Contact: Christine Valentine-Owsik, Valentine Communications, Ignatius Press, 215-230-8095, valencom@aol.com
MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- Ignatius Press, the primary English-language publisher of the works of Pope Benedict XVI, has experts available for comment on Benedict XVI and his first visit to the U.S. as Pope, scheduled for April 15-20, 2008. Included within the Pope's six-day itinerary are stops in Washington D.C., Baltimore and New York City. The Washington stop includes a White House reception for the Pope's 81st birthday.
Please contact Ignatius Press publicist Christine Owsik to arrange an interview with any of these experts:
Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. – A friend and former student of Benedict XVI, Father Fessio is founder and editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press. He is an expert on the theology of Benedict XVI and is a frequent commentator on the Pope's work. He is a member of the Ratzinger Student Circle, and he holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Regensburg, where he wrote his dissertation under Joseph Ratzinger. Father Fessio is Theologian in Residence at Ave Maria University, in Ave Maria, Florida, and is close friends with a number of prominent churchmen, including Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec, and Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, Australia.
Mark Brumley – President of Ignatius Press. He has written and spoken widely on Benedict XVI, church issues, and politics and religion. He has appeared on Fox News, ABC News, MSNBC, EWTN and other national and international media. Mr. Brumley is a trustee of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, and an adjunct professor of theology for the Institute for Pastoral Theology of Ave Maria University. He is associate publisher of the online magazine, IgnatiusInsight.com. He is formerly Director of Communications for the Diocese of San Diego.
Russell Shaw – Prominent Catholic journalist and author who has written numerous articles for religious and secular publications for more than 30 years. Shaw is the former Director of Communications for the United States Catholic Conference, and has written and/or co-authored more than 15 books, including the recently released Good News, Bad News (Ignatius), and the soon-to-be-released Nothing To Hide: Secrecy, Communication and Communion in the Catholic Church (Ignatius).
George Neumayr – Editor of Catholic World Report, the leading U.S. Catholic journal of news, analysis, and commentary. Formerly the executive editor of The American Spectator, Neumayr is a frequent contributor to the online edition of the conservative journal, Human Events, as well as to such publications as National Review Online and the California Political Review. Mr. Neumayr is a media fellow at the Hoover Institution, and he has appeared frequently in the media on subjects of politics and religion.
James Hitchcock, Ph.D. – Catholic Church historian, author of numerous books, including the two-volume work, The Supreme Court and Religion in American Life, The Pope and the Jesuits, Catholicism and Modernity, What Is Secular Humanism?, and Recovery of The Sacred. Dr. Hitchcock is presently writing new book on the history of the Catholic Church. He is Professor of History at St. Louis University.
