The University of Navarra celebrates on September 17 and 18 the conference of update Pastoral of the School of Theology, which will bring together a hundred priests and lay people from different Spanish dioceses.

The conference is intended to be an opportunity for reflection and meeting to share ideas and experiences on current challenges and on ways to proclaim and help young people to live the good news of love. Along with some more expository panels, but always with long periods of dialogue, there will also be space to present various pastoral experiences of accompaniment and training with young people on the path of courtship.

Professor Lucas Buch, director of conference, points out that "the last fifty years have seen a radical change in the way we understand sexuality, marriage and the family. Human love, which has its expression in marriage, is a dream that beats in the heart of any young person; we simply need to discover ways to present its beauty in a meaningful way."

Professor Juan José Pérez-Soba, from the Pontifical high school John Paul II for the Sciences of Marriage and the Family (Rome), will be in charge of opening the course on Tuesday, September 17, with a discussion paper entitled "Conversation by the Well. How to speak of fidelity to the postmodern emotivist". And Monsignor Mario Iceta, Bishop of Bilbao, will close the conference on Wednesday, September 18, with a lecture entitled "Is it possible to enthuse young people with a love that lasts forever?".

Three panels to provide experiences and proposals

"Love between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries" will be the focus of the first panel of meeting. It will be moderated by Miguel Brugarolas, professor of the School of Theology, and will include the participation of Pablo Pérez, professor of the School of Philosophy and Letters, who will speak on "The legacy of May 68"; and Jokin de Irala, professor of the School of Medicine, who will present his discussion paper "Thirsty for mercy: young people, love and sexuality".

The second panel will be entitled "Some Experiences in Marriage Preparation". José María Marín, from the parish of San Manuel González, in San Sebastián de los Reyes, will speak about the initiative "Driving school for engaged couples"; David Martínez, from the parish of Santa Eulalia in Badajoz, who will focus his exhibition on "7 conversations with engaged couples"; and Rafael de Tomás, from the diocese of Getafe, who will talk about his diocesan experience with the "group for engaged couples: pathway and accompaniment of the engagement".  

On the morning of the 18th, the third panel will focus on "Helping to build the capacity to love". It will be moderated by Daniel Granada, professor at School of Theology, and Marta Pedraz, medical psychotherapist and family counselor, will speak on "How we learn to love"; and Jesús Higueras, pastor of St. Maria de Cana, Pozuelo de Alarcón, whose lecture will be at degree scroll "Accompanying young people: healing wounds, taking root, dreaming".