George Weigel

Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies

George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, is a Catholic theologian and one of America’s leading public intellectuals. He holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.

Read full bio.

George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, is a Catholic theologian and one of America’s leading public intellectuals. He holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.

From 1989 through June 1996, Mr. Weigel was president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he led a wide-ranging, ecumenical and inter-religious program of research and publication on foreign and domestic policy issues.

Mr. Weigel is perhaps best known for his widely translated and internationally acclaimed two-volume biography of Pope St. John Paul II: the New York Times bestseller, Witness to Hope (1999), and its sequel, The End and the Beginning (2010). In 2017, Weigel published a memoir of the experiences that led to his work as a papal biographer: Lessons in Hope — My Unexpected Life with St. John Paul II.

George Weigel is the author or editor of more than thirty other books, many of which have been translated into other languages. Among the most recent are Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church (2013); Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches (2013); Letters to a Young Catholic (2015); The Fragility of Order: Catholic Reflections on Turbulent Times (2018); The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission (2020);Not Forgotten: Elegies for, and Reminiscences of, a Diverse Cast of Characters, Most of Them Admirable (2021); and To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II (2022). His essays, op-ed columns, and reviews appear regularly in major opinion journals and newspapers across the United States. A frequent guest on television and radio, he is also Senior Vatican Analyst for NBC News. His weekly column, “The Catholic Difference,” is syndicated to eighty-five newspapers and magazines in seven countries.

Mr. Weigel received a B.A. from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and an M.A. from the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto. He is the recipient of nineteen 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, and Lithuania’s Diplomacy Star.

Close bio

George Weigel on Being an Author

November 15, 2023 | Religion en Libertad

On November 15, 2023, George Weigel was interviewed in Spanish about being an author and his books. Click here to…

Big Questions with a Serious Thinker

November 4, 2023 | National Review

On November 4, 2023, George Weigel was interviewed by Jay Nordlinger for National Review. They discussed his upbringing, baseball, politics,…

George Weigel on Being an Author

October 25, 2023 | How the World Works

On October 25, 2023, fellow George Weigel appeared on Competitive Enterprise Institute’s podcast How the World Works with Kevin Williamson…

George Wiegel’s Book Featured

October 18, 2023 | Praxis Circle

George Weigel’s book Not Forgotten: Elegies for, and Reminiscences of, a Diverse Cast of Characters, Most of Them Admirable was featured as…

George Wiegel on Pope Saint John Paul II’s Legacy

October 16, 2023 | Our Sunday Visitor

Fellow George Weigel spoke to Our Sunday Visitor on October 16, 2023 about Pope Saint John Paul II’s legacy of inspiring thousands of vocations…

George Weigel on Reason, Revelation, and Society

September 8, 2023 | Instytut Tertio Millennio

On September 8, 2023, Distinguished Senior Fellow George Weigel appeared on the Instytut Tertio Millenio’s podcast to discuss what Catholic…

AUDIO: Vatican II: Setting the record straight

June 30, 2023 | Edify Podcast

Catholic theologian and renowned author George Weigel joins Mary to debunk common myths about Vatican II. What was the point…

VIDEO: Catholics Must Get Political. Here’s Why.

June 27, 2023 | Edify

We’re not meant to live divided lives as Catholics: the truth of the faith in one box, public policy issues…

VIDEO: What shaped your worldview growing up?

June 1, 2023 | Praxis Circle

George Weigel discusses how politics and Catholic culture shaped his early years.

AUDIO: George Weigel Explores Vatican II

May 5, 2023 | The Catholic Conversation

George Weigel explores the documents, teachings and legacy of Vatican II on The Catholic Conversation Podcast.