President Trump's clashes with Pope Leo, Earth Day and ecospirituality, and an interview with Natalia Imperatori-Lee

Heidi, Daniel, and David discuss the continuing saga of American political leaders trying to lecture the Pope on Catholic doctrine, and then they turn to a discussion of the recent Earth Day remembrance, asking whether it sould be seen as a celebration or a lament. Then Heidi interviews Natalia Imperatori-Lee about the upcoming Women's Ordination Conference.

INTRO

Esteem Program

Newman University

Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago

Durham University - Conference on Franciscan Studies

International Merton Conference

Dayton - Lay Marionists workshop

SEGMENT 1 - President Trump clashes with Pope Leo

Backgrounder on the conflict

The President’s post

Pope Leo’s growing response

“Soft on crime”

Excremental assault

SEGMENT 2 - Earth Day 2026 and Eco-Spirituality

NYT reporting on the “shadow docket”

Daniel’s recent column, “What the happiness of dogs can teach us about human spirituality”

Leonardo Boff: “The cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor”

The seventh generation

Lament

Minnesota boundary waters in danger

Effective altruism and the weaponization of the future

Thinking of “the extended family of creation”

Mark Rawlins on non-human creatures

Empathy, interdependence, living in the present, prioritization of love