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 New Intolerance

Francis X. Maier

There is a new kind of intolerance “strangling open discussion across the West,” and this new brand of intolerance is linked closely with the sexual revolution.

Articles

First Things / March 21, 2023

Enough is Enough

Francis X. Maier

The priesthood, just like the laity, is peopled by humans; and humans are creatures with flaws.

Articles

The Catholic Thing / March 16, 2023

Apostasy in Germany’s Catholic Church

George Weigel

The Synodal Way’s sexual revolution is a break with the faith, not only with Rome.

Articles

The Wall Street Journal / March 16, 2023

A SOMBER ANNIVERSARY

George Weigel

Weigel reflects on Pope Francis’ last 10 years; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Articles

Syndicated Column / March 15, 2023

The Gospel in Lent

Stephen P. White

White illustrates the importance of the Gospel during Lent and the division in the Catholic Church that can only be fixed by living and preaching the Gospel.

Articles

The Catholic Thing / March 9, 2023

The New Ultramontanism and the Dissing of Vatican II

George Weigel

In its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), the Second Vatican Council firmly applied the brakes to “ultramontanism”—the overheated…

Articles

Syndicated Column / March 8, 2023

Black is Beautiful

Francis X. Maier

All those we love, and we ourselves, will one day go through that great black door of death. We need to acknowledge that fact and not try to evade or soften it. Without God, life really is a tragedy, and our mourning is a meaningless biochemical reaction. But our story doesn’t end there. The door has another side: a side of light, with a waiting, loving God.

Articles

Public Discourse / March 8, 2023

Program Appearances

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VIDEO: Vatican II, Liturgy Wars, Mass of the Ages & Concerns About The Synod w/ George Weigel

Upfront with the Archbishop / March 14, 2023

AUDIO: George Weigel on Cardinal McElroy

LA Catholic Morning / March 6, 2023

VIDEO: George Weigel joins Paul Thies on Sangreal

Sangreal / March 6, 2023

AUDIO: Revival through the Eucharist

EDIFY Podcast / March 3, 2023

AUDIO: What is Marriage?

EDIFY Podcast / February 17, 2023

AUDIO: Pope Benedict, Cardinal Pell, Vatican II 

Crown and Crozier / February 4, 2023

VIDEO: To Sanctify the World: the Vital Legacy of Vatican II

EWTN / January 26, 2023