Leo XIV: The New Pope and Catholic Reform -- Christopher R. Altieri, Hardcover

Expert analysis from a veteran Vatican watcher on who the new American Pope few expected really is - and what his legacy within the Catholic Church might become.

When Robert Francis Prevost OSA appeared on the loggia of St. Peter's on 8th May 2025, he surprised the world.

The first American pope is a quiet man few had heard of, following the legacy of one the most media savvy pontiffs in history. Yet with subtle gestures, Pope Leo has shown that he is a bridge-builder, a man willing to unite the factions in a deeply divided Church.

In this comprehensive book which joins biography with critical examination of the state of the Church, veteran journalist Christopher R. Altieri explores Prevost's life and work, from his early years in Chicago to his ministry in Peru, and how he came to be chosen as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Altieri provides insight into the politics of the 2025 conclave, alongside Pope Leo's choice of papal name, and the major challenges and deep-rooted problems of the Church that he now must run - and all at a time when the world is asking big questions about what it means to be human in a complex ethical world of AI and global conflict.

Through this Pope Leo emerges as a quiet man of true humility, with a track record as an efficient administrator and conciliatory figure, whose background in Canon Law might just offer him the skills needed to govern and reshape the modern Church.

Author: Christopher R. Altieri
Publisher: Bloomsbury Continuum
Published: 10/07/2025
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.21h x 6.02w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781399430890

About the Author

Christopher R. Altieri is a journalist, writer, and editor with nearly two decades' experience in print, digital, and broadcast journalism. After more than a dozen years on the English-language news desk at Vatican Radio, Altieri became the Catholic Herald's first Rome Bureau Chief, then International Editor and later Executive Editor.

He is a contributing editor for Crux and the Catholic World Report and teaches history and theology at Fairfield Preparatory School.