Is the pope a socialist?

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I unpack a recent confrontation between the Italian bishops and the pope, which came after the bishops failed to implement the pope’s 2015 annulment reforms. We talk about what those reforms were, and what this tells us about the way the Vatican is able to enforce change.

Then, we talk economics. Whenever Pope Francis discusses the economy, it sets off cries that the pope is a socialist or a communist. So this week, we ask: Is the pope a socialist? What is his vision for the economy?

Finally, we dig into the pope’s comments to journalists about fake news, freedom of the press, and why he thinks women make good reporters.

Congratulations to Jeff Johnson, the winner of our raffle of Gerry’s book, “The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave that Changed History.”

Links from the show:

• Inside the Vatican: A brief explanation of the Vatican-China deal
• Pope Francis recognizes Chinese bishops ordained without papal approval
• Pope Francis asks Italian bishops finally to implement marriage tribunal reforms
• Pope Francis invites young people to pledge to build a new economy
• Pope Francis tells the press: ‘The church is on your side,’ denounces fake news

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