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About the Initiative

The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life is a unique effort to promote dialogue on Catholic social thought and national and global issues, build bridges across political, religious, and ideological lines, and encourage a new generation of Catholic lay leaders to see their faith as an asset in pursuing the common good.

Events

Women demonstrate in support of refugee rights.
Mar
9
2026

Catholic Women’s Leadership to Advance the Common Good Event

This dialogue — just one day after International Women’s Day — will highlight the remarkable work Catholic women are doing around the world to promote the common good, as well as the opportunities ahead to continue to advance women’s leadership in the Church. Women lead major social service

Headshots of Christine Emba, Ashley Feasley, Pete Davis, and Nicholas Hayes-Mota

Initiative welcomes spring 2026 fellows: Christine Emba, Ashley Feasley, Pete Davis, and Nicholas Hayes-Mota

Christine Emba, Ashley Feasley, Pete Davis, and Nicholas Hayes-Mota have joined Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life as fellows for the spring 2026 semester. As leading voices at the intersection of faith and public life, these new fellows share the Initiative’s commitment to the principles of Catholic social thought and to building bridges across political, religious, and ideological lines.

John McCarthy and Gloria Purvis join the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life as inaugural senior fellows

John McCarthy and Gloria Purvis have joined Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life as our inaugural senior fellows for the fall 2025 semester.

As leading voices at the intersection of faith and public life, McCarthy and Purvis share the Initiative’s commitment to the principles of Catholic social thought and to building bridges across political, religious, and ideological lines. McCarthy and Purvis will contribute to our busy line-up of fall programming that includes Public Dialogues on immigration, faith and democracy, and the dignity of work and AI, along with student engagement and their own writing and speaking projects.

Read the full announcement.

Media Around Pope Francis’ Legacy and Pope Leo XIV’s Election

Kim Daniels and John Carr of Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life offer their expertise to journalists seeking interviews on a variety of subjects related to Pope Francis’s legacy, the history of the papacy, and the election of Pope Leo XIV.