Pope experts available for interviews
Here's a list of experts on Pope John Paul II's legacy and the future of the papacy who are available for media interviews, from ProfNet.
1. KATHY MCCABE, editor and publisher of the subscription travel newsletter DREAM OF ITALY, is available to comment on how travelers to Rome may be affected by the Pope's death. She can comment on what will be closed in Rome, how travelers need to secure their hotel rooms (international media organizations have long-held contracts to take over rooms) and generally what to expect in the coming days. McCabe: kathy@dreamofitaly.com (4/1/05)
2. FRANCESCO D. CESAREO, dean of the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts at DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY: "John Paul II's papacy will be remembered by his outreach to the world, not only in terms of his many pastoral visitations, but also in his dialogue with other religious traditions, particularly Judaism. He also will leave behind a large quantity of official documents, theological reflections, and encyclicals that have both reaffirmed traditional Catholic teaching and challenged injustices in the world. Perhaps foremost will be his defense of the culture of life against a culture of death, which has permeated the western world. The cardinals who will choose his successor will need to consider collegiality in the Church, ecumenism, the proper role of the laity, issues of social justice and vocations." Cesareo, who speaks Italian fluently, has had more than 20 general audiences with Pope John Paul II, including two one-on-one audiences. His most recent one-on-one with the pope was in March 2004. News Contact: Rose Ravasio, ravasio@duq.edu Phone: +1-412-396-6051 (3/4/05)
3. JOEL HAVEMANN, editor at the Washington bureau of the LOS ANGELES TIMES, was diagnosed with Parkinson's when he was in his 40s. He wrote "A Life Shaken: My Encounter with Parkinson's Disease," which describes how his own life was, and continues to be, disrupted by the progressive disease. With the Pope's struggle with Parkinson's, Havemann can put into laymen's terms how the symptoms are managed through drugs and surgery, and how people cope with the continual psychological challenges. News Contact: Kathy Alexander, kathy.alexander@jhu.edu Phone: +1-410-516-4162 (3/4/05)
4. DR. TIMOTHY THIBODEAU, professor of history at NAZARETH COLLEGE in Rochester, N.Y., is an expert on Pope John Paul II and the history of the Catholic Church and papal history. He has been published numerous times discussing medieval canon (church) law and has a forthcoming chapter in the Oxford History of Christian Worship (on the medieval Church). He can talk about the future of the Catholic Church as the pope's health continues to decline. News Contact: Julie Long, jlong2@naz.edu Phone: +1-585-389-2456 (3/4/05)
5. KEVIN P. LEE, assistant professor at the AVE MARIA SCHOOL OF LAW, is available to discuss the legacy of Pope John Paul II. Lee began his legal career as a clerk for Judge Herbert J. Hutton, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He previously held teaching positions at New York Law School, the University of Chicago and DePaul University. He earned a bachelor of arts and master of arts with honors from Colgate University, a master of arts from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, and a juris doctor with honors from New York Law School. Lee is completing his doctoral dissertation and anticipates receiving a doctorate in ethics at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago in 2005. News Contact: Tatiana Zadonym, tzadony@robertfalls.com Phone: +1-216- 696-0229 (7/23/04)
6. REV. PETER PHAN, Ignacio Ellacuria, SJ Professor of Catholic Social Thought in GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY'S theology department, is an expert on Catholicism in Asia and the author of "Christianity with an Asian Face: Asian American Theology in the Making": "During the pope's 25-year pontificate, the number of Catholics has increased from 700 million to 1.2 billion. This poses tremendous problems according to personnel and organization. There has been a shift of the center of gravity in the Church from Europe, Rome and the North Atlantic to 'the south' -- or the third world. Pope John Paul II was conscious of the mission of the church and will leave his legacy. However, the next pope will have a lot to do if he follows the vision of this pope, as at this point there is still much left undone." News Contact: Laura Cavender, lsc6@georgetown.edu Phone: +1-202-687-4328 (6/2/04)
7. DOLORES LECKEY, senior fellow of the Woodstock Theological Center at GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: "This pope will be remembered as a pilgrim of sorts -- for his extraordinary rapport with young people, and for the way he was energized by crowds of people he visited. Interestingly, Pope John Paul II also refers to himself as a feminist. He focused on equal pay for equal work, and he called for a feminist revision of history. He believed the Church should make ample room for women in the Church, including service at the altar, and he believed in making room for women in pastoral leadership." News Contact: Laura Cavender, lsc6@georgetown.edu Phone: +1-202-687-4328 (6/2/04)
8. REV. JOHN LANGAN S.J., Cardinal Bernadin Chair of Catholic Social Thought of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: "Pope John Paul II presided over an acute polarization of the Church between its conservative and liberal wings during his pontificate. There are certain institutions in relation to the Church that are somewhat liberal, and this pope has not been receptive to those voices -- that will be a crucial task for the new pope, who will need to show a different style." News Contact: Laura Cavender, lsc6@georgetown.edu Phone: +1-202-687-4328 (6/2/04)
9. CHESTER GILLIS, professor and chair of GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY'S theology department and author of "Roman Catholicism in America": "Pope John Paul II was a very popular pope -- he brought the Church to the people. He traveled more than any other pope in history -- no successor will ever be able to stay within the confines of the Vatican. Pope John Paul II saw the Church undergo a great change from when he was selected in the late 1970s -- the Catholic Church is now a global church, and most of the growth that he saw came from the third world. He saw a decline of faith in Europe and in North America that disappointed him, and in the third world he found faith and loyalty to the direction of the Vatican." News Contact: Laura Cavender, lsc6@georgetown.edu Phone: +1-202-687-4328 (6/2/04)
10. FRANCIS J. BUCKLEY, S.J., professor of theology and religious studies at the UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, is one of the country's leading Catholic theologians and author of more than 100 books and articles. His academic interests include catechesis, pastoral ministry, systematic theology, church, sacraments and culture. He can discuss the legacy of John Paul II, including his appreciation of dramatic gestures, the struggle against Communism; value in central authority, the value of the mass media, and his battle with the church's central bureaucracy. News Contact: Robert Hood, rghood@usfca.edu Phone: +1-415-422-2697
11. REV. JAMES L. HEFT, professor of faith and culture and chancellor at UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON: "While Pope John Paul II has been nothing less than magnificent on the world stage, his successor should stay home long enough to reorganize the Roman congregations and make them more responsive to local churches throughout the world. Dialogue between world religions must continue. John Paul II has done a great deal to move that dialogue ahead. Thank God this pope has been a world leader in that area." News Contact: Teri Rizvi, rizvi@udayton.edu Phone: +1-937-229-3255
12. JOHN PHILIP JENKINS, Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies and History at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY (University Park), can discuss the kind of Christendom that John Paul II's successor will inherit and has written numerous books dealing with subjects as diverse as pedophilia and the current shift of global religiosity from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere. His most recent book is "The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice." News Contact: Paul Blaum, pblaum@psu.edu Phone: +1-814-865-9481
13. SANDRA YOCUM MIZE, chair of the religious studies department at the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON: "Some Catholics see the pope's positions as a retrenchment of the church in standards that pre-date Vatican II, while another vocal group is equally critical of modern culture and sees the pope in a positive light as he confronted the 'culture of death.' What remains unclear is the long-term influence of his theological perspectives. There now exists a significant body of his writings responding to so many important cultural, economic and social issues in the light of the Gospel as well as reflections on basic teachings on faith and morals. How others will carry on his theological legacy is difficult to predict." News Contact: Teri Rizvi, rizvi@udayton.edu Phone: +1-937-229-3255
14. TERRENCE TILLEY, professor of religious studies at the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON: "John Paul II utilized the media as effectively as Ronald Reagan. Whether that media attractiveness has translated into changed behavior on the part of young people who would flock to his appearances, or has done anything to unify and heal a church fractured by the priestly sexual misconduct scandal remains to be seen." News Contact: Teri Rizvi, rizvi@udayton.edu Phone: +1- 937-229-3255
15. DENNIS M. DOYLE, associate professor of religious studies at the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON: "John Paul II brought the gospel in a very personal way to Catholics and others throughout the globe. He connected with his audience, whether that be tens of thousands in a stadium or millions through the eye of the camera. His ability to connect personally and authentically has been an important factor in making Catholicism a driving force in our post-modern world." Doyle is also the author of "The Church Emerging from Vatican II: A Popular Approach to Contemporary Catholicism." News Contact: Teri Rizvi, rizvi@udayton.edu Phone: +1-937-229-3255
16. J. PATOUT BURNS, Edward A. Malloy Professor of Catholic Studies at the VANDERBILT DIVINITY SCHOOL, has taught courses including "Historical Introduction to Catholicism" and "Formation of the Catholic Tradition." His research has focused on Roman Catholicism and Christianity in Roman Africa. News Contact: Jim Patterson, jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu Phone: +1-615-343- 1271
17. DR. STEPHEN J. SWEENY, president of THE COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE: "John Paul II has been the consistent voice saying, 'Do not be afraid. Ours is a loving God active in the world and interested in each of us!' Such passionate belief has impelled him to reach out in defense of the oppressed and the poor, and to cry out against war, the excesses of materialism, the evils of communism and the loss of the value of human life. History will judge him to be one of the most influential leaders of our age and of the entire history of the church. His successor will be challenged by the sheer weight of his 25-year influence, his legacy of inflexibility in the arena of internal church discipline and the emerging moral challenges of the 21st century." News Contact: Deborah Thomas, dthomas@cnr.edu Phone: +1-914-654-5597
18. JAMES MAHON, Ph.D., professor of sociology at WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY, is a specialist in religions and spent seven years in junior seminary with the intent of becoming a priest before changing his career choice. Mahon can comment on Catholicism and Catholic issues, the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II (religious, interfaith and political), possible successors, the selection process, opportunities/conflicts facing the church of the 21st century and the institution of the papacy. News Contact: Phillip Sprayberry, sprayberryp@wpunj.edu Phone: +1-973-720-2444
19. CURT CADORETTE , John Henry Newman Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at the UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, is an authority on Latin American religion and culture and on issues of peace and justice. For four of those years, Cadorette, who was ordained a Maryknoll priest in 1977, served as pastor of a local church and participated in the sanctuary movement. Currently, he teaches courses on Catholicism, liberation theology, the history of Christianity, and religion and society in Latin America. Cadorette is also the author of "Liberation Theology: A Reader." News Contact: Helene Snihur, hsnihur@admin.rochester.edu Phone: +1-585-275-7800
20. SAMUEL GREGG, director of the Center for Economic Personalism at the ACTON INSTITUTE: "The central message of John Paul II's papacy is freedom -- in the political, social and economic spheres. But his unique Christian witness also holds that freedom must be ordered by the moral law. John Paul's legacy of Christian humanism has galvanized the Catholic Church in a way that will last for decades. Many are aware of his indispensable contribution to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, but John Paul's personalist approach to social issues has also been expressed in major encyclicals on such subjects as labor, economic initiative and the free economy." News Contact: John Couretas, jcouretas@acton.org Phone: +1-616-454-3080
21. NANCY A. DALLAVALLE, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies at FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY: "Pope John Paul II, above all, will be remembered for his service as a public witness, whose travels and writings demonstrated that Catholicism's a church of the world, both in breadth and, increasingly, orientation. Paul II worked tirelessly to proclaim the truth about human freedom, the common good and the nature of the human person. Paul II's genuine pastoral stature often carried the day even when the specifics of this "truth" were questioned. If his papacy was a referendum on the legacy of Vatican II, the next papacy will certainly be a referendum on his." News Contact: Nancy Habetz, nhabetz@fair1.fairfield.edu Phone: +1-203-254-4190
22. CLAUDE D'ESTREE, professor in the Graduate School of International Students and the College of Law at the UNIVERSITY OF DENVER, can offer insight on the pope's international contributions and theological perspective. d'Estree's focal interest is comparative spirituality and the role that religion plays in international conflicts and conflict resolution. News Contact: Jenn Farrell, jfarrel1@du.edu Phone: +1-303-871-2781
23. GREG ROBBINS, professor of religious studies at the UNIVERSITY OF DENVER, is an expert on Christianity and is available to speak both on the life of the pontiff and issues of papal succession. News Contact: Jenn Farrell, jfarrel1@du.edu Phone: +1-303-871-2781
24. CARL RASCHKE, chair of religious studies at the UNIVERSITY OF DENVER, teaches courses on topics such as modern religious thought, religion and culture, and religion and the media. News Contact: Jenn Farrell, jfarrel1@du.edu Phone: +1-303-871-2781
25. PAUL F. LAKELAND, PH.D., Ph.D., chair of the religious studies department at FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY: "John Paul tried to reassert a powerful centralized papacy. John Paul II's Vatican has been much more reminiscent of that of Pius XII than that of Paul VI. This seems to have been a deliberate strategy, partially a product of the papal personality, and partially a sincere response to the perceived weakness of the post-councilor church that Paul VI left to John Paul. This has not been good for the church, and not good for the legacy of the Council." Lakeland is also the author of "The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church, 2003." News Contact: Nancy Habetz, nhabetz@fair1.fairfield.edu Phone: +1-203-254-4190
26. DR. RICHARD GAILLARDETZ, Endowed Chair of Catholic Thought at the UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO: "Pope John Paul II has been one of the most influential pontiffs in the history of the church. We are at a critical moment in Catholicism. It's time to ask, "What meaningful future is there for the papacy as an institution capable of serving the needs of Roman Catholics."" Gaillardetz is an expert on the papacy and the structure of authority within the Catholic Church. He has authored numerous books and articles on topic, including, "Readings in Church Authority: Gifts and Challenges for Contemporary Catholicism" and "Witness to the Faith: Community, Infallibility and the Ordinary Magisterium of Bishops." News Contact: Rebecca Maggard, rebecca.maggard@utoledo.edu Phone: +1-419-530-7832
27. CAROL G. ZALESKI, professor of religion and biblical literature at SMITH COLLEGE: "History will judge John Paul II, along with Gandhi, as one of the greatest moral and spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. He will be remembered as a defender of human rights -- of the dignity of the human person -- against totalitarian and nihilistic ideologies. It is possible that his successor will be the first Latin American pope, or the first African pope since St. Gelasius in the fifth century. Whoever he may be, he will no doubt strive to continue the legacy of John Paul II, advancing the cause of renewal and the 'culture of life' in fidelity to core Catholic beliefs and in light of Vatican II." News Contact: Laurie Fenlason, lfenlaso@email.smith.edu Phone: +1-413-585-2190
28. PHILIP PULLELLA, correspondent for REUTERS VATICAN, has accompanied Pope John Paul aboard the papal plane on more than 70 of the pope's foreign trips and has a track record of exclusives and breaking news from his work in Italy and the Vatican. Pullella is also the editor and contributing author to the book "Pope John Paul II: Reaching Out Across Borders." News Contact: Tina Weinheimer, weinheimr4@aol.com Phone: +1-708-366-1084
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