Panel discussion on role of Catholic Church in marriage debate to be held at Notre Dame

Author: Michael O. Garvey

Malloy Hall stained glass window

A panel discussion on the role of the Catholic Church in the cultural and political debate about marriage will take place at 7 p.m. Monday (March 17) in DeBartolo Hall, Room 101, on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

The discussion, “Marriage, the Church and the Common Good,” is sponsored by Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Culture and several student groups and will include Jennifer Roback Morse, founder and president of the Ruth Institute; Ron Belgau, founder of the website Spiritual Friendship; and Sherif Girgis and Ryan T. Anderson, coauthors, with Robert P. George, of the book “What is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense.”

According to Michael Bradley, a Notre Dame senior student who organized the event, “no cultural, legal or philosophical issues are gripping the nation as firmly as are the questions that comprise the marriage debate. What is marriage? Why does it matter? How should public policy reflect sound answers to these questions? What role, if any, should the Catholic Church play in the development of this discussion? Having four of the most articulate Catholic voices in the marriage debate gathered here to discuss these and other questions should be an unparalleled occasion to explore them in harmony with the Catholic tradition.”

The discussion is free and open to the public.

Contact: Michael Bradley, mbradle6@nd.edu