International Conference: Rerum Novarum - 130 Years on

An online international conference to assess the significance of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum addressing the needs of industrial workers will take place from Wednesday 5th to Saturday 8th May 2021.

Rerum Novarum (Of New Things) was written in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII and is widely considered as one of the first 'social encyclical' letters of the modern Popes.

This document set out the Church's response to the difficult social conditions created by industrialisation. It reflects concerns for the 'the utter poverty of the masses', upholds the dignity of human work and rejects the inhumane conditions that workers were faced with by arguing for a just wage. For the first time it argues that private property is a right, and for workers to be able to join and form trade unions.

While the dignity and value of the human person, especially the poor, is integral to the message of the gospel and social concern of the Church, Leo XIII's letter demonstrated 'new willingness of the Pope to engage with the rapid changes happening in contemporary society'.

This conference will look at the theology and context of the letter - but also at current day realities about work and employment. We began planning this in late 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic, as Pope Francis has recognised, has raised urgent new issues. This online conference will attempt to help Christians and others to address these.'

The conference is hosted by St Mary's University.

For more information and to register, contact the Rev Dr Ashley Beck: ashley.beck@stmarys.ac.uk

Speakers include:

Dr Luke Arredondo, Professor Tina Beattie, The Revd Dr Ashley Beck, Professor Iain Benson, Professor Philip Booth, The Revd Professor Bernard Bourdin OP, Adrian Brown, The Revd Canon Malcolm Brown, Dr Helen Costigane SHCJ, Professor Francis Davis, Maria Exall, The Revd Dr Richard Finn OP, Edward Hadas, Will Hutton, Dr Austen Ivereigh, Bishop William Kenney CP, Professor Renee Kohler-Ryan, Christopher Lamb, Professor Ian Linden, Clifford Longley, Professor Mary McAleese, Dr Carole Murphy, The Revd Professor Tom O'Loughlin, Dr Matias Petersen, Dr Jeremy Pilch, Prof Clemens Sedmak, Russell Sparkes, Dr Ellen van Stichel, Dr Matthew Tan, Matthew Taylor, Professor Anthony Towey, The Revd Dermot Tredget, Charles Wookey.

LINK

Rerum Novarum - www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html