For any MOJ readers in the New York area: Thursday evening, Feb. 15, is the second part of Fordham Law School's Catholic Lawyer's Program on Faithful Citizenship, "a three-part series to explore the legal, ethical, and cultural implications of bringing Catholic values and social teaching into public life." Tomorrow nights topic is: When Conscience Clashes with State Law & Policy: Catholic Institutions. The speaker is, yours truly, and Piero Tozzi, Esq., of Winston & Strawn will respond to my talk. The program will take place in Room 430 B&C at Fordham Law School, 140 West 62nd Street. and will run from 6:00-7:45, with a reception to follow. Join us for what I'm sure will be a good discussion.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Faithful Citizenship at Fordham
Monday, January 29, 2007
RIP Robert Drinan
Robert Drinan, S.J., died last night of pneumonia and congestive heart failure. Although he was a controversial figure for many Catholics, he was tireless laborer in areas such as legal ethics and international human rights. Rest in peace.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Law and Christian Feminism
I've been meaning to say something about Saturday's Lumen Christi program in D.C. since I returned home Sunday morning, so I was glad to see Rick's post on the subject. The entire day was energizing.
I participated in a panel entitled Law and Christian Feminism, that also included presentations by Lisa Schiltz and Marie Failinger. Marie brought what she describes as a "Luteran sort-of-feminist perspective, whereas Lisa and I both speak as Catholics.
My talk had two parts. The first was an exploration of what a Catholic Feminist Legal Theory can contribute to discussions of the law that is unique and different from the contributions of secular feminist theory. The second was a discussion of some of the challenges articulation of a Catholic Feminist Legal Theory faces. As to the first, CFLT brings to the table (1) a different understanding of he nature of the human person than that underlying secular feminist thought (that is, an understanding of the human being as relational by nature, and not by choice); (2) a different understanding of sex and gender; and (3) the benefits flowing from viewing God through feminine eyes. As I continue to develop these three themes in my writing, I will also explore particular legal issues on which CFLT has something important to contribute.
I also spent some time talking about the challenges to articulation of a CFLT, that is, those things that need to be addressed in order for non-Catholics to take seriously a CFLT. The four I identified and spoke briefly about are (1) the exclusion of women from certain positions in the Church, specifically the question of ordination; (2) the Church's position on contraception; (3) the historical narrative of subordination of women; (4) a misportrayal of Mary.
I hope Lisa will add some comments about her talk, which included a wonderful discussion of complementarity and why it is significant for non-Catholics, men and secular feminists as well as for Catholic women.
Monday, December 18, 2006
The Work of Prophets
From "The Prison Meditations of Father Delp":
"Advent is the time for rousing. Man is shaken to the very depths, so that he may wake up to the truth of himself. The primary condition for a fruitful and rewarding Advent is renunciation, surrender... A shattering awakening; that is the necessary preliminary. Life only begins when the whole framework is shaken.
"...May the Advent figure of St. John the Baptist, the incorruptible herald and teacher in God's name, be no longer a stranger in our own wilderness. Much depends on such symbolic figures in our lives. For how shall we hear if there are none to cry out, none whose voice can rise above the tumult of violence and destruction, the false clamor that deafens us to reality?
"...There is so much despair that cries out for comfort; there is so much faint courage that needs to be reinforced; there is so much perplexity that yearns for reasons and meanings. God's messengers, who have themselvs reaped the fruits of divine seeds even in the darkest hours, know how to wait for the fulness of harvest."
As we continue through this Advent season, let us pray that we recognize God's messengers when they appear to us, and that we be that messenger to others.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Catholic Response to Darfur
I received the following from a MOJ reader:
"I am reaching out to you as a resource or a guide to assist me in understanding the Catholic response to the atrocities in Darfur. I read a blog by Greg Sisk in the Mirror of justice, however the link to his contact information is broken. I am very concerned about the lack of public attention the Pope has called to this issue. I do realize he has made statements (last known in January of this year) in regard to the need to intervene in Darfur, but it is not enough. I do not hear about this issue at Mass and other than donating to Catholic Relief Services I do not know how I can help. The church and the Pope have the power to intervene in Darfur through a public campaign on the issue - however for all intent and purpose we seem to be silent as thousands are murdered. Please advise how we as Catholics can take action on this issue."
Any thoughts for our reader? I confess I share the frustration that more outrage is not being expressed (by everyone - Catholics and non-Catholics) over what is happening in Darfur.
Monday, November 13, 2006
CST and Health Care
Michael S. asks whether Catholic thought requires us to favor some form of affordable universal health care. The answer to that question is a resounding yes.
At Villanova's Fourth Annual Symposium on Catholic Social Thought and the Law (which focused this year on the Preferential Option for the Poor) and again at a faculty colliquium at U. St. Thomas a few weeks ago, I presented a paper entitled: "Poor Coverage": The Preferential Option for the Poor and Access to Health Care. In it I argue that Catholic social thought demands that we think about access to health care as a basic human right and that providing all citizens with access to health care must be viewed as a collective responsibility. In Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII identified health care as among the basic rights that flow from the dignity of the human person. Pope John Paul II similarly included a right to sufficient health care as among the human rights endorsed by the Church. The American bishops have also spoke of access to adequate health care as a basic right necessary for human beings to relaize the fullness of their dignity.
As Michael observes, the rub is always how do we get there. My paper also looks at several approaches to health care reform in terms of thier adherence to the principles Catholic social thought. The paper, which will be published in the Villanova Journal of Catholic Social Thought, will be posted at the sidebar below my name (hopefully today or tomorrow).
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Women on Corporate Boards
The topic of women on corporate boards if one of great interest to me, both as someone who has written on matters of corporate goverenance and as someone who has served on the board of directors of a public company.
My starting point is that there is value to having women being represented on corporate boards of directors, just as there is value in representation on boards by members of racial minorities. That is, that we should be just as bothered by having corporate boards comprised exclusively or virtually exclusively by white males only, as by having the Supreme Court or the highest positions in other branches of government or the highest positions in the hierarchy of any other institution so comprised. I'm not sure I think it is just a question of equity, as Mark suggests. Rather, I tend to agree with Lisa's broad point, based on my experience in various walks of life, including both academic and business, that groups with a critical mass of women are different from groups without such a critical mass.
Whether that difference would translate into "better" corporate governance (a term we haven't defined, as Mark points out) is a different matter. Based on my limited board experience (serving on the board of one public company, during the first couple of years of which service I was the only woman) and the boards with which I dealt when in legal practice, I don't disagree with Mark that women bring the same professional, business and fiduciary ethos to the position as do men. However, it is also my (completely nonscientific, anecdotal) sense that there may be issues women are more likely to raise than are men.
One thing I think is beyond dispute is that there are a number of well-qualified women to serve on corporate boards. The comment of Michael's colleague that women such as academics have experience on some but not all issues that a board may face doesn't seem to me a persuasive one. That is true of virtually all board members. When I was on that board (as an academic who in my prior legal practice had handling executive compensation and benefits matters), no other person on the board approached my experience and knowledge in those areas. So there I brought more to bear in our discussions, whereas on other matters, other board members were more knowledgable. The pool of qualified candidates is there.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
The Silence of Contemplation
Lisa asks if "the silence of contemplation" is possible in the life of a working parent? For me the answer has been yes, with a lot of cooperation from my husband and daughter.
Perhaps at least in part becuase I returned to Catholicism some years ago after spending a number of years as a Buddhist (almost two years of which were spent living essentially in a monastic environment), time for contemplation is as necessary for me as the air I breathe. And so for at least the last five or six years or so (i.e., beginning when Elena, now 13, was 7 or 8 or so), I take the first 30-45 minutes of each day in quiet prayer. It took a while for my daughter to respect that time - in the beginning there were all sorts of important things that just couldn't wait from her perspective....then she shifted to standing in my doorway saying something like, "I'm not interrupting your prayer, I'm just waiting to see if you are finished." But for some time now, if I'm sitting and the door is closed there is no interruption.
My husband's faciliation has been even more instrumental. Every year I go off for at least one 8-day retreat and sometimes a second shorter one. Although I'm sure the period of single parenting is not convenient, he happily does so. (And the retreat periods are in addition to putting up with lots of trips for academic travel as well as weekends spent at the Jesuit retreat house of which I am a member of the adjunct staff.)
Ultimately, I think our goal as Christians is to live our lives out of a contemplative stance - to be contemplatives in action. However, I think contemplative prayer is necessary in order to develop that ability.
As Michael suggests. learning to shift from telling God to "listen[ing] with [our] hearts to God who speaks" takes time.....perhaps more time for those of us who are used to being the speakers (and writers) during the rest of our day.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Morality and Regulation
Regarding Ricks' most recent post responding to Eduardo, I think I draw a distinction that Rick does not draw between not outlawing abortion and funding and constitutionalizing it. I agree with Rick that, notwithstanding the limits of legal moralism, we should be troubled by government action that has the effect of promoting abortion, such as funding. But I'm not convinced failing to outlaw abortion is choosing injustice over justice. I explore some of these issues in John Courtney Murray and the Abortion Debate, which appears in the Villanova Journal of Catholic Social Thought and is posted here as well.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Ignatian Spirituality and Social Justice
MOJ readers in the Long Island area will be interested in a monthly series that commences this month at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, entitled: Ignatian Spirituality Series: A Call to Justice. Through input, reflection, prayer and spiritual converstaion, participants in the series will explore issues of social justice in light of the spirituality of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. The full schedule, as well as information regarding cost and registration, can be obtained from the retreat house's website here. The first few sessions of the series are:
The Ignatian Call to Life for the Life of the World (Presenter: David McCallum, S.J.), Saturday, September 30, 9:00a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Justice for All: Examining our Attitudes Toward the "Other" (Presenter: Susan J. Stabile), Saturday, October 28, 9:00a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Face of Human Trafficking - A Haunting Cry in Our time (Presenter: Sr. Helene Hayes, RGS), Thursday, Nov. 9, 7:00p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Seeing the Face of Christ in the Poor: Economic Justice (Presenter: John Freund, C.M.) - Saturday, December 9, 9:00a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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