Come to our Symposium next week

The Diocese has organised an exciting Symposium called What does it Mean to be Human? – a discussion day on some of the controversial issues in medical and health-care ethics. Start of life and end of life questions are always in the news these days, together with issues to do with gender and mental health. All these raise the deeper question about what it means to be a human person. The Symposium will take place at The Arc (formerly The Discovery Centre) in Winchester (opposite St. Peter’s Catholic Church) on Saturday 16th March 2024 from 10.00 am until 4.15 pm. It features presentations from well-known experts, led by the popular motivational speaker and presenter, David Wells. It is open to people of all faiths and none and there will be something here not just for specialists but for students and anyone with an interest in medical and social care. The aim is to bring the Catholic Tradition and its values into a constructive and fruitful dialogue with people of other viewpoints. Tickets cost £20, including sandwich lunch and refreshments, and are available on-line via Eventbrite.

It promises to be a fascinating day. To give you an idea, there will be two keynote presentations: What does it mean to be a Human Being? (Mgr. Michael Nazir Ali) and How significant is the Sexual Revolution? (Ryan Christopher of ADF International). Participants then choose two of the six workshops on offer. The Workshops are The Human Person:  United or Divided? (Dr. Catherine Knowles), Abortion: The Unseen Grief (Rachel MacKenzie), Mental Health and Spirituality (Dr. Gerard Fieldhouse-Byrne), Dysphoria v. Ideology: Walking the Gender Tightrope (Dr Collette McGovern), The End of Life: Fact and Fiction in the novel The Beast of Bethulia Park (Simon Caldwell) and Should Religion and Spirituality have a role in Healthcare Provision? (Dr Maria Lynch.). More details are available on the Eventbrite site.