Between 9–11 March 2026, the Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest, in partnership with Pázmány Péter Catholic University, will host the first international academic conference of Catholic POST – Association for the Renewal of Catholic Political and Social Thought. The event marks the public launch of a newly established academic community whose aim is to renew Catholic political and social thought.
The initiative is based on the recognition that the foundations of Western political thought were shaped for centuries by Christianity, particularly by Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. Modern and postmodern secular theories, however, tend to neglect this heritage. Alongside the challenges of the 21st century – demographic decline, migration, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and the technological revolution – there is a growing demand for religion and spirituality. All this makes the renewal of Catholic socio-political reflection increasingly urgent.
Catholic POST is being established as an interdisciplinary and international academic forum that provides a forum for dialogue among the diverse currents within Catholic political and social thought, based on a shared commitment to the statements of the Magisterium and Catholic social teaching. Participants will address topics ranging from historical foundations to contemporary debates, striving to avoid ideological polarisation while allowing room for legitimate scholarly differences within the religious tradition.
The two-day conference – featuring plenary lectures and parallel sessions – will bring together distinguished academics. Invited plenary speakers include Professor Rocco Buttiglione, Italian political philosopher, former minister and Member of the European Parliament, as well as Ryszard Legutko, professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, also a former minister and Member of the European Parliament. The conference will also be attended by Father Avelino Chic, SJ, Head of the Office at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
The richness of the program is demonstrated by the participation of 28 speakers from around the world, who in separate sections will address the theoretical foundations of Catholic social teaching, questions of the state and political community, dilemmas of economic and social life, and issues related to culture, the arts, and global justice. The closing panels will explore new perspectives of Catholic social teaching and its future political relevance.
The conference also offers opportunities for Catholic media representatives: the organisers expressly invite journalists and editorial teams to cover the event. The Budapest launch of Catholic POST is not merely an academic gathering but a commitment to a long-term intellectual collaboration that seeks to connect the classical traditions of Catholic thought with the challenges of the future.
PROGRAM
