Robert Sirico
Encyclopedia
Robert A. Sirico is an American Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
. He is a well-known political and cultural commentator.
(his elder brother is actor Tony Sirico
), but by his early teenage years he had left the Church. He received an associate's degree
from Los Angeles City College
, studied at St. Mary's University College, London, and received a bachelor's degree
in English from the University of Southern California
. While in California, during the early 1970s, he served as a Pentecostal preacher and promoted left-wing politics
, but after a time he began to realize he did not agree with the principles of socialism
.
A deeper study of the human person
led to his return to the Catholic Church in 1977, and later the writings of St. Augustine
and the biography of Blessed John Henry Newman moved him consider the priesthood. He received an M.Div. from The Catholic University of America
in 1987 and was ordained a Paulist priest in 1989. He was assigned to the Catholic Information Center in Grand Rapids, and soon thereafter founded the Acton Institute.
within a Judeo-Christian
moral framework. In Sirico's words:
Shorty after the institute's founding Pope John Paul II
published his encyclical Centesimus Annus
; some, such as Greg Burke, claim that John Paull II gave support to Sirico's economic and moral vision by taking what Sirico calls a "preferential option for liberty
," and asserting that economic freedom is essential for a moral society, and makes aid for the poor more effective.However, in the encyclical, John Paul II also reminded the world of the duties of the State when he wrote:
, The Wall Street Journal
, the Financial Times
, Forbes
, National Review
, The Washington Times
, First Things
, the National Catholic Register
, the National Catholic Reporter
, Crisis magazine, and the Journal of Markets & Morality. In his writing, he addresses such topics as the ethics of political and social freedom
and the history of civil rights
, international trade
and finance
, business ethics
, and bioethics
.
Sirico lectures around the world on economics and morality—in North and South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and elsewhere. He is also a frequent radio and television guest.
In November 2009, Sirico signed the "Manhattan Declaration
," an ecumenical statement issued by Christian leaders in defense of the sanctity of life
, traditional marriage, and religious liberty.
. He served on the Michigan
Civil Rights Commission from 1994 to 1998. The Franciscan University of Steubenville
awarded Sirico an honorary doctoral degree in Christian Ethics in 1999. The Universidad Francisco Marroquín
in 2001 granted him an honorary doctorate in social sciences. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion
.
He also serves on the board of advisers for the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow
and the Civic Institute
in Prague
.
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty is a conservative research and educational institution, or think tank, in Grand Rapids, Michigan whose stated mission is "to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles." ...
. He is a well-known political and cultural commentator.
Biography
Robert Sirico was raised in a Catholic family in Brooklyn, N.Y.Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
(his elder brother is actor Tony Sirico
Tony Sirico
Genaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico, Jr. is an American character actor who is most famous for his role as Paulie Gualtieri in the television series The Sopranos.- Background and career :Sirico was born in Midwood, Brooklyn...
), but by his early teenage years he had left the Church. He received an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
from Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College, known as LACC, is a public community college in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard...
, studied at St. Mary's University College, London, and received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in English from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. While in California, during the early 1970s, he served as a Pentecostal preacher and promoted left-wing politics
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, but after a time he began to realize he did not agree with the principles of socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
.
A deeper study of the human person
Christian anthropology
In the context of Christian theology, theological anthropology refers to the study of the human as it relates to God. It differs from the social science of anthropology, which primarily deals with the comparative study of the physical and social characteristics of humanity across times and...
led to his return to the Catholic Church in 1977, and later the writings of St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
and the biography of Blessed John Henry Newman moved him consider the priesthood. He received an M.Div. from The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in 1987 and was ordained a Paulist priest in 1989. He was assigned to the Catholic Information Center in Grand Rapids, and soon thereafter founded the Acton Institute.
Acton Institute
In 1990, in response to what he saw as an insufficient understanding of economics by religious leaders and the religious isolation of business leaders, Sirico founded the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids. With the motto "connecting good intentions with sound economics," the institute provides a vision of free market economicsFree market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
within a Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
moral framework. In Sirico's words:
-
- The essential thing was my frustration when I was in seminary ... to hear homilies preached that inevitably insulted business people. I knew this was a serious error both theologically and pastorally. Theologically, because of the moral bankruptcy of socialism as an ideology. But pastorally because it alienated good people who were working and attempting to participate in the Christian mission.
Shorty after the institute's founding Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
published his encyclical Centesimus Annus
Centesimus Annus
Centesimus Annus was an encyclical written by Pope John Paul II in 1991, on the hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum...
; some, such as Greg Burke, claim that John Paull II gave support to Sirico's economic and moral vision by taking what Sirico calls a "preferential option for liberty
Option for the poor
The option for the poor or the preferential option for the poor is one of the basic principles of the Catholic Social Teaching tradition as articulated in the 20th century.-Theological significance:...
," and asserting that economic freedom is essential for a moral society, and makes aid for the poor more effective.However, in the encyclical, John Paul II also reminded the world of the duties of the State when he wrote:
"Furthermore, society and the State must ensure wage levels adequate for the maintenance of the worker and his family, including a certain amount for savings. This requires a continuous effort to improve workers' training and capability so that their work will be more skilled and productive, as well as careful controls and adequate legislative measures to block shameful forms of exploitation, especially to the disadvantage of the most vulnerable workers, of immigrants and of those on the margins of society. The role of trade unions in negotiating minimum salaries and working conditions is decisive in this area...The State must contribute to the achievement of these goals both directly and indirectly. Indirectly and according to the principle of subsidiarity, by creating favourable conditions for the free exercise of economic activity, which will lead to abundant opportunities for employment and sources of wealth. Directly and according to the principle of solidarity, by defending the weakest, by placing certain limits on the autonomy of the parties who determine working conditions, and by ensuring in every case the necessary minimum support for the unemployed worker"so it cannot be claimed that the encyclical, or Catholicism, tends to favour capitalism over any other economic system.
Political & Social Commentary
Sirico's writings have appeared in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
, The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, First Things
First Things
First Things is an ecumenical journal focused on creating a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The journal is inter-denominational and inter-religious, representing a broad intellectual tradition of Christian and Jewish critique of contemporary society...
, the National Catholic Register
National Catholic Register
Not to be confused with the National Catholic Reporter or the Catholic RegisterThe National Catholic Register is the oldest national Catholic newspaper in the United States. It was founded on 8 November 1927 by Msgr. Matthew J...
, the National Catholic Reporter
National Catholic Reporter
The National Catholic Reporter is the second largest Catholic newspaper in the United States; its circulation reaches ninety-seven countries on six continents. Based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, NCR was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964 as an independent newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church...
, Crisis magazine, and the Journal of Markets & Morality. In his writing, he addresses such topics as the ethics of political and social freedom
Liberty
Liberty is a moral and political principle, or Right, that identifies the condition in which human beings are able to govern themselves, to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions...
and the history of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, international trade
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
and finance
International finance
International finance is the branch of economics that studies the dynamics of exchange rates, foreign investment, global financial system, and how these affect international trade. It also studies international projects, international investments and capital flows, and trade deficits. It includes...
, business ethics
Business ethics
Business ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations.Business...
, and bioethics
Bioethics
Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy....
.
Sirico lectures around the world on economics and morality—in North and South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and elsewhere. He is also a frequent radio and television guest.
In November 2009, Sirico signed the "Manhattan Declaration
Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience
The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience is a manifesto issued by Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christian leaders to affirm support of "the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty". It was drafted on October 20, 2009 and released November 20, 2009,...
," an ecumenical statement issued by Christian leaders in defense of the sanctity of life
Right to life
Right to life is a phrase that describes the belief that a human being has an essential right to live, particularly that a human being has the right not to be killed by another human being...
, traditional marriage, and religious liberty.
Appointments and Honors
In 1990, Sirico was inducted into the Mont Pelerin SocietyMont Pelerin Society
The Mont Pelerin Society is an international organization composed of economists , philosophers, historians, intellectuals, business leaders, and others who favour classical liberalism...
. He served on the Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Civil Rights Commission from 1994 to 1998. The Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franciscan University of Steubenville is a Catholic institution located in Steubenville, Ohio, west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1946 by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. In 1974, Fr...
awarded Sirico an honorary doctoral degree in Christian Ethics in 1999. The Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Universidad Francisco Marroquín is a private, secular, university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. According to the school's website, "the mission of Universidad Francisco Marroquín is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic principles of a sociey of free and responsible persons."...
in 2001 granted him an honorary doctorate in social sciences. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
.
He also serves on the board of advisers for the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow
Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow
The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow is a conservative Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization whose stated mission is to promote free market solutions to environmental problems...
and the Civic Institute
Prague Security Studies Institute
The Prague Security Studies Institute is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in early 2002 to advance the building of a just, secure, democratic, free-market society in the Czech Republic and other post-communist states. Its co-founder Roger W. Robinson, Jr. is a former...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
As author
- Catholicism's Developing Social Teaching (Acton Institute, 1993; ISBN 188059501X)
- Moral Basis for Liberty (Foundation for Economic EducationFoundation for Economic EducationThe Foundation for Economic Education is one of the oldest free-market organizations established in the United States to study and advance the freedom philosophy. Murray Rothbard recognizes FEE for creating a "crucial open center" that he credits with launching the movement...
, 1996; ISBN 1572460598) - Toward a Free and Virtuous Society (Acton Institute, 1997; ISSN 10756566)
- Il personalismo economico e la società libera (Italian language edition; Rubbettino, 2001; ISBN 8849801041)
- Capitalism, Morality and Markets, as a contributor (Institute of Economic AffairsInstitute of Economic AffairsThe Institute of Economic Affairs , founded in 1955, styles itself the UK's pre-eminent free-market think-tank. Its mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social...
, 2001; ISBN 0255364962) - The Entrepreneurial Vocation (Acton Institute, 2001; ISBN 1880595206)
- The Soul of Liberty (Acton Institute, 2002; ISSN 10756566)
As editor
- The Social Agenda: A Collection of Magisterial Texts (Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2000; ISBN 8820929201)
External links
- Acton Institute profile with Sirico's editorials
- Fr. Robert Sirico's official blog
- Official website of the St. Philip Neri House