The 2011 Canon Law Conference is set

The 2011 Canon Law Conference for Canonists and Civil Attorneys is set for Tuesday August 9 and Wednesday August 10 at the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse WI. Raymond Cdl. Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, will preside.

I went to this conference in 2010 and, even if I weren’t scheduled to speak (which I am), I wouldn’t have dreamed of missing it this year. Terrific speakers and influential attendees, that’s what I saw last year and what I see set for this year.

Cdl Burke is giving two talks, one on the interaction of the Roman Rota and the Apostolic Signatura in the administration of ecclesiastical justice, and the other on the Signatura’s views on some recently proposed grounds for matrimonial nullity. Plus, Cdl Burke is very generous with his time in meeting and talking with guests who attend the conference.

Rev. John Coughlin, a Franciscan canon and civil lawyer on the law faculty at Notre Dame, will also speak twice, addressing first property law in the Church and then discussing fundamental rights of faithful. Dr. Charles Rice, emeritus of Notre Dame’s law faculty, will speak on the relationship of natural law and positive law, and yours truly will look at some issues in the reform of ecclesiastical criminal law. A panel discussion follows the Tuesday evening dinner; last years’ exchange was really good.

The liturgies are wonderful, the speakers knowledgeable, the conversations engaging, and La Crosse is charming and affordable! It’s a terrific couple of days. Register before July 15 to save $ 75 and, when they say “Seating is limited”, believe them.

PS: ILOTL blog readers, please, introduce yourselves to me there!