Humanae Vitae, The Promulgation of Divine Law? 28 July 2018

The magisterial document Humanae Vitae (literally: Of Human Life) Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Paul VI on the Regulation of Birth has been considered one of the most if not the Most Controversial Teaching in the Catholic Faith and continues to be a source of dissent among Catholics. This year we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this monumental document on human life, love and sexuality, which was the reason and motivation for St John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

Why is this teaching so difficult and challenging for the Church and the world? Described   by the Pope himself as the Promulgation of the Divine Law, it’s prophecies has been fulfilled in our present times. It is even argued that the teaching is not merely authoritative but infallible, i.e. irreformable. Many have chosen to disregard the teaching in HV and has paid a price, as the truth of the teaching is confirmed by the broken lives (of marriages and families) of those who reject the teaching.

Come and learn about Humanae Vitae as we explore this teaching in more detail.

Speaker: Andrew Kong,

Andrew has been giving presentations on St John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB) in various Asian cities for the past several years.

A magna cum laude graduate of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome with a Licentiate in Canon Law, he also holds a Bachelor of Laws (UOL) and a Bachelor of Science (NUS) degree. Andrew also has also a certificate in the Practice & Principles in Counselling from the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary..

He is also a certification student of the Theology of the Body Institute (USA), and is a qualified facilitator of the A New Language program (on the Theology of the Body).

He is appointed The Defender of the Bond (Matrimonial) for the Archdiocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal by the Archbishop of Singapore since February 2014.

Currently he works as a consultant and trainer. Prior to this he worked at the Archdiocesan Family Life Society as a presenter cum trainer in the Society’s education & training programs on sexuality and pro-life issues.

Cost: Love Offering

Dates / Time: 28 July 2018 (Saturday) / 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm

Venue: CANA Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo Street, 02-00

Register : http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup
or: SMS: 96493893 for enquiries (Andrew)

The New Natural Law, 21 July 2018

The so-called new natural law theory  or (sometimes) the “Grisez-Finnis theory” is a late-twentieth-century intellectual development, though it has antecedents in the thought of mid-twentieth-century philosophers such as Elizabeth Anscombe. New natural law theory is closely associated with the thought and writings of the American Catholic theologian German Grisez and the Oxford legal philosopher John M. Finnis, as well as figures such as Robert P. George, Joseph M. Boyle Jr., and William E. May.

New natural law theory holds that practical principles (including moral norms) are rational principles whose directiveness is independent of human feelings. New natural law theory maintains that the most basic practical principles stipulate actions that people have reasons to perform precisely because they are opportunities for people to realize for themselves (and often others) benefits whose rational value cannot be reduced to purely instrumental purposes. Under the new natural law account of practical reasoning, a variety of factors figure in the genesis of acts performed by people for noninstrumental reasons. These include acts of the will, which new natural law theorists typically understand in Aquinas’s sense of man’s rational appetite.

New natural law theory brought in its wake a renewed philosophical interest in theories of natural law. This was especially true following the publication of John Finnis’s Natural Law and Natural Rights (1980). On one level, this book revitalized reflection on natural law within the Roman Catholic Church, where it had been somewhat neglected following the Second Vatican Council. (Adapted from article by Samual Gregg in http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=262)

Speaker: Dr Jude Chua

Jude Chua Soo Meng PhD FRHistS FCollT is Associate Professor of philosophy and Head of Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Ground, the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.  He was previously Asst Dean for Higher Degrees by Research at the graduate programmes office.  For many years he was the programme leader for the Dual Award EdD, offered by the Institute of Education (IOE) London and NIE, Singapore. He has held visiting appointments at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University (UK), the Center for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame (USA), University of Navarra (Spain) and the Institute of Education (IOE), University College London.  He won the Novak Award (Acton Institute) in 2003 and is an associate editor for the Journal of Markets and Morality. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the College of Teachers. His work has appeared recently in The Routledge Companion to Design Research and the Springer Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management.

Venue: Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo St, #02-01, Singapore 187954

Date / Time: 21 July 2018 Saturday / 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm

Free of Charge, Love Offering

Register at: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup

Enquries: SMS 96493893 (Andrew)

The Natural Law, 14 July 2018

Natural law (Latin: ius naturale, lex naturalis) is a philosophy asserting that certain rights are inherent by virtue of human nature, endowed by nature—traditionally by God or a transcendent source—and that these can be understood universally through human reason. As determined by nature, the law of nature is implied to be universal,^[1] existing independently of the positive law of a given state, political order, legislature or society at large. (Wikipedia)

Come and learn more of  one of the greatest treasure of the Catholic Faith in this introductory talk from our Natural Law Expert, Rev Fr David Garcia, OP.

Father has a Licentiate on Moral Theology by the Anselmianum (Rome) and is presently pursuing a Doctoral degree at University of Santo Tomas (Manila). He has previously lectured at University of Santo Tomas on Moral Theology at theEcclesiastical Faculty and lectured on Bioethics at the Medicine School.He now lectures on the subjects of Moral Theology and Bioethics at the local St Francis Xavier Major Seminary.

Venue: Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo St, #02-01, Singapore 187954

Date / Time: 14 July 2018 Saturday / 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm

Free of Charge, Love Offering

Register at: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup

Enquries: SMS 96493893 (Andrew)

Theology of the Body Talk, 7 July 2018

What is the Theology of the Body? Why is this considered one of the most important legacies that Pope St John Paul II has given us? Why did he call it the basis of the most appropriate method for mankind’s “self education” and that it “concerns the whole bible, the whole Gospel. … the whole teaching, even more the whole mission of Christ”

In No 44 of the Final Report to the Pope of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, : The Theology of the Body “has given the Church a wealth of reflections on the nuptial meaning of the human body and God’s plan for marriage and the family from the beginning of creation. In particular, by treating conjugal love, he described how spouses, in their mutual love, receive the gift of the Spirit of Christ and live their call to holiness” This was reflected in Amoris Laetitia No 69″ St John Paul II devoted special attention to the family in his catharsis on human love, … ”

Speaker :Andrew Kong, BSc, LLB, JCL

Is a Co Founding Member of ACT, and he works as a Consultant and Trainer. A certificate student of the Theology of the Body Institute (USA), he has given TOB seminars in various Asian cities. He also works as the Defender of the Bond (Matrimonial) of the Archdiocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal.

Venue: Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo St, #02-01, Singapore 187954

Date / Time: 7 July 2018 Saturday / 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm

Free of Charge, Love Offering

Register at: http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup

Enquries: SMS 96493893 (Andrew)

Theology of the Body Course (10 hours) 15, 22, 29 September, 6 October 2018

Considered as one of the greatest legacies of St John Paul II, this catechesis explains Catholic teachings through the lenses of the nuptial mystery. Understanding sexuaity, love and the meaning of life is critical not only to marriage and sexual morality, but concerns the entire Gospel, the Bible and in fact the whole Mission of Christ. A must for all in family and youth ministry and catechesis.

Trainer: Andrew Kong, BSc, LLB, JCL

Andrew has been giving presentations on St John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB) in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau and Shanghai for the past several years.

A magna cum laude graduate of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome with a Licentiate in Canon Law, he also holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science degree. Andrew also has also a certificate in the Practice & Principles in Counseling.

He is also a certification student of the Theology of the Body Institute (USA), and is a qualified facilitator of the A New Language program (on the Theology of the Body).

He is appointed The Defender of the Bond (Matrimonial) for the Archdiocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal by the Archbishop of Singapore since February 2014.

Currently he works as a consultant and trainer. Prior to this he worked at the Archdiocesan Family Life Society as a presenter cum trainer in the Society’s education & training programs on sexuality and pro-life issues.

Cost: Love Offering

Dates / Time: 15, 22, 29 September, 6 October 2018 (Saturdays) / 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm

Venue: CANA Catholic Centre, 55 Waterloo Street, 02-00

Register : http://tinyurl.com/ACT-Talk-Signup
or: SMS: 96493893 for enquiries (Andrew)