STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—Drawing on St. John Paul II’s Veritatis Splendor and Theology of the Body, the third annual Truth of Love Conference will focus on the connection between moral truth and bodily existence. Cosponsored by Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Veritas Amoris Project, the event will be held at the beautiful Austrian home of Franciscan University’s study abroad program September 8-10, 2023.

The conference theme, Redeemed Body: St. John Paul II’s Veritatis Splendor and Theology of the Body, will address questions such as: Is our body merely a limit to our freedom that should be overcome? Is the body just raw material, with which we can do whatever we want? Or does the body have an intrinsic moral and theological meaning that reveals the nature of true freedom? Presentations will be given in English or in German with simultaneous translation into English.

“So much of the moral confusion of our time, inside and outside the Church, traces back to a failure to appreciate that we—body and soul—have been saved and made capable of radical love,” said Dr. Stephen Hildebrand, Franciscan University dean of the School of Theology and Philosophy and professor of theology. “This third Truth of Love Conference will make clear the connection between the redeemed body and the moral teaching of the Gospel. We’re delighted, too, that by hosting this conference in Gaming, Austria, we can also serve German-speaking Catholics.”

The conference will feature many distinguished theologians, including Rev. Dr. José Granados, a member of the Veritas Amoris Project, Madrid; Dr. Michael Waldstein, professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville; Rev. Dr. Livio Melina, Veritas Amoris Project, Rome; Dr. Stephan Kampowski, professor of philosophical anthropology at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute, Rome; Dr. Katharina Westerhorstmann, professor of theology and medical ethics at Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austrian study abroad program; and others.

The conference will be held at the Kartause Maria Thronus Iesu, the restored Carthusian monastery that serves as the home of Franciscan University’s study abroad program in Gaming, Austria, in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. Gaming is approximately two hours from Vienna by car or four hours by train. General admission is €50 or with meals is €150. For more information and to register, visit franciscan.edu/veritas-amoris-austria.