How much say does the new Pope have in Australians’ lives?

The Pope may seem like a distant figure. But the newest one has wasted no time making waves. It’s not just the social media posts riffing on what vibe a Pope who originally hails from the south side of Chicago might bring to the Vatican. Because, even before Pope Leo the 14th slid the Papal ring on his finger on Friday, he launched something of an attack on American vice president JD Vance, angering many within the MAGA movement.

And in Australia? Many Catholics have already begun questioning how the Pope’s personal views will impact our churches, and even school curricula. Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on what we can expect from Pope Leo the 14th. And how he may - or may not - intervene in our local religious stoushes, as the Vatican has done, in the past.

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