The Meaning of Pope Leo XIV with Jeanné Lewis

Truth's Table

Sponsor(s): Patreon and TT Book

Episode Description: We’re taking a brief break from our “Still Resisting” series to reflect on a monumental moment in church history: the selection of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope to lead the Catholic Church. His appointment has sparked deep interest, curiosity, and conversation among Catholics, Protestants, and communities worldwide.

Pope Leo XIV’s appointment is historic because he is the first pope from the United States and has Haitian roots. He represents a powerful symbol of the global and multicultural reality of the Catholic Church in the 21st century. His background offers a vital connection to Latin America, particularly Peru, a country with a deep Catholic tradition and a long history of Black and Indigenous faith communities.

This is the first time Ekemini and Christina have had the opportunity to discuss Catholicism on Truth’s Table, and to honor the occasion, they invited Jeanné Lewis to the table. Jeanné is the CEO of Faith in Public Life and a lifelong Catholic whose lived experience and leadership in faith spaces provide rich insight into what Pope Leo XIV’s papacy could mean for Black Catholics and the global church. Pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us!

Learn more about Jeanné Lewis:

Jeanné Lewis serves as CEO at Faith in Public Life. She is a faith-based organizer and authority on creating empowered communities. She has dedicated her career to building bridges, closing equity gaps and creating policies that lead to strong, thriving and self-determined cities.

Jeanné resides in Washington, D.C., and is a member of the DC Working Families Party, St. Augustine Catholic Parish and SongRise, a women’s social justice acapella group. In addition, Jeanné served on the Board of Directors of Faith in Public Life from 2016 to 2022 and currently sits on the National Advisory Council of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, the president’s council of Search for Common Ground, and is a former candidate for DC Council At-Large. Jeanné received her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and holds a M.A. in Conflict Resolution from Antioch University Midwest.

Article cited in this episode: Survey of Black Catholics in America March 2022 from Pew Research

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