Dear Friends,

Roman Globokar and Konrad Glombik are getting ready for 50 Catholic ethicists to arrive in Krakow on November 14 for three days of discussions on "FAITH AND MORALS: Contemporary Challenges - Reorientation of Values - Change of Moral Norms.  We will report on this in December.

In the meantime, Lucas Chan and Shaji George Kochuthara are preparing for the Pan-Asian Conference coming up this July.  Lucas provides a report on preparations as well as a link to the conference website.   

Elias Omondi too provides a report on an International Conference on Transitional Justice in Post-Conflict Societies in Africa.

In the Forum, you can find some truly engaging essays by Angela Senander reflecting on Sr. Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, the American Religious Women's group LCWR, and CDF, Jorge Ferrer on Ethics of Church Ministries and Organizations, Jaroslav Lorman on the Visit of Gerard Kruip to the Czech Republic, Frances Correia, on crime and family life in South Africa, and Eric Genilo, a provocative essay about "Clean Hands."

Finally Aloys Buch sends us word of an important conference on "Politics, Ethics and Theology. The Challenges for Ukraine and Europe" that happened in Paris on October 09, 2014.  The conference was sponsored by Ethics and Contemporary Issues (IIEC, an Institute of Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv / Ukraine) in cooperation with Institut des Bernardins (Paris).

Prayers for our world and church.

Jim

"Doing Catholic theological ethics in a cross-cultural and interfaith Asian context" Conference website is now launched

CTEWC's Asian Regional Committee will be organizing the first ever Asian Cross-cultural Conference for Catholic Theological Ethicists in Bangalore, India, on July 17-20, 2015. The theme of this conference is "Doing Catholic theological ethics in a cross-cultural and interfaith Asian context."  It will be co-hosted by Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram (DVK), a Pontifical Athenaeum of Philosophy, Theology and Canon Law, in Bangalore, India.

Please visit CTEWC's website (Conference�Bangalore) or click here  for details.

Dialogue of Bishops and Moral Theologians in the Philippines Initiated

Upon the suggestion of Fr. Fausto Gomez, OP, and with the blessing of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Msgr. Gerardo Santos initiated a dialogue of bishops and moral theologians, which was held at the Pasig Catholic College last August 20, 2014.  The aim is to organize moral theologians engaged in seminary instruction/priestly formation in the hope that they can serve as a resource for bishops in discerning on moral issues. Three bishops and seven moral theologians from Metro-Manila and environs were present. A follow-up dialogue will be held this November 5 in the same venue, with the participation of more moral theologians. We will report on this in the next newsletter.

Reports on the Family Life Seminar and the Gender Justice Seminar held in Bangalore, India

HEKIMA INSTITUTE OF PEACE STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (HPSIR)

SUMMARY REPORT

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN POST-CONFLICT SOCIETIES IN AFRICA, ORGANIZED BY HIPSIR, OCTOBER 8-9, 2014, NAIROBI-KENYA  

The International Conference on Transitional Justice in Post-Conflict Societies in Africa was held at the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR) on 8th - 9th October, 2014.  The conference attracted approximately 400 participants from the continents of Africa, Americas, and Europe.  

The countries represented included: Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mozambique, Mexico, Philippines, Italy, Nigeria, Angola, Brazil, New Mexico, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, and , Zimbabwe, among others.

In an effort to contribute to enhancing cohesion, healing and reconciliation amongst African communities, scholars, practitioners and government representatives from diverse backgrounds shared their views on the theme of Transitional Justice from research findings and experiences.  The format of presentation was in plenary and parallel thematic panels. There were also exhibitions on the work of the organizations represented in the conference.

H.E Benjamin Mkapa, the former president of Tanzania, was the guest of honor alongside H.E Dr. Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union, Hon. Justice P. Kihara-Kariuki, President, Court of Appeal-Kenya, and Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas-Resident Representative UNDP. Among the keynote address speakers were, Prof. Makau Mutua from SUNNY, Buffalo Law School, State University, New York, Prof. Christopher Clapham from University of Cambridge, Amb. Sani L. Mohammed, African Institute of International Law, Arusha, and Dr. Adams Oloo, Chairperson, Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Nairobi. The current chair of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Hon. Francis Ole Kaparo gave the closing remarks. 

The plenary sessions at the conference were on live-streaming. We were also honored to have Fr. Michael Lewis, SJ as the President of JESAM, Fr. Joseph Afulo, SJ, the Principal of Hekima College, Fr. Emmanuel Foro, SJ, the Dean and Fr. John Ghansah, SJ, the Rector.

Post-conference activities include the establishment of a working group that will come up with policy recommendations for the implementation of the Kenya Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission's (TJRC) report, while drawing lessons from other African countries. The papers presented during the conference will be published in the new HIPSIR's peer reviewed journal, Africa Peace Studies Journal. In addition, there will be a book publication as well as a conference report.

For more information visit our website: www.hipsir.hekima.ac.ke

Asian Horizons, Dharmaram Journal of Theology

Vol. 9, No. 1, March 2015

Call for Papers

After 50 Years: Ongoing Renewal of Moral Theology

Vatican II's basic guidelines for the renewal of moral theology are found in OT, 16. There are also pertinent sections in GS, 16 (conscience) and GS, 47-52 (marriage and family). Though Vatican II has not promulgated any separate document on moral theology, we find a tremendous development in moral theology since Vatican II. Perhaps we can say that this depends not only on the specific passages on moral theology, but on the whole approach that the Council adopted. Without any doubt we can say that moral theology has enthusiastically responded to the Council's call for 'aggiornamento' and 'ressourcement', learning from the 'signs of the times'. This renewal and development can be found in different branches of moral theology, at times leading to debates and even tension between moral theologians and the official teaching authority.

March 2015 issue of Asian Horizons continues the discussion on Vatican II, specifically considering the renewal of moral theology.

Suggested Topics (only recommendations, not exhaustive):

- Vatican II's Call for Renewal of Moral Theology

- Development of Catholic Moral Tradition and Official Documents after Vatican II

- Continuity and Discontinuity in the Catholic Moral Tradition since Vatican II (in general or in any particular area)

- Magisterium and Moral Theologian

- Fundamental Moral Theology since Vatican II

- Theology of Sexuality, Marriage and Family: Ongoing Renewal after Vatican II

- Biomedical Revolution and Moral Theological Response

- Continuing Importance of and Debate on Natural Law

- Interreligious Ethics, Cross-cultural Discourse in Moral Theology

- Autonomous Ethics and Faith Ethics

- Gender Justice and Renewal of Moral Theology

- Renewal of Moral Theology and Teaching of Moral Theology in Catholic Faculties

- Contemporary Trends in Moral Theology

As usual, we welcome other articles on any area of theological interest and research.

Please send your articles (4500-5000 words, including the footnotes) at the latest by 1 February 2015. Kindly include the abstract of the article in 150-200 words and a short resum� of the author in 100-150 words.

Other regular items: "New Scholars": Abstract of doctoral theses (recently defended and not yet published); book reviews.

For submitting the articles and for more details: Shaji George Kochuthara (editor-in-chief): kochuthshaji@gmail.com

N.B. Kindly forward this to your friends and colleagues.

[Asian Horizons, published from DVK, is a forum for theological reflection in the Asian context marked by economic poverty, cultural diversity and religious plurality. Although the focus is on theological reflection in the context of Asia, we also address theological developments and concerns of the universal Church and try to dialogue with the Church in various contexts. Hence we welcome authors from all over the world. Asian Horizons was launched in 2007 as a biannual. From 2011 it is published as a quarterly. We have an editorial board consisting of members from India, other Asian countries and other continents.]

Asian Horizons, Dharmaram Journal of Theology

Themes: 2013-2015

2014: Vol 8

March: After 50 Years: Eastern Churches

June: Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization: Reflections on the Preparatory Document for the Synod on the Family

September: After 50 Years: Dialogue with Religions; Dialogue with Other Churches

December: Migration & Poverty

2015: Vol 9

March: After 50 Years: Ongoing Renewal of Moral Theology

June: Asia's Women Theologians

September: After 50 Years: Apostolate of Lay People; Towards Future

December: Ethics, Theology and Technology