Pope Paul VI Lecture: Please join us on Friday 4 December

Cardinal Peter Turkson meets CAFOD's Director Chris Bain
Cardinal Peter Turkson meets Chris Bain

Director of CAFOD, Chris Bain, invites you to the upcoming annual Pope Paul VI Memorial lecture.

We are reaching that time of year when thoughts begin to turn to the start of Advent and the coming of Christmas. At CAFOD our thoughts also turn to our annual Pope Paul VI Memorial lecture. This year I am delighted that Cardinal Peter Turkson will be joining us to deliver the lecture on Friday 4 December. He will speak about the Church’s response to climate change in an address titled Care for Creation: how to protect and sustain our common home.

Reserve your free ticket for the CAFOD Pope Paul VI lecture

Cardinal Turkson has been president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. He is Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Coast, Ghana, and this year played a key role in communicating Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the environment.

We are especially glad that Cardinal Turkson is joining us this year as the lecture coincides with the Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris when world leaders will meet to agree legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change. If successful, the talks will set governments on a more sustainable pathway for economic growth, protecting the planet and people from climate change.

At CAFOD we see the impact climate change is having across the world. In communities where we work, many are suffering from more frequent and extreme floods, storms, or droughts, pushing the most vulnerable people further into poverty. And farming families are struggling with more unpredictable seasons, meaning crops fail and livestock die because of a lack of food and water. We are called to respond to this.

Pope Paul VI Memorial Lecture imageI am also delighted that the lecture will be chaired by Dr. Anna Rowlands, Director of the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice at Durham University. Before moving to Durham, Anna was Lecturer in Political and Moral Theology at King’s College in London, where she worked on a number of Catholic Social Teaching-related research projects including on forced migration and on the financial crisis. Anna will also be running a question and answer session after the lecture which will give attendees an opportunity to ask questions to Cardinal Turkson and/or myself.

Join us on Friday 04 December for the Pope Paul VI Memorial lecture

I always look forward to the Pope Paul VI lecture as it gives me a valuable opportunity to meet with and listen to CAFOD supporters. It’s always extremely interesting to hear what is going on out in the parishes and dioceses and find out what is important to you. This is also your opportunity to not only hear from an outstanding speaker in Cardinal Turkson but also to hear more about what CAFOD has been doing over the past year.

I would urge you to attend this year’s lecture on 4 December if you are able. You will be guaranteed a thought-provoking and interesting evening. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Find out more about the lecture and book your free ticket today

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Sponsored by:

The Tablet, The Pastoral Review, Ecotricity, Triodos Bank

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