On September 19, 2024, The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights welcomed Father Kevin Flannery, S.J., a distinguished moral philosopher and former consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to deliver the fifth annual Human Rights Lecture. Father Flannery presented a profound reflection on the nature of conscience, drawing deeply from the classical and Christian intellectual tradition.

Grounded in the works of Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Thomas More, Fr. Flannery explored the concept of synderesis—the innate capacity of the human mind to grasp fundamental moral principles. He articulated how this classical understanding of conscience as a rational and ordered faculty offers a powerful corrective to modern subjective or relativistic views.

Fr. Flannery emphasized the contemporary importance of these teachings amid ongoing cultural and legal debates surrounding moral responsibility, human dignity, and rights of conscience. His lecture invited attendees to consider how a properly formed conscience, guided by truth and illuminated by grace, remains essential to authentic human freedom.

The event drew students, faculty, and community members who engaged deeply with the topic, reflecting Catholic University’s commitment to fostering intellectual rigor and moral clarity in the defense of human rights.