STEUBENVILLE, OH— Is the Catholic university responsible for changing the culture? Should it act to reflect or to transform?

These questions and more about how Catholic universities can engage the culture will be addressed September 18-19 during the third symposium of The Fidelity and Freedom Series: Ex corde Ecclesiae at 25 at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Franciscan University President Father Sean O. Sheridan, TOR, JD, JCD, will host the symposium and will also speak on “Embracing the Gift of Ex corde Ecclesiae to Challenge the Culture.”

Father Sheridan earned his doctorate in canon law from The Catholic University of America in 2009, writing his dissertation on the Catholic university’s role according to Ex corde Ecclesiae. Prior to being appointed as Franciscan University’s sixth president in 2013, he served as an assistant professor in the School of Canon Law at The Catholic University of America and as a professor of theology at Franciscan University.

Other speakers include Bishop Jeffery Monforton of Steubenville and Franciscan University professors Dr. Anne Hendershott and Dr. Scott Hahn.

Bishop Monforton will speak on “The Bishop and the Catholic University: Cultivating Dialogue and Cooperation.” He holds a licentiate in sacred theology and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He served as the rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit until his appointment as bishop of Steubenville in July 2012.

Hendershott will speak on “In Service: Shaping the Culture, Serving the Church.” She is a sociology professor and directs the University’s Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life. She regularly writes for national secular and religious publications and is known for her research and writings that fuse Catholic social teachings with contemporary cultural issues.

Hahn will give the Friday evening address. He is the author or editor of more than 40 books and holds the Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at Franciscan University. He is also the founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

The symposium is free and reservations are not required. For more information, including the symposium schedule, and to register, go to www.franciscan.edu/fidelityandfreedom.