PND (2/15/2000) -- Pew Trusts Fund Catholic Research Project

The Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trusts have announced a new $1.5 million, three-year research project to study the role of America's 60 million Roman Catholics in public life. Pew is initiating the project, "American Catholics in the Public Square," as part of a larger examination of seven major religious groups in the U.S.

"A strong public expression of religious faith and an open, pluralistic public square don't have to be mutually exclusive," said Pew president Rebecca W. Rimel in announcing Religious Communities and the American Public Square, an initiative that has awarded grants of more than $1 million to researchers studying the civic contributions of mainline Protestant, Catholic, evangelical Christian, Muslim, Latino, African-American, and Jewish religious groups in the U.S.

High among the project's goals is to clarify how Catholics may work more effectively with those of other faiths to revitalize both the religious environment and civic participation in the American republic.

The project will feature several national conferences organized jointly by the Commonweal Foundation and the Faith & Reason Institute, as well as numerous colloquia and case studies pursued independently by the two groups.

FCnotes: The Pew Charitable Trusts (PA) had assets of $4,734,121,560 and made grants totaling $161,411,658 in the year ending 12/31/98.

"Pew Embarking on Major Study of Roman Catholicism in American Public Life." Pew Charitable Trusts Press Release 2/7/2000.

See also: O'Reilly, David. "Pew Adds Catholics to Religious-Group Studies." Philadelphia Inquirer 2/9/2000.

See also: Lugo, Luis E. "Religion and the Public Square: Religious Grantmaking at The Pew Charitable Trusts." Program Director's White Paper.

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