Solidarity is run by the Centre for Faith, Ethics & Society at the University of Notre Dame Australia, with the support Justice and Peace Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

Managing Editors: Fr. Richard Umbers, University of Notre Dame, Australia & Matthew Beard Centre for Faith, Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame, Australia.

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Editorial Comments on Volume Two

Matthew Beard: Managing Editor

Welcome, readers, to the second issue of Solidarity: The Journal for Catholic Social Thought and Secular Ethics. This year the journal has experienced the difficulties of expansion, but the increasing size of submissions reflects our ongoing success.

This issue is an ‘open issue’, with topics covering a number of important and topical areas, including refugees, the environment, business and medicine, but overall the theme consistent amongst the submissions remains true to the overall focus of the journal. How can the modern Catholic and the secular thinker co-operate in the resolution of the continuing social challenges of our time?

We are particularly pleased to be publishing the work of John Finnis, whose contribution, ‘Equality and Different’ was presented at the University of Notre Dame as the inaugural Michael O’Dea oration. At this event, Professor Finnis was also granted a Doctor of Laws honoris causa.

Also exciting is the continuation of a theme introduced by Michael Casey’s ‘Puzzle of Intolerant Tolerance’ in our inaugural issue. The theme, about the role of the Catholic voice in public debate is considered by Nicholas Tonti-Fillipini, and Gerard O’Shea, but the two papers share another common point of enquiry: considering the relationship between nature and grace, and the implications of that relationship for the type of arguments Catholics make in public. Should Catholics resort to natural law reasoning in interacting with the non-religious? Or is there a place for religious argument? O’Shea’s excellent historical analysis is complemented by Tonti-Fillipini’s discussions in light of his experience on a number of national medical boards.

We thank all our contributors for their ongoing support, and also you, our readers: we trust you will enjoy this newest issue. Your contributions, feedback and support is always welcome.

Sincerely,

The Editors