I am a big fan of the work of the Hank Center at Loyola University in Chicago.

Many of the themes we all discuss on this site address issues we see in the encyclicals of Pope Francis and his homilies and other writings including speeches.Yesterday the Hank Center had a panel discussion(short intro below) discussing the social, political, economic implications of the Pope’s new encyclical and its relationship to Laudato Si as a continuation of the theme.

Some of the interesting points they discuss especially Bishop Stowe are how what is being written in the encyclical are many of the themes the Pope has been expressing in homies, talks, writings, etc.  In some ways, there is nothing new if you have been reading and following the messages of Pope Francis.

There is an open discussion about how the hierarchy in the United States often is not on the same page as the Pope or the rest of the world of Catholic thought in terms of the social teachings and history thereof. The start of the video is slow so don’t worry it does start or just move your cursor to the beginning. You will see a LUC Hank Center screen up for a while as people were joining before they started.

Hope you enjoy and find this not only informative but also inspiring. Here is a link to a description of the panel discussion

https://www.luc.edu/ccih/archive/fratellituttioctober162020.shtml

The link to the replay is on YouTube at this address (1:36 min long) :    https://youtu.be/8rsfaVQE8WY

“A Conversation Addressing Pope Francis’s New Encyclical on Human Solidarity and its Socio-Political Implications for the United States. Part of series titled “Controversial Conversations: Faith and Public Life” was launched at Loyola University Chicago as a way to engage the university community and the wider public in conversations that address the salient and often controversial questions of our time. Since launching the Series in 2017, the university community has participated in a wide range of public discussions on topics such as racism, gun control, immigration, climate change, human rights, gender and sexual orientation, incarceration, fascism, religious freedom, and the Catholic vote. Scholars, political leaders, and civic servants from local, regional, and national circles have enriched these conversations. Moreover, Loyola’s undergraduate and graduate students, as well as our faculty from various departments and programs in the university, have played a central role in the success of these conversations.”