Pope Leo XIV brings to the papacy his roots in the United States, an Augustinian religious vocation, decades of ministry in a poor diocese in Peru, and service to Pope Francis at the Vatican. He began his papacy by calling for peace, mercy, and justice in our hurting world. He spoke of the…
Christopher White is joining the Initiative team in July 2025 as Associate Director for Strategic Engagement and Senior Fellow.
Chris White is an award-winning journalist with impressive experience and expertise covering the U.S. and global Catholic Church. For the last four years, Chris has covered the Vatican for the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), and before that served as NCR’s national correspondent. He previously served as a reporter for Crux. We’re glad to welcome him back home to the United States to join our growing team.
In this Washington Post article, Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life director Kim Daniels said Cardinal Robert McElroy “takes to heart Pope Francis’s call to accompany people with mercy in the concrete particulars of their lives. In politics, he’ll offer a smart and distinctive Catholic voice, with a record of putting the poor and vulnerable first while seeking opportunities for dialogue and engagement,” and Initiative founder John Carr said “Cardinal McElroy will be principled, not political. His priorities will be moral, not ideological. He will be civil, but not silent in challenging the administration when their policies threaten the poor and vulnerable.”
