My story

I started work as a journalist almost two decades ago beginning on British newspapers: first for The Mail on Sunday and then at the Daily Telegraph, where I worked as a reporter on the diary column, the equivalent of the New York Post's Page Six. It was at the Telegraph that I cut my teeth as a junior journalist being tasked with reporting short stories on politics, culture and the royal family.

This was a job where I had to interview, often on a daily basis, high-profile individuals and on one occasion I was on the telephone with Sir Bob Geldof, the Irish singer turned third world aid campaigner. "Christopher," he said during our brief conversation, "Go and find your true journalistic vocation." Despite the frenetic pace of my story getting journalism, it made me pause and reflect. Reflecting on vocation was something taught to me by the Benedictine monks of Worth, in West Sussex, where I had been at school.

After studying Theology at university, I'd developed a deep interest in religious affairs, so in 2009 I left the Telegraph for The Tablet, an international Catholic publication. For six years I worked in London building my expertise and reporting on major papal events such as Benedict XVI's visit to London in 2010 and was sent to Rome for the conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013.

In 2015, I was appointed The Tablet's Rome correspondent, filing regular reports and analysis on Francis' dramatic pontificate. I have traveled with the Pope on his visits to South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Central African Republic, Egypt, Myanmar and Bangladesh while also covering his trips to the United States, Poland and Sweden.

During this time, I also appeared regularly on media outlets such as the BBC, ABC news (Australia), Al-Jazeera and Associated Press. My journalism appeared on outlets such as in La Stampa's "Vatican Insider" website and Religion News Service, The Sunday Times and the Sydney Morning Herald.

I also worked as a consultant and contributor for a landmark BBC Two’s documentary series “Inside the Vatican.”

In 2020, my first book The Outsider: Pope Francis and His Battle to Reform the Church was published (Orbis books), and it went on to receive several awards. The book exposed the opposition Francis has faced in his reform efforts, while also exploring the main themes of the Francis papacy.

Later on, I embarked on academic research into the impact of the synodal renewal efforts in the Catholic Church with the University of Durham, UK, and hosted a podcast series on the topic titled “The Church’s Radical Reform”

In December 2023, I was privileged to join CNN as their Vatican Correspondent. In this role, I provide coverage of the papacy and the Catholic Church across the digital and broadcasting platforms for one of the world’s most prominent and trusted media sources. My role includes responding to breaking news while also providing more in-depth reporting about Vatican affairs. I also regularly travel with Francis on his visits abroad.

Both the media landscape and the challenges facing the Catholic Church are shifting fast. The practice of religious faith, although declining in parts the western world, remains a vital part of millions of people’s lives. Understanding religion is also crucial to understanding global conflicts, while faith continues to play an important role in the public square.

With my journalism, I hope to bring to light a sometimes undervalued, but hugely significant, global story.