A Paris priest has been awarded the “Cardinal Henri de Lubac” literary prize for his thesis on the respect for human life.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, presented the award to Father Brice de Malherbe.  The literary prize was created by the French Embassy at the Holy See and is awarded for the best thesis in philosophy or theology written in French and sent to the one of the Pontifical universities in Rome.

Father Malherbe said he chose the subject of his thesis after living for two months at a home for the terminally ill.  His advisor during the work was Msgr. Livio Melina of the John Paul II Institute at the Pontifical Lateran University.

Father Stephane Henaux received honorable mention for this thesis on the metaphysics of liberty in the writings of Joseph de Finance.  Among those in attendance at the ceremony were Cardinal Georges Marie Cottier and Jacques de Larosière, president of the international association "Cardinal Henri de Lubac".