{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6a22b52017f169d6433fb960/6a7b6ec86003752573305e0f?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"426. The American Pope: Leo XIV, Trump, and the New Vatican Soft Power","description":"<p>In this episode of <em>The Big Picture</em>, Patrick speaks with leading religious and political journalist Catherine Pepinster to examine the soft power, geopolitics, and spiritual influence of Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost).</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Episode Highlights</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>The Rise of Pope Leo XIV:</strong> How the Augustinian friar and former missionary in Peru became leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, positioning him as a unique \"American outsider\" on the global stage.</li><li><strong>Clashes with the White House:</strong> An analysis of the high-profile disputes between Pope Leo, Donald Trump, and Vice-President J.D. Vance regarding foreign intervention, rhetoric on Iran, and controversial religious imagery.</li><li><strong>Reinterpreting \"Just War\" &amp; AI:</strong> Discussion of the Pope's encyclical <em>Magnifica Humanitas</em>, which tackles the ethics of artificial intelligence (developed with input from tech figures like Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah) and argues that traditional just war theory is outdated.</li><li><strong>The Global Shift in Faith:</strong> Examining religious trends across the globe, from youth curiosity in the UK to rapid church growth across the Global South and Pentecostal shifts in South America.</li><li><strong>UK Politics &amp; Vatican Diplomacy:</strong> How new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Catholic upbringing influences his social values, and an insider look at Vatican diplomacy—including Archbishop Sir Paul Gallagher's mission to Moscow.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com</p><p>Follow us on:</p><p>X - @PodBattleground</p><p>Instagram - podbattleground</p><p>Producer: James Hodgson</p><p>A Goalhanger Podcast</p>","author_name":"Goalhanger"}