THE largest ever gathering of Irish Catholic theologians will address the issue of responsibility for the environment during a conference in Limerick, from Thursday, August 20 to Sunday, August 23.
Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray, will officially open the conference which will be addressed by speakers from a range of European countries and will include Professor Sean Freyne of Trinity College,
Dr Stella Morra from Rome, Professor Hans Dieter Mutschler from the Ignatius Institute, Krakow and Bishop Dr Karl Golser of Bolzano-Bressanone, Italy.
Cardinal Sean Brady will celebrate Mass in St John’s Cathedral on Saturday, August 22, at 6.30, where he will also present four theological scholarships.
The main theme will be Christian responsibility for the environment and the investment of care in the earth.
This is the first time that the biennial conference, organised by the International Congress of the European Society for Catholic Theology, is being held outside mainland Europe.
Hosted by Mary Immaculate College, the conference will also mark the installation of Professor Eamon Conway, head of theology and religious studies at the college, as president of the Society
Speaking ahead of the conference, Prof Conway said it was an honour that this, the first such conference in Ireland, is being held in Limerick
“Understandably, we are concerned at this moment about the viability of our economy, but our environment, upon which the very essence of life depends, is just as much at risk and Christians have a special responsibility for the world in which they live.
“All our actions have a profound effect on those whom we know are living in precarious environmental situations such as those affected by weather extremes, like severe flooding or drought, which often makes life a daily struggle for survival. “We are seeking to lead by example as we quantify this impact and seek to offset it in the most sustainable manner possible”.
