Joshua J. McElwee

Joshua J. McElwee is NCR's news editor. He is a journalist who has been widely recognized for his in-depth reporting and penetrating analysis on the leadership of the global Catholic Church.

Previously NCR's Vatican correspondent from 2014-21, McElwee's dispatches from Rome and during papal trips abroad were frequently cited by his peers, and broadly seen as a touchstone for nuanced Vatican and papal coverage. 

Among McElwee's most noted work has been his years-long, tenacious coverage of Pope Francis' clergy abuse commission, which through a series of exclusive interviews with ex-members of the group revealed serious shortcomings to its work.

McElwee was also the first journalist to break the news of Pope Francis' promise during a meeting with an international group of sisters and nuns in 2016 to create a commission to study the history of the ordination of women as deacons in the Catholic Church.

McElwee's reporting on the scene from the closed-door encounter, which sparked a global media frenzy, is sometimes credited with ensuring that Francis went forward with the creation of the Vatican's eventual Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate.

McElwee is the co-editor, alongside Cindy Wooden, of A Pope Francis Lexicon, a collection of 54 essays exploring the unique words Pope Francis has used in his ministry. 

A graduate of The Catholic University of America, McElwee has reported for NCR from 39 countries and traveled in the press pool abroad with Pope Francis 24 times. He often appears as an expert on television and radio programs such as National Public Radio's Morning Edition, BBC's World Service, and PRI's The World.

 

By this Author

Pope Francis greets retired Pope Benedict XVI during an encounter for the elderly in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sept. 28, 2014.

What did Pope Francis really think about Benedict XVI?

Listen: In The Vatican Briefing, Joshua McElwee and Christopher White discuss the Vatican's document Dignitas Infinita. And they speak with a Vatican journalist about his book-length interview with Pope Francis. 

Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton addresses several hundred antiwar activists at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit March 18, at an event marking the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Bishop Gumbleton, longtime soul of the US Catholic peace movement, dies

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, the Detroit prelate who for many American Catholics defined faith-based social justice activism in the post-Vatican II church, died April 4. He was 94. 

The Vatican's March 19 event at the United Nations about faith-based organizations promoting women's leadership, held during the 68th session of the U.N.'s Commission on the Status of Women (NCR photo/Joshua J. McElwee)

At UN event, Vatican presses for global ban on child surrogacy

During the 68th session of the U.N.'s Commission on the Status of Women, the Vatican's mission to the United Nations held three side events, including a panel arguing for a prohibition against child surrogacy.

Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia speaks at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City Nov. 18, 2023, during a prayer service marking the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, a famine engineered by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin that led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Ukrainian archbishop: Pope Francis doesn't understand Putin

In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," a prominent U.S. Ukrainian Catholic leader sharply criticizes Pope Francis' recent suggestion that Ukraine might enter negotiations to end the war with Russia.  

Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego speaks about his experience as a delegate to the Synod on Synodality in October 2023 at the Vatican during a talk Feb. 16 at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in Anaheim. (OSV News/Courtesy of Archdiocese of LA Digital Team)

Cardinal McElroy: Pope's climate vision not getting enough attention from US bishops

In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy says the U.S. bishops are not giving enough attention to Pope Francis' call for the world to address global climate change.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, holds a photo of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick during a press conference in Rome, Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, on the occasion of the first anniversary of Pope Francis' summit on clergy abuse. (AP/Andrew Medichini)

Has Pope Francis failed to root out clergy sexual abuse?

In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," BishopAccountability.org co-director Anne Barrett Doyle offers a blunt assessment of Pope Francis' efforts to confront clergy sexual abuse.

Xavière Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the synod, responds to a question during a news conference at the Vatican Sept. 8, 2023. (CNS/Justin McLellan)

Inside the Vatican's synod office: 'New style of leadership' for Catholic Church

In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," Xavière Sr. Nathalie Becquart brings listeners inside the Vatican's synod office to discuss how the synodal process is creating "a new style of leadership" for the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta attends a news conference at the Vatican Oct. 8, 2018. Archbishop Scicluna says the report of clerical sexual abuse in France is a call for the church to take action, get more serious about implementing child protectio

Exclusive: Vatican's abuse expert says ending priestly celibacy could prevent a 'double life'

In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," Archbishop Charles Scicluna reiterates his call for the global Catholic Church to consider ending its requirement that priests remain celibate.

Pope Francis meets with members of the International Association of Journalists Accredited to the Vatican in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Jan. 22, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Pope Francis thanks Vatican journalists for uncovering Catholic scandals 'with sensitivity'

Pope Francis thanked the Rome-based journalists who regularly report on his papacy for their work to uncover scandals in the global Catholic Church in a manner that he said showed "great sensitivity," as part of a first of its kind meeting at the Vatican on Jan. 22.

Joe Donnelly, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, attends a conference on immigration Sept. 27, 2022, in Rome. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Biden's Vatican ambassador says US working 'nonstop' to save Gaza civilians

Listen: In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Joe Donnelly, tells NCR the U.S. is working "nonstop" to prevent civilian deaths in Gaza, but stops short of backing Pope Francis' calls for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CNS/Courtesy of Kerry Alys Robinson)

Women's leadership in Catholic Church a matter of 'moral urgency,' says Catholic Charities leader

Listen: In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," Catholic Charities USA president and CEO Kerry Robinson praises Pope Francis' efforts to expand opportunities for women's leadership in the Catholic Church.

U.S. Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, arrives for a working session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican Oct. 16. (CNS/Lola Gomez)

Exclusive: Synod felt 'sorrow' over church's treatment of women, says Bishop Flores

Listen: In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," Bishop Daniel Flores says the prelates at the recent major Vatican summit wanted to express "a certain amount of sorrow" over how women have been treated by the church.

Jesuit Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in California, speaks during a briefing about the assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican Oct. 17. Sheila Leocádia Pires, secretary of the synod's information commission, looks on. (CNS/Lola Gomez)

Exclusive: On gay Catholics, synod ensured 'nothing is closed,' says African Jesuit

Listen: In this episode of The Vatican Briefing, Jesuit Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator discusses the synod and how its final text made sure that "the space is there to continue to have this conversation."

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego and arrive for a session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall Oct. 17, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Exclusive: Cardinals Cupich, McElroy say 'impossible to go back' to synods without lay voters

In an exclusive joint interview just hours after the closing of Pope Francis' Synod of Bishops, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich and San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy told NCR it would be "impossible to go back" to an era where synods did not involve lay persons as full, voting members.

Pope Francis smiles at Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, as the first assembly of the synod on synodality concludes Oct. 28 in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Pope's major Vatican summit ends without action on women deacons, mention of LGBTQ Catholics

The Vatican summit on the future of the church concluded on Oct. 28 by postponing action on ordaining women as deacons and failing to acknowledge deep tensions over how to care for LGBTQ Catholics.

 

Pope Francis poses for a photo with participants in the assembly of the Synod of Bishops before a working session in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican Oct 23. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Synod letter to Catholics highlights role of women, listening to abuse victims

The Oct. 25 "Letter to the People of God" from the ongoing Synod of Bishops highlights the significance of women participating in the event as full members, and the duty of the church to listen to clergy abuse victims.

Pope Francis greets visitors from the popemobile as he rides around St. Peter's Square at the Vatican before his weekly general audience Oct. 25, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Pope Francis meets leaders of LGBTQ 'Rainbow Catholics' coalition

Pope Francis greeted the leaders of an international association for LGBTQ Catholics at the end of his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 25.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, arrives in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall for a working session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops Oct. 20. (CNS/Lola Gomez)

Exclusive: Synod a reminder of 'very acute' needs across world, cardinal says

Listen: In this episode of "The Vatican Briefing," Vatican experts Joshua McElwee and Christopher White have an exclusive conversation with Cardinal Michael Czerny about the ongoing Synod of Bishops.

Loretto Sr. Jeannine Gramick speaking on "The Vatican Briefing" podcast about meeting with Pope Francis on Oct. 17 (NCR photo/Joshua J. McElwee)

Exclusive: Jeannine Gramick, LGBTQ advocate, reveals details of meeting with Pope Francis

Listen: In a special episode of "The Vatican Briefing," Joshua McElwee and Christopher White have an exclusive conversation with Loretto Sr. Jeannine Gramick about her Oct. 17 meeting with Pope Francis. Gramick says the pope "is trying to get us to move forward."

At the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta Oct. 17, from left: Matthew Myers, New Ways Ministry's staff associate; Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry's executive director; Pope Francis; Loretto Sr. Jeannine Gramick, New Ways Ministry's co-founder; and Robert Shine, New Ways Ministry's associate director (Courtesy of New Ways Ministry)

Pope Francis meets Jeannine Gramick, US sister known for LGBTQ ministry

Pope Francis on Oct. 17 held a meeting with Loretto Sr. Jeannine Gramick, a longtime advocate for LGBTQ Catholics who had previously been reprimanded by the Vatican and U.S. bishops. 

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