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Public Dialogue Panelists in Gaston Hall

Public Dialogues

The Initiative hosts civil and substantive Public Dialogues on the implications of Catholic social thought in public life and on key domestic and international policy issues involving respected policymakers, journalists, scholars, religious leaders, and other experts. More than 130 Public Dialogues have drawn more than 370,000 people to hear diverse perspectives on faith and politics, Pope Francis and Pope Leo’s leadership, poverty and economics, immigration and environment, human life and dignity, terrorism and peace, roles of women in the Church and society, and other global topics.

Events

Image of a 16-foot cross planted in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC
Nov
18
2025

Faith, Democracy, and the Common Good

Dear friends of the Initiative,

As you may have heard, on November 5 we received the difficult news that Cardinal Robert McElroy has been diagnosed with well-differentiated liposarcoma, a non-aggressive form of cancer, and has surgery scheduled for November 13. According to the Archdiocese, his…

Videos

Pope Leo XIV’s New Challenge and Moral Leadership on Poverty, Work, and Artificial Intelligence (Video)

October 30, 2025

Duration: 1 hour 13 minutes

When Justice and Mercy Meet: Restorative Justice, Racial Equity, and the Work of Reconciliation (Video)

September 26, 2025

Duration: 1 hour 8 minutes

Deportations and Assaults on Human Dignity (Video)

September 11, 2025

Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes