The First
The Monthly Newsletter of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church
https://catholicethics.epicenter1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CTEWC_logo_final-1.jpg
October 2020
Dear CTEWC Friends,
 
Congratulations to the Latin American and Caribbean region on its highly successful September colloquium addressing the ethical challenges COVID-19 has posed for the region. Participants joined from 23 countries at the Zoom account’s full capacity (100). Please see Alexandre Martins’ overview of the event and plans for publication below. We also feature a commentary by Antonio Auterio on the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s recently published "Samaritanus bonus," on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life. Finally, this issue initiates a monthly spotlight on the work of our various Virtual Tables now underway.

October’s Forum adds several reflections to our growing collection on COVID-19:  from Indonesia, Dionius Bismoko Mahamboro writes about fostering emotional resilience during the pandemic, given the multiplied responsibilities parents face in educating and accompanying their children. In the European Forum, Petr Štica meditates on the function of Christian hope for disease management and institutional solidarity in such an era, and from Brazil, Maria Inês Castro Millen promotes vulnerability, resilience and dialogue as key elements of a theological response, given the pandemic upends presumptions of self-sufficiency and control. We also feature three guest contributors this month: in the African Forum, Matthew Chersich promotes new mechanisms making visible and counteracting fossil fuels’ noxious health impact, and in the Junior Scholars Forum, Pamela Munyekenye calls us to counter persistent gender inequalities in African church and policymaking realms, drawing hope from community-based initiatives and Jesus’ liberative praxis. In Eli McCarthy's post for the North American Forum, he underscores how the violence of police killing distorts human dignity, calling ethicists to develop the moral capital to transform our system of community security.
 
As we surpass one million global deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we join our prayers with those grieving losses, managing fallout and pursuing a vaccine.

Kristin Heyer
Shaji George Kochuthara, CMI
Andrea Vicini, SJ
In this Issue
October Forum
Latin American y Caribbean Colloquium
Virtual Table Report
Regional Reports
Job Opportunity
Submit Your Resources

Job listings? Calls for papers? Announcements? Submit your content here.
Contact Us

Kristin Heyer, Editor

Sara Bernard-Hoverstad, Associate Editor
Join our global ethics network fostering connections in the world church.

Submit your profile: catholicethics.com/submit
Featured Forum Articles
African Forum: "Declarations of Conflicts of Interest and Fossil Fuels" - Matthew Chersich and Peter Knox

European Forum: "Illness/Disease, Pandemic, and Hope - Considerations at the Time of Coronavirus" - Petr Štica

North American Forum: "Defunding Police: Human Dignity and Black Lives Matter" - Eli McCarthy
Asia and Oceania Forum: "Family Resistance Amidst the Pandemic" - Dionius Bismoko Mahamboro

Latin America and Caribbean Forum: "Vulnerabilidade e resiliência en tempos de pandemia" - Maria Inês Castro Millen

Junior Scholars Forum: "Women, Church, and Sustainable Development in Africa" - Pamela Munyekenye

Latin American and Caribbean Colloquium
on Theological Ethics
COVID-19 and the Ethical Challenges in the Region: Building Bridges between Theological Ethics, Church, and Society

The Latin American and Caribbean Region of CTEWC held a colloquium on September 05, 2020 to discuss the challenges and suffering experienced in the region due to COVID-19. The colloquium featured diverse speakers from nine different countries throughout the region. This colloquium intended to be a moment of encounter of solidarity among theological ethicists, in which all could learn from each other, and express solidarity and love as a global community shaped by members who care for each other and for the challenges that all are facing. View the colloquium program and a full report from Latin American y Caribbean regional coordinator, Alexandre A. Martins.
Virtual Table Report
Theological Responses to the Abuse Crisis Virtual Table

On December 19, 2019, Dan Fleming (Australia) and Jim Keenan (US) convened a virtual table focused on Theological Responses to the Abuse Crisis. It arose to prepare collectively to participate in a global conference, “Doing Theology in the Face of Sexual Abuse Crisis,” in Rome, September 2021.

In its present form the table meets every six weeks for ninety minutes, with sixteen members from ten different countries. This year we have “provocations” at each session, a ten-minute presentation of a member’s ideas that generates a twenty-minute discussion. At our last gathering on September 2, we heard three “provocations” on the confessional seal, priestly formation, and the diagnostic model from Neil Ormerod (Australia), Eric Genilo (Philippines) and Nuala Kenny (Canada) respectively. Next October 21 we meet again. 

For the next First, we will feature another virtual table.
Asian-Oceanian Regional Report
Conferences

Association of Moral Theologians of India (AMTI): 30th Annual Conference (Online).
The 30th Annual Meeting of the Association of Moral Theologians of India (AMTI) shall take place on 15th, 22nd and 29th October 2020 from 6 to 8 pm (Indian Time).
Theme: “Covid-19: Ethical Challenges”

Speakers include: Bishop Stephen Chirappanath, Francis Chittuparambil, Dr Rahul Sima, Scaria Kanniyakonil, Paulachan Kochappilly, Mary Mee-Yin Yuen, Amirtham Metti, Stanley Sahayaraj, Prem Xalxo, James F. Keenan. Participation is open to all. For registration, see details in the brochure.

“Jeevadhara: 50 Years”: 50th Year celebration of Jeevadhara, a Journal for Socio-Religious Research took place on 27 September 2020. Two issues of Jeevadhara each year (one in English and the other in Malayalam) are published on moral theology.

Covid-19 Publications

Daniel Fleming and Toby Hall, "Putting a lower value on older lives is unethical," The Age, September 22, 2020.

European Regional Report
Publications

Antonio Autiero, Commentary on "Samaritanus bonus," published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on 22 September. Read in Italiano or English.

Online-Publication (German): Im Online-Journal “Ethik und Gesellschaft“ ist ein neues Heft 
erschienen zum Thema: Kritik der Identitätspolitik. Zur aktuellen Ausgabe.

Conferences

Change of announcement: In Germany, the symposium on "Invisibility" - Vulnerability and Human Rights – will take place online: October 4 and 5, 2020. More information is available here.

Announcement: Summer School 2021: Global ethical discourse at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland. Call for applications for the third «Lucerne Summer University: Ethics 
in a Global Context LSUE» under the patronage of UNESCO. From June 10 to 15, 2021, distinguished experts will meet for the third time at the University of Lucerne with masters and doctoral students from all over the world to discuss highly relevant ethical questions and challenges of today and tomorrow. More information is available here.
Latin American-Caribbean Regional Report
Eventos

La Universidad Iberoamericana y el seminario eTHEOS de ética teológica invita al Coloquio “Ética Teológica desde las Fronteras” los días 23 y 24 de octubre vía zoom. Informes e inscripciones fronterasteológicas@gmail.com.

El PH.D Agustín Ortega Cabrera nos invita el viernes 2 al Seminario “Ciencias, Filosofía y Ecoteología desde Laudato Si” - Inscripciones.

Publicaciones

La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) entregó informe de la Comisión para el Análisis de la Crisis de la Iglesia Católica.
La Comisión nació en 2018 por el llamado del Papa Francisco a “generar una sociedad donde la cultura del abuso no encuentre espacio para perpetuarse”.
El documento es fruto de casi dos años de trabajo de 16 académicos de UC que pertenecen a distintas disciplinas - entre los cuales se encuentra la Profesora Claudia Leal Luna (CTEWC Latinoamérica) - que analizan la naturaleza y alcance del abuso sexual por parte de sacerdotes católicos; las deficiencias en la respuesta institucional de la Iglesia chilena y el daño e impacto en víctimas, comunidades eclesiales y la sociedad chilena en general.
Los resultados de la investigación fueron presentados durante el seminario online "Comprendiendo la Crisis de la Iglesia en Chile."
North American Regional Report
2020 U.S. Election

In the United States, Catholic ethicists are knee-deep in public theology surrounding the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Many are volunteering time and energy to campaigns, and writing and speaking about what feels like a very significant election.

Jerry Beyer offers an opportunity to participate in Catholics for Biden volunteerism and political action. You can find out more about that here.

Publications

The T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Ethics, edited by Toby Winright and including dozens of essays by CTEWC contributors, is available for pre-order. 

Eli McCarthy, "Global Health and Just Peace Ethic for Security Strategy in the Covid-19 Pandemic," Political Theology Network, August 29, 2020.


The CTEWC Forum in Conversation

The faculty at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry will meet on Friday to discuss Mary Jo Iozzio's forum article from the September First, "If You Sow Lies You Will Reap Violence: America's Original Sin is Anti-Black Racism."
Job Announcement
The University of Portland is conducting a search for a full-time, tenure-track associate or professor rank faculty position in ethnic studies, beginning in fall 2021. The successful candidate will lead the formation and establishment of a new ethnic studies undergraduate major and minor that works across disciplines. We are accepting applications from candidates with a Ph.D. in ethnic studies, a social science, or a humanities discipline with ethnic studies expertise. The door is therefore open for qualified applicants with a Ph.D. in Theology or Religious Studies. This website can be used for submitting applications.
Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church | catholicethics.com