The 15th Annual Julio Burunat Memorial Lecture

Thomas Massaro, S.J., Ph.D., professor of moral theology with a specialization in Catholic social ethics and public theology, will deliver the 15th annual Julio Burunat Memorial Lecture, titled “Pope Francis As Moral Leader: Ethicist, Discerner, Communicator, and Advocate for Social Justice.”

Recent decades have witnessed a particular type of moral leadership exercised by such global religious figures as the Dalai Lama and recent popes of the Roman Catholic Church. While each has placed a distinctive “spin” on the enactment of leadership qualities in the pursuit of ethical goals, Pope Francis has redefined the role of moral leader in remarkable ways. He has articulated and advanced a moral agenda that includes bold reform of church structures, creative initiatives for greater inclusion of the marginalized, and engagement with such pressing global challenges as climate change, escalating economic inequality, and the refugee crisis. In both the style and substance of his leadership, he has energized millions of the faithful while also garnering considerable opposition.

This presentation will describe and analyze how Pope Francis has functioned as an ethicist (in deeds beyond mere words), as the church’s discerner-in-chief (solidly in the Jesuit tradition), skilled communicator, and tireless advocate for social justice and peace. The many ethical achievements of his papacy have reshaped the role played by the Catholic Church across the globe.

Registration is required.