Catholic Intellectual Tradition

Honoring the teachings of the Catholic Church

Carlow’s Catholic identity derives from its foundation by the Sisters of Mercy and calls us to honor the teachings of the Catholic Church and to celebrate its significant liturgical events. This identity is strengthened by the University’s participation in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and its adherence to Catholic Social Teaching.

The Catholic Intellectual Tradition:

• Holds that faith and reason are not opposing positions but partners in the quest for truth, each illuminating the other
• Is viewed as a 2,000-year-long dynamic conversation in which we continue to ask questions about our human experience and its ultimate meaning
• Holds that truth is not static and unchanging but the source of ongoing discovery and enlightenment

Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching is found in documents of the Catholic Church that speak to the social order. Primarily, this body of teaching is characterized by:

• An insistence on the dignity of the human person
• A preferential option for the poor and vulnerable
• A concern for the common good.

Adherence to these principles creates the ambiance of a Catholic institution.