Zenit, the Catholic news service, published a recap of Acton Institute’s conference, “Faith, State, and the Economy: Perspectives from East and West.” The event, held in Rome on April 29, brought expert speakers from around the world to explore plex relationship between religious liberty and economic freedom. For more on this conference and others planned in the series titled “One and Indivisible? The Relationship Between Religious and Economic Freedom,” please visit this page.

Zenit asked Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg what Catholic social service organizations can do in order to promise their Catholic identity:

Gregg underlined the importance of De Caritate Ministranda, “On the Service of Charity” – a 2012 document Benedict wrote upon the mendation of Cardinal Robert Sarah who heads the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Vatican’s main oversight agency for charitable activities.

The document, Gregg said, made it “very clear that if Catholic charitable organizations accept funding, whether it be private or government, and it starts to cause the organization promise its identity, mission, ability to employ who it wants to employ, its ability to do what it wants to do in accordance with Church teaching, then bishops have the responsibility to stop Catholic organizations from accepting [these funds].”

“It’s well worth reading,” Gregg said, as “it is forcing Catholic organizations to ask themselves some very hard questions, such as: ‘Who is our master?'”

Read more of “International Experts Examine Religious and Economic Freedoms” On Zenit.