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John L. Allen Jr.
John Lewis Allen Jr. (January 20, 1965 – January 22, 2026) was an American journalist and author who served as editor of the Catholic news website Crux, formerly hosted by The Boston Globe and now independently funded.
Before moving to The Boston Globe when Crux was established in 2014, Allen worked for 17 years in Rome as a Vatican watcher, covering the Holy See and the Pope for the National Catholic Reporter. He also served as a Senior Vatican Analyst for CNN, and featured in broadcast coverage of the conclaves of 2005 and 2013. Allen was the St. Francis de Sales Fellow of Communication and Media at the Word on Fire Institute founded by Bishop Robert Barron. Allen was the author of numerous books about the Catholic Church. He wrote two biographies of Pope Benedict XVI.
John Lewis Allen Jr. was born on January 20, 1965, in Hays, Kansas. He graduated from Capuchin-founded Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in 1983. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Fort Hays State University and a master's degree in religious studies from the University of Kansas. From 1993 until 1997, Allen taught journalism and oversaw the student-run newspaper, The Knight, at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California.
During the coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II, Allen frequently appeared on CNN. He then became the Senior Vatican Analyst for CNN. He also delivered lectures discussing Vatican issues and his latest works.
In 2014, Allen took up a position as associate editor with The Boston Globe and helped to launch its website, Crux. In 2016, the Globe transferred ownership of the Crux website and its intellectual property to Allen. It now operates on the basis of advertising income, syndication and licensing as well as support from benefactors. Allen and his wife, Elise, who also serves as a Senior Correspondent for Crux, lived in Rome.
In an interview quoted in the Vatican's 2020 McCarrick Report, Allen stated he did not report rumours because, "If I tried to interview every one of these guys [bishops] every time I heard something salacious, that is all I'd be doing and I'd be out of business in a heartbeat."
Allen received a number of honorary doctorates from universities:
Allen firstly married Shannon Levitt.
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John L. Allen Jr.
John Lewis Allen Jr. (January 20, 1965 – January 22, 2026) was an American journalist and author who served as editor of the Catholic news website Crux, formerly hosted by The Boston Globe and now independently funded.
Before moving to The Boston Globe when Crux was established in 2014, Allen worked for 17 years in Rome as a Vatican watcher, covering the Holy See and the Pope for the National Catholic Reporter. He also served as a Senior Vatican Analyst for CNN, and featured in broadcast coverage of the conclaves of 2005 and 2013. Allen was the St. Francis de Sales Fellow of Communication and Media at the Word on Fire Institute founded by Bishop Robert Barron. Allen was the author of numerous books about the Catholic Church. He wrote two biographies of Pope Benedict XVI.
John Lewis Allen Jr. was born on January 20, 1965, in Hays, Kansas. He graduated from Capuchin-founded Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in 1983. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Fort Hays State University and a master's degree in religious studies from the University of Kansas. From 1993 until 1997, Allen taught journalism and oversaw the student-run newspaper, The Knight, at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California.
During the coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II, Allen frequently appeared on CNN. He then became the Senior Vatican Analyst for CNN. He also delivered lectures discussing Vatican issues and his latest works.
In 2014, Allen took up a position as associate editor with The Boston Globe and helped to launch its website, Crux. In 2016, the Globe transferred ownership of the Crux website and its intellectual property to Allen. It now operates on the basis of advertising income, syndication and licensing as well as support from benefactors. Allen and his wife, Elise, who also serves as a Senior Correspondent for Crux, lived in Rome.
In an interview quoted in the Vatican's 2020 McCarrick Report, Allen stated he did not report rumours because, "If I tried to interview every one of these guys [bishops] every time I heard something salacious, that is all I'd be doing and I'd be out of business in a heartbeat."
Allen received a number of honorary doctorates from universities:
Allen firstly married Shannon Levitt.