By Daniel Payne
Jan 22, 2026 / 12:30 pm
John Allen Jr., the prolific author and longtime Vatican reporter hailed for his insightful coverage of the Holy See across multiple pontificates, died on Jan. 22 at 61 years old.
Allen passed away in Rome after a long struggle with cancer, EWTN News confirmed.
Born Jan. 20, 1965, Allen grew up in Hays, Kansas, and received a philosophy degree from Fort Hays State University, after which he obtained a master’s in religious studies from the University of Kansas.
After several years teaching journalism at Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles, Allen joined the staff of the National Catholic Reporter, where he worked as a writer and a Vatican correspondent from 1997 to 2014.
In 2014 he joined the Catholic outlet Crux, which launched that year as a project of the Boston Globe. The newspaper transferred ownership of Crux to its staff in 2016, with Allen serving as its editor until his death.
He is survived by his wife, Elise, Crux’s senior Rome correspondent.
Praised by journalists and media figures for his years of coverage of the Holy See, he was described variously as “the most authoritative writer on Vatican affairs in the English language” and “the best Anglophone Vatican reporter ever.”
He was also the author of multiple books, including two biographies of Pope Benedict XVI as well as a profile of Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Francis X. Rocca, the Vatican editor for EWTN News who knew Allen for two decades, said he “changed the way journalists cover the Vatican and the Catholic Church, enriching and enlivening what had been a stodgy beat.”
“He brought an insider feel and an unprecedented level of detail and nuance to his reports, drawing on his tireless engagement not only with cardinals and bishops, but with the mostly anonymous officials who make the Vatican and other Church institutions run,” Rocca said.
He was also “very effective on the air, a master of the thoughtful soundbite, which in his case was not an oxymoron,” Rocca added.
“His legacy includes the many younger journalists for whom he played the role of mentor over the years,” he said.
Crux notes that Allen’s work was “admired across ideological divides,” with his writing having appeared in a broad variety of outlets throughout his life, including the New York Times, NPR, and numerous others.
Known for years among newsmakers and leaders at the Vatican, Allen’s outsized reputation in Holy See media was perhaps best underscored in 2008, when he was offered the chance to ask Pope Benedict XVI the first question while flying aboard the papal plane to the United States.
“Holy Father,” the Vatican spokesman said at the time, “this man needs no introduction.”
