Theologians discuss concerns at first Catholic ethics conference

Published: 2006-07-10

PADUA, Italy (CNS) -- More than 400 Catholic moral theologians from 63 countries gathered in Padua July 8-12 for the first international conference on Catholic ethics. Jesuit Father James Keenan, a professor at Boston College, organized the gathering as an opportunity for the scholars to share the major ethical concerns they face and to exchange ideas on how to deal with the concerns. "Among theologians, we are the most practical," Father Keenan told Catholic News Service. "We look at the principles of Catholic moral tradition and how they apply to everyday life." Because moral theology deals with everyday concerns, it has to be able to address the questions and quandaries posed by different people in different parts of the world, he said. A moral theologian in North America or Europe cannot possibly understand all of an African's or Asian's concerns and all of their resources for addressing them, he added.

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