CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Renaissance of Catholic Social Teaching
The First Conference of the Association for the Renewal of Catholic Political and Social Thought (Catholic POST)
Budapest, 9-10 March, 2026
Theme of the Conference
With the election of Leo XIV, a new era began in the life of the Catholic Church. One of the most important questions of this era may be how it relates to the tradition of Catholic social teaching initiated by Pope Leo XIII, after whom the current pope is named. This initiative sought to establish the doctrinal foundations for the Church's role in society. The encyclical Rerum novarum (On New Things) was published in 1891, and it was in this document that the Church's social doctrine was first presented in a comprehensive manner.
The Church and successive popes continued along the path begun by Leo XIII, and these papal encyclicals and other directives have now formed a solid doctrinal foundation. After his election, Leo XIV committed himself to continuing this teaching, emphasizing that the Church he led would also address the issues raised by the explosive development of artificial intelligence.
The newly launched Association for the Renewal of Catholic Political and Social Thought (Catholic POST) organises this conference with the aim to provide a platform for philosophers, theologians, social and political scientists, and historians to exchange views about this body of Church doctrines, and through that, to further the research into political and social thought, with a Catholic background.
We invite researchers interested in this topic with diverse professional background, to investigate some of the recurrent questions concerning this body of doctrines, including the following ones:
- What political direction, if any, does or should the Church follow?
- How does the Church react to sharp contemporary social and political debates?
- What should be the priorities for the further development of Catholic social doctrine?
- Is there a need to elaborate local programs for the different cultural political regions of Europe and the Western world?
- How does the new pope position himself concerning the major social-political debates within the church?
- Is there a need for a Catholic direction of political and social thought in the contemporary context, in a disenchanted era, when Christian democracy is in decline?
- What are the open questions in the historical research of Catholic Social Teaching?
- How does mainstream political and social philosophy relate to Catholic Social Teaching?
Keynote speakers:
Rocco Buttiglione, Ryszard Legutko
Abstracts:
Abstracts should not be longer than 400 words, with author’s name and affiliation.
Deadline:
Please send your abstract until 15 November to
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Organisers:
The conference is organised by the temporary board of the association:
Ferenc Hörcher, Bracy Bersnak, Karl Gustel Wärnberg, Andre P. DeBattista, András Jancsó
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