Steubenville, Ohio, Dec 11, 2009 / 00:18 am
The Pontifical Council for Culture began its “intentional engagement” of North America with a conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Speakers discussed the Church’s relations with science and the future meetings, part of a series called “From Sea to Shining Sea: Faith and Culture in North America.”
The conference, which took place December 2-4, included major public addresses on faith and culture, and homilies at student Masses. Long work sessions mapped out future meetings on the arts, political life, science, music, secularization, atheism, economics and other topics.
Msgr. Melchor Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, presented one public talk titled “The Church’s Engagement With Science After Darwin and Galileo: Overcoming Cultural Icons.”
According to a press release from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Msgr. Sanchez said that while secular media and some scientists have portrayed Galileo and Darwin as “victims of the Church’s relentless persecution of science,” the historical evidence leads to a different conclusion.