Society of Catholic Social Scientists Conference a Great Success
 

In October the Society of Catholic Social Scientists held its 15th Annual Conference @ St. John’s University. AFA of NY headed one of over 60 panel presentations, Issues Affecting the Family, with panelists Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, a psychiatrist, Professor George Frost of Suffolk Community College and AFA President Frank Russo. Archbishop Charles Chaput, Bishop William Murphy and Dr. William Donohue spoke at the dinner attended by approximately 300 people. Dr. Donohue’s talk stressed an interesting point, namely, that traditional Catholics, evangelical Protestants and Orthodox Jews have more in common with each other—at least on social issues—than they have with fellow religionists he termed “dissident” Catholics, Protestants or Jews.

Archbishop Chaput’s talk, Church & State Today, suggested our current culture is much like that of ancient Rome. “In many ways”, said Chaput, “Christians today are much like the first Christians as they set about evangelizing their culture”. “A key transformation,” he said, “came
in the areas of marriage and family life. From the start, to be a Christian meant believing sex and marriage were sacred, and rejecting abortion, infanticide, birth control, divorce, homosexual activity and marital infidelity, despite their widespread practice in Roman society.”