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Conference Explores 'Theology of Healing' at Franciscan University
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In Short: Franciscan University of Steubenville hosted its sixth annual Truth of Love Conference, focusing on the Christian tradition of healing and its applications in modern times.
Franciscan University of Steubenville recently hosted its sixth annual Truth of Love Conference, titled 'Toward a Theology of Healing,' with a focus on exploring the Christian tradition of healing and its relevance in today's world. Professor Katharina Westerhorstmann, a professor of theology and medical ethics, initiated the conference, driven by the need to delve deeper into the concept of healing within the Catholic faith. 'I felt the need that this would be explained more, really rooted in our Christian tradition and then presented to the Church, to the faithful, as a pathway for the future,' Westerhorstmann said.
The conference, held at Kartause Maria Thronus Iesu in Austria, brought together Catholic educators from worldwide locations to explore the topic of healing, its roots in Scripture, and its applications in the modern world. 'There’s manifold levels of healing that accompany the journey into salvation for any of us,' Westerhorstmann added. The event covered a range of topics, from human woundedness within and beyond the Church, including mortality, loneliness, and the trauma of sexual abuse, to practical applications of healing through the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick.
Speakers at the conference emphasized the importance of vulnerability in the healing process. 'It is by being vulnerable and being vulnerable to the Lord that our wounds can heal,' Westerhorstmann said. 'In our relationships with others, it’s often that whenever we open our hearts for others, we also may be wounded, but we can also receive healing through their love and through God’s love in this relationship,' said Hannah Barrett, an associate professor of theology who teaches alongside Westerhorstmann.
The conference also featured talks and personal encounters of healing, including journeys of faith, medical healing, and practical capabilities, interspersed with Mass, adoration, and vespers. 'We can experience it in a very profound way in the sacraments of the Church, especially in the two sacraments of healing,' Barrett said, referring to the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick.
What's still developing
- “What Katharina first gave me was this incredible quote from Benedict XVI in ‘ Jesus of Nazareth,’ showing (how) Christianity is a therapeutic religion in the sense that the entire way of Christian life is a path of healing, and seeing the entire growth of the person as healing,” said Hannah Barrett, an associate professor of theology who teaches alongside Westerhorstmann.
- Stephen Hildebrand, provost and professor of theology at Franciscan University, told OSV News about how the conference sought to dive into a blessed enigma about healing in the sense of our faith.
- The conference, traditionally held at its main campus in Ohio, took place this year at Kartause Maria Thronus Iesu (Monastery of Our Lady, Throne of Jesus).
Sources
- OSV Newslink