Jonathan Morris (priest)

Infobox Celebrity
name = Father Jonathan Morris

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caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|mf=yes|1972|08|22
birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, USA
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Roman Catholic Priest; Television News Analyst
website = [http://www.fatherjonathan.com Father Jonathan Morris]

Fr. Jonathan Morris (born August 22, 1972 in Cleveland, Ohio), is an American Roman Catholic priest and vice-rector of the Legionaries of Christ seminary in Rome, Italy. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207779,00.html Father Jonathan: Why Things are Crazy] August 10, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006] [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183207,00.html Father Jonathan: Real Suffering, Real Solutions] January 20, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006] [ [http://www.legionariesofchrist.org/eng/articulos/articulo.phtml?se=91&ca=264&te=193&id=6159 A Christmas Gift to the Church: Legion of Christ] Retrieved December 17, 2006] He is currently a news contributor and analyst for the Fox News Channel, and in December 2007, was named professor of ethics and media at the European University of Rome. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7130000/newsid_7135200/7135231.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&news=1&ms3=6&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=2 "Have Your Say"] Retrieved January 24, 2008]

Early life and education

Morris is the third child of a family of seven children. [ [http://www.legionariesofchrist.org/eng/articulos/articulo.phtml?lc=id-13729_se-86_ca-244_te-193 Fr. Jonathan Morris, LC on Fox Television] Retrieved December 17, 2006] After attending schools in Michigan and Ohio, Morris studied political science at the University of San José in Costa Rica and then business administration at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. While in college, he began to consider the priesthood. [ [http://www.legionariesofchrist.org/eng/articulos/articulo.phtml?lc=id-13729_se-86_ca-244_te-193 Fr. Jonathan Morris, LC on Fox Television] Retrieved December 17, 2006] Morris accompanied a friend who was considering a vocation himself to an informational meeting with a priest who, Morris says, changed his life. [ [http://www.cuf.org/Laywitness/LWonline/JF07Cho.asp A Voice in the Darkness] Cho, Caroline Retrieved March 2, 2007] Shortly thereafter, the 21-year-old entered the seminary of the Legion of Christ.

In 1999, as a seminarian, he founded Compass, an apostolate of the Regnum Christi movement to evangelize college and university students. [ [http://www.triplecrownacademy.com/frjonathan.htm Triple Crown Academy: Battle for the American Soul] Retrieved December 17, 2006] Since entering the seminary, he acquired separate degrees in classical humanities, philosophy, and theology, and was ordained a priest of the Legion of Christ on December 24, 2002, in Rome. [ [http://www.triplecrownacademy.com/frjonathan.htm Triple Crown Academy: Battle for the American Soul] Retrieved December 17, 2006] In June 2004, Morris graduated with high honors with a licentiate degree in moral theology (ethics) from Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University, also located in Rome. [ [http://www.triplecrownacademy.com/frjonathan.htm Triple Crown Academy: Battle for the American Soul] Retrieved December 17, 2006] He is currently a doctoral candidate at the same institution. [ [http://www.triplecrownacademy.com/frjonathan.htm Triple Crown Academy: Battle for the American Soul] Retrieved December 17, 2006] He was later appointed vice-rector of the Legionaries of Christ seminary, the largest seminary in Rome. [ [http://premierespeakers.com/4745/index.cfm Father Jonathan Morris: Premiere Speakers Bureau] Retrieved December 17, 2006] Morris is fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182547,00.html Father Jonathan: Tense Relationship] Jan 18, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006]

"The Passion of the Christ"

From 2002 to 2004, Morris worked as a theological advisor in the making of Mel Gibson's motion picture "The Passion of the Christ." In a German interview, Morris said that his involvement with the film came about by accident, and was minor in the beginning; however, his work in the production of the movie steadily expanded. [ [http://www.haefely.info/mel-gibson_the-passion_fr.jonathan-morris_interview.htm"The Passion of the Christ" - Interview mit Fr. Jonathan Morris] Retrieved December 17, 2006] In responding to the violence of the film, Morris said in a Franciscan University interview, "Yes, the suffering and pain in this film is hard to watch, and just as hard to forget. What we remember, however — what sticks with us — is not the senselessness of gratuitous violence that we find in other films, but the high price of sin and the immensity of Christ's love." [ [https://secure.franciscan.edu/home2/Content/Campuslife/main.aspx?id=988&cc=336 Behind the Scenes: At the Heart of 'The Passion'] April 2, 2004 Retrieved March 2, 2007]

When filming concluded, Morris' work continued as he advised the promotion and marketing of the film in the United States and Europe. [ [http://www.fatherjonathan.com/bio.html Father Jonathan Morris biography] Retrieved December 17, 2006 ] The deliberate and unconventional grass-roots promoting and advertising of the film is credited, in part, for its enormous and unexpected success. [ [http://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/art8-melgibsonmarketing.html Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ": Market Segmentation, Mass Marketing and Promotion, and the Internet] Maresco, Peter. Retrieved December 18, 2006] Since its debut, "The Passion of the Christ" has grossed in excess of $370 million domestically and is now the eleventh-highest grossing film of all time. [ [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=passionofthechrist.htm "The Passion of the Christ" (2004) Box Office Results] Retrieved December 17, 2006]

Morris' involvement and experience with motion pictures have led him to write and discuss Hollywood's often controversial impact on popular culture.

The death of Pope John Paul II

With the physical decline of Pope John Paul II in late March 2005, international media attention turned to Rome. The vigil that led up to the pontiff's death included interviews, reports, and personal reflections by a number of prominent journalists, Papal analysts, and dignitaries. Many in the news media turned to the young vice-rector for insight and perspective on the Pope and his impact on the church. Just hours before John Paul II passed away on April 2, and just a short distance from the Vatican itself, Morris said on "Larry King Live", "We've been able to imagine -- in a very specific way -- what it must be like to be there with John Paul II. Because when you've seen the way in which he lived his life, we know he's dying in the same way in which he lived, which is a blessing to all of us and teaching us the way we ought to live our own lives." [ [http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0504/01/lkl.01.html CNN transcript] Larry King Live, April 1, 2005 Retrieved December 17, 2006]

In the days leading up to the Pope's funeral, Morris provided reports and analysis for CNN, Fox News Channel, the BBC, and Sky News, and he was interviewed by Bill Hemmer, Larry King, Shepard Smith, Anderson Cooper, and Christiane Amanpour, among others. In recognition of the enormous emotional outpouring, as well as the popularity of his own coverage of the events in Vatican City, Morris received offers from several networks to contribute follow-up reports. Shortly before the start of the Papal Conclave that would elect Pope Benedict XVI, Morris began working for the Fox News Channel. In accepting the offer to work with the network, he proposed to not just cover Vatican news events only, but to also analyze bigger news stories from an ethical dimension. [ [http://www.al.com/press-register/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/120436652576060.xml&coll=3 Go Ahead. Be a Hero.] Retrieved May 27, 2008]

At Fox News

Morris' work with Fox News has proven to be popular with viewers, with many voicing to the network – and to Morris – an interest in seeing more of him. [ [http://www.cuf.org/Laywitness/LWonline/JF07Cho.asp A Voice in the Darkness] Cho, Caroline Retrieved March 2, 2007] Since April 2005, Morris' work has expanded to include reports beyond the scope of the Vatican. He has been interviewed on several Fox News Channel programs, including "Fox & Friends", "Dayside", "Hannity and Colmes", "The Live Desk" with Martha MacCallum, and "The O'Reilly Factor", often from his post in Rome. His work with the network has resulted in him offering analysis from a variety of locations, particularly those that had an ethical, social or religious element to the story. In November 2005, when Paris, France, erupted in violent and fiery protests by disenfranchised young Muslim men and immigrants, Morris traveled to the French capital and interviewed Muslim youth about what was precipitating the riots. While there, he also secured an exclusive interview with the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Paris.

In January 2006, Morris began his own blog on the Fox News website. He debuted it by writing, "Your notes tell me that you are not all Catholic, not all Christians, not all religious or even spiritual, but that you share my interest in, and concern for, preserving the traditional values that have made our country great; values of freedom, tolerance, respect for law, for one another, and for human rights, especially the rights of those who have no voice." [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182542,00.html Father Jonathan: A New Connection] January 13, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006]

Morris began 2006 by venturing to Venezuela, a country known for its contention between the Catholic Church and President Hugo Chávez, to report on a populist religious gathering. Morris wrote why he believed this event warranted media attention: "Bad news sells. But violence does not occur in a vacuum, and if we wait for things to "happen" we end up with no explanations and no solutions. We lament and complain and wonder how this world got so bad. That's why in-depth reporting on social phenomenon, even before tragic images do the talking for us, is a serious responsibility for any news outlet. That's why we are here." [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181699,00.html Father Jonathan: From Venezuela] Jan 16, 2006 Retrieved December 18, 2006]

In an exclusive sit-down interview, Morris talked with First Lady Laura Bush while she was in Italy in February 2006.

In early 2006, the movie adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, "The Da Vinci Code", generated a firestorm of controversy and discussion, especially from Christian leaders. While many in the religious community called for a boycott of the movie, Morris suggested a different approach, writing that the movie might actually be a benefit for Christianity by forcing Christians to come to terms with their own religious beliefs. Morris wrote: "Dan Brown is capable of passing fiction for fact because Christians don't know their faith -- what and why they believe." [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194665,00.html Father Jonathan: "The Da Vinci Code": A Postive for Christianity] May 8, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006] This statement was widely circulated throughout the Christian community. [ [http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=91755 Who was Jesus? "The Da Vinci Code" Part II] Retrieved December 17, 2006] [ [http://christianity.about.com/b/a/257198.htm Christian Responses to "The Da Vinci Code": Boycott or Be Equipped?] Retrieved December 17, 2006]

When given a tip by a blog reader on the legalization of prostitution in Germany, Morris traveled there in June to cover the country's growing sex trade industry and its impact on the World Cup. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200960,00.html Father Jonathan: World Cup Sex Industry Uncovered] June 26, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006] Later that summer, Morris interviewed some members of the Muslim community in London after attendees of a local mosque were arrested on charges of terrorism. He also provided news coverage and analysis on Missouri's hotly contested stem cell initiative Amendment 2, which gained national attention when actor Michael J. Fox issued his support for the initiative's passage.

In November, Morris traveled to Turkey to cover Pope Benedict's first papal trip to a Muslim country, a trip that was closely watched throughout the international community due to the controversy that erupted over the Pope's remarks in Germany earlier that fall. In May 2007, Morris returned to Turkey in the wake of the torture-murder of three Christian publishers to investigate the status of Christians in the country.

In December 2007, he debated Richard Dawkins in a BBC television interview "Have Your Say" on the effects of religion and atheism on society, arguing that atheism was behind the Holocaust, as well as the Stalinist and Maoist regimes -- revolutions that persecuted and oppressed in order to create and maintain 'religion-free utopias.' [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316363,00.html An Open Letter to Richard Dawkins] Retrieved January 24, 2007] In April 2008, Morris covered the Pope's historic trip to Washington, D.C. and New York for Fox News Channel.

In June 2007, Morris began providing weekly contributions to the Sunday edition of "Fox and Friends," and his book "The Promise: God's Purpose and Plan for When Life Hurts" was released in early 2008. [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061353418 Amazon.com "The Promise: God's Purpose and Plan for When Life Hurts"] Retrieved January 24, 2008]

Frequently asked in interviews and by others, Morris comments that his favorite saint is St. Francis Xavier. "He never gave up, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles. He, like St. Paul, knew how to speak the Good News in love.” [ [http://www.cuf.org/Laywitness/LWonline/JF07Cho.asp A Voice in the Darkness] Cho, Caroline Retrieved March 2, 2007]

Quotes

*"Belief only makes sense if it is based on truth." [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292565,00.html Father Jonathan: Viewer Reactions to Last Week's Article on Child Rearing] August 8, 2007 Retrieved August 11, 2007]

*"Unless we know what it is we're fighting for -- unless we believe deeply in what it is we are wanting to protect -- we will not have the will, nor will we have any reason, to give our lives for something that other people are trying to take." [ [http://www.triplecrownacademy/FrJonathanInterview.wma Paul Clemens Show WLCR Radio AM 1040 [http://www.wlcr.net] , November 1, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006]

*“Respect for belief is just as important as freedom of expression. They were never meant to be at odds with each other.” [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183940,00.html Father Jonathan: Some Things "are" Sacred] February 6, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006]

*"If there is one thing to remember, it is this: culture, not politics alone, determines our national identity, and building culture is the responsibility of us all." [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,228378,00.html Father Jonathan: Culture: Battleground for the American Soul] November 9, 2006 Retrieved December 17, 2006]

*"People are starving for the love of Christ. The world needs priests. The world needs good moms and dads. The world needs good Christians." [ [https://secure.franciscan.edu/home2/Content/Campuslife/main.aspx?id=988&cc=336 Behind the Scenes: At the Heart of 'The Passion'] April 2, 2004 Retrieved March 2, 2007]

*"I am more convinced than ever that the good life is very simple: to spend our lives loving others and loving God in the nitty gritty of our very imperfect earthly reality. What else is there of any lasting worth?" [ [http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/07/21/why-batman-matters/#comments Why 'Batman' Matters] July 25, 2008 Retrieved July 26, 2008]

*"I should never, and will never, choose a party over another party for partisan purposes. Nor will I endorse a candidate. But I hope to continue pointing out how political platforms and politicians’ actions either line up or contrast with moral truth. This is the civic and ethical responsibility of all of us, religious leaders in particular." [ [http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/09/29/frj_0929/ Was the Palin Pick a Mistake?] Sept 29, 2008 Retrieved Sept 29, 2008]

External links

* [http://www.fatherjonathan.com Official Website]
* [http://premierespeakers.com/4745/index.cfm Premiere Speakers Bureau]
* [http://www.foxnews.com/fatherjonathan Father Jonathan's 'The Fox Forum' Live Blog]
* [http://www.godtube.com/ministry/ministry.php?MID=866 Father Jonathan's Interviews on GodTube]
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061353418 "The Promise: God's Purpose and Plan for When Life Hurts"]

References