Book Launch at the Catholic Information Center

On Wednesday, March 26, Dean Andrew Abela and Dr. Joseph Cappizzi led a discussion for the book launch of A Catechism for Business.  Over one hundred guests came to the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C for the discussion and reception following.

Dean Abela and Dr. Capizzi explained how they found that Catholic social doctrine on business has developed over many years as the Church has responded to specific issues.  They found that business leaders who were faced with ethical questions in business did not have a guide directing them to the Church’s teachings on these matters.  A Catechism for Business serves as that guide, drawing together Church teachings on business, organized by topic and question.  

Dr. Joseph Capizzi (left) and Dr. Andrew Abela (right).

As the evening progressed, Dean Abela and Dr. Capizzi took questions about the book from the audience and discussed some of the tough questions business leaders frequently face.  For example, A Catechism for Business includes a section about the Church’s teaching on just wage and the responsibility of the business owner to his employees.  The difficulty is that sometimes market wages are lower than what could be considered a just wage.  How then can the Catholic business leader treat his employees fairly while also staying competitive within his industry?  

Abela and Capizzi signing books at the launch.

The answer to this and similar questions is seldom easy.  As Dean Abela reminded the audience, the book is not intended to address easy questions, it deals with tough ethical questions business leaders are likely to face.  While the Church seldom provides a clear yes or no answer on these questions, it does provide the principles that a business leader must then apply to the particular situation.  The final decision is then up to the reader to prayerfully, and sometimes imaginatively, find a solution to the problem according to Catholic social doctrine and balancing the needs of his or her customers, employees and business.  A Catechism for Business provides a starting point for the business leader who is seeking to better understand how Catholic social doctrine should be applied to their challenging everyday decisions.

You are invited to visit the website in the upcoming week to watch a video of the book discussion or listen to a podcast of the event.

To order A Catechism for Business, please visit the online storefront.