Cardinal to speak at forum, graduation

GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Cardinal Edward Cassidy will speak May 12 at the Forum on Christian Unity at Thiel College.
Cassidy, a native Australian who retired as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will also serve as the keynote speaker at Thiel's 127th commencement May 13.
Thiel will award him an honorary doctorate of humane letters.
The forum will be presented in two sessions, the first at 9:30 a.m., the second at 2 p.m. His topic will be the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" made by the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church in 1999. He will also address "Dominus Iesus," a doctrinal statement issued by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.
Dr. Michael Root, professor of systematic theology at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, and the Rev. Dr. Peter Drilling of Christ the King Roman Catholic Seminary in East Aurora, N.Y., will respond to Cassidy's address.
Cassidy holds a doctorate in Canon Law and was ordained in 1949. Pope John Paul II named him Cardinal Deacon of Santa Maria in Via Lata in 1991.