seem to be winning the battle for hearts and minds, in large part because the battle is being waged not primarily with words but with images.

The Trump wheel turns to Qatar

June 7, 2017

President Donald J. Trump seems hell-bent on alienating as many American allies as possible. His presidency was only hours old when he put Australia in his crosshairs. Now working his way through the alphabet, the president has tweeted proudly that he’s the reason many of the Middle East’s Arab countries are freezing out Qatar as a hotbed of terrorism.

Except that Qatar is the site of an American military base from which we launch our airborne stand against ISIS. Meanwhile, buddy-buddy Saudi Arabia is where most of the 9/11 terrorists came from. A complex situation, n’est pas? And complexity is not Trumpet’s strong suit. ...

Phelps gets help

October 9, 2014

Michael Phelps has entered an alcohol treatment program, this as USA Swimming has suspended him from the sport until March. (He has a Nov. 19 court date for his recent, second DUI arrest.) So he won’t be taking part in the short-course world championships in Doha, Qatar Dec. 3-7 with Ryan Lochte and company. (Maybe he wouldn’t have swum short course anyway.) In any event, no Phelpte for a while.

It’s all terribly sad, particularly as Phelps has been doing his usual superb Phelpsian job on the aquatic comeback trail. And you don’t want to take away something that gives a person purpose.

But sometimes in life you have to put your career on hold to get your house in order.

It is a humbling experience to ask for assistance. ...