February 28, 2006
Theologian to speak at Purdue about Catholic popes
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George Weigel, author of "Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II," will present "From John Paul II to Benedict XVI: Achievements and Challenges" at 7 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 535 W. State St., West Lafayette. The event is free and open to the public.
A Roman Catholic theologian, Weigel is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
"George Weigel is one of America's leading commentators on issues of religion and public life," said Donald Mitchell, a Purdue professor of philosophy. "In addition to being a consultant on Vatican affairs for NBC News, his weekly column, 'The Catholic Difference,' is syndicated to 60 newspapers around the United States. Weigel often sets the tone for national discussions about Catholicism, and many people sought his opinion when Pope John Paul II died and a new pope was named last year."
Weigel is editor or author of several books, including "The Courage to be Catholic: Crisis, Reform and the Future of the Church," "Letters to a Young Catholic" and "Pope Benedict XVI and the Future of the Catholic Church." A documentary was based on his biography of Pope John Paul II.
Weigel's Purdue talk also is co-sponsored by the Albertus Magnus Institute, the Aquinas Educational Foundation and the Haigerty-Piguet Memorial Lecture Series.
Purdue's Religious Studies Program is part of the College of Liberal Arts and is composed of 21 associated faculty in the English, history, philosophy, and sociology and anthropology departments. The program currently has 36 majors and 38 minors.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Source: Donald Mitchell, (765) 494-4281, dmitch@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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