LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount University has faculty experts available to respond to media inquiries about the papal conclave that has begun in Rome.
LMU professors are available to comment on the procedure the College of Cardinals will follow to appoint Pope Francis’ successor, provide historical context, and explain the issues facing a new pope in the Catholic Church and the world. They can also discuss Pope Francis’ papacy and legacy – from his positions on immigration, the care of refugees, climate change and LGBTQ+ Catholics, to his emphasis on synodality as part of his efforts to renew the Church.
Email news@lmu.edu, or call our Media Line, 310.258.4636, to request an interview with these and other LMU faculty members:
Allan Deck, S.J., Distinguished Scholar in Pastoral Theology and Latino Studies.
Father Deck specializes in Hispanic ministry, Catholic Social Doctrine, spirituality, faith and culture. He is an expert on Latin American influences on U.S. Hispanic ministry, and the Latin American and Jesuit roots of Pope Francis. He is the author of 11 books, including “Francis, Bishop of Rome: The Gospel for the Third Millennium.”
Cecilia González-Andrieu, Professor of Theological Studies
González-Andrieu specializes in political theology, immigrant rights, theological aesthetics and Christian and Latina/o/x theologies. She was named one of the most promising theologians of the next generation by America Magazine, where she is a contributing writer publishing on political theology, Latinx theologies, women’s issues and theological aesthetics. She has written a series on “Dispatches from Rome,” reflecting on the Synod on Synodality and the urgent call for women’s leadership in the Church. González-Andrieu is president-elect of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States.
Brett Hoover, Associate Professor of Pastoral and Practical Theology
Hoover teaches courses on ministry, immigration, faith and culture, and U.S. Catholicism. He consults with parishes and teaches pastoral leaders locally and around the country, especially about ministry in culturally diverse parishes.
Amir Hussain, Professor of Theological Studies
Hussain teaches courses on world religions and specializes in interfaith dialogue, the study of Islam, and Islam and Muslim lives in the United States and North America. He is past president of the American Academy of Religion, the world’s largest scholarly organization for the study of religion. He is the author of “One God and Two Religions: Muslims and Christians as Neighbors.”
Dorian Llywelyn, S.J., Director of LMU’s Center for Ignatian Spirituality
Father Llywelyn focuses in the areas of nationalism and Catholicism, with an emphasis on Mariology and popular religiosity. He can speak about inter-Christian relations, especially between Catholics and Eastern Orthodox communities, and Christianity in Egypt. For 14 years, he was a member of LMU’s department of Theological Studies and director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute. He has held senior leadership roles at Santa Clara University and USC’s Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies.
Jake Martin, S.J., Assistant Clinical Professor of Film and Television Studies
Father Martin can discuss the film “Conclave” and whether it accurately reflects the papal election process. He earned his undergraduate degree in theatre from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and his Ph.D. in film studies from Trinity College, Dublin. He has performed improv and sketch comedy shows, and his solo show, “Learning to Pray in Front of the Television” was an official selection in the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His book, “What’s so Funny About Faith: A Memoir at the Intersection of Hilarious and Holy” was published Loyola Press. He is a contributor to America Magazine.
Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Professor and T. Marie Chilton Chair of Catholic Theology
Pineda-Madrid can comment on Pope Francis’ legacy, and particularly how women have viewed his papacy. She focuses her research interests on the problem of evil and violence; theories of salvation; U.S. Latino/a theologies; feminist theologies; political theology; North American pragmatism and theology. She is president of the Catholic Theological Society of America.
Thomas Rausch, S.J., Emeritus T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology
A systematic theologian specializing in the areas of Christology, ecclesiology, and ecumenism, Father Rausch has published 28 books, including “Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to His Theological Vision,” and more than 325 articles and reviews. With Richard R. Gaillardetz, he also wrote a book on Pope Francis: “Go Into the Streets: the Welcoming Church of Pope Francis.”
