This set organizes programs of the "Latin Pulse" series that deal in depth or in some significant way with Pope Benedict XVI, now pope emeritus, the first pope to resign his post in 600 years.  These programs deal with the retired pope's impact on Latin America.

The photo is from the Catholic Church of England and Wales via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license: www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/4601222212/

Pope Benedict XVI

Latin Pulse looks forward this week to the upcoming trip to Brazil by Pope Francis.  The discussion revolves around the symbolic importance of this trip as the first pope from Latin America returns to the region for his first international trip as pope. The program discusses the competition between Catholicism and evangelical Protestants in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.  The program also discusses the various initiatives Pope Francis has undertaken this year.  The news segment covers the discovery this week of a North Korean freighter, which unsuccessfully tried to traverse the Panama Canal, laden with arms from Cuba.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:


Tom Quigley, formerly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; and
Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell
Associate Producer: Curt Devine.

The photo of Pope Francis with Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff is by Roberto Stuckert Filho; the photo from earlier this year is credited to the Brazilian government and is in the public domain.


Previewing Pope Francis' Tour of Brazil (Lp7182013)

Pope Francis and his trip to Brazil are the primary focus of "Latin Pulse" this week. The pope has focused his trip around poverty and social justice, but this program also deals with various controversial issues including: the Vatican bank's corruption scandal; calls to modernize the Church's positions on birth control and on the role of women in Catholicism. The program also covers the reaction of Brazil's protest movement to the visit. A commentary on the program deals with how Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has failed so far to completely calm her country's protest movement.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:
Father Thomas Reese, Senior Analyst for the National Catholic Reporter; and
Monsignor Kevin Irwin of The Catholic University of America.


Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell
Associate Producer: Curt Devine.


The photo of Pope Francis in Brazil is by Marcelo Camargo for the Brazilian government and is in the public domain.

“Latin Pulse” is produced at American University’s School of Communication. This program is sponsored by the university’s Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS), in association with Link TV.

http://www.american.edu/soc/
http://www.american.edu/clals/latin-pulse.cfm


Pope Francis & his Brazilian Trip (Lp7262013)

The martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador provides the theme this week on Latin Pulse.  The program includes discussions of the philosophical debate embodied in the stalled progress of Romero's status as an official Catholic martyr.  The program also includes a discussion of Vatican politics that stretches over the past 30 years.  The program also includes reflections on U.S. policy and how it sparked a climate of violence in Central America.  The news segment of the program covers the controversial economic sanctions from the United States aimed at Venezuela and how that move was condemned by UNASUR.


The program includes in-depth interviews with:


Jeanette Rodriguez of Seattle University; and
Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University.


Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Producer: Jim Singer; and
Production Assistant: Gabriela Canchola.


The photo of Archbishop Oscar Romero is from the Archdiocese of San Salvador and is in the public domain.

Produced for release on March 20, 2015.

The program is produced at Webster University: www.webster.edu/


The Martyr: Remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero (Lp3202015)

Pope Francis and his trip to Mexico provide the central themes this week on Latin Pulse. The program discusses the pope's fourth trip to Latin America, which will primarily focus on key stops throughout Mexico. The program reflects on the pope's efforts to put the global refugee crisis and the need to ease migration restrictions in front of policymakers in the hemisphere.  The news segment of the program covers testimony from the Centers for Disease Control in the United States officially linking the zika virus outbreak to microcephaly, a condition that causes brain damage in infants.
The program includes in-depth interviews with:
Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); and
Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.

The photo of Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto and Pope Francis is from the Mexican government and is in the public domain.


Mexico: The Visit of Pope Francis, Migration and Scandal (Lp2122016)

Latin Pulse gives a special focus this week to the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Latin America. The program covers the content and plans of the pope for visits to Mexico and Cuba. The program also features discussion of the economic situation in Central America, covering new dynamism for diversification of the economy. The news segment of the program provides a reaction to progress in the presidential election campaign in Mexico.

In-Depth Interviews:
Tom Quigley formerly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and
Dr. Benedicte Bull of the University of Oslo.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell
Associate Producer: Vanessa Haces Gonzatti

The photo is from the Catholic Church of England and Wales via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/4601222212/

For sequels to this program please see:
http://soundcloud.com/latinpulse/lp3302012 ; and
http://soundcloud.com/latinpulse/lp5042012

Previewing the Pope's Tour & Central American Business (Lp3232012)

After the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Latin America, Latin Pulse devotes most of this program to examining the aftermath of his visit. The program includes a review of the pope's various preachings in relation to the politics and societal progress of the region. The discussion included specific discussion of the Catholic Church's role in a time of crisis in Mexico during the Drug War, a debate over the pope's critique of Cuban political and economic policy, and the controversy surrounding how the pope dealt with Cuban dissidents.
In-Depth Interviews:
Richard Coll of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and
Geoff Thale of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell
Associate Producer: Vanessa Haces Gonzatti

The photo is by M. Mazur of the Catholic Church of England & Wales during Pope Benedict’s trip to Portugal in 2010 via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/4601242916/

For a sequel to this program, please see: http://soundcloud.com/latinpulse/lp5042012

In the Wake of the Pope's Latin American Tour (Lp3302012)

Religion and politics, the topics we're told not to bring up in polite company take center stage this week on Latin Pulse, with the focus again returning to Cuba.  The Cuban government's response to the visit of Pope Benedict XVI continues to resonate across the island in the human rights community and beyond.  The program also includes news of the death of Sandinista leader Tomas Borge in Nicaragua.

In-Depth Interviews:
Tom Quigley formerly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and
Rev. Joe Eldridge of American University.
 
Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell
Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud

(The photo is from teleSUR, the non-profit, intra-governmental television network based in Venezuela, and is in the public domain: http://www.telesurtv.net/ )

The Pope's Aftermath in Cuba (Lp5042012)

“Latin Pulse” is a weekly program that reviews news from Latin America and analyzes politics, culture, religion, and important issues throughout the region. This weekly podcast is distributed by Link TV, iTunes, and, of course, SoundCloud.  

Pope Benedict XVI

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