Christopher Lamb

One of the surest ways a pope can influence the church and its engagement in politics is through the appointment of bishops. Pope Leo XIV’s latest pick: an El Salvador–born advocate for immigrants as bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia. The choice reinforces the pope’s message on immigration: that new arrivals, when welcomed and integrated, can strengthen their new home. It’s part of a broader pattern with three of Pope Leo’s first four US bishop appointments born outside the country. My latest for @CNN: edition.cnn.com/2026/05/04/wor…

Thank you to @hexhambookfest for hosting a great discussion on my Pope Leo book “American Hope”

@jasondhorowitz Congrats! 👏

Hi everyone, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I wanted to share the cover for my upcoming book The Italian Job: A Memoir of an American Reporter in Rome, coming on Oct 6, 2026. You can pre-order it at the link in my bio. I hope you all read and enjoy it! Grazie!!

Pope Leo XIV and the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, have met for the first time. Archbishop Mullally is the first woman to be appointed to the position. In his remarks, the pope acknowledged that "new problems" between Catholics and Anglicans "have arisen in recent decades, rendering the pathway to full communion [between the churches] more difficult to discern," but added that it would be a "scandal if we did not continue to work towards overcoming our differences." Archbishop Mullally praised the pope for speaking "powerfully about the many injustices in our world today," while Leo called for all violence and aggression to be responded to "in an unarmed way." vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2…

Pope Leo on the papal plane says: “We tend to think that when the church is talking about morality that the only issue of morality is sexual." Leo says questions of "justice, equality, freedom" should take priority. The pope was asked about same-sex blessings, reiterating Vatican opposition to formalized blessings of same-sex couples, beyond what Pope Francis ruled in December 2023. edition.cnn.com/2026/04/23/eur…

Pope Leo: some migrants are treated “worse than pets or animals.” He urges wealthier nations to support countries in the Global South, especially those he visited in Africa, so people aren’t forced to migrate in the first place. edition.cnn.com/2026/04/23/eur…

Press conference on board the papal plane: Pope Leo condemns Iran’s killing of protesters but says “as a pastor” he cannot support war @CNN cnn.com/2026/04/23/eur…

Covering Pope Leo XIV’s busiest day in Africa: a non-stop tour around Equatorial Guinea including three plane trips, big crowds and a visit to an infamous prison. @cnn (Editing: Natalie Haytayan)

Pope Leo XIV, on board the papal plane to Equatorial Guinea, pays tribute to Pope Francis on the 1st anniversary of his predecessor’s death. Leo describes Francis’s life as a “great gift to the church and the world” and cites the late pope’s emphasis on fraternity mercy.

One year ago today, on Easter Monday 2025, Pope Francis died. Here’s my @CNN report from that day which examined his life, leadership and legacy. cnn.com/2025/04/21/wor…

Pope Leo addresses recent attacks on him by President Trump, says “debate” with the president is not the focus of his Africa trip. @cnn report

Pope Leo XIV said "it's not in my interest" to debate US President Donald Trump, insisting his trip to Africa is focused on peacebuilding rather than any personal clash. cnn.it/4dRiak8

Pope Leo XIV said Saturday “it’s not in my interest” to debate US President Donald Trump, insisting his trip to Africa is focused on peacebuilding rather than any personal clash. Report from on board the papal plane: cnn.com/2026/04/18/afr…

Pope Leo XIV’s time in Africa underlines the shift in axis of the Catholic Church from Europe to the global south. Report for @CNN

“Despite the richness of the land in Cameroon, many experience both material and spiritual poverty,” Pope Leo said during a Mass for an estimated 120,000 people. edition.cnn.com/2026/04/17/afr…

Cómo el primer papa estadounidense está recuperando los valores cristianos frente a las críticas de la administración Trump cnn.it/4tXOI0O

Huge crowd here in Douala for a Mass presided over by Pope Leo in #Cameroon

Pope Leo is beginning to come into his own. "The US military operation in Iran has brought out Leo’s inner steel, and a willingness to speak out in forthright terms. He decided to name Trump personally – something popes rarely do." edition.cnn.com/2026/04/17/ame…

The last few days have defined Pope Leo XIV as the most visible international counterweight to Trump. Yet the Chicago-born pontiff, known for his gentle, low-key style, did not pick this fight. Analysis for @CNN --> How the first American pope is reclaiming Christian values from the Trump administration edition.cnn.com/2026/04/17/ame…

I asked President Trump why he's fighting with the Pope. Trump: "I have to do what's right. The Pope has to understand that. Very simple, I have nothing against the Pope. His brother is MAGA all the way..." So why are you fighting with him? Trump: "I'm not fighting with him. The Pope made a statement. He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon." He didn't say that.