Dear Friends of the de Nicola Center,

What a difference a year makes. When last I wrote a year-end reflection, back in 2019, no one could have imagined how different our world would look today as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As I reflect on this unprecedented year, however, I am proud to report that the work of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture has continued stronger than ever, and that our efforts to share the richness of the Catholic moral and intellectual tradition, both at Notre Dame and in the public square, achieved great success—thanks to the generous support of our friends and benefactors.…

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“When you read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn you know that you are reading and being read by one of the greatest men of the bloody 20th century.” —The American Conservative

Russian Nobel Prize-winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, author of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich…

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Harvard University Press has announced the publication of Professor O. Carter Snead’s new book, What It Means to Be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics.

Snead is a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School and director of the University of Notre Dame’s de Nicola Center for Ethics & Culture. He is one of the world’s leading experts on public bioethics — the governance of science, medicine, and biotechnology in the name of ethical goods.

Set for release October 13, What It Means to Be Human promises to propose “a vision of human identity and flourishing that supports those who are profoundly vulnerable and dependent — children, the disabled, and the elderly” and to analyze how that vision would affect three of the most complex issues in bioethics: abortion, assisted reproductive technology, and end-of-life decisions.

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The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame will present the 2021 Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal to Vicki Thorn, founder of the post-abortion healing ministry Project Rachel and executive director of the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing, at a celebration on April 24.

“Vicki Thorn’s work is a living witness to the unconditional love and mercy that lies at the heart of the Culture of Life,” said O. Carter Snead, the director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. “We originally wanted to honor Vicki this past April at a gala celebration gathered with hundreds of friends and champions of life, but the pandemic and associated safety protocols necessitated a postponement. We look forward to presenting her with the Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal in 2021.”

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After a towering 25-year career in law teaching and legal scholarship at Notre Dame Law School, Biolchini Family Professor of Law John M. Finnis has decided to retire.

An internationally recognized scholar and philosopher, Finnis came to Notre Dame in 1995 from Oxford University, where he was a chaired professor of law and legal philosophy and a member of the philosophy subfaculty. At Notre Dame Law School, he is revered as much for his generous spirit as for his wide-ranging and groundbreaking work.…

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Inspired by Pope Francis's observation that Christians "cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life," the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture will host a webinar discussion on racism and the culture of life on July 28 at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). The discussion is co-hosted by the College of Arts and Letters…

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It is with a heavy heart that the de Nicola Center announces the cancellation of our 2020 Fall Conference, originally scheduled to take place November 12–14 at the University of Notre Dame.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, the University has taken a number of precautions…

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The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture will present the 2020 Notre Dame Vita Institute, its annual intellectual formation program for pro-life leaders, as a series of five free webinars the week of June 15–19, 2020.

The Center's annual Vita Institute brings together leaders in the national and international pro-life movement for a week each summer at Notre Dame for an intensive interdisciplinary training program that extends and deepens their breadth and depth of understanding of the subjects most essential to building a culture of life, including biology, philosophy, law, theology, and social sciences. This year’s online webinar series will allow a wider audience to sample the exceptional teaching of the traditional on-campus event.…

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The following essay was shared with the Notre Dame Law School faculty by G. Marcus Cole, the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law. We are proud to publish it with his permission:

I am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And I can do something.
– G. Marcus Cole

Over the past several days, I have received numerous messages of care and support from friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, each of whom simply wanted to express their concern for how I might be feeling in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. For many, I am perhaps one of the only African-American men in their social or business circles. Others, especially those who know me well, are cognizant of my own personal experiences with racial violence. Their expressions of love and support are rooted in the fact that the circumstances surrounding the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery are strikingly similar to my own accounts of an attack on my father over fifty years ago, one I witnessed as a little boy. What my friends may not know, but surely suspect, is that each report of racial violence at the hands of a police officer or group of men brings to the surface the vivid memories of that terrible night.

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The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture salutes the more than 100 student Sorin Fellows who completed their studies at Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College in 2020. In all, 75 undergraduates and 28 graduate and professional school Sorin Fellows joined their classmates in virtual commencement ceremonies earlier this month.…

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On January 24, more than 800 students, faculty, staff, and graduate students from the University of Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, and St. Mary’s College will participate in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., now in its 47th year. Thanks to generous underwriting by the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, in partnership with the Notre Dame Right to Life student club, the university consistently sends one of the largest single contingents to participate in the event, year after year.…

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Sir Roger Scruton by Pete Helme

The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture mourns the death of philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, who died of complications of cancer on January 12, 2020. Sir Roger was one of the foremost contemporary writers on aesthetics and political philosophy, penning works on philosophy, art, music, politics, literature, culture, sexuality, conservativism, and religion; he also wrote novels, two operas, and a television series entitled Why Beauty Matters…

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