Catholic Information Center

As the Church prepares to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Dominic, Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, OP join the CIC to launch and discuss their new book, “Saint Dominic's Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God.” Few Catholics today know much about Saint Dominic, who died August 6, 1221. Unlike Teresa of Ávila or Ignatius of Loyola, Dominic did not leave a deposit of writings to be examined and built upon. Yet this medieval Spaniard still has much to teach us today, and we see this in the way of life he left to the Church. Dominic offers a rich approach to Christian living, not just for members of the Order of Preachers, the religious order he founded, but for all Catholics. His dedication to prayer, penance, and the Word of God, and his love of neighbor, form the deep foundation of his project of being conformed to God. By following in Dominic's footsteps, we too can discover how to live with a heart that is undivided, seeking God first in all things.

Theologian, philosopher, teacher. There are few religious figures more Catholic than Saint Thomas Aquinas, a man credited with helping to shape Catholicism of the second millennium. In Never Doubt Thomas, Francis J. Beckwith employs his own spiritual journey from Catholicism to Evangelicalism and then back to Catholicism to reveal the signal importance of Aquinas not only for Catholics but also for Protestants. The Fr. James V. Schall Lecture Series is a monthly feature of the Catholic Information's Center's program with speakers addressing recurring themes in Fr. Schall's writings, such as liberal learning, the relationship between faith and reason, and great writers in the Catholic tradition.

Have the gains achieved by modern feminists in the political and economic spheres relied on a too-narrow idea of liberty and equality at the expense of a richer understanding of the natural duties that we owe to one another? If so, what are the costs of this, and can the proper foundation of equal rights be reclaimed? EPPC Fellow Erika Bachiochi gave remarks reflecting on the themes of her new book, The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, which offers an original look at the development of feminism in the United States and proposes a philosophical and legal framework for rights grounded in our responsibilities. The event was moderated by EPPC President Ryan T. Anderson and included responses from Mary Eberstadt and Ashley McGuire. This event was hosted by the Catholic Information Center and co-sponsored by EPPC and the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. The book was published in the de Nicola Center's book series with University of Notre Dame Press.

Dr. Michael Breidenbach, Associate Professor and Chair of History at Ave Maria University, discusses how early American Catholics justified secularism and overcame suspicions of disloyalty, transforming ideas of religious liberty in the process. The event is moderated by Dr. Chad Pecknold, Professor of Historical & Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America.

Nicole Caruso, Catholic beauty and fashion consultant, guides you through the steps involved in cultivating your personal style that celebrates your unique genius, mission, and vocation. Learn how to perceive and appreciate your self-worth by owning your own story and celebrating your unique inherent dignity. Then learn how to integrate that identity with your faith life and personal style. When all three are combined, you'll be able to harness contagious confidence, which becomes the means through which you can connect with others and evangelize in a compelling way.

With raw and intimate stories from both her personal life and public activism, Lila Rose, the founder of Live Action and the face of the millennial pro-life movement, presents a guidebook for becoming a force for good in a broken world.

We’ve pursued and achieved the modern dream of defining ourselves—but at what cost? Sohrab Ahmari, New York Post op-ed editor, makes a compelling case for seeking the inherited traditions and ideals that give our lives meaning.

Austin Ruse carefully examines how the anti-Christian forces gained power over every elite institution in America. He exposes their plans for the future and issues an authoritative call to arms, brilliantly arguing that there is no finer time to be a faithful Catholic. God Himself called each of us to live in this time and place, to contribute to the renewal society and the Church, and to vanquish the enemies of civilization. This event is moderated by our Panula Chair in Christian Culture, Mary Eberstadt.

The Gospel according to John has always been recognized as different from the “synoptic” accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But what explains the difference? Michael Pakaluk, professor of ethics and social philosophy in the Busch School of Business, discusses his new book, Mary’s Voice in the Gospel according to John, and reveals the subtle but powerful influence of the Mother of Jesus on the fourth Gospel.

The Equality Act, which has now passed through the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits a vote in the U.S. Senate, threatens to fundamentally transform American anti-discrimination laws while providing little by way of religious exemption. As “trans-rights” language continues to sweep through corporations, media, and schools, Catholics have been left scrambling for resources on how to respond with truth and love. We are delighted to host John McCormack, Washington correspondent and fellow at National Review Institute, and Mary Hasson, Kate O’Beirne Fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, for a virtual discussion on the political implications of the Equality Act and to highlight the Person & Identity Project, a new web resource to help parents, clergy, and parochial school teachers and administrators present the truth of the human person with courage and compassion.

Bishop William Byrne discusses his new practical and engaging guide to embracing happiness, “5 Things with Father Bill: Hope, Humor, and Help for the Soul.” Bishop Byrne offers viewers insights, reflections, and encouragement to enhance ordinary days and holidays.

Spiritual writer, theologian, and philosopher Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer tackles the topic of recognizing and overcoming spiritual evil. His focus is the human heart. His goal: our moral and spiritual transformation, which leads to true peace and genuine happiness.

Robert Reilly, Director of the Westminster Institute, discusses his new book “America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding.” During his lecture Reilly will focuses on the tradition of “right reason,” that is, the metaphysical, epistemological, anthropological, and theological roots of constitutional government. He will reintroduces listeners to ideas about the primacy of reason over will, universal truth, natural law, and monotheism.

Editor and publisher of The Lamp, a new bimonthly Catholic political magazine, talk faith, politics, and culture with Professors Robert Wyllie and Michael Hanby.

Foster care is at the heart of Christian life, and yet it can often be at the peripheries of our public conversations and even parish life. At a time when the need for foster parents is on the increase, as so many anxieties and addictions rise to the service in this pandemic, how can we get more involved? How can we support those who need support? How can we make sure children are in safe and stable homes? And why is a Supreme Court case in the fall critical to this all? Our speakers will be Melissa Buck, a foster and adoptive mother whose court case was argued by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, legal advisor & senior fellow at the Catholic Association (who has written an amicus brief on the Philadelphia adoption case before the Supreme Court), and Sarah Zagorski, former foster child and activist.

On January 22, 2021 in partnership with The Trinity Center, The Institute for Human Ecology, and the Harvard Christian Alumni Society, we were delighted to welcome author and New York Times columnist Ross Douthat. In Douthat’s book, The Decadent Society, he provides an enlightening diagnosis of our modern condition which, he says, has been characterized by decadence. Douthat argues that many of today’s discontents and derangements reflect a sense of futility and disappointment—a feeling that the future is not what was promised. Almost a year after its original publication, Ross reflected on what the events of the past year have revealed about our condition and how we might serve as agents of renewal in a divisive and decadent time.

The Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, JCD, Archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, discusses religious liberty issues at stake in our armed forces and the important role his archdiocese has in our country.

The Catholic Church is on the verge of a transition of great consequence. Drawing on his personal discussions with John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, as well as his decades of experience with Catholics from every continent, George Weigel examines the major challenges confronting the Catholic Church and its 1.3 billion believers in the twenty-first century: challenges the next pontificate must address as the Church enters new, uncharted territory.

Mario Enzler, a former Swiss Guard, honors the centenary of the birth of St. John Paul II by sharing his experiences of intimate contact with the Pope during his service and how it led him to deepen his Catholic commitment through the cultivation of Christian virtue.

Watch this online public dialogue on how Catholics can combat bigotry with the help of the Gospel. Louis Brown, Executive Director of Christ Medicus Foundation, and Montse Alvarado, Executive Director and Vice President of Becket Law, share their reflections on the killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests and riots, in addition to their personal experiences regarding race and how it has influenced their lives as Catholics. They also discuss discriminatory responses by some government leaders against people of faith during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and how we as Catholics can best evangelize to our communities during this anxious time.

Learn how you can create a deeper sense of the divine as Theology of Home co-authors, Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering, share their vision for home.

One of the great advantages of Catholic social teaching is that it is normally stated in general terms of values, principles and goals, not specific programs. It is the reason that Catholic social teaching doesn’t fit into either political party’s platform and why Catholics of good standing in the Church can exercise prudential judgement and come to different conclusions. As Catholics we are called to honor the human dignity of each person we encounter and encouraged to approach conversations with civility, clarity, and compassion. In this spirit, Dr. Ward and Dr. Pakaluk debate whether a universal basic income (UBI) aligns with Catholic social teaching’s call for a just wage. Dr. Ward defends the resolution and Dr. Pakaluk opposes the resolution. IHE Executive Director Joseph Capizzi moderates this Oxford-style debate.

Carter Snead, a leading expert on public bioethics, advocates for a new conception of human identity in American law and policy. Carter addresses three complex issues in bioethics: abortion, assisted reproductive technology, and end-of-life decisions. Avoiding typical dichotomies of conservative-versus-liberal and secular-versus-religious, Snead recasts debates over these issues and situates them within his framework of embodiment and dependence. He concludes that, if the law is built on premises that reflect the fully lived reality of life, it will provide support for the vulnerable, including the unborn, mothers, families, and those nearing the end of their lives. In this way, he argues, policy can ensure that people have the care they need in order to thrive. Purchase your copy of this book at the Catholic Information Center. Our bookstore is open M-F from 10AM to 2PM EDT. You can also give us a call and we will get you set up.

Professor Charles Camosy, Sr. Constance Veit, LSP, and Kathryn Jean Lopez discuss how we can build a culture of encounter, solidarity, and hospitality despite the restraints of the current pandemic.

Professor Mark Regnerus discusses his new book, “The Future of Christian Marriage” and details how marriage has become less of a foundation for a couple to build upon and more of a capstone. ABOUT THE BOOK Marriage has come a long way since biblical times: Women are no longer thought of as property, and practices like polygamy have long been rejected. The world is wealthier and healthier, and people are more able to find and form relationships than ever. So why are Christian congregations doing more burying than marrying today? Explanations for the wide recession in marriage range from the mathematical—more women in church than men—to the economic, and from cheap sex to progressive politics. But perhaps marriage hasn’t really changed at all; instead, there is simply less interest in marriage in an era marked by technology, gender equality, and secularization. This is a book about how today’s Christians find a mate within a faith that esteems marriage but a world that increasingly yawns at it, and it draws on in-depth interviews with nearly two hundred young adult Christians from the United States, Mexico, Spain, Poland, Russia, Lebanon, and Nigeria, in order to understand the state of matrimony in global Christian circles today. Christians are exhibiting flexibility over sex roles but are hardly gender revolutionaries. Meeting increasingly high expectations of marriage is difficult, though, in a free market whose logic reaches deep into the home today, and the results are endemic uncertainty, slowing relationship maturation, and stalling marriage. But plenty of Christians innovate, resist, and wed, suggesting the future of marriage will be a religious one.

Dr. Robert Royal, Catholic author and the President of the Faith & Reason Institute, carefully examines the mind and motives of Christopher Columbus and his legacy. ABOUT THE BOOK After decades of politically charged controversy, the reputation and standing of Christopher Columbus lies battered beneath mountains of misjudgments and distortions. The surge of historical revisionism now ravaging the legendary explorer insists that his daring adventures brought only tragic consequences: disease, death, subjugation of native peoples, incitement of the African slave trade, destruction of the environment, and other horrors. But is this a legitimate assessment of Europe’s inevitable western expansion? In Columbus and the Crisis of the West, Dr. Robert Royal carefully examines the mind and motives of Christopher Columbus, distinguishing him as the greatest explorer of his age, whose courage and vision extended Christian Europe and inspired the American spirit. Yet you won’t find here a full-throated defense of Christopher Columbus. Rather, Dr. Royal examines what actually happened in the decades following 1492, when two widely divergent cultures met and mingled. Refusing to ignore or underplay the tragedies of America’s origins, Royal masterfully places these events in historical context, protecting them from the contemporary biases that are moving forward at ramming speed to crush fragile truths. In these pages you’ll explore Columbus’s spirituality and the apocalyptic vision that guided him, as well as the disparate ways in which Puritans and Catholics viewed and approached the indigenous peoples. You’ll also discover what life was really like for them, the truth about Indian environmentalism, the essence of the noble savage, and the soundness of the claim that the native peoples were innocents living in harmony with nature. Here is the book that cuts through the fashionable pieties of our time by boldly refuting the most popular indictments of Columbus and early America. Finally, a serious classical scholar who confronts with power the crusading revisionist historians who are leveraging the Native American conquest in an effort to defile, dishonor, and ultimately upend Western civilization.

After the Human Genome Project, the field of genetics had laid dormant until recently. The surprising advance of CRISPR technology allows scientists and amateurs to edit the DNA of plants, animals and humans. There is a heated debate about whether we should use this technology not only to correct genetic illnesses, but also to enhance humanity. With the news of the birth of babies in China through CRISPR gene editing of embryos, we have crossed the boundary of genetically modified humans. Would this technology create superior offspring who would be healthier, smarter, and live longer? Could such technology change human nature in a radical and possibly disastrous way?

In this installment of the CIC’s Fr. James V. Schall Lecture Series, Jay W. Richards, PhD, delves into the topic of his latest book, Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul—A Christian Guide to Fasting. Dr. Richards blends old Christian eating habits with current research on the benefits of fasting in this spirited outing.

Fr. Miscamble discusses how understanding Hesburgh’s life and work illuminates the journey that the Catholic Church traversed over the second half of the twentieth century. Exploring and evaluating Hesburgh’s importance, then, contributes not only to the colorful history of Notre Dame but also to comprehending the American Catholic experience.

How can faith be relevant in today’s culture to anyone; young or old, Christian or otherwise? By examining this question across a wide spectrum of the aspects of life: the arts, education, parish life, and politics, Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete served as a witness for how Christians can engage with the world fully without losing sight of what is Christian in Christianity. On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Monsignor’s passing, the Albacete Forum and the Catholic Information Center invited the public for a discussion with Kathryn Lopez, Fr. Lee Fangmeyer, and Helen Whitney on what his writings and perspectives offer to our engagement with the current cultural, social, and religious dialogues we face daily.

The Thomistic Institute and Catholic Information Center present a lecture by Prof. Frederick Bauerschmidt of Loyola University Maryland titled “Authentic Freedom in the Novels of Graham Greene.” This lecture will explore how the genre of narrative is uniquely useful in showing the nature of true freedom. Three of Graham Green’s “Catholic novels,” The Power and the Glory (1940), The Heart of the Matter (1948), and The End of the Affair (1951) will be discussed as examples of the narrative depiction of the interplay of human freedom and divine grace.

Dr. Samuel Goldman, Assistant Professor of Political Science at The George Washington University, and Ramesh Ponnuru, journalist and visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, engage in a spirited debate on the virtues and vices seen in the recent rise of nationalist sentiment in the West. Can loyalty to one’s nation promote human flourishing? How should Catholics understand nationalism in the context of solidarity, subsidiarity, human dignity, and the common good?

Listen as Sohrab Ahmari recounts this unlikely passage, from the strident Marxism and atheism of a youth misspent on both sides of the Atlantic to a moral and spiritual awakening prompted by the Mass. At once a young intellectual’s finely crafted self-portrait and a life story at the intersection of the great ideas and events of our time, Sohrab marks the debut of a compelling new Catholic voice.

The CIC was excited to welcome Robert Royal to discuss his book, “The God That Did Not Fail: How Religion Built and Sustains the West.” This book is the first CIC book group pick of 2019! The CIC book group is managed by Linda Formella and Milton Grenfell. The group meets weekly at the CIC on Thursday from 12:45pm-1:30pm. Be sure to pick up your copy of “The God That Did Not Fail: How Religion Built and Sustains the West” at the CIC.

A Wall Street Journal writer’s conversation-changing look at how reading aloud makes adults and children smarter, happier, healthier, more successful and more closely attached, even as technology pulls in the other direction.

In a series of fascinating interviews, a cradle Catholic (Robert P. George) and an adult convert (R. J. Snell), offer the stories of sixteen converts, each a public intellectual or leading voice in their respective fields, and each making a significant contribution to the life of the Church. Mind, Heart, and Soul is a Surprised by Truth for a new generation. It will reinvigorate the faith of Catholics and answer questions or address hurdles those discerning entering the Church may have…by people have had the same questions and the same road.

The purpose of A Catechism for Family Life: Insights from Church Teaching on Love, Marriage, Sex, and Parenting is to present the teachings of the Catholic Church as they relate to specific questions in marriage and family life. Many Catholics are under-catechized and have trouble both understanding and articulating Church teaching on sexuality and marriage to an increasingly challenging culture. Pope Francis, along with the fathers of the two recent Synods on the Family, have called for better formation for those who work in the area of marriage and family life (see Amoris Laetitia, 202). To address this need, we gathered pertinent questions facing men, women, and pastoral workers in marriage and family life. We then found passages relevant to these questions by researching Church documents on marriage and family from the past one hundred years. These include papal encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, and addresses, Vatican II documents, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Mainstream media coverage of Church events and Church teaching leads many to misunderstand Catholic positions on marriage and family life. While the Catholic Church has developed a rich, detailed, and positive teaching on marriage, family, and sexuality, many Catholics do not have access to this teaching, buried as it is in lengthy Church documents which many find intimidating. Finding the relevant teaching to address specific questions is not always a simple task, either. This book’s main contribution is to present Church teaching relevant to marriage and family in one volume clearly organized by topic and question.

Most Rev. Kurtz addresses both the important value of religious freedom in the United States and highlights some current challenges on the landscape with the response that the Conference of Bishops is making.

Bestselling author and economist Jay W. Richards makes the definitive case for how the free market and individual responsibility can save the American Dream in an age of automation and mass disruption.

Building the Benedict Option: A Guide to Gathering Two or Three Together in His Name is a combination spiritual memoir and practical handbook for Christians who want to build communities of prayer, socialization, and evangelization in the places where they live and work. Beginning when the author was a new convert, she desired more communal prayer and fellowship than weekly Mass could provide. She surveyed her friends–busy, young, urban professionals like herself–and created enriching or supportive experiences that matched their desires and schedules. The result was a less lonely and more boisterous spiritual and social life. No Catholic Martha Stewart, Libresco is frank about how she plans events that allow her to feed thirty people on a Friday night without feeling exhausted. She is honest about the obstacles to prayer and the challenge to make it inviting and unobtrusive. Above all, she communicates the joy she has experienced since discovering ways to open her home (even when it was only a small studio apartment).

Throughout his writings, Walker Percy explores modern man’s catastrophic failure to understand who he is. This talk explains Percy’s diagnosis of this catastrophe–its nature and causes–and various false avenues of escaping it. Jennifer pays particular attention to how Percy’s understanding of the spiritual crisis of modernity–a crisis of self-knowledge– plays out in his science fiction novel, Love in the Ruins.

Panelists explore the pernicious effects of secular progressive education, and its infiltration of Catholic schools. By examining the nature and purpose of Catholic education and its roots in the classical liberal arts tradition, the panel recognizes how neglect of our own tradition undermines both faith and reason in our children. A dynamic renewal, however, is transforming and inspiring a growing number of Catholic schools who are reclaiming the Church’s tradition.

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s last and greatest novel, The Brothers Karamazov, explores the question of God’s existence against the backdrop of suffering and betrayal within a troubled family. The genius of Dostoevsky is to have grasped that there can be no love for human beings without a love for God — and conversely, there can be no belief in God without a deep and profound love for mankind. Prof. Nicholas Healy presents a brief overview of the structure and characters of the novel, focusing on the themes of solidarity and forgiveness.

Find Your Whistle: Simple Gifts Touch Hearts and Change Lives by CICDC

Responsibility to Care: What Euthanasia Victims Can Teach Us by CICDC

Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person by CICDC

Has liberalism failed because it has succeeded? Listen as Deneen offers an astringent warning that the centripetal forces now at work on our political culture are not superficial flaws but inherent features of a system whose success is generating its own failure.

How should Christians understand and navigate the challenges of life in 21st century America? What characterizes our time and how should we live in it as Christians, as parents, as human beings? Listen as a panel with three authors from Fare Forward discuss their pieces and the questions and issues they raise.

Sigrid Undset is best known for her novel Kristin Lavransdatter, which earned her the Nobel Prize in 1928. Although she is acclaimed for the historical and psychological realism of this portrait of a 14th Norwegian woman, her novels also contain a deeper layer of richness that can only properly be appreciated through a theological lens. In this lecture, Fr. Snyder presents some of Undset’s stories of conversion in light of St. Thomas Aquinas’s doctrine of grace. Undset’s writings illustrate to modern readers the beauty of a heart transformed by the God who is ever ancient and ever new.

Daniel C. Mattson, author of the new book “Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay: How I Reclaimed My Sexual Reality and Found Peace” discusses his personal journey to and from a gay identity and details the importance for the Church to have a prophetic role in the world in reclaiming sexual reality.

Large and Startling Figures Flannery O’Connor’s Postmodern Apologetic with Dr. Frederick C. Bauerschmidt Writing to a friend in the mid-1950s, the American fiction writer Flannery O’Connor noted that we live in an age in which “the moral sense has been bred out of certain sections of the population, like the wings have been bred off certain chickens to produce more white meat on them….This is a Generation of wingless chickens, which I suppose is what Nietzsche meant when he said God was dead.” In such a situation, she felt, subtlety could not work: “you have to make your vision apparent by shock—to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures.” Dr. Bauerschmidt explores how, through her fiction, O’Conner presented her Catholic vision by means of grotesque and often shockingly violent tales in which the absolute demands of belief clash with postmodern indifference, attempting to open jaded modern readers to the possibility of transcendent truth.