Come hear from Cardinal Peter Turkson, a dynamic, compassionate leader with a message of common humanity and invitation to move past divisions. A leading Vatican official, Cardinal Turkson seeks to awaken the senses of all people to live in communion as children of God. His discussion of finding common ground with the marginalized is sure to resonate at this time in our country and our world.
“The Poor, the Vulnerable, and the Common Good”
September 11 at 7 p.m.
O'Laughlin Auditorium • Moreau Center for the Arts
The Event is Free and Open to the Public
Cardinal Turkson was appointed the Prefect for the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in January 2017. Working closely with the Pope, Cardinal Turkson leads the Vatican’s teaching and advocacy on issues of justice and peace, economic inequality, and global solidarity.
“For there is no Gospel for Africans. There is no Gospel for Americans. There is no Gospel for Italians or Europeans. There is one Gospel for all of us created in the image and likeness of God we seek to respond to. … God’s children all belong together. None are set aside, none should live on the periphery and none are excluded.”
– Cardinal Peter Turkson
- 2003named the first Ghanaian cardinal
- 2009appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
- 2017named the Prefect for the Dicastery on Integral Human Development
Insights on the priest, cardinal, vatican official
Cardinal Turkson has forecasted a new "springtime" for women in the Catholic Church. Speaking with Pope Francis, Turkson said, at a conference at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, he received the “green light” to consider hiring a woman as the next secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in 2015, according to an article in The Tablet. “Pope Francis has signalled a new pathway,” Turkson noted.
In addition to women's issues, Turkson advocates for respectful dialogue and examination of the ethical concerns around issues such as climate change, disease and research, disability, the legalization of marijuana, the opioid epidemic, racism, and tribalism.
Part of the McMahon Aquinas Lecture
This lecture is presented by the Edna and George McMahon Aquinas Chair in Philosophy, who sponsors an annual lecture on a topic related to the thought of Thomas Aquinas.