The Catholic Church’s response to AI and neuro-technologies is among topics in a new season of podcasts and lectures hosted by Leeds Trinity University.

Launching on 29 March, the Beyond The Dark Clouds series returns for its second year, titled Prophetic Voices From Around The World, and features a range of international Catholic university leaders and academics.

All live streams take place at 7pm, with questions and discussion taking place after the speaker’s presentation. The schedule is as follows:

4 April - ‘Aristotle, Aquinas, Catholic Social Teaching and the University’, from Dr Andrew Morton, Research and Knowledge Exchange Officer, Leeds Trinity University.

11 April - ‘The Intelligibility of Hope in a World of Emerging Technologies’, from Dr Cathriona Russell, Assistant Professor, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

3 May - ‘Reading the Signs of the Times: Catholic Schools Responding to the Joys and the Hopes, the Griefs and the Anxieties of our Time’, from Dr Mary Mihovilovic, Associate Professor, St Mary’s University, Twickenham.

17 May - ‘Faith and the Future: How can the Church Respond in Hope to the Challenges Presented by Artificial Intelligence?’, from Joseph Nelson, Leeds Trinity University Graduate.

22 May - ‘Augmenting Our Minds? Neurotechnologies and the Common Good’, from Neil Messer, Professor of Theological Bioethics, Baylor University, Texas, United States.

30 May - ‘Leo After Lockdowns: The Value of Voluntary Societies’, Dr Megan Russo, from Assistant Professor of Political Science, St Thomas University, Texas, United States.

27 September, ‘Building the Dream Together: The Meaning of Hope in the Anthropocene’, from Dr Nancy Rourke, Associate Professor and Interim Department Chair, Canisius College, Boston, United States.

Beyond The Dark Clouds is produced by Dr Ann Marie Mealey, Director of Catholic Mission at Leeds Trinity, one of four Catholic universities in England, with help from the university’s Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Darren Harper.

Pope Francis in his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti (on fraternity and social friendship) refers to ‘dark clouds over a closed world’, which inspired the series title.

Register for attendance on Eventbrite or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Listen to previous Beyond The Dark Clouds episodes on Spotify and other platforms