George Weigel

George Weigel is a Catholic theologian, author, and political analyst known for his expertise on the Catholic Church and public policy. He serves as Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, holding the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies. Previously, Weigel was president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he led an ecumenical and inter-religious program of research and publication on foreign and domestic policy issues. Earlier in his career, he was a fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., where he wrote "Tranquillitas Ordinis: The Present Failure and Future Promise of American Catholic Thought on War and Peace."

Weigel is recognized for his two-volume biography of Pope John Paul II: the New York Times bestseller, "Witness to Hope," and its sequel, "The End and the Beginning." These works provide an in-depth portrait of the Pope as a religious leader and thinker whose convictions influenced global politics. "Witness to Hope" has been translated into multiple languages, and a documentary film based on the book has received several awards.

Weigel is also the author of "Lessons in Hope — My Unexpected Life with St. John Paul II," a memoir reflecting on his experiences as a papal biographer. His body of work includes more than 30 books, such as "The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God," "Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church," "The Fragility of Order: Catholic Reflections on Turbulent Times," "The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission," and "Not Forgotten: Elegies for, and Reminiscences of, a Diverse Cast of Characters, Most of Them Admirable."

Weigel's essays, op-ed columns, and reviews appear in major opinion journals and newspapers across the United States. He is a frequent guest on television, radio, and podcasts, and serves as Senior Vatican Analyst for NBC News. His weekly column, "The Catholic Difference," is syndicated to 85 newspapers and magazines in seven countries. Weigel has received numerous honorary doctorates in fields including divinity, philosophy, law, and social science, and has been awarded the Papal Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, Poland's Gloria Artis Gold Medal, Lithuania's Diplomacy Star, and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. His work addresses topics in theology, Catholicism, religious leadership, and international affairs.