For the first time in its 2,000-year history, the Catholic Church is being led by an American. In this special evening featuring National Public Radio journalists Daniel Burke, senior editor of religion and spirituality, and Scott Detrow, host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” we'll explore the life, family history, and surprising election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV.

American Pope is the first comprehensive biography of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. Having grown up just outside Chicago and spending many years of his adult life in Peru, he had been a dark horse candidate–an unassuming Augustinian who had only recently been promoted to the top levels of Church leadership. NPR journalists Daniel Burke and Scott Detrow covered the 2025 papal conclave live from St. Peter’s Square. They spent the year following reporting in Peru, Chicago, and Rome, tracking down Leo’s close confidants, childhood friends, family members, classmates, fellow clergy, and Vatican insiders. They gained unprecedented access to archival documents, letters, emails, and other personal correspondence that provide key insights into Prevost’s experiences and views. The authors also consulted the expert genealogists at American Ancestors. Join us for a discussion of this surprising Pope, his family history, and their enlightening and engrossing new biography, American Pope.

Daniel Burke (pictured bottom) is NPR’s senior editor of religion and spirituality. Scott Detrow (pictured top) is host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Together they won an Edward R. Murrow Award for their coverage of the 2025 papal conclave. Burke’s writing on religion has won numerous awards, including from the Society for Features Journalism, the National Headliner Award Foundation, the Religion News Association, and the American Academy of Religion. He has made numerous appearances on CNN and NPR, and his work has been published in dozens of outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. He holds degrees in religion from Georgetown University and Columbia University. Scott Detrow previously worked as NPR’s White House correspondent, among other beats, and hosted The NPR Politics Podcast. He is a graduate of Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania, and lives in Washington, D.C.

Lindsay Fulton is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer and the Chief Research Officer at American Ancestors. She leads the organization's Research, Library, and Database teams and is also part of the leadership team behind 10 Million Names. Lindsay was part of the genealogical research team that assisted Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. in researching the family history of Pope Leo XIV for his New York Times Magazine cover story. Related to this work she appeared ABC News Live and in features in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. Most recently, her work with 10 Million Names helped uncover the living descendants of Calvert Ambush, an enslaved man who contributed to the construction of the White House. She holds an M.A. from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a B.A. from Merrimack College.

Photos of Daniel Burke and Scott Detrow by Alyssa Schukar