Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

The Initiative and Director John Carr are important voices in media on the intersection between faith and politics and on Catholic Social Thought and key policy issues. The Initiative’s events and programs are regularly covered and featured by local and national media. This page features highlights from coverage in 2014 and 2015.

Biden, Not on Program, Wows Crowd at Georgetown Interfaith Peace Forum
Catholic News Service
December 17, 2015
Even though he wasn't on the program, Vice President Joe Biden stole the show at a Georgetown University program promoting peace in wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.

The Climate Cardinal: Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez
Millennial Journal
November 12, 2015
Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez, a key advisor to Pope Francis and chair of his Council of Cardinals, spoke at an event cosponsored by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Georgetown Law Center's Environmental Law Program and Climate Change Center, and the Global Futures Initiative. He sat down with journalists for an hour before the event to talk about Pope Francis, Laudato Si, and protecting creation.

Dr. Arthur Brooks and John Carr at the November 2015 Faith Angle Forum
Ethics & Public Policy Center
November 11, 2015
The Faith Angle Forum is a semi-annual conference which brings together a select group of 20 nationally respected journalists with 3-5 distinguished scholars on areas of religion, politics, and public life.

Pope Francis 'Prepared to Battle' on Vatican Reform, Senior Cardinal Says
Religion News Service
November 4, 2015
Despite intense opposition from some conservatives and new revelations of financial scandals in the Vatican, Pope Francis is at peace with the reformist course he has set for the Catholic Church, according to a cardinal who is a leading adviser to the pontiff.

Cardinal Rodríguez at Georgetown: Without Paris Climate Deal, 'Some Countries Will Not Have a Future'
National Catholic Reporter
November 4, 2015
The Laudato Si United States road trip got underway with Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez stumping for the papal encyclical's importance as a call to action and issuing a gloomy warning should the nations of the world not have come to agreement over climate change at the Paris talks.

Cardinal, Adviser to Pope, Sees Rich, Poor Responsible to Protect Earth
The Boston Pilot
November 3, 2015
People of developed nations share responsibility with the rest of the world to protect the earth from environmental destruction and assist poor communities in escaping poverty, a cardinal who is a chief adviser to the pope said.

Es Tiempo de Hacer Oír Nuestra Voz (in Spanish)
El Pregonero
November 3, 2015
In his visit to Washington, D.C., Pope Francis encouraged immigrants to maintain their faith in Christ, to feel proud of their religious customs, and not to faint when trying to integrate in a society marked by cultural diversity. 

Women CEOs Say Faith Guides Their Work in Bringing Gospel to the Needy
Catholic Philly
October 28, 2015
Together, the Catholic organizations led by three women serve millions of people each year across the United States and around the world.

Mujeres Líderes en la Iglesia Católica (in Spanish)
El Pregonero
October 26, 2015
Sister Carol Keehan from Catholic Health Association, Dr. Carolyn Woo from Catholic Relief Services, and Sister Donna Markham from Catholic Charities are leaders in the Catholic Church. These organizations are the largest nonprofits realizing health, human services, and global development operations. 

Powerful Women Outline Role in Living out Pope's Message in Georgetown Panel
National Catholic Reporter
October 26, 2015
Three women leaders of the largest Catholic social service agencies play a key role in helping to fulfill Pope Francis' message of mercy, service, and compassion. The wide-ranging session, "Women Taking the Lead: Acting on Pope Francis' Message," also touched on women's progress within the church, leadership challenges in a male-dominated hierarchy, and prospects for women's ordination.

A Humble Servant in the City of Broad Shoulders
University of St. Thomas Newsroom
October 23, 2015
John Carr, University of St. Thomas alum, shares his perspective on Archbishop Cupich. "Archbishop Cupich is the Francis factor come to Chicago," Carr told the Chicago Tribune. He is like Pope Francis in his humble ways. He has a clear priority for the poor and his ministry of both joy and mercy.

Lean in with Grace: Catholic Women Lead
The Huffington Post
October 23, 2015
Georgetown University hosted three remarkable leaders: Sister Donna Markham, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Charities, USA, Dr. Carolyn Woo, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Relief Services, and Sister Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Health Association. Together their experience and inspirational comportment convey a challenging example of what women are achieving and what it takes to do so.

The Least of Our Families
America
October 15, 2015
A panel discussion at Georgetown University called "It's the Economy, Synod!" addressed the economy and its impact on family life. Hispanic families face these daily economic realities and struggle to hold their families together. The Catholic Church often fails to address the systemic issues facing immigrants and mobilizing vibrant and thriving families to walk in solidarity with the migrants in our midst.

Pope Francis: A Model of 'Faithful Citizenship'
America
October 15, 2015
Three years after two prominent Catholics, Paul Ryan and Joseph R. Biden, debated each other as vice presidential candidates, Washington waited to see whether Mr. Ryan answered his fractured party's pleas to serve as speaker and whether Biden was able to overcome the death of his son to run for president.

Reflections on the Journey
Our Sunday Visitor
October 7, 2015
Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl reflected on Pope Francis' apostolic visit to the United States and the biggest takeaways for American Catholics and the United States Church.

Conference Explores Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment
Today's Catholic News
October 6, 2015
The University of Saint Francis and Our Sunday Visitor presented a conference on Oct. 3 for the Fort Wayne, Indiana community entitled, "Sharing the Gospel of Creation: Integral Ecology and Catholic Theology in Pope Francis' Laudato Si". The conference featured four speakers, including John Carr, Director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

Assessing United States Visit of Pope Francis (Video)
PBS
October 2, 2015
The Pope has returned to Rome after his historic trip to the United States, but the message and meaning of his words and actions are still being debated. John Carr, Director of Georgetown University's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, and Pat Zapor, who covered the Pope's trip for Catholic News Service, offered their insights on how the Pope was received, what he said and did, and what the impact of his message may be on the Catholic Church and beyond.

Double Thumbs Up for Papal Trip at Georgetown University
NCR
October 1, 2015
Twenty four hours after the Pope's plane lifted off from Philadelphia for Rome, a panel of high-profile Catholics, three of them from the world of TV news, gathered at Georgetown University to render an assessment of Francis' six day trip to the United States.The panel discussion, sponsored by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, was moderated by John Carr, Director of the Initiative.

Georgetown University's John Carr on Pope Francis' Visit to Washington, DC (Video)
EWTN
September 30, 2015
John Carr, director of Georgetown's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, discussed how Pope Francis' visit to the United States exemplified the characteristics of Catholic social teaching and challenged the current political partisanship in Washington.

Catholic Social Thought Panel Explores Pope Francis' Visit
Georgetown University
September 29, 2015
Panelists at the "Francis Factor Revisited" dialogue included Mark Shields, Michael Steele, Cokie Roberts, Kim Daniels, and Alexia Kelley.

Pope Uses Popularity to Chart New Direction for Church and United States
ABC News
September 28, 2015
From his very first appearance, Pope Francis wove together issues that are rarely linked in American public life, bridging the realms of the disadvantaged and elite, trying to turn the attention of the mightiest nation on earth away from ideological battles and toward a world he said desperately needs help.

A View from the Gallery: Pope Francis' Address to Congress
America
September 27, 2015
As I sat in the House Gallery to hear the speech of Pope Francis, I wondered what was more unlikely: a Jesuit pope from Argentina or a pope addressing the United States' Congress, lifting up Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton as examples of the best of American values.

New York Opens its Arms, and Heart, to Pope Francis
Boston Globe
September 26, 2015
Pope Francis brought his campaign to stop climate change to the United Nations on Friday, calling on the largest gathering of world leaders in the body's history to recognize a "right of the environment" as part of a broader recognition of human rights and dignity.

Has Anyone Thanked John Boehner?
Creators
September 26, 2015
Let history note that it was John Boehner, as a lowly second-term member of the House minority, who in 1994 organized a petition to then-House Speaker Tom Foley requesting that Pope John Paul II be invited to address Congress. Boehner persisted for 21 years, until Francis accepted.

Pope Francis to Put Immigrants Center Stage at Independence Hall
NBC
September 25, 2015
Pope Francis will meet with immigrants before his speech at the place where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States' Constitution were signed, and bless a 5-foot-tall cross symbolizing the journey of faith for Latino Catholics.

Pope Francis: A Different Messenger
Times Union
September 25, 2015
Pope Francis has been very open and public about positions such as immigration and the environment that are sharply contested in Congress. Some Americans didn't welcome his appearance in Congress and throughout the country. The very idea that the Pope would appear before Congress and deliver a speech to it was without precedent; for some it was unwanted.

Pope Francis, Church, and State in America (Video)
Al Jazeera America
September 25, 2015
Following Pope Francis' first couple of days in Washington, DC, John Carr, Director at the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, saw the Pope's message as one people over politics.

Affirming American Values, Pope Francis Urges Empathy in Congress (Video)
PBS NewsHour
September 24, 2015
Following his address to Congress, Judy Woodruff talked with Sister Simone Campbell of Nuns on the Bus, John Carr of Georgetown University, and James Nicholson, former United States ambassador to the Holy See, to hear their thoughts on Pope Francis' talk and whether it will have an impact.

Interview with John Carr about Pope Francis' Washington Visit Pt. 2 (Video)
NBC News 4
September 24, 2015
John Carr, Director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, discussed the intricacies and implications of Pope Francis' congressional address.

Interview with John Carr about Pope Francis' Washington Visit Pt. 1 (Video)
NBC News 4
September 24, 2015
John Carr, Director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life of Georgetown University, discussed the political implications of the papal address to Congress and Pope Francis' bottom-up approach that seeks to emphasize how policy must touch the most vulnerable.

In Pope Francis' Outreach to the Poor, Deeds Speak Louder than Words
Washington Post
September 24, 2015
In a city of dueling personalities, where the elite plot over power and the vulnerable struggle amid a staggering rise in homelessness, Francis established a provocative contrast by navigating both those worlds in one morning, beginning his day with Congress but choosing to spend his meal with the homeless at Catholic Charities.

Francis Turns Down Congress Leaders' Lunch Invitation to Honor Homeless
Fox News
September 24, 2015
Sometimes referred to as "the slum pope" for his love of and work with the most impoverished, Francis headed to St. Patrick's Parish to eat lunch with the homeless after his historic address to a joint meeting of the US Congress.

Pope Francis' Profound Personalism
Washington Post
September 24, 2015
Pope Francis has delivered to Congress his State of the Soul address. For a moment, marginalized groups "from refugees to prisoners" got the center stage of American politics. Congress got a bracing reminder of its calling, and representatives from both parties were forced to applaud the Golden Rule.

Pope Francis' Historic Visit to the United States and the Chance to Spur Action on Climate Change
Huffington Post
September 23, 2015
At his election the Pope adopted the name of St. Francis of Assisi, who he described as "the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation." His visit to America was his most significant apostolic journey and may have proved to be his greatest challenge.

Francis 2.0 Emerges in America--Pope and Church Are a Package Deal
Crux
September 23, 2015
After his first day in the United States, Francis appeared determined to reinsert himself into the context of the Church he leads and the teaching it represents while still maintaining his charismatic, populist edge.

Labor Sees Opportunity in the Pope's Arrival
Washington Post
September 23, 2015
"We are making efforts to amplify Pope Francis' message because we think he speaks for a higher set of values that animate the labor movement," says Damon Silvers, policy director of the AFL-CIO. With Pope Francis' visit to Washington, events hosted by various organized labor groups made an unprecedented show of unity with the Catholic Church at a time when its leader is more focused on issues of inequality and economic justice than any other pope in recent memory.

Pre-Empting the Inevitable Spin on Pope Francis' Address to Congress
National Catholic Register
September 22, 2015
"Pope Francis is the ultimate Washington outsider," said John Carr, who heads the Initiative for Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, because he takes as a starting point the moral framework of the Gospel, "not a political platform".

Pope Francis Brings Tough Love to America
CNN
September 22, 2015
The first Latin American pope's blessings on America could have also contained uncomfortable challenges as he addressed a country that encapsulates many of the ills he has denounced as the head of one of the world's largest religions.

Catholics in White House Often Help Obama Build Support for Thorny Policy
New York Times
September 22, 2015
For the Obama White House, obtaining Catholic support on important elements of its agenda has often involved going around the Catholic Church hierarchy. And to lead that effort it has often turned to Catholic members of the president's senior staff.

Where Obama, Pope Francis Share Policy Vision: Cuba and Climate Change
Wall Street Journal
September 22, 2015
When President Obama and Pope Francis met, it was more about policy alignment than forging new ground. President Obama planned to advance core components of his policy agenda, but he had to tread carefully through this diplomatically sensitive conversation.

Pope Francis Comes to Washington (Video)
CBS: WUSA-DC Channel 9 News
September 22, 2015
John Carr, Director of the Initiative on Catholic and Public Life at Georgetown University, joined the WUSA-DC Channel 9 News to discuss what we could expect from Pope Francis when he visited Washington, D.C.

John Carr: Expect to be Challenged by Pope Francis, the Ultimate 'Engage and Persuade' Leader
Faith and Leadership
September 22, 2015
Whether you're liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Jew, count on being challenged in some way by Pope Francis during his visit to the United States, said John Carr, the Director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

Pope's Appeal Inspires, Inflames Congress
Boston Globe
September 21, 2015
He is hailed as a bridge builder among Catholics worldwide, a peacemaker who has prayed with Israeli and Palestinian heads of state and helped Cuba and the United States reestablish diplomatic ties. How could his outspokenness on issues such as climate change, immigration and capitalism have stirred partisan sentiments?

Pope Francis Visit Poses Risks for Republicans and Democrats, Too
Toronto Star
September 20, 2015
On abortion, on contraception, on gender roles, on marriage, gay and straight, Francis is no liberal. But his calls for bold action on climate change and a compassionate immigration policy pose a real election-season risk to a Republican Party that has drifted right as the Vatican has drifted left.

Who Owns the Pope?
The Economist
September 19, 2015
In Catholic churches, schools and hospitals across Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia, destinations for Pope Francis' first trip to America, enthusiasm was building among Catholics and non-Catholics alike. 

Pope Francis in the United States (Video)
PBS
September 18, 2015
PBS asked Catholics about their expectations for Pope Francis' first trip to the United States and heard from John Carr, Director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

Jumbotrons, the Popemobile, and What Else to Expect from Pope Francis' Upcoming Visit (Video)
Washington Business Journal
September 17, 2015
The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University hosted a media briefing for the Pope's September 22-24 visit to Washington, D.C.

"The Francis Factor" Comes to Washington, as Pope Will Visit Congress and Homeless
Catholic Standard
September 17, 2015
Two years ago, the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life launched with a panel discussion to assess the Pope's worldwide popularity and potential impact on Catholic life. On the eve of Pope Francis' first visit to the United States, the Initiative's Director, John Carr, was interviewed about the emerging and continuing relevance of Pope Francis. 

The People's Pope in DC (Video)
ABC 7
September 16, 2015
Pope Francis was the fourth pope to visit the United States and the third to visit Washington, D.C. while serving in the role. His visit gave him a better understanding of the United States, and had an impact on Catholics and non-Catholics as well.

Papal Mass to Use Cross from Dahlgren Chapel
The Voice
September 15, 2015
The Archdiocese of Washington  borrowed an iron cross from Georgetown's Dahlgren Chapel to feature during the Mass of the Canonization of Junipero Serra over which Pope Francis presided on Sept. 23 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The cross, an aspect of the mass that reflects the Pope's Jesuit heritage, was featured on the front of the lectern from which liturgical readings were proclaimed for the September 23 mass.

It's the Economy, Synod! Economic Pressures and Family Life
Millennial Journal
September 15, 2015
Crux the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University hosted an event to focus on economic pressures that families face in anticipation of Pope Francis' visit to the United States and the reconvening of the Synod on the Family in Rome.

News Nightly Interview with John Carr (Video)
EWTN
September 11, 2015
John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, offered his expertise on Pope Francis' potential messages during his trip to the United States before the visit. 

Preparation, Speculation Mounts for Pope Visit
Roll Call
September 10, 2015
Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to descend upon the District of Columbia to witness the first leg of Pope Francis' United States visit, with much attention focused on the Capitol, where the pontiff became the first leader of the Catholic Church to address a joint meeting of Congress.

Pope Expected to Challenge Congress on Immigration
USA Today
August 25, 2015
In the first-ever papal address to Congress, Pope Francis was expected to exhort lawmakers to open America's doors to struggling immigrants rather than build bigger fences to keep them out.

Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment: A Dialogue on its Moral and Policy Challenges
Millennial Journal
July 9, 2015
On the heels of Pope Francis' newest encyclical Laudato Si Georgetown's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life held a dialogue that featured Gina McCarthy, administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency; Anne Thompson, chief environmental affairs and Vatican correspondent for NBC News; Christiana Peppard, professor of moral theology at Fordham University; and Ralph Izzo, chairman, president, and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. 

Cardinal Rodriguez Explains Pope Francis' Mission and Message, Previews Trip to Congress
Millennial Journal
May 4, 2015
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez, the chair of the Council of Cardinals and one of Pope Francis' closest advisers, spoke at the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown on the mission and message of Pope Francis.