Zorica Maros from Sarajevo reported that in the 2014/15 academic year six public forums on the subject of violence in the ethnic conflicts were held at the Faculty of Catholic Theology in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Each forum had two lectures that were followed by discussion and questions from the audience. At the first forum, a difficult and complex spiritual-political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was presented, which is, among others, one of the consequences of the 1990s war. The other five forums saw presentations of some specific mechanisms that influence and cause violence (e.g. collective memory, victimization, prejudices, media, etc.). There were guest lecturers from different faculties of the University of Sarajevo and their participation was one of the goals of our programme: creating an atmosphere of interdisciplinary (between theology and other sciences) and inter-religious dialogue, both of which are very important not only for theology, but also for our society. The next activity to be carried out is an international symposium on the same subject, the subject of violence. It will be held in September 2015. In addition to the public forums, this symposium is also a part of a three-year programme entitled From War to Reconciliation. The Contribution of Religious Communities in Reconstruction and Stabilization of the Society. Zorica Maros, moral theology professor at the Faculty of Catholic Theology in Sarajevo, is responsible for the organisation of the programme. The 2015/16 year will be dedicated to the issues of justice, law, and crime whereas in the 2016/17 year, forgiveness and reconciliation will be discussed.
Fr. Inocent-Mária V. Szaniszló OP from Košice announced that a new Department of Ethics was established at the Danubius University offering new research opportunities in several areas of ethics. This occasion will be celebrated on 20 May 2015 in the Park Avenue Hotel in Piestany in Slovakia. The event will take place under the patronage of the owner of the University professor Gasimov, rector of the University professor Daniš, and the rector of the Catholic University Ruzomberok professor Jarab. Several distinguished guests will attend the event, including professor Paul F. Roetting from the University of Leoben in Austria, who will also give a lecture. It is believed that the new department will help promote the scientific ethical work and research not only in Slovakia but also elsewhere. On 24 and 25 September 2015 there will be a conference on military ethics to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. In addition to rofessor Fred van Iersel from the University of Tilburg and professor emeritus Peter Inhoffen from the Faculty of Theology in Graz, several other professors will also participate.
On 20 May 2015, an international conference entitled View of the Family and Sexuality in the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council was organised by the Moral Theology Department of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Ljubljana.
The conference was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World of the Second Vatican Council and to discuss the view of the family and sexuality in the Catholic Church after the council. This conference was a contribution of the Faculty of Theology to the question of the family that comes to the forefront in the time between both synods of bishops on the family. At the conference, this issue was addressed with openness and at the same time, it was pointed to the changes that took place after the council and last but not least to some questions that still remain unsolved. Philippe Bordeyne, rector of the Catholic University of Paris, addressed the issue of respecting the graduality in moral life. Anotnio Autiero, emeritus professor at the University of Münster, illustrated the question of different attitudes to homosexuals from the end of the council until today and pointed to the changes that happened in this field. Martin Lintner, moral theologian from Brixen in South Tyrol and president of the European Society of Catholic Theology, considered the question of divorced and re-married and suggested possible solutions for the upcoming synod. Suzana Vuletić, moral theologian from the University of Đakovo, focused on the key challenges of the contemporary Christian ethics in the field of sexuality, marriage and family that were drawn from research among Croatian Catholics. The conference was concluded with group discussions in which professors from the Faculty of Theology of the University of Ljubljana took part and discussed heterosexual and homosexual communities in the Church and society.
In the first row – conference in Ljubljana: Antonio Autiero, Ivan Štuhec, Martin Lintner, Philippe Bordeyne.
From trip to Bled: Roman Globokar, Suzana Vuletić, Philippe Bordeyne, Antonio Autiero (Photo: Philippe Bordeyne)