Marie-Jo Thiel

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Marie-Jo Thiel
Born (1957-05-07) 7 May 1957 (age 66)
Etting, Moselle, France
Occupation(s)Theologian, professor, doctor, ethicist, author

Marie-Jo Thiel (born 7 May 1957, Etting) is a French theologian, medical doctor, and professor of ethics. [1] She is a professor of moral theology, specialising in ethics and bioethics, at the University of Strasbourg. [2] Her research focuses on topics such as ageing, death, medical ethics, and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. [3] She is also the founder and former director of the European Centre for Studies and Research in Ethics and former president of the European Society for Catholic Theology. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Biography

Thiel was born on 7 May 1957 in Etting, Moselle, France. [7] [8] [6] She studied Medicine [2] at the University of Strasbourg and became an intern at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nancy in 1980.[ citation needed ] She obtained her PhD in Medicine in 1983 from Strasbourg, followed by a PhD in Catholic Theology from the University of Metz in 1989. Her second doctoral thesis was called "Au clair obscur de la vie : pour un statut de l'embryon humain" (In the chiaroscuro of life: Status of the human embryo). [9] [6] [10] [2] This was given très honorable avec félicitations by the jury. She then began teaching ethics and bioethics at Metz and Nancy;[ citation needed ] at Metz, she became a maître de conférence. [10] [6] While a lecturer,[ citation needed ] she finished a diploma in European Health Policies in 1993 at the Seminary in Nancy, followed by a Habilitation in Ethics and Moral Theology at University of Strasbourg in 1998. [6] Her habilitation thesis was called "Atouts de l'éthique systématique" (Assets of Systematic Ethics), which would inform her academic focus moving forward.[ citation needed ]

Career

Thiel joined the Faculty of Catholic Theology at Strasbourg in 1999, where she quickly established an interdisciplinary program in ethics. [6] [2] [11] A Master's degree in ethics was also started, with her serving as Director. [6] [11] This research formed the basis for[ citation needed ] the European Centre for Studies and Research in Ethics (CEERE), which she founded in 2005 in connection to Strasbourg's Faculty of Social Sciences. [11] [4]

Her contacts and research activities in collaboration with Yale University in the United States led Thiel to begin a summer school on interdisciplinary European Ethics in the summer of 2013. The summer school drew 41 students from 22 countries over five continents.[ citation needed ]

Thiel has been studying sexual abuse in the Catholic Church since the 1990s. Her work as a physician and a theologian meant she was approached by sexual abuse victims; this inspired her to look more deeply at the issue. [12] [4] [11] In 2017, her work led Pope Francis to appoint her a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life as part of the organisation's reform. New statues were introduced to change the lifetime membership into 5-year renewable terms, and to allow appointments to people regardless of religion. [8] She has also advised the French Episcopal Conference for more than 20 years in its efforts to fight sexual abuse within the Church. [12] In 2018, she published a 700-page, in-depth study on sexual abuse of minors within the Catholic Church. This book is called The Catholic Church facing sexual abuse and was published by Bayard Presse. [2] [4] Throughout her studies, she has stressed the importance of supporting and believing victims of sexual abuse, and uses their accounts in her writing. [4]

Thiel started the Journées Internationales d'Ethique (International Symposium on Ethics) in Strasbourg in about 2008. [6] [11] She also edits the CEERE newsletter.[ citation needed ] In addition to her books, she has published articles in several international journals. [12] Thiel teaches and writes in English, German, and French. Though she mainly teaches in France, she has also taught in the United States, Canada, and Germany. [12]

Throughout her work at the intersection of ethics and the Church, she has stepped forward to share her beliefs: she has criticised the Church's ban on contraceptives [13] and classifying homosexuality as a sin, [14] and supported vaccines to help prevent the COVID-19 pandemic. [15] Thiel believes the Church has to be adaptive in the face of changing issues and firmly believes the Church does not intend to be "behind the times." [16] She has also expressed support for assisted suicide, for which she was criticised by other Pontifical Academy members. [17]

Honours and awards

YearAwardIssuing bodyNotesRef
2003Maurice Rapin PrizeBook: Où va la médecine ? Sens des représentations et pratiques médicales [18] [6]
2008Teaching Ethics in France trophy European Centre for Studies and Research in Ethics This was the first time this honour had been awarded [19] [20] [6]
2013 Légion d'honneur Knighthood President of France Awarded at the Palais Universitaire by Hubert Haenel [21] [22]
2022Honorary doctorate in Theology University of Fribourg In recognition of her studies on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church [2]

Memberships

OrganizationMembership yearPosition (yrs)NotesRef
Association Herrade de Landsberg. About Ethics in AlsacePresident [6]
Association of Theologians for the Study of Morality 2000Vice-President (2000-?) [6]
Committee of the Wise, Regional Experts Committee2008Member (2008-2011)
Ethics Research Group of the Hospital Team of Saint Vincent (Strasbourg)Member [6]
Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Strasbourg Member [6]
European Democracy ForumMember
European Group of Ethics for Sciences and New Technologies2011Member (2011-2016)Nominated by the European Commission [23] [5]
European Society for Catholic Theology - EuropeMember [6]
European Society for Catholic Theology - France2015Vice-President (2015-2017), President (2017-2019) [13] [7] [6]
French Catholic Academy Member
French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Ethics Committee2010Member (2010-?) [6]
Hospital and University Department of Medical Ethics, University of Strasbourg Vice-President [6]
Institute of Social LiaisonsMember
Orientation Council of the Regional Space for Ethical Reflection in Alsace, FranceMember [6]
Pontifical Academy for Life 2017Member (2017-2022, 2022-2027)Appointed by Pope Francis [24] [2] [13] [7]
Regional Observatory Agency for the Quality of Hospital FacilitiesMember
Societas Ethica2006Member [6]
Society of Friends of the University Academy of StrasbourgMember
Supervisory Board of the Regional Agency for Health in Alsace2010Member (2010-2014, 2015-2019) [6]

Selected publications

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References

  1. ↑ "French Roman Catholic Church wants to regain faith of population". CNE. 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Page, Maurice (2022-11-04). "Marie-Jo Thiel honorée pour son travail sur les abus dans l'Eglise" (in French). cath.ch. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  3. ↑ Zbinden, Raphaël (2022-11-15). "M.J. Thiel: "Il nous faut un nouveau style d'Eglise"" (in French). cath.ch. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Page, Maurice (2019-05-01). "Marie-Jo Thiel: "Les prêtres abuseurs ne sont pas des monstres, ni des fous"" (in French). cath.ch. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  5. 1 2 "Marie-Jo Thiel" (in French). Bayard Éditions. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "prof. Dr. Dr. Marie-Jo Thiel" (in Slovak). Komora pre medicínske právo - MEDIUS. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Etting : Marie-Jo Thiel promue au Saint-Siège" (in French). Republicain Lorrain. 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  8. 1 2 "THIEL Marie-Jo" (in French). University of Strasbourg. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  9. ↑ Thiel, Marie-Jo; Schmitt, Émile (January 1989). Au clair obscur de la vie : pour un statut de l'embryon humain (These de doctorat) (in French). theses.fr. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  10. 1 2 "Marie Jo Thiel" (in German). Herder Korrespondenz. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Daune-Anglard, Geneviève (2015-11-30). "Marie-Jo Thiel, une vie vouée à l'éthique". L'Alsace. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Hoyeau, Céline (25 March 2021). "The woman who's advising the French bishops on sex abuse". La Croix International. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  13. 1 2 3 Page, Maurice (2023-02-13). "Missbrauchs-Expertin Thiel zu Gespräch bei Papst Franziskus" (in French). kath.ch. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  14. ↑ Hickson, Maike. "New Pontifical Academy for Life member questions Church teaching on homosexuality, contraception". Catholic Citizens of Illinois. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  15. ↑ "Marie-Jo Thiel : " Le vaccin, un bien commun pour l'humanité "" (in French). l'ami hebdo. 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  16. ↑ "Genetics: the Vatican Does Not Intend to Be Behind the Times". 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  17. ↑ Pent, Edward (2022-02-21). "Pontifical Academy for Life Members' Support for Assisted Suicide Draws Criticism". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  18. ↑ "Association Herrade de Landsberg". Centre européen d'enseignement et de recherche en éthique. 2003. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  19. ↑ "Les lauréats des Trophées 2008" (in French). Fondation Ostad Elahi. 2008. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  20. ↑ "Allocution de Marie Jo Thiel" (PDF) (in French). Fondation Ostad Elahi. 2008-06-11. Archived from the original on 2014-03-24.
  21. ↑ "Marie-Jo Thiel, chevalier de la Légion d'honneur" (in French). Republicain Lorrain. 2013-07-28. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  22. ↑ "Le 29 juin 2013 - Marie-Jo Thiel a reçu les insignes de Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur!" (in French). European Center for Education and Research in Ethics. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 "Marie-Jo Thiel" (in French). Rivista europea di cultura. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  24. ↑ Scaramuzzi, Iacopo (2023-02-16). "Abusi sessuali, la teologa francese incontra il Papa: "Per Francesco è il sistema che va cambiato: tutto parte da un abuso di potere"" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
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