For these articles and over a decade of global scholarship, visit the CTEWC Forum.

Tony Mifsud died May 2, 2022 at age 72. Tony joined the Jesuits at age 15 in Malta; in 1974, he answered a call to serve as a young priest in Chile during the dictatorship. Most of his career was spent in teaching theological ethics and in leadership roles in Chile, and was "the first moralist that offered a global vision of moral theology from a Latin American perspective." More than an academic, he is also remembered for his compassion, sense of humor, and his ability to relate to people across social, ideological, and economic backgrounds. Carolina Montero shares an obituary of Tony's life and work, with an English translation by MT Dávila.

Conference: "Moral Theology and Amoris Laetitia"

An international conference for the five-year anniversary of the publication of the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia was held in Rome on 11-14 May 2022. Around 150 people from different continents took part in the conference. The very intense programme was divided into plenary and parallel sessions, offering the opportunity for discussion on fundamental themes of conjugal and family life. The focus was clearly marked by an inductive, existential approach, making this emerge as the specific paradigm of Pope Francis' document. Precisely because of this, Amoris laetitia constitutes not only a change of step in the moral and pastoral assessment of the fragility of the couple and the family, but a veritable new look that enables us to understand doctrinal aspects that are more respectful of persons and their choices of conscience to be accompanied and formed. Read more of Antonio Autiero's report of the conference.

Emilce Cuda was appointed in February as co-secretary of the Pontifical Commission of Latin America, an historic appointment for a lay person. In April, she was also invited to join the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Describing herself as "a theologian focusing on social problems," Cuda's work is profiled by Christopher White.

The virtual table Africa: Global Public Health, Social Ethics, and Theology has begun meeting to reflect on the legacy of Fr. Jacquineau Azestop, who died last October. Jacquineau was a Cameroonian Jesuit whose teaching and research focused on global health policy, public health, and bioethics, with a special attention to social determinants of health, health systems, and the inclusion of the destitute poor. One of his most important works is the edited volume, HIV and AIDS in Africa: Christian Reflection, Public Health, Social Transformation, published by Orbis Books in 2016. The virtual table will culminate in a conference in Jaoundé, Cameroon, in October 2022.

More remembrances of Jacquineau Azestop from Vatican News, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and NCR by James Keenan.

Emmanuel Katongole, Who Are My People? Love, Violence, and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa (South Bend, IN., University of Notre Dame Press, 2022).

Ugandan priest, pilgrim, and professor of theology and peace studies, Emmanuel Katongole discusses in his new book the question of identity and the meaning of the self-sacrificing love of Christ for celebrating our common baptismal identity as African Christians and addressing the triple ecological violence, religious violence, and ethnic violence in the continent of Africa today. He brings a fresh and new approach to doing theology, through a reimagination of the prophetic witnessing of churches and Christians in Africa. He proposes a new society with 'a confused identity, where our differences are embraced as surplus values through a reinvention of love and a celebration of inclusion, and diversity for a new people, a new world, and a new hope. 

Stan Chu Ilo, ed., Love, Joy, and Sex : African Conversation on Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia and the Gospel of Family in a Divided World (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2019).

This volume has gathered seminal commentaries on Amoris Laetitia by African Catholic theologians, social scientists, and pastoral workers. They offer African theological and pastoral responses to the principles and practices proposed by Pope Francis and the Synod on the family on such contested issues as same-sex relations, divorce and remarriage, and reception and denial of Holy Communion in the church, among other divisive issues.

Stan Chu Ilo, ed., Handbook of African Catholicism, (New York: Orbis Books, 2022).

He, Simeiqi. "Love, Dark Night, and Peace: The Chinese Catholic Church in Dialogue with Fratelli tutti." Journal of Catholic Social Thought 19, no. 1 (2022): 159-172.

The conference, "Transitioning to Integral Ecology? Transdisciplinary Approaches for the Grounding and Implementation of a Holistic Worldview" will be held in person and over Zoom at the Pontifical Gregorian University 6-8 June. Link to free registration.

A panel discussion on "Challenging Whiteness in European Theologies and in the Church" on June 15 at 6pm CET. The panelists are Judith Gruber, Regamy Thillainathan and Meike Jolie. Further information is available here. 

The Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE) in Trinity College Dublin is offering a postgraduate Master’s in Contextual Theologies & Interfaith Relations (M.Phil.) – to explore the inherent contextuality and pluralism of theological reflection. In its concerns with both inter-faith and intra-faith relations,  the course presupposes a generous interpretation of ‘faith’,  drawing on a wide range of religions and spiritualities – some traditional and institutionally-structured, others more experimental and experiential. For further information, please contact Ms Beth Whitney at srpostgrad@tcd.ie who would be happy to speak with you.  

Amoris Laetitia Conference Profile

Spanish Jesuit Julio Martinez, in his keynote at the "Moral Theology and Amoris Laetitia" conference, remarked that, with discernment, Amoris Laetitia allows moral theologians to "untie the knots" in Catholic teaching. More on the keynote in Gerard O'Connell's profile.

La Revista Latinoamericana de Bioética está pidiendo colaboración de artículos para el número Salud Mental en el Contexto de la Pandemia de Covid 19.

El Grupo de Trabajo CLACSO “El futuro del trabajo y cuidado de la casa común”, integrado por varios miembros de CTEWC y coordinado por Emilce Cuda, tendrá su participación en el 9° Congreso Latinoamericano y Caribeño de Ciencias Sociales, que se llevará a cabo en la Ciudad de México (UNAM) del 7 al 10 de junio del 2022. Programa.

An international, interfaith delegation traveled to Kyiv May 24-25, in solidarity with Ukrainians and praying for a just peace in Ukraine. The delegation included CTEWC's Eli McCarthy. More on the delegation's work here.