105: Inside the Vatican, with Diane Montagna

Now on her third pope, Diane Montagna is one of the most respected Vaticanologists of our time. Known for her contributions to periodicals such as the National Catholic Register and Humanitas: Christian Anthropological Review, as well as the Catholic Herald, she has also worked as Rome correspondent for LifeSiteNews and the English edition of Aleteia. In this episode of Merely Catholic, she discusses her varied career and the challenges facing the new pontificate. She also gives an in-depth account of her groundbreaking research, which suggested a false narrative behind the motivations of Traditionis custodes. This episode was recorded on 21.08.2025. 

Sacred Voices is a choir made up of members who were originally part of the Sistine Chapel Choir and now constitute a touring ambassadorial choir, dedicated in part to sustaining the vision of Domenico Bartolucci, who was for decades the Sistine Chapel Choir’s conductor and director. Alessandro Biciocci is the Secretary General of the Bartolucci Foundation. Originally a boy treble in the Sistine Chapel Choir, he is now the Secretary General of the foundation that plans and oversees the work of Sacred Voices. This other face – or other voice – of the Sistine Chapel Choir has become famous for its interpretations of Gregorian chant, Palestrina, and the Catholic liturgical repertoire. They perform not only in Rome but across the world, and are singing in New York this August. The New York tour has been organised by Justin Kurian, founder of Reclaiming Christendom, a lawyer and popular novelist. Reclaiming Christendom works for the renewal of Catholic faith and culture. In this episode, they join Gavin Ashenden to reflect on the work of the Sistine Chapel Choir, Sacred Voices, and their upcoming tour. https://sacredvoicesnytour.com/ Ask ChatGPT

David Alton, the Catholic crossbench peer and former MP, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden to discuss the recent vote for abortion up to and during birth. They reflect on the hijacking by MPs of the Crime and Policing Bill to decriminalise abortion for any reason and at any stage in pregnancy, and also the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) through the House of Commons. In this 103rd episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for The Catholic Herald, they talk about what might be done to counter the “culture of death” both in the Houses of Parliament and in society generally. https://thomasmorecollege.edu/

Lois McLatchie Miller, a Christian activist, was arrested in Brussel for wearing a billboard which read: “Children are never born in the wrong body.” She was detained alongside Canadian child protection advocate Chris Elston, known as “Billboard Chris” (@BillboardChris), after they were surrounded by an angry mob. In spite of the pair’s peaceful conduct, police arrested Ms McLatchie Miller and Billboard Chris rather than address the aggression of the crowd. Lois talks about her ordeal to Dr Gavin Ashenden in this 102nd episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast for the Catholic Herald.

Edward Pentin, the distinguished English Catholic journalist and veteran Rome correspondent, returns to Merely Catholic to discuss the conclusion of the pontificate of Pope Francis and the new reign of Pope Leo XIV. An acknowledged media expert on the workings of the papacy and of the Vatican in general, in 2015 he authored The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? An Investigation into Alleged Manipulation at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, which was published by Ignatius Press, and five years later brought out The Next Pope — The Leading Cardinal Candidates, thanks to Sophia Institute Press. Mr Pentin serves today as a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Register and is also a regular contributor to EWTN, the Catholic television network. https://thomasmorecollege.edu/

The award winning former Catholic Herald editor William Cash joins Dr Gavin Ashenden from Rome to discuss the forthcoming conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis in this 100th Merely Catholic podcast. They discuss how Francis came to be elected, reflect on the invisible machinations already under way to choose the next pope, and they consider several of those members of the College of Cardinals who are drawing attention from the world’s media because they are “papabile”, or worthy to hold the papal office. Our sponsor: https://thomasmorecollege.edu/

Journalist and author Simon Caldwell returns to Merely Catholic to discuss his new thriller, Lady Mabel’s Gold, with Dr Gavin Ashenden in this 99th episode. A standalone sequel to The Beast of Bethulia Park, the author’s 2022 debut, Lady Mabel’s Gold has been praised by former Catholic Herald editor William Cash as a “truly original novel with excellent writing, clever plot twists and a cast of memorable characters which put Caldwell at the front rank of Catholic novelists today”. Dr Ashenden talks to Caldwell about his characters, themes and inspirations and both read from the book for the first time publicly. https://www.gracewing.co.uk/page416.html

Tim Dieppe, the head of public policy at Christian Concern, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 97th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald, to discuss his new book, The Challenge of Islam. This book discusses the increasing influence of Islam in the UK and how non-Muslims might respond. Chapters include: “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?”, “Is Islam Antisemitic?”, “What's wrong with Multiculturalism?”, and “What’s wrong with Islamic Finance?” The book concludes with some policy proposals that would make a difference. In their conversation, Mr Dieppe and Dr Ashenden also confront the theological question of whether Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.

Conservative Party peer Lord (Nigel) Biggar CBE, the Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and an Anglican priest, joins Dr Gavin Ashenden for this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. Lord Biggar, an Oxford-educated historian and author of the 2023 book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, reflects on the plan by the Church of England to pay £100 million in reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade following criticism in a new report for Policy Exchange that such policies are based on a defective process which “embedded activism rather than balance”. He gives Dr Ashenden a more nuanced account of the British Empire and its expansion and of the conduct of several of the important figures involved in its creation.

Rod Dreher’s close friendship with U.S. Vice President JD Vance is the subject of this 96th episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for the Catholic Herald. He and Dr Gavin Ashenden discuss Mr Vance’s shocking accusation in a landmark speech at the Munich that the greatest threat to European security is not posed by Russia or China but by the European elites, and the extent to which Europe is “changing sides” with its ideological opponents of the Cold War. An American author who now lives in Budapest, Hungary, Mr Dreher is perhaps best known for The Benedict Option, his 2017 book about how Christians might prepare themselves for a new dark age. It was one of three New York Times best-sellers, with Live Not By Lies and The Little Way of Ruthie Leming. His latest book, Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, was published last year. Our sponsor: thomasmorecollege.edu