In part two of our interview with Austen Ivereigh, we discuss the new cardinals recently picked by Pope Francis, including Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington. I asked Austen for some insights into how Francis selects cardinals, including what he’s looking for, how well he knows them, and what he’s trying to accomplish with his appointments. We also discuss what to expect from Austen’s new book that he wrote with Pope Francis. Finally, we talk about Pope Francis’s plans for his papacy going forward.

Click here for part 1.

Austen Ivereigh is a prominent Catholic writer, journalist, and commentator on religious and political affairs. He is the author of the 2014 biography of Pope Francis, The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope. He is also the author of last year’s Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis’s Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church, both published by Henry Holt.

is latest project, a book called Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future will be released on December 1. It is published by Simon & Schuster.

Let us Dream is the result of exchanges between Austen and Pope Francis during the coronavirus lockdown. According to the editorial description:

In the COVID crisis, the beloved shepherd of over one billion Catholics saw the cruelty and inequity of our society exposed more vividly than ever before. He also saw, in the resilience, generosity, and creativity of so many people, the means to rescue our society, our economy, and our planet. In direct, powerful prose, Pope Francis urges us not to let the pain be in vain.

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Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is the founding managing editor of Where Peter Is. He and Jeannie Gaffigan co-host Field Hospital, a U.S. Catholic podcast.