It鈥檚 been a busy year for Professor Jo毛lle Rollo-Koster. Upon the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, she was in demand by media outlets as an authority on all things papal; and a three-volume history of the papacy, which she edited, was published this year.
If you followed the news earlier this year of the death of Pope Francis and the ascension of Pope Leo XIV, you likely encountered reports that included the scholarly input of Jo毛lle Rollo-Koster.
Rollo-Koster, a 溏心vlog免费B站 history professor and fellow of the Medieval Academy of America鈥攖he highest career recognition bestowed upon a medievalist鈥攚as in the media spotlight as a go-to expert, answering questions on Francis鈥� legacy, the private conclave that elects the next pope, and frontrunners.
鈥淚 did not keep exact track, but there were days when I had seven interviews,鈥� says Rollo-Koster, who spoke with journalists from local to international outlets, including the BBC, CNN, Fox News, and The New York Times.
鈥淔rancis was a true humanitarian and, I think, truly concerned with peace. I heard him lead the Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square in January. He emphasized the necessity of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza and expressed hope for both Israel and Palestine, advocating for a two-state solution,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e was also the first pope to show real concern for the planet.鈥�
Pope Francis died in April. The election of Robert Francis Prevost鈥擯ope Leo XIV鈥攖he first pope from North America, was, Rollo-Koster says, a somewhat surprising choice.
鈥淚 was expecting鈥攍ike in politics鈥攁 turn to the right. But for the Church and the papacy, there is no right turn,鈥� she says. 鈥淧eople think there is a major difference between traditionalists and liberals, but 鈥榩olitically鈥� they are aligned. They all agree on the main issues: no women, no divorce, no same-sex marriages.鈥�
Rollo-Koster, who grew up in Toulon, France, fell in love with medieval studies at the University of Nice, finding freedom to explore questions and discover new sources in a field with relatively fewer scholars. The same was true for the medieval papacy.
鈥淚nterior view of St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica in the Vatican, from Vedute di Roma.鈥� Etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi circa 1748.
鈥�I was expecting鈥攍ike in politics鈥攁 turn to the right. But for the Church and the papacy, there is no right turn.鈥�
颅鈥擯rofessor Jo毛lle Rollo-Koster
鈥淭he best thing about studying the papacy and the Church is that they have extensive archives and documents, so there is always something new to discover and interpret,鈥� she says.
A specialist in the Avignon Papacy and the Great Western Schism, Rollo-Koster has published widely on social, cultural, religious, and political life in the late Middle Ages, including eight books. She is the lead editor on The Cambridge History of the Papacy, a deep dive into the evolution of the 2,000-year-old papacy. The three-volume, 2,400-page history was published this spring by Cambridge University Press. The six-year project, which, she grants, 鈥渋s not light reading,鈥� brought together 90 specialists as writers and is the first in-depth history of the papacy.
鈥�Tony LaRoche 鈥�85
PHOTO: MICHAEL SALERNO
No, traditionalists are not aligned with liberals. That is a wrong statement and assumption. Liberals are modernists who want the faith to bend to modern mores and values that often go against the Word of God. No way will a traditionalist accept any promulgation of anything that goes against God鈥檚 law.