Catholic Studies

As an integral part of the Ethics and Public Policy Center for more than thirty years, the Catholic Studies program explores the many connections between Catholicism and public life and seeks to clarify and deepen knowledge of modern Catholic social thought. We serve as a prominent reference point for government officials, members of Congress, and journalists seeking to understand the social doctrine of the Catholic Church and its application to public policy questions. We argue for the robust moral and cultural foundations needed to sustain a society that is both free and virtuous.

EPPC Distinguished Senior Fellow George Weigel, who holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies, is one of America’s leading public intellectuals and one of the most prominent Catholic thinkers in the world. His annual William E. Simon lecture provides a prominent forum for his work and has spawned influential essays, articles, and books.

EPPC’s Catholic Studies program runs the Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society, an annual summer seminar on Catholic social teaching and the thought of Pope John Paul II.

EPPC Kate O’Beirne Fellow Mary Rice Hasson also directs EPPC’s Catholic Women’s Forum, which helps shape conversations in the Church and in the culture—about marriage and family, gender and sexuality, the role of women, religious liberty, and the dignity of human life—through expert commentary, presentations, scholarly articles, and in national and international conferences.

Other scholars affiliated with the Catholic Studies Program are EPPC Senior Fellow Francis X. Maier, EPPC Fellow Stephen P. White, EPPC Cardinal Francis George Fellow Mary FioRito, and EPPC Postdoctoral Fellow Gabrielle Girgis.

Please direct all inquiries about the Catholic Studies Program to:

Ella Ramsay
Catholic Studies Program Coordinator
202-715-3496
[email protected]

Program Publications

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The World Beyond Our Window

Francis X. Maier

The world beyond the window of our lives as Christians is a long line of ordinary souls in an extraordinary story; a story of salvation stretching back into history and on into the future toward a loving God.

The Catholic Thing / September 27, 2023

Behold the Man

Stephen P. White

We all need, from time to time, to be shaken from our own blindness and complacency.

The Catholic Thing / September 21, 2023

The Blessed Ulma Family and Our Catholic Moment

George Weigel

It’s a rare occasion when the word “unprecedented” can be used for a Church whose history extends over two millennia.

Syndicated Column / September 20, 2023

Take the Red Pill

Francis X. Maier

We can’t be the creatures of dignity God made us to be; we can’t be leaven in the world; we can’t serve Jesus Christ and see clearly what needs to be done in the world, if we’re lumps of its sleeping debris.

The Catholic Thing / September 14, 2023

Solidarity with a Martyr Church

George Weigel

For centuries, many Polish Catholic leaders bent every effort to “Latinize” the Greek Catholics in terms of liturgy, church discipline, and governance.

Syndicated Column / September 13, 2023

A Work of Biblical Proportions

George Weigel

REVIEW: ‘The Word: How We Translate the Bible—and Why It Matters’ by John Barton

Washington Free Beacon / September 10, 2023

Does the Shoe Fit?

Stephen P. White

Now, if the shoe fits, wear it. But if words of criticism do not apply to me (or you), then there is nothing to be gained from insisting they do.

The Catholic Thing / September 7, 2023

Program Appearances

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George Weigel on Reason, Revelation, and Society

Instytut Tertio Millennio / September 8, 2023

AUDIO: Vatican II: Setting the record straight

Edify Podcast / June 30, 2023

VIDEO: Catholics Must Get Political. Here’s Why.

Edify / June 27, 2023

VIDEO: What shaped your worldview growing up?

Praxis Circle / June 1, 2023

AUDIO: George Weigel Explores Vatican II

The Catholic Conversation / May 5, 2023

How Did the West REALLY Get So Rich? Not through Slavery. Genius of Western Civilization

The New Culture Forum / April 30, 2023

AUDIO: Church, Culture & Masculinity with George Weigel

Way of the Heart Podcast / April 19, 2023