On Wednesday, April 17, and Thursday, April 18, Saint Vincent Archabbey and Seminary will host a two-day presentation on the four major Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council. His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze will be the keynote speaker. He will provide an overview of each of the four documents and offer a historical perspective regarding the impact these documents have had on the life of the Church. Each of the lectures will be followed by a period of discussion. Saint Vincent is pleased to welcome Cardinal Arinze as part of its “Year of Faith” Lecture Series.
Cardinal Arinze brings a wealth of experience as an international spiritual leader. He attended the final sessions of the Second Vatican Council, along with the Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II. Upon his ordination as bishop in 1965, he became the youngest Catholic bishop in the world at the age of 32. In 1967, he was appointed archbishop of Onitsha. In 1985 he was created a cardinal and appointed President of the Council for Interreligious Dialogue where he served until 2002. From 2002 through 2008 he served as the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Following the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005, Cardinal Arinze participated in the papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI as Chief Shepherd of the Roman Catholic Church.
Cardinal Arinze remains active as a world-renowned spiritual leader and speaker. He has given numerous presentations on the encyclicals and apostolic letters of Blessed Pope john Paul II, as well as on the documents of the Second Vatican Council.
The schedule of presentations is as follows:
Wednesday, April 17, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium;
noon to 12:45 p.m., Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium; optional lunch following.
Thursday, April 18, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.;
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, noon to 12:45 p.m.; optional lunch following.
The talks will be in the Fred M. Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College. Admission is free, but seating is limited, so reservations must be made for those attending. Reservations can be made by calling 724-805-2177. Reservations must also be made for lunch.
On Wednesday night, April 17, at 5 p.m., Cardinal Arinze will celebrate Mass in the Archabbey Basilica. The public is invited. No reservations are required for Mass.
