Lorenzo Albacete

Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete (born January 7, 1941), a Roman Catholic priest, is an American theologian, scientist and author. A New York Times Magazine contributor, Albacete is one of the leaders in the United States for the international Catholic movement Communion and Liberation. He is the Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Crossroads Cultural Center.

Biography

Albacete was born in Puerto Rico and is a physicist by training. He holds a degree in Space Science and Applied Physics as well as a Master's degree in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome. He has taught at the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., and the St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., and from 1996 to 1997 served as President of Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. He has been advisor on Hispanic Affairs to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

He is a columnist for the Italian weekly "Tempi", has written for The New Yorker, and has appeared or has been interviewed on CNN, The Charlie Rose Show, PBS, EWTN, Slate, The New Republic, and Godspy, where he is the theological advisor.

Monsignor Albacete lives in Yonkers, N.Y.

Publications

Beside columns and articles on a number of American and international publications, Albacete is the author of "God at the Ritz: Attraction to Infinity" (Crossroad Publishing Company), a book in which as priest-physicist he talks about science, sex, politics, and religion.

As Hendrik Hertzberg (The New Yorker) has noted: "Lorenzo Albacete is one of a kind, and so is "God at the Ritz". The book, like the monsignor, crackles with humor, warmth, and intellectual excitement. Reading it is like having a stay-up-all-night, jump-out-of-your-chair, have-another-double-espresso marathon conversation with one of the world's most swashbuckling talkers. Conversation, hell-this is a Papal bull session!"

Theodore Cardinal McCarrick of Washington wrote of the book: "Monsignor Albacete has a keen insight into the mystery of God and a wonderful sense of humor even when he is speaking about very heavy subjects. Perhaps it is precisely this sense of humor-and wonder-that brings people of all faiths to Msgr. Albacete's writings to find there a source of goodness and strength."

Bibliography

Books by Lorenzo Albacete:

* "God at the Ritz: Attraction to Infinity". NY: Crossroad, 2002. ISBN 0-8245-1951-5.

External links

* [http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2006/12/25/1/a-rebroadcast-of-a-conversation-with-reynolds-price-gardner-taylor-lorenzo-albacete-about-jesus-christ The Charlie Rose Show, a conversation with Reynolds Price, Gardner Taylor & Lorenzo Albacete about Jesus Christ] .
* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/faith/interviews/albacete.html PBS Interview to Lorenzo Albacete: Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero]
* [http://meaningoflife.tv/video.php?speaker=albacete&topic=complete Slate-Meaningoflife: Robert Wright interviews Lorenzo Albacete]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/03/opinion/03albacete.html?_r=1&oref=slogin New York Times Op-Ed: "For The Love of God"]
* [http://www.crossroadsnyc.com/index.html Crossroads Cultural Center]