At the roots of the common good: the philosophical foundations of the Church's social teaching

Social justice, dignity, solidarity: these words are everywhere today. But what do they truly rest on?

Long before our contemporary debates, thinkers like Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas developed demanding visions of life in society and proposed a coherent way of thinking about the common good, responsibility, and each person's place within it. This course invites us to rediscover these foundations for thinking about the social order, not as relics of the past, but as keys to understanding and questioning our present.

Led by Fr. Jean-Pierre-Marie, Fr. Hugues-Marie, and various speakers.

• Welcome and check-in to your rooms on Saturday, November 7, starting at 8:30 a.m.

• This weekend is designed as a philosophical journey with the human person at its center. Its guiding thread is the common good, a good we can only reach together.

• The program will alternate between short presentations, reflection workshops, testimonies, a roundtable, an evening discussion, time for questions and answers, and more!

• The topics covered will be as follows:

  • What holds a society together? Could truth, freedom, justice, and charity be its pillars?

  • Does the human person have a price? On the foundations of our dignity

  • Can we still want something together? The challenge of the common good

  • Who should decide? Subsidiarity, or the art of making everyone responsible

  • Are we responsible for one another? From solidarity to charity

  • What if the common good led us further? From the city of men to the vocation to salvation

• In a welcoming atmosphere open to all who seek truth, participants will be able to attend Mass, adoration, and the offices at the sanctuary of Notre-Dame du Chêne.

Practical details

• You may bring your own bed sheets (top and bottom) for a 90 x 200 cm bed, or rent them for €5.

• Pillowcases are provided.

• The nearest TGV train station is Sablé/Sarthe.

• It is possible to arrive the evening before.

Suggested offering

• A contribution to expenses of €88 is requested for a single room, or €148 for a double room for married couples. This financial contribution should not be an obstacle to your attendance. If needed, please do not hesitate to speak with the house manager. Thank you.

• A free-will offering for the Brothers of Saint John who lead the weekend is requested according to each person's means.