The Christian tradition has always taught that the glory of God is the human person fully alive (St Irenaeus). Integral Human Development, a concept posited by Pope Paul VI shortly after Vatican II and promoted by each of his successors, provides not only a unique opportunity for the Catholic University to distinguish itself within the realm of education but also to make an invaluable contribution to the promotion of a more just and inclusive society in which all of humanity and indeed all of creation may flourish.  

Yet the reality is that we live in an era when merely economic and technocratic paradigms regarding human development tend to predominate. In such contexts, as Pope Benedict XVI reminded us, any university that is truly a university has a responsibility to advocate against such reductionist and curtailed visions of humanity.

It follows that the responsibility for a Catholic university to do so, if it is to be true to its identity both as a university and as Catholic, is all the more grave. This is the topic which Professor Conway’s lecture will explore.