April 5, 2016

Experts Available to Comment on Pope's Exhortation on Love of the Family

Pope Francis has announced that he will release Amoris Laetitia ("The Joy of Love"), a post-synodal apostolic exhortation on the family, on Friday, April 8. Catholic University has experts available to comment on the role of families in the Church, Church teachings on divorce and remarriage, the importance of marriage preparation programs, raising and educating children, and canon law. For more information on these, and other, experts, visit our online Experts Guide .

• John Grabowski , associate professor of moral theology and ethics, served as an expert to the 2015 Synod of Bishops. He and his wife Claire serve as one of two American member couples on the Pontifical Council on Marriage and Family. They offer marriage preparation programs in their Maryland Parish. Grabowski's areas of expertise include marriage and sexual ethics. He is a theological adviser for the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family and Youth. He appears regularly on the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio. Contact Grabowski at Grabowski@cua.edu or 202-319-6509.
• Kurt Martens , professor of canon law, can comment on topics related to Church procedures, structures, papal authority, and marriage law of the Church. He is a frequent commentator on matters of the Roman Curia. Contact Martens at martens@cua.edu or 202-319-6415.
• William Mattison , interim dean of theology and religious studies, is an expert on moral theology, marriage, family, and sexual ethics. He has appeared as an expert on TV , radio , and in print . In addition to divorce, remarriage, same-sex relationships, cohabitation, he can also discuss the fundamental issues of evangelization, sacramentality, and the joy of family life transformed in the light of the Gospel. To arrange an interview with Mattison, contact the Office of Communications at cua-public-affairs@cua.edu or 202-319-5600.
• Melissa Moschella , assistant professor of philosophy, is an expert on marriage, sexual ethics, and parental rights. She discussed Pope Francis's comments on divorced and remarried Catholics on the Kojo Nnamdi show last fall. She moderated a panel at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. On Amoris Laetitia , Moschella says, "This is a pastoral document, meaning that its purpose is not to define doctrine related to marriage and family, but to lay out broad goals and suggestions for: (1) educating Catholics about the beautiful vision of marriage and family life proposed by the Church, (2) preparing and supporting couples to enable them to live in accordance with that vision and (3) reaching out to those not living in accordance with that vision in order to integrate them into parish life." Contact Moschella at Moschella@cua.edu or 202-319-6645.
• Chad Pecknold , associate professor of theology, is a frequent commentator on religion and public life. He can comment on topics related to papal authority, the Catholic Church in relation to American society, and secularization. Contact Pecknold at Pecknold@cua.edu or 703-899-0389. Rev. Paul Sullins , research associate professor of sociology, was co-editor of The Conjugal Family: An Irreplaceable Resource for Society, recently published by Vatican press. He can comment on the effect strong families have on society, and priestly/pastoral issues relating to divorced and remarried Catholics. He will not be available for comment April 8 to 10. Father Sullins is a married Catholic priest. Formerly an Episcopal priest, he has been married for 30 years and has three children. Contact Father Sullins at Sullins@cua.edu or 301-277-0938.

For assistance in reaching experts, contact the Office of Communications at cua-public-affairs@cua.edu or call 202-319-5600.

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