Pope Leo and Trump aren’t the first feuding leaders: a history of papal power clashes

When President Trump took to Truth Social earlier this year and attacked Pope Leo for being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” most Catholics were understandably shocked. But a clash between a secular leader and the bishop of Rome is hardly without precedent. This week on “Jesuitical,” hosts Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless talk with Miles Pattendens, an expert on popes and papal conclaves, about the long and quirky history of feuds between popes and politicians.

In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley discuss the Vatican rejection of a request from the German bishops to allow lay people to preach the homily at Mass. Plus, a look ahead at Pope Leo’s summer plans. 

And in As One Friends Speak to Another, America Media’s O’Hare fellows—Brigid McCabe, Ed Desciak and Will Gualitiere—share some spiritual insights from a year working at the intersection of the church and the world. 

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00:00 Context

2:47 Vatican says "no" to women preaching

12:07 Pope Leo's summer schedule

16:05 History of Catholic authority

19:46 The investiture controversy

26:03 Pastoral concern or power grabs?

34:27 Henry VIII vs. Popes

39:20 How the church lost power