In this episode of The Social Doctrine of the Church, Michael Vacca and Robert Fastiggi interview Msgr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz on Catholic Doctrine, Solidarity, and the International Community (October 31, 2025).
Questions tackled in this episode include: According to Catholic social doctrine, what is meant by the State? What are some dangerous visions of the State (e.g. totalitarian visions, etc.)? How should the State promote the common good? How does subsidiarity factor into the promotion of the common good? What are human rights and how should the State promote human rights? How does Catholic social doctrine try to balance the notion of the international community with State sovereignty? Do you believe institutions like the United Nations respect State sovereignty?
The podcast also covers Msgr. Mazurkiewicz’s book on migration. Topics include: How are some views of migration threatening State sovereignty today? What do you think is the proper Catholic perspective on migration in the world today?
For more, see Msgr. Mazurkiewicz’s book, Two Towers and a Minaret: Migration from a Catholic Perspective. Mass migration is a serious challenge in both America and Europe. Hence the question of the ethical limits of hospitality. The answer must consider not only the needs of migrants, but also the ability of the host country to integrate migrants. This depends not only on the size of the migration, but also on its homogeneity. For example, a peculiarity of the current migration to Europe is the strong dominance of Muslims, which is changing its religious demographics and, consequently, European culture.
Check out the book at: https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/twotowers.