Just after 6:00 p.m. on May 8 in Vatican City, white smoke signaled that the conclave had elected the next pope. To the surprise of most Vatican-watchers and contrary to conventional wisdom, the new pope is American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Pope Leo XIV. In his first address to the faithful, Pope Leo XIV did the least American thing possible: He spoke not one word of English. Rather, in fluent Italian and then in Spanish, he declared, “Peace be

Today I reflect on Pope Francis. With sadness at his passing; with gratitude for the example he set for other religious leaders and for all of us.  He modeled for all types of leaders the power of humility, which makes possible both empathy and inclusion.  He modeled for all types of leaders how to be of service beyond their own communities, in ways that bring to life the values of their own community.  He was an inspiration to me, as well as to millions of others ar

This guest column by Helio Fred Garcia on the US government's security failure was originally published on CommPro.biz on April 3, 2025.