SIU’s Paul Simon Institute hosts discussion with Vatican correspondent on Pope Leo’s impact

Elise Ann Allen, a Rome-based Vatican correspondent and Pope Leo biographer, will join Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute on Tuesday, June 16, for a virtual discussion on how the new pontiff is reshaping the Catholic Church, global affairs and American political life.

Allen is a senior correspondent for Crux, an online newspaper that focuses on the Catholic Church. Earlier in her career, she was a senior Rome correspondent covering the Vatican for Catholic News Agency.

She will also discuss her new book,  “Pope Leo XIV: The Biography,” with John Shaw, institute director.

The free, public discussion via Zoom begins at 10 a.m. Central; registration at paulsimoninstitute.org/events is required to view the conversation. The event is part of the institute’s “Understanding Our New World” discussion series.

A native of Denver, Allen holds a degree in philosophy and communication from the University of Northern Colorado.

“Elise Allen is a superb reporter and biographer who began covering the pope almost a decade ago when he was still Bishop Robert Prevost in Peru,” She said. “Her important new biography of Pope Leo is based on three hours of interviews with the Pope shortly after he was selected by the College of Cardinals last May. We are eager to learn more about her interactions with Pope Leo, her assessment of his recent encyclical on AI and his likely impact on global and American politics,” Shaw said.

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Allen on the registration form or email questions to [email protected].

More information, including a list of the institute’s upcoming events and past speakers and events, is available.

Images courtesy of SIU Paul Simon Institute.