Pope Francis will be visiting the United States in the end of September. He is expected to speak to both the United Nations and Congress. Given the historic significance of this visit, as well as the pope’s strikingly progressive stance on topics such as global warming and worldwide poverty, LMU has put together a list of faculty experts who are available for interviews about the pope’s visit. To schedule an intervew with any of these experts, please call 310.258.4636.
Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J.
Father Deck is rector of the Jesuit Community and the Charles S. Casassa Chair of Catholic Social Values at LMU. He can speak about the pope’s commitment to social change, and the experience of Latinos in the Catholic Church in the United States. He had previously been interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, NPR, and many other outlets. He is fluent in Spanish.
Tom Rausch, S.J.
Father Rausch is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Theology at LMU. He can speak to the changes in the Catholic Church since Pope Francis’s election, the controversy over canonization for Junipero Serra. He has been interviewed by the New York Times, CNN, KPCC 89.3 FM, and many other media.
Cecilia Gonzalez-Andrieu
Gonzalez-Andrieu is a professor of Theological Studies. She can speak about the intersection of culture and theology, especially as it pertains to Latino theology and ministry. Her thoughts have appeared in the New York Times, KMEX-34, WNYC, and other media. She is fluent in Spanish.
Brian Treanor
Professor Treanor is the chair of the Academy of Catholic Thought and Imagination at LMU. He can be interviewed about the pope’s stance on climate change and capitalism, both of which were outlined in the recent papal encyclical Laudato Si.
Christopher Kaczor
Kaczor is a professor of philosophy at LMU. He is an expert on bioethics and Catholicism in the modern world, and is the author of The Seven Big Myths About the Catholic Church, among other works. He has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the BBC, The Today Show, and numerous other news media.
