Westminster: lecture series explores Catholic moral & social teaching

Mary Colwell

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God’, a four part ‘Faith Matters’ lecture series will be taking place in Westminster Cathedral Hall on Thursday evenings throughout May 2013. In the ‘Year of Faith’ lectures will focus on Part III of the Catechism of the Catholic Church –‘Life in Christ’.

The opening lecture, on Thursday 9 May 2013 will be given by Mary Colwell, a television, radio and internet producer widely known for her work on the BBC Natural History Unit. The talk is entitled ‘A Catholic Conversation with the Earth’ and will explore the different ways faith and the natural world can inspire each other and what Catholicism has to offer on issues on environmental degradation.

On 16 May, Dr Patrick Riordan SJ will give a talk entitled ‘Credo but not credulous! Christians’ conditional loyalty’. Dr Riordan is a lecturer in Political Philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London; his research interests are religion in public life, the philosophy of justice and the common good. His talk will reflect on relationship between religion and politics and the implications of the commitment to be a good Christian in a democratic society.

On 23 May, Pat Gaffney, General Secretary of Pax Christi and Nobel Prize nominee, will lecture on the topic ‘Revisiting the peace message of Pacem in Terris: have we put the words into action?’ The talk will consider whether the world has grown more or less secure over the past fifty years, since Pacem in Terris. It will also explore the work of Pax Christi over this time.

Finally, on Thursday 30 May Fr Michael Kirwan SJ, head of the Theology department at Heythrop College, University of London will give a talk entitled ‘The Ten Commandments: do they still matter?’

‘Faith Matters’ is a collaborative project of the Agency for Evangelisation and the Mount St Jesuit Centre. Following each lecture recorded video and text will be posted on the Diocese of Westminster’s website: www.rcdow.org.uk

‘Faith Matters’ are all public lectures to which all are welcome. All lectures will start at 7pm and will be held at Westminster Cathedral Hall, Ambrosden Avenue, London SW1.

Email faithmatters@rcdow.org.uk or telephone 020 7931 6078 to guarantee a place.