Christopher Hale
@christopherjhale.bsky.social
Proud Tennessean. ’20 Democratic nominee for Congress & DNC Delegate. Obama-Biden White House & campaign alum. Former nonprofit exec. Bad guitarist & good 💃.
Harry Styles on how he ended up at Pope Leo’s election:
“I was getting a haircut in Rome when people started shouting, ‘Habemus Papam!’
“He finished up, and I realized I was only a five-minute walk away, so I went over.
“It was wild. I kept thinking, ‘Who is this getting all this attention?’”
“I was getting a haircut in Rome when people started shouting, ‘Habemus Papam!’
“He finished up, and I realized I was only a five-minute walk away, so I went over.
“It was wild. I kept thinking, ‘Who is this getting all this attention?’”
“I Was Getting a Haircut” — Harry Styles Explains His Papal Conclave Cameo
In May 2025, as white smoke rose over the Vatican to announce a new pope, fans spotted a very familiar face in the crowd at St. Peter’s Square.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Harry Styles on how he ended up at Pope Leo’s election:
“I was getting a haircut in Rome when people started shouting, ‘Habemus Papam!’
“He finished up, and I realized I was only a five-minute walk away, so I went over.
“It was wild. I kept thinking, ‘Who is this getting all this attention?’”
“I was getting a haircut in Rome when people started shouting, ‘Habemus Papam!’
“He finished up, and I realized I was only a five-minute walk away, so I went over.
“It was wild. I kept thinking, ‘Who is this getting all this attention?’”
For the first time in U.S. history, the archbishop responsible for U.S. service members said military officers may be morally obligated to disobey a sitting president’s orders.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that troops could refuse to comply.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that troops could refuse to comply.
Conservative Military Archbishop Says Catholic Troops Can Defy Trump Orders on Greenland
The archbishop responsible for pastoral care of U.S. service members says an unjust attack on a friendly nation justifies troops’ conscientious refusal under Catholic moral teaching.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:59 PM
For the first time in U.S. history, the archbishop responsible for U.S. service members said military officers may be morally obligated to disobey a sitting president’s orders.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that troops could refuse to comply.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that troops could refuse to comply.
“One of the most anti-life administrations in history.”
The charge, made by a prominent Catholic Republican voice, has gained new traction as Pope Leo’s leadership emboldens pro-life conservatives to challenge the White House — even protesting JD Vance’s keynote address at the the March for Life.
The charge, made by a prominent Catholic Republican voice, has gained new traction as Pope Leo’s leadership emboldens pro-life conservatives to challenge the White House — even protesting JD Vance’s keynote address at the the March for Life.
Under Pope Leo, Pro-Lifers Are Rejecting JD Vance
As the vice president delivered the keynote at the March for Life, many in the pro-life movement saw the moment not as a triumph, but as a jarring contradiction wrapped in hypocrisy.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:25 PM
“One of the most anti-life administrations in history.”
The charge, made by a prominent Catholic Republican voice, has gained new traction as Pope Leo’s leadership emboldens pro-life conservatives to challenge the White House — even protesting JD Vance’s keynote address at the the March for Life.
The charge, made by a prominent Catholic Republican voice, has gained new traction as Pope Leo’s leadership emboldens pro-life conservatives to challenge the White House — even protesting JD Vance’s keynote address at the the March for Life.
MAGA will say this is stigmata.
January 23, 2026 at 2:40 PM
MAGA will say this is stigmata.
Trump’s ambassador to Israel launched an unprecedented attack on the Catholic Church. His target: Pope Leo’s envoy in Gaza.
Mike Huckabee accused Church leaders in Jerusalem of spreading “anti-Israel” ideology.
Now, Catholics across the political spectrum are pushing back.
Mike Huckabee accused Church leaders in Jerusalem of spreading “anti-Israel” ideology.
Now, Catholics across the political spectrum are pushing back.
Trump’s Israel Ambassador Attacks Pope Leo’s Gaza Envoy, Sparks Rare Catholic Unity
In an unprecedented move, Ambassador Mike Huckabee issued a “Christian Zionist” treatise aimed at Pope Leo XIV’s Holy Land representative. The result? Outrage united Catholics of left and right.
open.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Trump’s ambassador to Israel launched an unprecedented attack on the Catholic Church. His target: Pope Leo’s envoy in Gaza.
Mike Huckabee accused Church leaders in Jerusalem of spreading “anti-Israel” ideology.
Now, Catholics across the political spectrum are pushing back.
Mike Huckabee accused Church leaders in Jerusalem of spreading “anti-Israel” ideology.
Now, Catholics across the political spectrum are pushing back.
This week’s mailbag covers reader questions on the intersection of Catholicism and public life — including whether Pope Leo will excommunicate JD Vance, what the Church actually teaches about gay blessings, how to confront Christian nationalism, and why the funeral of John Paul II changed my life.
MAILBAG: Will JD Vance Get the Boot — and Did I Cheat at Confirmation?
This week’s mailbag tackles reader questions about me, Pope Leo, JD Vance, moral clarity, and political identity
open.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:19 AM
This week’s mailbag covers reader questions on the intersection of Catholicism and public life — including whether Pope Leo will excommunicate JD Vance, what the Church actually teaches about gay blessings, how to confront Christian nationalism, and why the funeral of John Paul II changed my life.
“Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” — President Donald Trump
Why is Donald Trump Afraid of Pope Leo XIV?
The president is keeping his distance from the first American pope — dodging a moral reckoning on migrants and war, and dreading a spotlight he can’t control.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:18 PM
“Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” — President Donald Trump
After being rebuked by two popes, 216 American Catholic bishops, the pro-life movement, and major religious-liberty organizations — and after effectively shuttering Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services — Donald Trump says he believes “God is very proud of the job I’ve done.”
January 20, 2026 at 9:36 PM
After being rebuked by two popes, 216 American Catholic bishops, the pro-life movement, and major religious-liberty organizations — and after effectively shuttering Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services — Donald Trump says he believes “God is very proud of the job I’ve done.”
For the first time in history, the archbishop responsible for U.S. service members said officers may be morally obligated to disobey a sitting president’s orders.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that Catholic troops could refuse to comply.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that Catholic troops could refuse to comply.
Conservative Military Archbishop Says Catholic Troops Can Defy Trump Orders on Greenland
The archbishop responsible for pastoral care of U.S. service members says an unjust attack on a friendly nation justifies troops’ conscientious refusal under Catholic moral teaching.
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:55 PM
For the first time in history, the archbishop responsible for U.S. service members said officers may be morally obligated to disobey a sitting president’s orders.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that Catholic troops could refuse to comply.
Broglio said a Trump-ordered invasion of Greenland would violate Catholic teaching and that Catholic troops could refuse to comply.
God loves everyone, but Jesus has a preferential love for those who are marginalized, excluded, and suffering injustice.
He singles out the downtrodden not to deny others’ worth, but to underline the worth of those whom the world treats as worthless.
He singles out the downtrodden not to deny others’ worth, but to underline the worth of those whom the world treats as worthless.
Black Lives Matter Is a Deeply Christian Claim
Growing up in a Tennessee parish once threatened by the Ku Klux Klan shaped my understanding of faith, race, and Christian moral responsibility.
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:21 PM
God loves everyone, but Jesus has a preferential love for those who are marginalized, excluded, and suffering injustice.
He singles out the downtrodden not to deny others’ worth, but to underline the worth of those whom the world treats as worthless.
He singles out the downtrodden not to deny others’ worth, but to underline the worth of those whom the world treats as worthless.
Unless they’re Catholic.
January 20, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Unless they’re Catholic.
Black lives matter isn’t a political slogan. It’s a deeply Christian claim.
After I said that on Fox News, a viewer told me it contradicted Jesus’s teaching.
My Catholic faith — shaped in a Tennessee parish once targeted by the Ku Klux Klan — taught me otherwise.
After I said that on Fox News, a viewer told me it contradicted Jesus’s teaching.
My Catholic faith — shaped in a Tennessee parish once targeted by the Ku Klux Klan — taught me otherwise.
Black Lives Matter Is a Deeply Christian Claim
Growing up in a Tennessee parish once threatened by the Ku Klux Klan shaped my understanding of faith, race, and Christian moral responsibility.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 19, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Black lives matter isn’t a political slogan. It’s a deeply Christian claim.
After I said that on Fox News, a viewer told me it contradicted Jesus’s teaching.
My Catholic faith — shaped in a Tennessee parish once targeted by the Ku Klux Klan — taught me otherwise.
After I said that on Fox News, a viewer told me it contradicted Jesus’s teaching.
My Catholic faith — shaped in a Tennessee parish once targeted by the Ku Klux Klan — taught me otherwise.
In a historic rebuke, America’s three most senior cardinals are denouncing Donald Trump’s bid to annex Greenland.
Backed by Pope Leo XIV’s warning against a “zeal for war,” it’s the most direct intervention by U.S. bishops in a president’s foreign policy in decades.
Backed by Pope Leo XIV’s warning against a “zeal for war,” it’s the most direct intervention by U.S. bishops in a president’s foreign policy in decades.
Backed by Pope Leo, U.S. Cardinals Rebuke Trump’s Greenland Gambit
As Trump pushes to annex Greenland, three top American cardinals — Cupich of Chicago, McElroy of Washington, and Tobin of Newark — have issued a rare joint statement denouncing a “zeal for war.”
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:28 PM
In a historic rebuke, America’s three most senior cardinals are denouncing Donald Trump’s bid to annex Greenland.
Backed by Pope Leo XIV’s warning against a “zeal for war,” it’s the most direct intervention by U.S. bishops in a president’s foreign policy in decades.
Backed by Pope Leo XIV’s warning against a “zeal for war,” it’s the most direct intervention by U.S. bishops in a president’s foreign policy in decades.
Pope Leo XIV cried this week as he met families who lost children in the Swiss New Year’s Eve fire that killed 40.
Most of the victims were teenagers.
The meeting was quiet, raw, and heavy with grief.
“Your hope is not in vain. The whole Church stands with you,” the first American pope told them.
Most of the victims were teenagers.
The meeting was quiet, raw, and heavy with grief.
“Your hope is not in vain. The whole Church stands with you,” the first American pope told them.
Pope Leo XIV Tears Up Comforting Families of Swiss Bar Fire Victims
The first American pope, visibly moved, embraced parents mourning an unspeakable New Year’s tragedy and offered them the Church’s full compassion — and a message of faith that even in this darkness.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 18, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Pope Leo XIV cried this week as he met families who lost children in the Swiss New Year’s Eve fire that killed 40.
Most of the victims were teenagers.
The meeting was quiet, raw, and heavy with grief.
“Your hope is not in vain. The whole Church stands with you,” the first American pope told them.
Most of the victims were teenagers.
The meeting was quiet, raw, and heavy with grief.
“Your hope is not in vain. The whole Church stands with you,” the first American pope told them.
Today’s Trumpian politics rewards self-importance and spectacle. The Gospel offers a rebuke: the work is not about us, and it never was.
Prophets Of A Future Not Our Own
In an age of ego-driven activism, the Gospel reminds us that Christians are not the protagonists of history — Jesus is.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Today’s Trumpian politics rewards self-importance and spectacle. The Gospel offers a rebuke: the work is not about us, and it never was.
In September 2024, Pope Francis surprised staff by dropping into this café in Luxembourg — simply because he wanted an espresso.
The baristas asked where he was visiting from.
The baristas asked where he was visiting from.
January 18, 2026 at 2:18 AM
In September 2024, Pope Francis surprised staff by dropping into this café in Luxembourg — simply because he wanted an espresso.
The baristas asked where he was visiting from.
The baristas asked where he was visiting from.
Pope Leo XIV playing "Here I am, Lord" on the guitar in 1987,
January 17, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Pope Leo XIV playing "Here I am, Lord" on the guitar in 1987,
Bishop Robert Barron’s turn from wide-appeal evangelist to full MAGA figure crystallized after a bizarre homoerotic Brazilian men’s feet social media scandal.
Barron denies the allegations.
Barron denies the allegations.
Bishop Barron Goes Full MAGA: A Silence and a Scandal Behind His Rightward Shift
Once seen as a centrist evangelist with wide appeal, Bishop Robert Barron has spent the past few years aligning himself with MAGA politicians, right-wing media, and partisan culture war flashpoints.
open.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Bishop Robert Barron’s turn from wide-appeal evangelist to full MAGA figure crystallized after a bizarre homoerotic Brazilian men’s feet social media scandal.
Barron denies the allegations.
Barron denies the allegations.
Every Catholic ICE agent should remember the final words of St. Thomas More
“I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”
Right now, you’re serving an organization that defies our faith at every turn. You have seen it with your own eyes: cruelty celebrated, lies justified, families devastated.
“I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”
Right now, you’re serving an organization that defies our faith at every turn. You have seen it with your own eyes: cruelty celebrated, lies justified, families devastated.
Every Catholic Must Resign from ICE — Today
After a year of inhumane raids and papal rebukes, it’s clear no Catholic can in good conscience remain with ICE any longer.
open.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Every Catholic ICE agent should remember the final words of St. Thomas More
“I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”
Right now, you’re serving an organization that defies our faith at every turn. You have seen it with your own eyes: cruelty celebrated, lies justified, families devastated.
“I am the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”
Right now, you’re serving an organization that defies our faith at every turn. You have seen it with your own eyes: cruelty celebrated, lies justified, families devastated.
“Every one of us, whether we were born in the United States of America or on the North Pole, we all are given that gift of being created the image and likeness of God.
“And the day we forget that is a day we forget who we are. We forget who Christ has called us to be.” — Pope Leo (August 7, 2024)
“And the day we forget that is a day we forget who we are. We forget who Christ has called us to be.” — Pope Leo (August 7, 2024)
January 16, 2026 at 12:05 AM
“Every one of us, whether we were born in the United States of America or on the North Pole, we all are given that gift of being created the image and likeness of God.
“And the day we forget that is a day we forget who we are. We forget who Christ has called us to be.” — Pope Leo (August 7, 2024)
“And the day we forget that is a day we forget who we are. We forget who Christ has called us to be.” — Pope Leo (August 7, 2024)
Francisco Paredes served his Minnesota parish for years.
Then ICE arrested him in the church parking lot and deported him before Christmas. Weeks later, masked agents returned during Mass. The priest says it feels like a war zone.
Now Church leaders are calling it an anti-Catholic campaign.
Then ICE arrested him in the church parking lot and deported him before Christmas. Weeks later, masked agents returned during Mass. The priest says it feels like a war zone.
Now Church leaders are calling it an anti-Catholic campaign.
In Anti-Catholic Operation, Trump-Vance ICE Targets Minnesota Parish
A Minnesota church is reeling after immigration agents staked out Sunday Mass and deported a beloved staff member.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:05 PM
Francisco Paredes served his Minnesota parish for years.
Then ICE arrested him in the church parking lot and deported him before Christmas. Weeks later, masked agents returned during Mass. The priest says it feels like a war zone.
Now Church leaders are calling it an anti-Catholic campaign.
Then ICE arrested him in the church parking lot and deported him before Christmas. Weeks later, masked agents returned during Mass. The priest says it feels like a war zone.
Now Church leaders are calling it an anti-Catholic campaign.
Today, I’m opening the mailbag. For the first time, I’m taking reader questions directly — on Trump, Pope Leo XIV, American politics, Catholicism, and the moral stakes shaping public life in the United States.
Nothing is off the table. Ask my anything.
Nothing is off the table. Ask my anything.
The Inaugural Letters from Leo Mailbag
Ask me anything — about faith, politics, Pope Leo XIV, or the future of the Church and the country.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Today, I’m opening the mailbag. For the first time, I’m taking reader questions directly — on Trump, Pope Leo XIV, American politics, Catholicism, and the moral stakes shaping public life in the United States.
Nothing is off the table. Ask my anything.
Nothing is off the table. Ask my anything.
Pope Francis’s last gift to the Church and the world was Pope Leo XIV.
Secrets of Leo XIV’s Election: Smuggled Phones, Double Votes, and a Terrified Papabile
A major insider account of the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV has arrived — in Spanish — spilling jaw-dropping anecdotes from the Sistine Chapel.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Pope Francis’s last gift to the Church and the world was Pope Leo XIV.
A MAGA Catholic man posted a video bragging about refusing communion from an Indian woman at Mass — because he didn’t “trust her hygiene.”
The backlash was swift. Now a bishop, priests, and others are speaking out, reminding the him of what Pope Leo and the Church teaches: racism is a mortal sin.
The backlash was swift. Now a bishop, priests, and others are speaking out, reminding the him of what Pope Leo and the Church teaches: racism is a mortal sin.
“Don’t Trust the Hygiene” — MAGA Catholic Brags About Refusing the Eucharist from Indian Woman
After refusing Communion from an Indian laywoman and invoking anti-immigrant conspiracy theories, a far-right Catholic faces sharp condemnation from a bishop, priests, and Catholic groups.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:39 PM
A MAGA Catholic man posted a video bragging about refusing communion from an Indian woman at Mass — because he didn’t “trust her hygiene.”
The backlash was swift. Now a bishop, priests, and others are speaking out, reminding the him of what Pope Leo and the Church teaches: racism is a mortal sin.
The backlash was swift. Now a bishop, priests, and others are speaking out, reminding the him of what Pope Leo and the Church teaches: racism is a mortal sin.
America’s finest leader.
January 15, 2026 at 2:35 PM
America’s finest leader.