Catholicism and Socialism

Since the time of Pope Leo XIII, one of the significant constants throughout the Catholic tradition has been commentary on socialism, understood as an economic system that promotes communal ownership of property, views society as a class struggle between rich and poor, and criticizes the free market. Occasionally these themes seem to be echoed by Church leaders, while others criticize socialism.

What does Catholic social teaching really say about socialistic arrangements? Or about capitalism? What are the moral and political frameworks needed to analyze them?

Join the Catholic Finance Association as we explore these important themes and questions with our esteemed group of panelists.

Panelists

Fr. Matt Malone, S.J.

Editor in Chief

America magazine

Fr. Matt Malone, S.J., is the Editor in Chief of America magazine and President of America Media. Fr. Malone began his tenure on October 1, 2012. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest editor in chief in America‘s history. He served for two years as an associate editor, from 2007-2009, when he covered foreign policy and domestic politics. He was the recipient of the 2006 first-place Catholic Press Association award for essay writing.

From 1995-1997, Fr. Malone was special assistant and speechwriter to U.S. Representative Martin T. Meehan (D-MA).

From 1997-2002, he served as the founding deputy director of MassINC, an independent political think tank, and co-publisher of CommonWealth, an award-winning review of politics, ideas and civic life. His writing has appeared in numerous national and international publications and his work and ideas have been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Washington Post, among others. He is the author of Catholiques Sans Etiquette, a book concerning the church and the political, which was published in 2014 by Salvator Press in Paris.

Dr. Samuel Gregg

Director of Research

Acton Institute

Dr. Samuel Gregg is director of research at the Acton Institute. He has written and spoken extensively on questions of political economy, economic history, ethics in finance, and natural law theory. He has an MA in political philosophy from the University of Melbourne, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in moral philosophy and political economy from the University of Oxford.

He is the author of several books, including For God and Profit: How Banking and Finance Can Serve the Common Good (2016), Becoming Europe: Economic Decline, Culture, and How America Can Avoid a European Future(2013), and Profit, Prudence and Virtue: Essays in Ethics, Business and Management (2009), among many others. He publishes in journals such as the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy; Journal of Markets & Morality; Economic Affairs; Law and Investment Management; Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines; Foreign Affairs; and Policy. He is a regular writer of opinion pieces which appear in publications such as the Wall Street Journal Europe; First Things; Investors Business Daily; Washington Times; American Banker; National Review; The Stream; Public Discourse; American Spectator; El Mercurio; Australian Financial Review; Jerusalem Post; La Nacion; and Business Review Weekly.

In 2001, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a Member of the Mont Pelerin Society in 2004. In 2008, he was elected a member of the Philadelphia Society, and a member of the Royal Economic Society.

Moderator

John Coleman

Morgan Stanley

John A. Coleman, CFA, is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York. He focuses on serving the needs of ultra-high net worth individuals and families , foundations, endowments and private institutions. John brings over 20 years of experience in capital markets, investment research and portfolio and risk management to his role as advisor. Before joining Morgan, he was a principal at Longbow Capital Partners, an alternative asset management firm, where he worked in senior investment and operational roles. He began his career on the New York Stock Exchange, rising to Managing Director for Bear Stearns. John was awarded an MBA from Columbia Business School, and received an A.B. in economics, cum laude, from Georgetown University. While at Columbia, he served as vice-president of the Columbia Student Investment Management Association (CSIMA). He is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA). John is very active philanthropically, serving or having served on the boards of local hospitals, charities, and educational institutions. He lives in New York City with his wife and three daughters.