News

His Eminence Cardinal Turkson in special visit to Durham

(10 March 2011)

Cardinal Peter Turkson

His Eminence Cardinal Peter Turkson, who accompanied Pope Benedict XVI on his recent visit to the UK and who is President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, is to present this year's Bishop Dunn Memorial Lecture at Durham University next month.  His lecture will be on global justice and the economic crisis.

The Cardinal was present in Hyde Park in September when 80,000 people stood up together in solidarity with the millions of people who live in poverty around the world. They pledged their commitment to work against poverty and injustice, and called on world leaders to keep their promises.

This time Cardinal Turkson is visiting the UK as the joint guest of Durham University's UK-leading Centre for Catholic Studies and Catholic aid agency, CAFOD.

The lecture will take place at St Cuthbert's Church, Old Elvet, in Durham on Thursday, March 10, at 7.30pm. The Lecture is free, but a ticket is required and anyone interested should contact Dr Marcus Pound at the Centre for Catholic Studies, on 0191 334 3954 or email m.j.p.pound@durham.ac.uk.

Earlier that day the Cardinal will also be visiting St Leonard's RC School and talking to student representatives from Catholic schools throughout the region. During the morning of Friday, March 11, he will lead a seminar discussion with postgraduate students of the Centre for Catholic Studies on the text of his Bishop Dunn Memorial Lecture.

CAFOD's manager for Durham Anne-Marie Hanlon said: "It's a real honour to welcome Cardinal Turkson to Durham for this prestigious event and to hear him speak on a matter so close to our hearts. His interest in international development issues will undoubtedly inspire us all.

"His talk will focus on the global economic crisis and its impact on the world's poorest. We are all affected by the current economic situation and those in developing countries have been hit the hardest. Cardinal Turkson will ask what it means to truly flourish as a human being and look at how we can look at the world differently in the light of Catholic Social Teaching and respond."

Professor Paul D. Murray, Director of the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University, said: "Durham has established itself nationally and internationally as a highly-respected centre for the study of contemporary Catholicism in the UK public academy. We are delighted and honoured that Cardinal Turkson is visiting us to deliver this keynote lecture.

"One of the Centre's main aims is to create an academic forum for the discussion and analysis of key issues in Catholic thought and practice and speakers such as Cardinal Turkson allow us to hear first-hand the current thinking on some of the key issues of today and for us to contribute to that thinking."

Cardinal Turkson is visiting Durham at the beginning of Lent, when traditionally Catholics ‘give something up' as part of their preparation for Easter. This year CAFOD is asking its supporters to ‘Give it up!'. People can, for example, give up a favourite treat and donate the money saved to CAFOD's work to help transform the lives of some of the poorest people. People can also take action by signing up to its ‘Getting Down to Business' campaign, asking the Department for International Development to give more support to small businesses.

Cardinal Turkson, who is Ghanaian, was named the new president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in 2009.