Every theory of rights is based on an anthropological vision and on the anthropology of rights—stated the philosopher Hans Georg Gadamer—; it is a «fusion of horizons». The “anthropological question” is the essence of every culture and the foundation of both social life and legislation. The crisis of our time is mainly an “anthropological crisis”, as John Paul II untiringly repeated, Pope Benedict XVI reiterated, and Pope Francis as said many times since the early days of his Pontificate. The Pontifical Council for the Family, conscious of the importance of this question today, on the 30th anniversary of the “Charter of the Rights of the Family,” Is promoting the Conference that will deal with the topic: “New Anthropological Horizons and the Rights of the Family”, on Thursday, October 24th, 2013, in Rome, at the Domus Pacis (Via di Torre Rossa, 94).

 

The work will be introduced by the President of the Dicastery, Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia. The first session in the morning will be presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, in the Philippines; and the afternoon session will be presided over by Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria. The Secretary of the PCF, Msgr. Jean Laffitte, will give the introductory lecture on the theme: “Theological Foundations of the Charter of the Rights of the Family”.
 

The speakers will be: the Spanish philosopher and jurist Andrés Ollero; the American specialist on family rights Teresa Collet; the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus Carl Anderson; the American professor Jane Adolphe; the Italian historian Lucetta Scaraffia ; and the economist Stefano Zamagni.
 

Only a few months ago, one of the leading Christian anthropologists, Julien Ries, passed away. He wrote: «For more than two million years, we have been observing the growth of what we call hominization (…). There is a growing consciousness in human history that has led to the birth of the great cultures and religions, but we note that, since his appearance, man is symbolic and religious. This awareness is important for our time».
 

The Congress is an important occasion for an ecclesial and civil dialogue. So, we wait for a great participation of the public. For the registration, you can send an e-mail to: pcf@family.va by October 18th 2013.