Sorry, my PC got attacked by a terrible virus, and I had to have it cleaned out professionally.
Hence, my two-day absence... Happy to get back with something new about B16...
:
International Symposium on "Fundamental Rights and Conflicts among Rights"
Rome, November 15-16, 2018
Seventy years since the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights-
- What has been its effect in the world?
- How does the Church respond today to the new challenges to those rights: fundamentalism, new poverties and new slaveries?
- And who are its interocutors: states, religions, international institutions, or first of all, the global civilian society?
- Furthermore, what gave rise to fundamental rights and how to respond to the danger of their multiplication which could paradoxically lead to the destruction of the very idea of a 'right' itself and of human dignity?
These are the fundamental questions for discussion at the Nov. 15-16 International Symposium in Rome on "Fundamental Rights and Conflicts among Rights" organized by the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican foundation in collaboration with LUMSA (Libera Universita Maria Santissima Assunta).
Symposium speakers include Giuseppe Dalla Torre (LUMSA), Jean Louis Ska (Pontificio Istituto Biblico), Francesco D’Agostino (Unversity of Rome - Tor Vergata), Robert P. George (Princeton University), Marta Cartabia (Vice-President of the Italian Constitutional Court), Carlos Ignacio Massini (Mendoza, Argentina), Barbara Zehnpfennig (Universität Passau), Mary Ann Glendon (Harvard University), Joseph H. Weiler (New York University), Roberto Baratta (Macerata, Italia), and CArdinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin who will speak on "The Church's interlocutors in the debate on the affirmation of human rights".
The symposium is structured in four parts:
- The genesis and significance of the idea of religious freedom
- Secularity and natural law
- Birth and transformation of the culture of rights and of freedom
- Multiplication of rights and the danger of destroying the very idea of a 'right'
In his opening remarks to the Symposium, Fr. Federico Lombardi, current president of the Foundation, said:
"Our Foundation plans to organize an international scientific symposium on a subject that has prominent cultural significance and current relevance as it relates to the theological thinking of Joseph Ratzinger and to the magisterium of Benedict XVI.
In this way, his cultural legacy will continue to be appreciated, making it fruitful for the life of the Church and of contemporary society. This year's theme is something that has always been present in the thinking of Joseph Ratznger/Benedict XVI, namely, the bases of the law, at one time characterized by the declaration of 'human rights', also now marked by their abnormal multiplication."
On the occasion of the symposim, Benedict XVI sent the ff letter to Fr. Federico Lombardi, current president of the Foundation:
A translation:
Dear Fr. Lombardi,
As you know, since I was informed some months ago of the Symposium on "Fundamental Rights and Conflicts among Rights", I immediately expressed to you my appreciation for the initiative which I consider extremely useful.
In particular, it is important to me that it deals directly with the problem of the 'multiplication of rights' and the danger of "destroying the very idea of 'right'".
It is a current and fundamental issue in order to safeguard the bases for coexistence for the human family which deserves to become once again the subject for a systematic and profound reflection as the program for the symposium intends.
I therefore assure all the speakers and participants in the Symosium of my esteem and my closeness in prayer that the Lord my bless their work as a precious service to the Church and for the good of the human family.
Yours in the Lord,
BENEDICT XVI
Pope Francis also sent a message to the symposium, saying among other things that
"Benedict XVI has warned lucidly about the urgency of this topic for our time and has intervened authoritatively on it as a thinker and as a pastor, for which twenty years ago, LUMSA conferred on Cardinal Raztinger a doctorate honoris causa in jurisprudence". [Will post a full translation later]
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/11/2018 23:22]