Rev. Msgr. Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo, undersecretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will deliver the on Monday (Feb. 10) at 5 p.m. at the University of Notre Dame. Msgr. Ekpo will speak in 1050 Jenkins Nanovic Halls and University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., will introduce him. All students, faculty, staff and the general public are invited to attend.
The , part of Notre Dame鈥檚 , will host this lecture and facilitate his visit with students, faculty and administrators. Msgr. Ekpo鈥檚 message is titled 鈥淭he Reform of the Roman Curia and the Promotion of Integral Human Development.鈥�
, founded by Pope Francis in 2016, frames its mission as 鈥渟erving the Church in the world, for the development of each person and the whole person.鈥� These concepts of 鈥渆ach person鈥� and 鈥渢he whole person鈥� lie at the heart of the Keough 91视频鈥檚 commitment to integral human development. Because of this synergy, the address is expected to produce a fruitful dialogue about how the Keough 91视频 and the University as a whole may engage with this critical component of Catholic Social Teaching.
鈥淢sgr. Ekpo not only has a unique perspective to connect the Notre Dame community with the Vatican, but even more excitingly, he directly engages with integral human development, something we all focus on at the Keough 91视频,鈥� said , director of the Nanovic Institute and professor of social ethics at the Keough 91视频. 鈥淲e look forward to engaging with him to learn how we can more fully integrate this core value into our work and what the Holy See is doing directly through the Dicastery.鈥�
Msgr. Ekpo will participate in class discussions and meetings throughout his campus visit. The public lecture will be free and open to all. but not livestreamed. Everyone is invited to join a small reception after the presentation in the forum of Jenkins Nanovic Halls.
Msgr. Ekpo鈥檚 visit marks the 20th anniversary of the Nanovic Institute鈥檚 series, which aims to connect Church leaders with the Notre Dame community. Established in 2005 through the generous support of Notre Dame alumnus Terrence R. Keeley, class of 鈥�81, the Keeley Vatican Lecture series brings lecturers to campus for several days, allowing them time to join classes, celebrate Mass with students and converse with faculty members.
The mission of the Keough 91视频鈥檚 Nanovic Institute for European 91视频 is to strengthen Notre Dame鈥檚 presence in Europe, deepen the understanding of Europe within the Notre Dame community, and contribute to academic discourse and research on European studies. The institute seeks to enrich Notre Dame鈥檚 intellectual culture by creating an integrated, interdisciplinary home for students, faculty and visiting scholars to explore the evolving ideas, cultures, traditions, beliefs, moral challenges and institutions that shape Europe.
Contact: Tracy DeStazio, associate director of media relations, 574-631-9958 or tdestazi@nd.edu