Acton Institute

Catholic Hong Kong media mogul: ‘Freedom has a price’
- Nov 19, 2020
In the words of Jimmy Lai, “freedom has a price.” That’s why the Chinese media mogul and activist is leaning on his Catholic faith for support as he faces potential prison time and continues the fight for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.

By John Lavenburg
Seminar advocates return to ‘magisterium of John Paul II’ on free market
- Nov 7, 2020
Just as Pope Francis is calling for a rethink of the free market economy, some Catholics are emphasizing capitalism is in keeping with Catholic doctrine, and say they are backed by Pope St. John Paul II.

By John Lavenburg
‘Problematic’ or ‘prudential judgment’?: U.S. tax reform debated by Catholics
- Dec 21, 2017
U.S. Catholic leaders debate the passage of tax reform, which was passed by congress on Wednesday and labeled by the U.S. bishops as “problematic, especially for the poor.”

By Christopher White

Trump’s UN address reflects tensions of Catholic social teaching
- Sep 20, 2017
President Trump received mixed reactions from Catholic leaders for his first address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on Tuesday. The president advocated for a limited refugee resettlement program, hinted at potential military action in Venezuela, and pledged to “totally destroy North Korea.”

By Christopher White

As Nevada embraces pot, priest makes Catholic case for legalization
- Jul 5, 2017
As Nevada becomes the latest U.S. state to tolerate marijuana use, Father Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute lays out the standard Catholic cautions about drugs but also asks whether criminalizing their use serves the greater good.

By Claire Giangravè
Pope Francis’s attack on “libertarian individualism” not about libertarians
- May 5, 2017
When Pope Francis speaks of libertarian individualism, he describes it as something which he says exalts the selfish ideal, whereby it is only the individual who gives values to things and interpersonal relationships, and where it is only the individual who decides what is good and what is bad. The question that remains is whether the pope is offering a fair or accurate definition of libertarianism.

By Father Robert A. Sirico
A Catholic tug of war in the US awaits Pope Francis
- Aug 26, 2015
When Pope Francis starts his US road show next month, Catholics to his left and right will all be hoping to pull him a bit closer to their own causes. From the environment to the economy and everything in between, a nod from the pope could do wonders in boosting

By Michael O'Loughlin