Connected Minds,Connected Cultures:\ Connected Minds

A N I N V I T A T I O N T O R E A S O NIs there such a thing as a global moralitycommon to all people, and if so, how canit be brought to bear on solving the world’smost pressing problems?By Tom HaederleDuring his historic five-day swing throughWashington and New York in April 2008,Pope Benedict XVI may have been themost sought-after human being in the country. Millionsof Americans, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, followedhis activities on television. Hundreds of thousands werethrilled to see him in person at two enormous baseballstadium Masses and along crowded motorcade routes. Afew hundred people, at most, were able catch an up-closeglimpse of the Pope at dinners, prayer services and otherofficial functions that he attended.But only a very small group of people received the mostcoveted honor of all: the chance to meet and speak with thePontiff one-on-one, and have a real, albeit short conversation.Catholic University Law School Professor WilliamWagner easily made the cut.In fact, the Pope made a point of greeting and warmlythanking the distinguished legal scholar who, less thanthree weeks earlier, had succeeded magnificently in organizingand executing an unprecedented conversationbetween some of the most brilliant and creative minds inthe world, all focused on a question of transcendent importanceto the Pope and to the Church: Is there such a thingas a global morality common to all people, and if so, howcan it be brought to bear on solving the world’s most pressingproblems?Contributing to the search for an answer, ProfessorWagner envisioned “A Common Morality for the GlobalAge: In Gratitude for What We are Given,” a symposiumheld March 27 to 30, 2008, on the campus of CatholicUniversity.Spring–Summer 2008 / C UALAWYER 13