Description

For the first time in 20 years, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church has died in office. Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams are joined by Nicole Morino from Catholics for Choice to remember the life and complex legacy of Pope Francis as the world processes his death.

Offering an honest assessment of his impact on the church, Kelley, Terry, and Nicole unpack the trajectory of repro in the Roman Catholic Church, discuss the divide between the church’s hierarchy and the views of its adherents, and outline what the future likely holds in store for abortion justice and reproductive freedom for Catholics around the world.

Links to discussed content:

• Catholics for Choice Just the Facts: www.catholicsforchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/CatholicsForChoiceJustTheFacts.pdf
• Sign Up for C4C's Young Catholic Repro Collective: /www.catholicsforchoice.org/ycrc/
• Sign up for a 1-on-1 with a Catholics for Choice Organizer: www.catholicsforchoice.org/welcome-to-catholics-for-choice/
• Pope Francis sought to make LGBTQ+ people more welcome, but church doctrine didn't change much: https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/pope-francis-sought-make-lgbtq-people-church-doctrine-121112450
• Catholics for Choice delivers Abortion Stories Quilt to the Vatican in 2024: www.catholicsforchoice.org/press-releases/catholics-for-choice-displays-50-foot-quilt-in-front-of-the-vatican-to-bring-the-stories-of-pro-choice-catholics-to-life-at-the-synod-on-synodality/
• Pope Francis answers a young boy's questions about his father's death: www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/04/16/my-dad-heaven-little-boy-asks-pope
• Pope Francis stigmatizes abortion with "hitman" comments in 2018: https://apnews.com/article/5137019e19c5410aa7e2c2b68f21824f
• Explainer on what happens when the pope dies: www.npr.org/2025/04/21/g-s1-61909/pope-death-funeral-conclave-timeline
• Catholic Conference of Ohio map of six dioceses: hwww.ohiocathconf.org/about/ohio-dioceses
• Roman Catholic Church Hierarchy explained: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zv9yd6f/revision/1

Music by Korbin Jones