Inside the Election of Pope Francis an Exclusive Report Why Jesus Gerard O’Connell Movies Should P20 Be Strange P40
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APRIL 1, 2019 THE JESUIT REVIEW OF FAITH AND CULTURE Inside the Election of Pope Francis An exclusive report Why Jesus Gerard O’Connell Movies Should p20 Be Strange p40 The Kickstarter Business Model p26 The Moral Limits of Markets p32 2 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG APRIL 1, 2019 AMERICA | 3 2019-02_Brand-Ad-Campaign_america_v01_jg.indd 1 2/15/19 11:29 AM A First Draft of History Phil Graham, the late publisher of The fell, many of us had started to head for students and scholars for decades Washington Post, is often credited out of the square, looking for a place to come. Indeed, it is the first and so with popularizing the notion that to dry off and have a hot drink, when far definitive draft of this history. newspapers are “the first rough draft a roar from the crowd washed over us. ••• of history.” That was certainly true White smoke! But who? I am hard of Many of the folks who make in Mr. Graham’s day, the mid-20th hearing, and when the name was first America such a special place to work century, a time when newspapers so announced I thought the camerlengo are listed on our masthead in every dominated the national discourse had said “Broglio” rather than “Bergo- issue, but there are many more be- that New Yorkers saw fit to name two glio.” For a moment I wondered why yond that, including you, our readers, of our most famous squares for The the College of Cardinals would have as well as our board of directors and New York Times and The New York elected an American archbishop who our benefactors. Without the gener- Herald-Tribune. Today, of course, wasn’t even a cardinal. A split second ous support of these men and women, newspapers are a dying breed; and the later the Roman woman standing next we would not be able to bring you the first rough draft of history is recorded to me starting yelling “The Jesuit! best in Catholic journalism every day in digital characters and so-called hot They’ve elected the Jesuit!” online and every other week in print. takes on social media. Indeed, they had elected the Je- Among that amazing community Magazines like America are suit. This was unheard of, unprece- of supporters, William J. Loschert, a not really the first draft of anything. dented, seemingly out of nowhere. graduate of Fordham University and a Reviews like ours exist to provide a In the days leading up to this big mo- longtime supporter of the Jesuits, has digest or analysis of events, often ment, I had spoken to dozens of Vati- been an extraordinary friend to this from a definite ideological or philo- can insiders, reporters and historians. review. In gratitude for his generosity, sophical perspective. By definition, “Who will they pick?” was the ques- our state-of-the-art audio and video then, most of our content is several tion that led every conversation. So studio will be renamed this month the steps removed from the news cycle. intense was the speculation and William J. Loschert Studio at America Still, from time to time, when the desire to know what was happening Media. Please pray for Bill and for publishing planets align, we break that the conclave’s organizers, accord- all our community, as we continue to news as well as analyze it. This is- ing to Mr. O’Connell, went to great pray for you. sue of America is a good example. measures to prevent the possibility of And if you are in New York, please In these pages, we publish an ex- interception, even choosing “not to use stop by and visit the studio and our clusive excerpt from a new book by the sound amplification system inside new offices. We are located on the -Av Gerard O’Connell, America’s Vati- the Sistine Chapel.” Amid all the hub- enue of the Americas, which, while I can correspondent. The Election of bub, only one person I spoke with told think we’ve earned the honor, is not in Pope Francis: An Inside Account of me that the next pope would be Jorge fact named for the magazine. the Conclave That Changed History Mario Bergoglio of Argentina. I is the first definitive account of that thought that guy was crazy. Now he is Matt Malone, S.J. seminal ecclesial event. America’s Vatican correspondent. Twitter: @americaeditor. Six years on, it is easy to forget There is no one better qualified to just how big a deal this was. The first write this story than Gerard O’Con- resignation of a pope in 800 years was nell. The book is a tour de force, ex- followed in quick order by the election pertly reported and crafted in a style of the first Jesuit pope. I was there, that reads at times like a thriller. I in St. Peter’s Square, waiting for the hope you will pick up a copy at your white smoke along with thousands of local bookstore or Amazon shopping other cold, wet pilgrims. When night cart, for this will be required reading 2 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG APRIL 1, 2019 AMERICA | 3 THE ISSUE GIVE AND TAKE DISPATCHES FEATURES 6 12 20 YOUR TAKE FUTURE SHOCKS UNITE INSIDE THE ELECTION What are you reading this Lent? EUROPE’S YELLOW VEST AND OF POPE FRANCIS CLIMATE PROTESTERS An exclusive report 8 Gerard O’Connell OUR TAKE Infographic: Gallup survey shows Policy should trump politics; Catholics wavering because of 26 Lay leaders take on abuse abuse crisis KICKSTARTING CREATIVITY One company’s efforts to humanize 10 Trudeau’s cabinet departures are the marketplace SHORT TAKE new disappointments for Canada’s Thomas More Garrett A college degree is not worth the indigenous people cost for everyone Mary McAuliffe GoodNews: A former monastery POEM in Tucson becomes home to U.S. asylum seekers 43 AS I LIE DYING In abuse summit aftermath, ‘We dare James S. Torrens not fail,’ says Australian archbishop 4 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell AP Photo/Rebecca Children carry pictures of murdered community activist Samir Flores Soberanes as they walk behind his coffin in Amilcingo, Mexico, Feb. 21. Flores, who was fighting against a plan to build a gas pipeline through his central Mexico town, was killed three days before a public referendum on the project. THE ISSUE Cover: CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters FAITH & REASON IDEAS IN REVIEW THE WORD 32 40 50 THE COMMON GOOD AND JESUS MOVIES SHOULD Do you treat God’s law as a tool for THE MARKET BE STRANGE conversion or retribution? What are the moral limits of Or, why I love Zeffirelli’s “Jesus capitalism? of Nazareth” How can you emulate Jesus’ Vincent J. Miller Margaret Tucker unwavering obedience to God? Michael Simone BOOKS FAITH IN FOCUS Christ; Becoming; The Damascus Road; Mad, Bad, Dangerous to Know LAST TAKE 38 SINGING BY THE EXIT CULTURE 54 When the sky fell on Holy Thursday “Tolton: From Slave to Priest”; “Rus- THERESA ALETHEIA NOBLE Mary Margaret Alvarado sian Doll” This Lent, memento mori APRIL 1, 2019 VOL. 220 NO. 7 WHOLE NO. 5214 YOUR TAKE What are you reading this Lent? Asked about their Lenten reading habits, respondents Other spiritual writers respondents listed were the reported a variety of books and listed passages from Rev. William Cleary, John Main, O.S.B., and Laurence Scripture and other spiritual writings. They also Freeman, O.S.B. Multiple respondents mentioned Tat- reflected on how their reading habits have changed toos on the Heart, by Gregory Boyle, S.J. Autobiographical over the years. The writers Richard Rohr, O.F.M., and works like Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain the Rev. Henri Nouwen were the most popular among and St. Augustine’s Confessions also featured prominently. our readers. Some readers said they are inclined to read philosophical Respondents named the Psalms, the Gospels and daily works like Søren Kierkegaard’s Works of Love. readings, as well as the Book of Proverbs, St. Paul’s letters Also included were books by America editors: Ker- and the Servant Songs in Isaiah as their favorite Scripture ry Weber’s Mercy in the City and Jesus: A Pilgrimage, by readings for Lent. James Martin, S.J. “For many years, I read only the weekly readings at A number of respondents reported dedicating more Mass,” wrote Pat Fox of Huntington Station, N.Y. “As I got time to prayer. “I read less and pray more than I used to,” older, I became a lot more engaged in reading and meditat- wrote Kristeen Bruun of Weatherford, Tex. “Thinking ing on what I read.” back, there was a time when I did not appreciate Lent in the Chris Jensen of Sacramento, Calif., has “gone from way I now do. It felt like an interference in my usual rou- simple devotions to more in-depth reading on prayer tine. Now I look forward to slowing the pace and see that as and formation.” part of the calling of Lent.” What has been your favorite spiritual reading during Lent? The Return of the Prodigal Son, by the Rev. Henri Nouwen; The Universal Christ, by Richard Rohr, O.F.M.; Mercy in the City, by Kerry Weber; Jesus: A Pilgrimage, by James Martin, S.J.; Walking the Labyrinth, by Travis Scholl; Tattoos on the Heart, by Gregory Boyle, S.J.; Barking at the Choir, by Gregory Boyle, S.J.; Confessions, by St. Augustine; Works of Love, by Søren Kierkegaard What parts of Scripture do you like to read during Lent? I am reading the Gospel of Luke from the beginning and listening to the Gospel through a feminist perspective, as inspired by Barbara Reid’s Wisdom’s Feast.