by Isabelle Camoin ’26 on November 6, 2025
News
With Mutual Respect: Discussions on Contemporary Challenges is a panel series where members of our community with different viewpoints on challenging contemporary issues come together in a mutually respectful manner. Beginning in the fall of 2022, the series hosted a panel of faculty with differing views on abortion soon after the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Father Kenneth Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’G82 to discuss the purpose of With Mutual Respect before the panel that will be held next week, Nov. 13. The purpose of the series is to discuss different viewpoints in “a manner that is both respectful and enlightening, providing an opportunity to learn from those who approach contemporary topics differently from others.” Fr. Sicard touched on how “very Dominican” the event is; since the 13th century, disputation in a respectful manner “has been a hallmark of Dominican higher education.” St. Thomas Aquinas, as Friars learn in their Development of Western Civilization courses, spent time on disputed questions exploring the arguments of oppositional sides in the pursuit of truth. Ultimately, “as a Catholic, Dominican college grounded in the liberal arts and committed to pursuing truth, we have an obligation to explore and discuss issues that are uncomfortable and controversial, and to do so in a thoughtful and respectful manner,” says Fr. Sicard.
During my conversation with Fr. Sicard, we explored the history of With Mutual Respect. Fr. Sicard pointed out that during the spring of 2021, a protest was held on campus behind St. Dominic Chapel in reaction to the leaked Supreme Court opinion that eventually overturned Roe v. Wade. He mentioned conversing with Dr. Abigail Brooks (Chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies Department) and present students, saying “we should be talking about this on a Catholic campus.” Then, the President’s Office began to organize a faculty-led panel for the fall of 2022, discussing the morality and legality of abortion.
Fr. Sicard remarked, “Immediately after the faculty panel, I was approached by students requesting to have their own panel,” which he said was “encouraging to see students taking this agency.” Since then, the panel has begun to focus more on the students; the planning committee this year was made up mostly of students, and the panel will be entirely students. Fr. Sicard expressed he wants With Mutual Respect, “to be a student-led thing,” and he not only welcomes, but is very “interested in hearing students share topics they want to discuss.” He further highlighted how this event gives students the opportunity to share their perspectives and engage in disputed topics that are pertinent, relevant, and contemporary in a respectful way. And most importantly, demonstrate that “we can still have conversations without being ugly.”
The original event was met with criticism from some who felt that the Catholic position on this subject was clear and not subject to debate. However, since there was strong disagreement even among Catholics, a presentation of opposing views was relevant. He reported that a few other colleges have reached out to him and his Cabinet colleagues to commend Providence College for having such a discussion, noting that it would probably not be possible on their campuses.
Next week, the panel held will consist of four students speaking on freedom of speech. Fr. Sicard noted that “all panelists appear to be in favor of free speech, but wondered how far it goes? Should there be limits?” Additionally, the panel will be exploring, “Have students felt inhibited to exercise free speech in our classrooms or on our campus?” These are some of the questions that will be explored on Nov. 13. Fr. Sicard expressed his sincere gratitude to those who expressed interest in being a panelist, having more than 30 students apply—the most engagement since the beginning of the series. He also hopes to see students, faculty, and staff there and looks forward to hearing the thoughtful discourse that will take place from 7–8:30 p.m. in ’64 Hall in the Slavin Center!