Veteran Catholic journalist John L. Allen Jr has died at the age of 61 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He died on 22 January 2026 and is survived by his wife, Elise Ann Allen, who is Crux’s senior Rome correspondent.
Originally from Kansas, John received a degree in philosophy from Fort Hays State University and a master’s degree in religious studies from the University of Kansas. In 2005, following the death of Pope Saint John Paul II, Allen began appearing on CNN, later becoming the network’s Senior Vatican Analyst.
