Mission Statement
The International Catholic Jurists Forum (ICJF) was established to produce, compile, and share resources on fundamental human rights under attack in the regional and international human rights protection systems. It operates as a forum for Catholic jurists and scholars to study, research, and discuss important issues of the day related to attacks on the rights of the family, life, and religious freedom.
This mission is inspired by the Holy See’s document The Charter of the Rights of the Family, which articulates fundamental principles, rights and duties knowable by right reason as illuminated by faith. Founded on a natural law perspective of human rights within the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the Charter promotes and protects, in particular: a) the right to life, from the moment of conception to natural death; b) the rights and duties of the natural family, based on marriage between one man and one woman; and c) the rights and duties of parents to educate their child in accordance with their moral and religious beliefs.
Key Service Objectives
- To flesh out the meaning and application of the Charter of the Rights of the Family
- To defend human life from the moment of conception to natural death
- To promote the natural family based on marriage between one man and one woman as the fundamental unity of society
- To safeguard the rights and duties of parents to provide moral and religious education to their child
- To advance the protection of children, and vulnerable adults from sexual exploitation and abuse and prevent the same abuse in trust relationships
- To develop an understanding of the rights and duties of the child, the elderly, and persons with disabilities within the context of the family
- To advance a natural law foundation of human rights
- To promote freedom of religion and conscience and combat the persecution and genocide of Christians
- To study international and regional human rights protection systems and the human rights language advanced within them