Pope Francis and the Future of the Church: Prospects and Challenges for Renewal

Date/Time
Date(s) - May 4, 2023 - May 6, 2023
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Location
St. Mark's College

Categories No Categories


Pope Francis will have been Pope for over a decade when this conference takes place. Pope Francis’ election in 2013 marked a new stage of post-conciliar reflection on the nature of the church and its mediation of God’s love for the world. Informed by his programmatic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Francis has set in motion a reform that challenges Catholics to rethink what it means to be church in the 21st century. The broad contours of this renewal are significant, and they require theological analysis and assessment.

We are excited to confirm our plenary speakers for the conference, comprising a group of preeminent international Catholic theologians:

1. Dr. Massimo Faggioli, “Laudato Si’ in a Time of Global Disruption: Francis and Politics,” Villanova University, Philadelphia, May 4, 2023.

2. Dr. Emilce Cuda, “The Reform of the Church is not a Change but a Commitment,” Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Loyola University Chicago, May 5, 2023.

3. Dr. Catherine Clifford, “Living into Unity: How Francis is Carrying forward Vatican II’s Goal of Christian Unity,” Saint Paul University, Ottawa, May 6, 2023.

These keynote lectures are free and open to the public. Please feel free to register and to invite your friends. Seats will be limited so please register as soon as possible.

In addition there will be 45 speakers from across Canada, the US, and other parts of the world, including Africa and South America, presenting at this conference on the theology of Pope Francis. Here are some of the topics that will be covered by our international scholars:

The reception of Vatican II

Synodality

‘Theology of the people’

The clerical sexual abuse crisis

Women’s role in the church

The future of ministry

Ignatian spirituality and discernment

Christ and mercy

The ‘culture of encounter’

Integral ecology

Evangelization and mission

Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples

Migration and the refugee crisis

Inter-faith relations and dialogue

Populism and global solidarity

Economic justice

Ecumenism

Poverty and holiness

Sin, social sin, and temptation

The Holy Spirit and discipleship

If you would like to attend some or all of these lectures, you can register for a general conference pass for $40.00 or a daily pass for $20.00.

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