Dr. Joseph Meaney Leaves HLI for the National Catholic Bioethics Center
For immediate release: June 4, 2019
Contact: Deborah M. Piroch
Email: dpiroch@hli.org
(Front Royal, VA)
The Board of Directors of The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) is pleased to announce that Joseph Meaney, Ph.D., has been named as the new President of the Center upon the retirement of its current President, Dr. John M. Haas, at the end of June. Dr. Haas served as the President of the Center for over 22 years and was involved with the Search Committee in finding his successor. During the tenure of Dr. Haas the NCBC expanded its publications, consultations, and educational initiatives with 8 Ph.D. ethicists on staff or serving as Senior Fellows and has developed the Center into a foundational Catholic institution in the United States. For almost 40 years the Center has worked with the Knights of Columbus to provide Bishops’ Workshops on bioethics to the Bishops of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. The last one was attended by 140 Bishops.
Dr. Meaney is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the University of Texas-Austin and has his Ph.D. in Bioethics from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. His dissertation topic was Conscience and Health Care: A Bioethical Analysis. “Conscience protection is a critically important topic today both in the United States and internationally”, according to Dr. Marilyn Coors of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a member of the board. “We are delighted our new president is so committed to this topic.”
Dr. Meaney is currently Director of International Outreach and Expansion for Human Life International (HLI) and is a leading expert on the international pro-life and family movements having travelled to 81 countries on its missions. He founded the HLI Rome Office in 1998 and lived there for nine years where he collaborated closely with dicasteries of the Holy See, particularly the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Academy for Life. He is a dual US and French citizen and is fluent in four languages. His family has been active in the health care and pro-life fields in Corpus Christi, Texas and France for many years.
Dr. Meaney was the General Editor of the English Edition and co-author with his father, Dr. Michael Meaney, of a chapter in the Pontifical Council for the Family’s Lexicon: Ambiguous and debatable terms regarding family, life and ethical questions and has published in a number of scholarly journals. He has also written many popular articles and has been interviewed by newspapers, and radio and television in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.
His popular articles have appeared in the National Catholic Register, Crux, Inside Catholic, Crisis Magazine, Inside the Vatican, and many other publications.
Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Chairman of the Board, said, “We are pleased to have as our new president an individual not only accomplished in the discipline of bioethics but also one who is able to make the Church’s message of life appealing to a broad range of audiences. We are blessed to have him join us. I look forward to our ministry together.” Dr. Haas pointed out that he has known Dr. Meaney for many years, not only as a scholar but also as a man of deep faith. HLI President, Father Shenan Boquet, wished Dr. Meaney the very best in his new position and thanked the Lord of Life for Meaney’s major contributions to HLI’s global mission of preaching the Gospel of Life over more than two decades.
Dr. Meaney lives near Paris with his wife Marie and their daughter Thérèse, and they will move to Pennsylvania this summer.
Deborah M. Piroch graduated from Mount Holyoke College, the nation’s oldest women’s college, with a double major in German and English Literature. She studied abroad and earned her M.A. in English Literature from Indiana University. Fluent in German, she began her career in international journalism working for Radio Deutsche Welle in Cologne, Germany. Returning to the States after a three-year contract, she worked as arts reporter and producer on prime time shows for WQED-FM in Pittsburgh, then a top 20 market. After another three years, she was hired by EWTN Global Catholic Network as news director, anchor and writer for “Catholic World Today,” but soon transitioned into television. Highlights of her 15 years at EWTN include co-anchoring the U.S. March for Life with Marcus Grodi on more than one occasion, live translating the election of Pope Benedict XVI into German, interviewing two former U.S. Presidential candidates and producing Father Benedict Groeschel’s prime time program from its inception for six years. Named the Network’s first International Production Coordinator, she also proposed, budgeted and executed TV shoots in Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Most recently she served as Director of PR for Human Life International.
Welcome back to the States, Joseph! You have done excellent apostolic service abroad for many years. I expect you will continue to serve the Church in an exemplary manner in your new position as President of the The National Catholic Bioethics Center.
God bless you Dr. Joseph Meaney. Thank you for everything you have done for HLI. God bless Marie and Theresa too.
Milagres Pereira
HLI Goa, India.
Heart-felt “thank you for your HLI service” and for you new service efforts.