In this episode of Angelicum Conversations, Fr. Philip-Neri Reese speaks with Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., about the place of natural rights within Catholic social teaching.

Drawing on Fr. Gregory’s Dies Academicus lecture at the Angelicum, the conversation explores why “rights talk” has fallen on hard times, how natural rights emerged in the Catholic tradition, and whether they are worth recovering today.

The discussion ranges from canon law and Thomistic theology to contemporary political polarization, generational shifts in moral discourse, and the Church’s evangelical mission. Fr. Pine argues that, properly understood, natural rights can serve as a bridge between natural law, public reason, and the Church’s vocation to defend human dignity in a fractured cultural landscape.

👉 Full transcript & show notes: https://media.angelicum.it/online-series/angelicum-conversations/episode-3-are-natural-rights-worth-recovering-rights-talk-catholic-social-teaching/

📖 Watch Fr. Gregory Pine's original lecture here.

💬 Angelicum Conversations is a new interview series from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. Each episode features thoughtful dialogue on theology, philosophy, and culture—conversations that reflect the Angelicum’s mission of serving the Church through study, contemplation, and teaching.

🎥 Check out the Angelicum's new video series on Catholic Social Teaching.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:50 Defining Terms: Rights, Natural Rights, & Catholic Social Teaching

5:03 Basic Principles of CST & Natural Rights

8:13 What's the Problem with Rights?

12:04 Do We Need "Rights Talk"?

16:06 Should the Church Use "Rights Talk"?

21:22 Polarization, Power, & Truth Claims

25:43 Natural Rights & the Church's Witness

34:03 Optimism About the Possibility of Reasonable Discourse

36:49 Dangers of Disembodied Discourse & Need for Sacramental Encounter

42:53 Conclusion