The Declaration of Independence and Catholic Social Teaching

Enjoy a lecture by a distinguished faculty member at St. Ambrose Academy as part of the Academy's America250 fall program! All are invited to attend a faculty-led lecture based on real classroom discussion during this fall semester's America250 programming. Many misconceptions exist regarding the Church's views on the tradition of "liberal democracy." Isn't the Church monarchical? Wasn't the King chosen by God? Didn't Pope Leo XIII condemn "Americanism"? Isn't democracy the product of the Enlightenment the Church so consistently criticizes? And yet, Leo said that the form of government should be chosen by the governed, the tradition adamantly defends private property, and the Declaration clearly declares rights as given to each individual by God. In this talk, Dr. Nielsen will examine the tensions and the points of contact between Catholic Social Teaching's presentation of the role of government and the American experiment. The event is free and registration is recommended, but not required.