Acton President Rev. Robert A. Sirico appeared today at the January Series of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan to introduce a lecture by theologian and author George Weigel. In his address, entitled “Revolutionary Papacies: John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and the Future of the Catholic Church,” Weigel touched on 10 areas in which Pope John Paul II made important contributions to Catholic teaching, ecumenism, and world politics, and also described some of the major challenges facing Pope Benedict XVI, especially relating to the cultural and demographic decline of Europe.

Audio of Weigel’s January Series address will be available online at Calvin’s website. If you’re interested in hearing more from Mr. Weigel, you can purchase a copy of his biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope, along with a recording of his Lord Action Lecture Series address from 1999 on his experiences writing that book, by visiting the Acton Bookshop.