The Seattle G.K. Chesterton Society writes…

Dear Friends of the Seattle G. K. Chesterton Society,

We are happy to announce the next event of our season, this coming Thursday, January 24, at 7:30 PM at the UW Newman Center.  Dr. James Felak from the History Department at the University of Washington will lead us in an evening of discussion concerning Pope John Paul and his challenge to the West in the years following the end of the Cold War.

Please see below for full details.  Please see also our full Events Calendar for more details pertaining to our 2012-2013 season.

The UW Newman Center is located at 4502 20th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.  Please note that parking space at UW Newman Center is limited.  Commuters may park in the nearby N5 lot at the University, accessible via the north gate at NE 45th and Memorial Way.

We hope to see you this Thursday evening.   Please bring a friend!
Yours faithfully,
The Seattle G. K. Chesterton Society

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Pope John Paul II Confronts the Post-Cold War World:
Abortion, Social Teaching, and Europe

Dr. James Felak
University of Washington

James Felak examines John Paul II’s 1991 visit to his native Poland, where he challenged Poles, and all citizens of Western democracies, to create societies based on the morals expressed in the Ten Commandments.  Coming in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Communism, the Pope chose not to celebrate triumphantly the end of Communist rule in Europe, but instead to warn of the pitfalls that lay ahead for the former Communist countries as they drift, or race, toward union with Western Europe.

James Felak is Professor of History at the University of Washington, author of two books on East Central European history, and a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament parish in Seattle.  He is currently working on a book on John Paul II’s visits to Poland.