A DOMINICAN VOICE IN THE “NEW PUBLIC SQUARE”
By Br. Joseph Graziano, O.P.
Fr. Thomas Petri, O.P., is starting his second
term as Dean of the Pontifical Faculty.
Though his primary job of keeping the
school running is no easy task, his reach
is far beyond the four walls of his office.
While performing the complex role of dean,
essentially combining the work of a provost,
vice president of administration, chair of
the department, and academic advisor to
each student of the PFIC – not to mention
polishing his dissertation into his newly
published book, Aquinas and the Theology
of the Body: The Thomistic Foundations of
John Paul II’s Anthropology – Fr. Petri also
has an extensive media presence. “In some
ways, it happened accidentally; I didn’t go
out looking for this,” he says.
Fr. Petri appears on various radio and news
programs as the “nice but frank conservative
to speak for the Church.” He jokes, “They
call me in as a talking head and ask ‘What
does the Church say?’” Fr. Petri then has
to dispel the commonly held notion that
the Church has a position on everything:
“The Church doesn’t say anything on this.
How do you live your Faith? That’s the
most important part.” Behind the scenes,
Fr. Petri is also interviewed as a background
source for reporters writing articles about
the Church. “It seems to me to be a great
blessing,” Fr. Petri says, “It is a chance for
those of us in the Catholic sphere and in
the Dominican Order to be present to the
world and to the Catholic world.”
“[Social media] is clearly
being used as a way to
exchange ideas, exchange
thoughts, to engage in
conversation, and the
priest should be in there
because people are there.”
Fr. Thomas Petri, O.P., with host Gloria Purvis
live on EWTN Radio’s Morning Glory
Photos by Matthew Barrick
Faith & Reason - Volume III, Issue III
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