Mary Ann Glendon is appointed President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

Vatican City, Mar 8, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Pope John Paul II appointed American professor Mary Ann Glendon as the new president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

Glendon, 65, is a professor of law at Harvard University in USA.  One of the most influential American Catholic intellectuals, she became very known by her fervent defense of the unborn when she headed the Holy See Delegation to the 4th U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing in 1995.

Glendon was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and has been a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences since its creation in 1994.
She has developed researches in several areas, including human rights, bioethics and constitutional law. She is also a member of President Bush's Council on Bioethics.