Belmont Abbey College

BELMONT ABBEY PRESIDENT THIERFELDER TO ATTEND WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION FOR POPE

Dr. William Thierfelder, President of Belmont Abbey College, will be attending a reception for Pope Benedict XVI at the White House this Wednesday, April 16th, in honor of the pope’s first visit to the United States. The reception will be held at 10:30 a.m. on the South Lawn with President Bush presiding. April 16th happens to be the pope's 81st birthday.

On Thursday, April 17, Dr. Thierfelder will also attend an address by Pope Benedict to all Catholic college and university presidents at the Catholic University of America. That evening, Thierfelder will have dinner at the residence of the Very Reverend David O'Connell, President of Catholic University.

“I am very much looking forward to the Holy Father’s address, especially since he was denied the opportunity to speak on a similar subject at Rome’s La Sapienza University,” said Dr. Thierfelder. “I think it will be inspiring to hear his thoughts on what it means to be a Catholic college or university in today’s culture – i.e. why authentic Catholic colleges and universities are needed in our culture. I imagine we will be hearing further thoughts or elaborations on Pope John Paul II’s seminal document Ex Corde Ecclesiae (“On Catholic Universities”), and how faith and reason complement one another in our search for the truth. I feel very privileged to be a part of this historic moment – although my role in it will be quite modest.”

If you are interested in hearing Dr. Thierfelder’s reactions to Pope Benedict’s address directly, please call or email Ed Jones, Belmont Abbey’s director of marketing, at (704) 461-6848 or EdJones@bac.edu and he will set up an interview.