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FALL BOOKS 1 OF MANY THINGS Published by Jesuits of the United States n the morning of May 25, We knew John at America from 106 West 56th Street 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz the many interviews he conducted New York, NY 10019-3803 left his Manhattan apartment here over the years, the last one in Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596 O Subscriptions: 1-800-627-9533 to catch the school bus and was never the office where I write this column. www.americamagazine.org seen again. The case was cold for He had come here to talk to me about facebook.com/americamag decades, until a suspect came forward America’s interview with Pope Francis. twitter.com/americamag last year and confessed to the crime. A His viewers would not have known it, trial is set to begin this January, though of course, but the papal interview was PRESIDENT AND EDITOR IN CHIEF Matt Malone, S.J. the authorities are still evaluating the not just another story for John. He EXECUTIVE EDITORS credibility of the suspect’s confession, was a man of deep faith and, like so Robert C. Collins, S.J., Maurice Timothy Reidy many of us, was deeply moved by the as well as his mental capacity. Tragic MANAGING EDITOR Kerry Weber and heartbreaking though it was and new pope’s words and actions. By sheer LITERARY EDITOR Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. remains for Etan’s loved ones, the boy’s coincidence, John was a parishioner at SENIOR EDITOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT disappearance helped spark the Missing the church in Larchmont, N.Y., where Kevin Clarke Children’s movement; new state and I say Mass a few times a month. I got EDITOR AT LARGE James Martin, S.J. federal legislation soon provided to know him better there, as well as his POETRY EDITOR Joseph Hoover, S.J. additional resources for preventing and lovely wife, Suzie, who was with him ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND VATICAN CORRESPONDENT prosecuting such cases. Etan’s picture, when he passed. Gerard O’Connell in fact, was the first picture of a missing John would have loved this issue of ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ashley McKinless ASSISTANT EDITORS Francis W. Turnbull, S.J., Olga child to appear on milk cartons, perhaps America. A lifelong student of politics, Segura, Joseph McAuley the most visible component of the new he would have liked seeing these two ART DIRECTOR Sonja Kodiak Wilder public awareness campaign. political titans from opposite sides of COLUMNISTS Helen Alvaré, John J. Conley, S.J., The public outcry that prompted the aisle talking about the pope, the Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., James T. Keane, John W. policy makers to act was orchestrated poor and the proper role of government. Martens, Bill McGarvey, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Margot Patterson “That’s a good story,” I’m sure he would in part by the local and national media. CORRESPONDENTS Chief among Etan’s champions was have said. John Carr (Washington), Jim McDermott, S.J. John Slattery, a reporter at WCBS-TV, “You know what I admire about (Los Angeles), Timothy Padgett (Miami), Steven Schwankert (Beijing), David Stewart, S.J. (London), the CBS network affiliate in New York you,” I told John after Mass one Judith Valente (Chicago), Mary Ann Walsh, R.S.M. City. Every autumn for almost 30 years, Sunday. “During the week you might (U.S. Church) John filed a story on the progress (or be interviewing a president or a master MODERATOR, CATHOLIC BOOK CLUB lack thereof ) of the boy’s case. A parent criminal, or covering a distant war or a Kevin Spinale, S.J. EDITORIAL E-MAIL of three, John approached the story major political campaign; but on most america@americamagazine.org with a father’s heart as well as the keen Sundays, no matter what, you’re here eye and inquiring mind of a seasoned working as a lector, worshipping with PUBLISHER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Edward Spallone broadcast journalist. your fellow Catholics.” He laughed and DEPUTY PUBLISHER John Slattery died of a sudden heart said, “Father, here I get to read the good Rosa Del Saz attack last week at the age of 63, one news.” That was John: big-hearted, VICE PRESIDENT/ADVANCEMENT month short of his 30th anniversary at faithful, fast with a quip, down to earth. Daniel Pawlus DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR WCBS. During the course of his 40 I don’t know who’ll cover the Etan Patz Kerry Goleski years in broadcasting, John chronicled case this winter, but it’s hard to imagine OPERATIONS STAFF the triumphs, tragedies and foibles of the anyone doing it with as much intelligence Chris Keller, Glenda Castro city that never sleeps. A four-time Emmy and humanity as John Slattery did. ADVERTISING CONTACT winner, he was one of the first reporters Many people criticize television news, ads@americamagazine.org; 212-515-0102 to arrive at ground zero on the morning mainly for being shallow or sensational SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT/ADDITIONAL COPIES subscriptions@americamagazine.org; of Sept. 11, 2001, just in time to watch or just plain unhelpful. Some of that 1-800-627-9533 the second plane strike the World Trade is obviously true. But like most things Center. He was also there after the first human, television journalism can also be © 2014 America Press, Inc. World Trade Center attack in 1993. He noble and beautiful and true. That’s still braved the elements to cover the blizzard possible, though, in my humble opinion, Cover: Paul Ryan, left. Photo: Shutterstock.com./ Christopher Halloran. Joseph P. Kennedy III, of February 1994 and the devastation of it just got a lot harder. right. Photo: Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi. Flag. Hurricane Sandy in 2012. MATT MaloNE, S.J. Photo: Shutterstock.com/Maureen Perez Contents www.americamagazine.org VOL. 211 NO. 10, WHOLE NO. 5064 OCTOBER 13, 2014 ARTICLES 16 PREFERENTIAL OPTIONS ‘Vanguard’ experiments in fighting poverty Paul Ryan 21 A GREATER REALITY Faith, the final frontier Thomas A. Cahill COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Current Comment 21 5 Editorial Proceed With Caution 6 Reply All 8 Signs of the Times 14 Column Confronting the Caliphate Margot Patterson 26 Vatican Dispatch Francis the Diplomat Gerard O’Connell 27 Faith in Focus Remain Here With Me Joan Miller 46 The Word Payment Due John W. Martens 27 BOOKS & CULTURE 30 FALL BOOKS 1 African Journeys; Cycle of Lies; In Quest of the Jewish Mary; Tennessee Williams; Plato at the Googleplex OF OTHER THINGS Body-Building ON THE WEB Gerard O’Connell reports from Pope Francis’s trip to Albania, and Judith Valente celebrates Bruce Springsteen’s 65th Birthday. Full digital highlights on page 23 and at americamagazine.org/webfeatures. 30 CURRENT COMMENT crowd marched along singing “We Shall Overcome.” Jesuit Breaking Ebola scholastics, Sisters of Charity, Capuchin Franciscans from Six months into the unprecedented outbreak of the Rome, rabbis, imams, victims of Hurricane Sandy, movie deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, the United States and stars, jazz bands and politicians made this People’s Climate international community are finally trying to catch up March—the largest of the 2,646 climate-change events to the crisis. On Sept. 16 President Obama committed held in 156 countries that day—radiate a moment of hope 3,000 military personnel and $750 million to coordinate while the planet warmed, oceans rose, species of wildlife relief efforts. Two days later the United Nations Security disappeared, the food supply shrank and we whom God Council convened its first emergency meeting on a public made stewards of creation learned that we must act, even health crisis, unanimously declaring the epidemic “a threat sacrifice, to save our planet. to international peace and security.” We know that the concentration of carbon dioxide in The question now is: Will these efforts be enough the air is now 42 percent above pre-Industrial Revolution to avoid what health officials see as possible worst-case levels and that human activity has warmed the planet by 1.5 scenarios? According to the Centers for Disease Control degrees Fahrenheit. If this trend continues for the next 30 and Prevention, the number of Ebola cases in Liberia years, The New York Times reports, the temperature “would and Sierra Leone, two of the hardest hit countries, could likely be incompatible with human civilization in its current reach between 550,000 and 1.4 million by January absent form.” If we fail to stem these rising tides, the marchers “additional interventions or changes in community warned us, “There Is No Ark.” behavior.” But the C.D.C. director, Tom Frieden, held out hope, saying that if 70 percent of Ebola patients receive proper care, the disease could run its course by The Internet Wants to Be Free mid-January and that the recent surge in global support is “Net neutrality” does not sound like a term that would “exactly what’s needed.” arouse much passion. Yet more than a dozen religious bodies, The next couple of months will be especially crucial, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have and few institutions can deploy as rapidly as the U.S. issued a sharp joint letter to the Federal Communications military or match its logistical capabilities. But if and when Commission urging policymakers to keep the Internet this fever breaks, it will be worth asking whether this is “neutral” for the benefit of all of its users. the best way to confront health emergencies. The World “We are concerned about paid prioritization and other Health Organization is the natural alternative, but it has policies that will increase costs and limit opportunities come under criticism for its slow response to the escalating for our organizations and the communities we serve,” the Ebola epidemic.