When the White Smoke Clears: A Guide to Pope Leo XIV's Early Days

Get to know more about Pope Leo XIV and the papacy alongside When the White Smoke Clears.

 

Join Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, Dr. Edward Sri, Fr. Josh Johnson, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, and other trusted Catholic voices to discover what the office of the papacy means for the Church, and for you.

 

What happens when white smoke rises over St. Peter’s Square? The election of a new Pope is more than a historic event—it’s an invitation for Catholics to get to know the new Holy Father, and rediscover the heart of the papacy: its biblical foundations, its spiritual authority, the hope it brings the faithful, and our shared responsibility to pray for the pope as our universal pastor.

 

In this timely and accessible book, leading Catholic teachers and evangelists offer three key reflections:

• Who Pope Leo XIV is, including insights into his life, his first words as Pope, and his early priorities
• What the Church teaches about the office of the pope, and why the papacy matters
• How to support him, and practical ways to pray for, fast for, and faithfully follow the Holy Father

 

When the White Smoke Clears helps readers know more about Pope Leo XIV and the papacy with faith, clarity, and prayer.

 

This edition also includes:.

• An appendix of traditional and contemporary prayers for the pope

A glossary of key papal terms for quick reference

When the White Smoke Clears brings together a distinguished assembly of trusted voices in modern Catholic theology, evangelization, and media to guide readers through the dawn of a new papacy. Leading the podcasters and media voices are Fr. Mike Schmitz, a priest for the Diocese of Duluth and host of the #1 Apple chart breakout podcast The Bible in a Year; Jeff Cavins, creator of The Great Adventure Bible Timeline and award-winning contributor to The Bible in a Year; Katie Prejean McGrady, a CNN Vatican Analyst and daily host of The Katie McGrady Show on SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel; and Fr. Josh Johnson, a priest in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and host of the popular Ask Fr. Josh podcast. The contributing theologians and scholars include Dr. Edward Sri, host of the All Things Catholic podcast and senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach for FOCUS; Marcellino D'Ambrosio (Dr. Italy), a renowned theologian, speaker, and international TV and radio commentator; Dr. Michael A. Dauphinais, Chair of the Theology Department at Ave Maria University and co-director of the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal; and Fr. Francis J. Caponi, OSA, Associate Professor of Systematic and Constructive Theology at Villanova University, who holds a Th.D. from Harvard University. Providing localized insights are Rome correspondents Ashley and John Noronha, pontifical university professors, founders of the Truth and Beauty Project, and media personalities for EWTN and Relevant Radio. Together, this unified team equips the faithful to understand, embrace, and spiritually support the new Holy Father.