Oct. 7, 2014

Contact Msgr. Bernard McGarty at 608-796-3788 or bomcgarty@viterbo.edu

“THE POPE FRANCIS EFFECT” SUBJECT OF VITERBO UNIVERSITY PRESENTATION OCTOBER 27

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The human condition and how Pope Francis, formerly Jorge Bergogliio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires sees it, will be the subject of an interpretive presentation by Msgr. Bernard McGarty and Fr. Conrad Targonski, Monday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Viterbo Fine Arts Center Main Theatre.

Viterbo President Richard Artman will moderate the event.

By joining McGarty on stage, Targonski, the campus chaplain at Viterbo, will participate in the latest in a series of presentations the university has sponsored on relevant religious and theological topics. McGarty is Viterbo’s Visiting Scholar in Ecumenical Studies.

The two priests will examine the world’s reaction to Pope Francis’s statement, “Who am I to judge?” which has been interpreted by some as representing the Pontiffs compassionate understanding the difficulties and complexities of everyday life. Other topics will include looking at women and the laity, other internal church questions, problems at the Vatican bank, ecumenism, and marriage, baptism, and the Eucharist.

 “We wish to share our understanding for the reason for Francis’s popularity by examining the way the Pope balances church practice and idealism with the human condition,” McGarty said.

The event is free and open to the public.

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