News and Events -  December 28, 2009
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The recent Manhattan Declaration (20 November 2009) summons Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical Christians to pursue and defend certain first principles of the common good, now under manifest threat: the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death; the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife; and public freedom of conscience and religion—freedom, that is, to advocate and to act in the public square, from religious or conscientious principle. This lecture series aims to introduce Bay Area believers to the Declaration and to the "state of the question" on the crucial principles and on near-allied issues that likewise demand careful, critical reflection from believers and from all people of goodwill.

The Manhattan Forum begins on Saturday, January 9th, with a close reading and elucidation of the essay "What Marriage Is—And What It Isn't," presented by SAPI Director, Steven Cortright. The essay appeared as an article in the August/September 2009 issue of First Things. Its author, Dr. Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, is perhaps the most prominent of the "new natural lawyers" who have revivified the millennial Western teaching on natural law. "What Marriage Is—And What It Isn't" is simultaneously a powerful argument for the unique moral status of the one-flesh union of husband and wife, as well as a primer on the reasoned defense of traditional moral norms.

The lecture will be presented on Saturday, January 9th, at 3:00 PM in Fr. Kozina Hall, St. Margaret Mary Church, Oakland. Vigil Mass follows at 5:00 PM; attendees are invited to a reception afterward. Like all elements of the Institute's educational apostolate, Manhattan Forum presentations are offered free of charge.

The Manhattan Forum continues on Saturday, February 13 with Rev. Michael Sweeney, O.P., President of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, on "The Common Good and the Apostolate of the Laity." Next, on Saturday, March 13, Ernest Pierucci, Esq., Attorney and Senior Fellow, Catholics for the Common Good, will discuss "Prospects for Marriage and the Family in the Current Legal Environment." Second Saturdays will be Manhattan Forum Saturdays through August 2010. Click here for more information >>

Year End Appeal
At Christmastide, our thoughts often turn to giving—to family, friends, or worthy causes. Please consider giving the gift of Catholic education through the St. Anthony of Padua Institute. Your donation makes possible events like SAPI's 2008 Humanae Vitae conference, as well as ongoing programs like the Elements of Philosophy and Theology course and our Theology of the Body training.

Your participation and your donations are not only appreciated—they're needed. Without your support we would never have come this far, and your continued support means enriching the intellectual and spiritual lives of Bay Area Catholics for the years to come, years that promise to be as challenging as any before.

Please, come enjoy a lecture, sign up for a class, and include the St. Anthony of Padua Institute in your holiday giving. Online donation is secure and easy, and you can find, as always, more information at www.sapi.org.