Gannon University to Welcome Distinguished Speaker for Annual Loftus Lecture

George Weigel, distinguished senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, will deliver the Thomas J. and Mary H. Loftus Lecture on Catholic Thought and Action on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Yehl Room of Gannon University's Waldron Campus Center, 214 W. Seventh St.

Weigel's address is entitled "Evangelical Catholicism: Challenges in 21st-Century America."

George Weigel is a Catholic theologian and one of America's leading public intellectuals. He holds the Ethics and Public Policy Center's William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies. During his tenure as the Center's president, Weigel led a wide-ranging, ecumenical and inter-religious program of research and publication on foreign and domestic policy issues. Weigel wrote "Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II," which has been translated into 12 languages.

He is the author or editor of some 20 other books. His essays, op-ed columns and reviews appear regularly in major opinion journals and newspapers across the United States. A frequent guest on television and radio, Weigel is also senior Vatican analyst for NBC News. His weekly column, "The Catholic Difference," is syndicated to 85 newspapers and magazines in seven countries.

Weigel received a B.A. from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore and an M.A. from the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto. He is the recipient of 18 honorary doctorates in fields including divinity, philosophy, law and social science.

Reservations for the lecture are encouraged, but not required. For more information, or to make a reservation, click here.

The Thomas J. and Mary H. Loftus Lecture on Catholic Thought and Action serves Gannon University's Mission and Catholic Identity by providing excellent teaching, scholarship, research, and service experiences for the spiritual development of all its students.