Mother holding her child

Promoting a Consistent Ethic of Life: Investing in Low-Income Children and Families

The consistent ethic of life, an active commitment to protect all human life and promote the dignity of all, is being tested in new and challenging ways. The U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and its repercussions have generated intense conflict and underscored our responsibility to listen to and learn from the experiences of women, protect unborn human life, and offer concrete support to women and children. Other compelling issues of life and death haunt our nation, including the continued imposition of the death penalty; racial, economic, and environmental injustice; and conflicts and horrific violence in countries around the world. People are too often treated as numbers and things, not as children of God worthy of protection and care.

For Catholics and others of good will, this is a test of our faith and humanity and an inescapable challenge. We are called to build an authentic culture of life that defends the inviolable dignity of all human beings; to pursue dialogue and resist ideological approaches; to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable; and to consistently and effectively defend human life and dignity in violent times. This dialogue will focus in particular on the responsibility and opportunity to stand with and advocate for life-giving material and social support for women and children in need.

This dialogue with four outstanding leaders will explore how the U.S. Catholic Church can effectively advance the common good through a principled and active commitment to the consistent ethic of life, and how we can advance this commitment in our lives, public policy efforts, on-the-ground work, and advocacy for the most vulnerable. It will focus on how to make support for low-income children and their families a moral and national priority.

Participants:

  • Patrick Brown is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where his work with the Life and Family Initiative focuses on developing a robust pro-family economic agenda and supporting families as the cornerstone of a healthy and flourishing society.
  • Sr. Christa Parra, IBVM, is a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a third generation Mexican-American, and serves in a pastoral accompaniment role at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. She is a graduate of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois.
  • Kerry Robinson is the president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, a network of Catholic Charities agencies that provide help to and create hope for more than 15 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds.
  • Barbara Williams-Skinner is the CEO of Skinner Leadership Institute, co-convener of the National African American Clergy Network, co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Prayer Breakfast, and a major leader in the Circle of Protection.
  • Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative and member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, will moderate the discussion.

Accessibility and Accommodations

For those who cannot join us in person, the dialogue starting at 12:30 p.m. EST will be livestreamed and posted online for later viewing.

All in-person accommodation requests should be sent to cathsocialthought@georgetown.edu by January 12. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.