AMU Conference Focuses on Ex Corde Ecclesiae
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Published on Thursday, 06 February 2014 00:09
The Latin phrase Ex Corde Ecclesiae – "from the heart of the Church" – is on the Ave Maria University logo, intended to proclaim the university's faithfulness to the 1990 document that spelled out Pope John Paul II's vision for Catholic colleges and universities.
Perspectives on Ex Corde Ecclesiae will be offered at AMU's Aquinas Center's annual conference beginning Thursday evening, Feb. 6, and continuing through Saturday, Feb. 7. The entire conference is open to the public at no charge and all sessions will be in the AMU Student Union ballroom.
The initial lecture Thursday evening will be by by Russell Hittinger, the William K. Warren Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa. The description notes that "Ex Corde Ecclesiae repeatedly calls for the development of sound moral judgments and actions by all involved in a Catholic University. Fundamental to such moral education is the Catholic tradition of the natural law. Therefore the opening lecture of the Conference is on "Catholic Discourses and Natural Law: The Legacy of Joseph Ratzinger."
The second lecture, by Prof. Stephen Barr of the University of Deleware, deals with another theme of the document -- the importance of university science programs being in accord with the common good. Dr. Barr, who is the professor of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology, will lecture on "Natural Science and Catholicism".
Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, the promoter of Mother Teresa's canonization, will speak on "Mother Teresa: A Rich Resource for Contemporary Theology,"related to another theme of Ex Corde Ecclesiae,´how Catholic universities should encourage learning to promote social justice and service "especially to the poor."
The final lecture, by Fr. Bernhard Blankenhorn, will tie in St. Thomas Aquinas Ex Corde Ecclesiae, speaking on the "Mystical Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Ecclesial Role of Catholic Universities".
The Aquinas Center was founded in 2002, at Ave Maria College in Michigan, by Dr. Michael Dauphinais, now the Vice President of Academic Affairs at AMU, and theology professor Matthew Levering.
The conference program is available for download in PDF format by clicking here.
