Apr 30, 2025
1 min
Dr. Julie Byrne, Hofstra University’s Monsignor Thomas Hartman Chair in Catholic Studies and chair of the Department of Religion, spoke to several media outlets following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.
She told the McClatchy Newspapers that Francis’ openness helped him become popular among people of different faiths. “The Catholic Church has, at some points, seemed under recent papacies to be more insular and more interested in policing its boundaries and more interested in advocacy for Catholics only,” she said, noting that Francis helped people of other faiths feel advocated for.
USA Today News Network talked to Dr. Byrne about Conservatives worrying about Pope Francis’ teachings on morality, attacks on capitalism, and stance on issues like abortion and contraception. The “so-called bedroom issues have always been important to conservatives, and to Catholic conservatives,” Dr. Byrne said. While Francis did not change church doctrine, he showed a willingness to loosen the rules on who should receive Communion or forgiveness for their sins. “When Francis lightens up on that,” Byrne said, “people wonder what’s next.”
The Professor and Monsignor Thomas Hartman Chair in Catholic Studies at Hofstra University
1 min
Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies, is featured in the Politico report “Suburbia’s ICE Shift,” about voters – particularly those in suburban counties – souring on President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign. This is significant because the suburbs are a key indicator of how the national mood has dramatically shifted over the last month.
1 min
Dr. Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability and director of Hofstra University’s meteorology program, was interviewed by Newsday about the use of virtual reality technology to teach the public about the danger of driving in a snow squall.
1 min
Education Professor Alan Singer was interviewed by WCBS-TV News about the Connetquot School District on Long Island school being threatened with funding cuts if it does not reinstate its old mascot name, the Thunderbirds. The name change to T-Birds was made in 2022 to comply with a state ruling that mascot names like “Chiefs” and “Warriors” are demeaning and offensive to Native Americans. The U.S. Department of Education has ruled that these changes are a violation of federal law. Dr. Singer said Connetquot is “caught in the crossfire with the Trump administration, which is at war with blue states and diversity,” and the district’s mascot is part of a much larger political fight.
Check out some other posts from Hofstra University
1 min
Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies, is featured in the Politico report “Suburbia’s ICE Shift,” about voters – particularly those in suburban counties – souring on President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign. This is significant because the suburbs are a key indicator of how the national mood has dramatically shifted over the last month.
1 min
Dr. Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability and director of Hofstra University’s meteorology program, was interviewed by Newsday about the use of virtual reality technology to teach the public about the danger of driving in a snow squall.
1 min
Education Professor Alan Singer was interviewed by WCBS-TV News about the Connetquot School District on Long Island school being threatened with funding cuts if it does not reinstate its old mascot name, the Thunderbirds. The name change to T-Birds was made in 2022 to comply with a state ruling that mascot names like “Chiefs” and “Warriors” are demeaning and offensive to Native Americans. The U.S. Department of Education has ruled that these changes are a violation of federal law. Dr. Singer said Connetquot is “caught in the crossfire with the Trump administration, which is at war with blue states and diversity,” and the district’s mascot is part of a much larger political fight.
