Robert Cardinal McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, will visit Fairfield University on Tuesday, October 20.
He will be discussing the Catholic Church’s evolving understanding of war and peace, including emerging questions surrounding the traditional concept of “just war theory.”
Cardinal McElroy will present “Catholic Teaching on War and Peace: A Breakthrough Moment” at 7:30 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The event is presented by Fairfield University’s Office of Mission and Ministry and is free and open to the public.
The conversation comes at a significant moment for the Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas raises questions about the relationship between human dignity, emerging technologies and the moral responsibilities of individuals and nations. The recent June meeting of the College of Cardinals considered the encyclical and its implications for the Church’s understanding of war and peace.
While at Fairfield, Cardinal McElroy will share his perspective on these developments and consider how Catholic moral teaching is responding to the changing nature of modern warfare.
“Questions of war and peace have always demanded rigorous moral reflection, but the technologies and circumstances of contemporary conflict are challenging long-held assumptions in new ways,” said Rev. Paul Rourke, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry at Fairfield University. “Cardinal McElroy brings a distinctive perspective to this important conversation, and we are pleased to welcome him to Fairfield University for an evening of thoughtful engagement.”
