Here is information on two important Marian conferences that are being co-organised by friends of the Centre for Marian Studies.
Mary as an Inter-Religious Symbol
5th - 6th September 2024
The Oxford (UP) Centre for Religion, Public Life, and Security in Africa is holding its 3rd annual Inter-Religious Conference in co-operation with the University of Pretoria. The event will take place in person and online.
Here is the draft conference programme:
Please see the registration form for more details and contact Ninnaku Oberholzer if you have any questions: ninnaku.oberholzer@kcl.ac.uk
THE MARIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Mariological Society of America [MSA] invites proposals for its May 20-23, 2025 Conference to be held at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Marian Apparitions: Discernment and Significance
On May 17, 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued a document entitled, “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena.” These norms replace those promulgated by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in 1978 under the title, “Norms Regarding the Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations.” The 2025 MSA conference will focus on both the discernment and the significance of Marian apparitions. Why have there been so many reported Marian apparitions over the last two centuries? What criteria are used to distinguish true revelations from false ones? How do Church authorities proceed in investigating alleged Marian apparitions and reported supernatural phenomena (e.g. weeping or bleeding statues, claims of miraculous cures, etc.)? What is the difference between public revelation and private revelation? What role do private revelations play in the life of the Church?
Other topics might include:
the 2024 norms compared to the 1978 norms; the significance of the new categories
criteria for discerning Marian apparitions prior to 1978
major themes of approved Marian apparitions: what is Mary telling us?
approved Marian apparitions and their messages
Marian apparitions in Church history
the cultural significance of Marian apparitions: are some used for political or social purposes?
approved Marian apparitions with disapproved aspects (e.g. the 1879 Secret of La Salette)
the nature of private revelations (apparitions, visions, locutions): insights from mystical writers and theologians
the interplay between the objective and the subjective in private revelations
the qualities of authentic visionaries: are all the same?
formal vs. informal approval of Marian apparitions and/or connected devotions
complex cases in which good fruits coexist with problems
cases of non-approved Marian apparitions: individual examples or several.
Please send abstracts by October 31, 2024 to Sr. Danielle Peters (dpeters8@nd.edu) and Dr. Robert Fastiggi (fastiggi.robert@shms.edu). The abstract should be about 350-500 words. The abstract should include sources and an explanation of how the proposal relates to the theme of the conference. Note: Speakers are expected to attend the conference in person.
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