Marie-Jo Thiel
French ethics academic (born 1957) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Marie-Jo Thiel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 May 1957 |
| Occupation(s) | Theologian, professor, doctor, ethicist, author |
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
Summarize
Perspective
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
| Year | Award | Issuing body | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Maurice Rapin Prize | Book: Où va la médecine ? Sens des représentations et pratiques médicales | [18][6] | |
| 2008 | Teaching 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] |
| 2022 | Honorary doctorate in Theology | University of Fribourg | In recognition of her studies on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church | [2] |
Memberships
| Organization | Membership year | Position (yrs) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association Herrade de Landsberg. About Ethics in Alsace | President | [6] | ||
| Association of Theologians for the Study of Morality | 2000 | Vice-President (2000-?) | [6] | |
| Committee of the Wise, Regional Experts Committee | 2008 | Member (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 Forum | Member | |||
| European Group of Ethics for Sciences and New Technologies | 2011 | Member (2011-2016) | Nominated by the European Commission | [23][5] |
| European Society for Catholic Theology - Europe | Member | [6] | ||
| European Society for Catholic Theology - France | 2015 | Vice-President (2015-2017), President (2017-2019) | [13][7][6] | |
| French Catholic Academy | Member | |||
| French Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Ethics Committee | 2010 | Member (2010-?) | [6] | |
| Hospital and University Department of Medical Ethics, University of Strasbourg | Vice-President | [6] | ||
| Institute of Social Liaisons | Member | |||
| Orientation Council of the Regional Space for Ethical Reflection in Alsace, France | Member | [6] | ||
| Pontifical Academy for Life | 2017 | Member (2017-2022, 2022-2027) | Appointed by Pope Francis | [24][2][13][7] |
| Regional Observatory Agency for the Quality of Hospital Facilities | Member | |||
| Societas Ethica | 2006 | Member | [6] | |
| Society of Friends of the University Academy of Strasbourg | Member | |||
| Supervisory Board of the Regional Agency for Health in Alsace | 2010 | Member (2010-2014, 2015-2019) | [6] | |
Selected publications
- 1992: Avancer en vie. Le troisième âge. ISBN 2220033864
- 1999: Pratiquer l'analyse éthique. Étudier un cas, examiner un texte. with X. Thévenot. ISBN 9782204062497
- 2006: Entre malheur et espoir. Annoncer le handicap, la maladie, la mort.[6] ISBN 2868202926
- 2009: Donner, recevoir un organe. Droit, dû, devoir. ISBN 2868203868
- 2010: Quand la vie naissante se termine.[6] ISBN 9782868204523
- 2011: Semences de vie. Trente ans d’expérience en assistance médicale à la procréation with André Clavert. ISBN 9782868204691
- 2012: Ethical Challenges of Ageing.[23] ISBN 9781853159787
- 2013: Au nom de la dignité de l'être humain.[23] ISBN 978-2227486263
- 2014: La santé augmentée : réaliste ou totalitaire?[23] ISBN 9782227487444
- 2016: Souhaitable vulnérabilité?[23] ISBN 9782868205315
- 2019: L'église catholique face aux abus sexuels sur mineurs.[2][4] ISBN 9782227496033
- 2022: Abus sexuels – Ecouter, enquêter, prévenir with Anne Danion-Grilliat and Frederic Trautmann. ISBN 9782868207623
References
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