Opening Remarks: Rightly Order Law and the Flourishing of the Human Person

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the Center for Law and the Human Person (CLHP) at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (Catholic Law) hosted its inaugural conference entitled, “Rightly Order Law and the Flourishing of the Human Person.” The conference opened with remarks by Stephen C. Payne, Catholic Law's Dean and Knights of Columbus Professor of Law, followed by an introduction by CLHP Director, Elizabeth Kirk. Introducing the general theme of the conference, Kirk emphasized the role that law can and should play in orienting the human person toward virtue and fulfilling his given end. Kirk also cited Pope Saint John Paul II in observing that law must respect and protect human dignity or it risks subjecting persons to manipulation and violation.