October 1, 2014

7 p.m. Hagan Center Hall

John L. Allen Jr., D.S.Litt, Associate Editor of The Boston Globe and Senior Vatican Analyst for CNN will deliver the first lecture of the 2014-2015 Assumption College President's Lecture Series. The Series provides a public forum in which important ethical, spiritual and human issues are illuminated and examined within the Catholic intellectual tradition.

Allen is associate editor of The Boston Globe, specializing in coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, and of the Globe’s online magazine Crux. He also serves as senior Vatican analyst for CNN and was for 16 years the prize-winning senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. Allen is the author of seven bestselling books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs

and frequently writes on the Church for major national and international publications. His weekly Internet column, “All Things Catholic,” is widely read as a source of insight on the global Church

In his lecture Allen will discuss how he believes the key to understanding Pope Francis is that the Holy Father sees himself as the “Pope of Mercy,” operating in what he has described as a kairos, or privileged moment, to deliver a message of mercy.

All lectures in the series are open to the Assumption College community and the general public at no charge. RSVPs are encouraged due to limited space. Please call Sharon Mahoney at 508-767-7322 or e-mail shmahone@assumption.edu for more information.