The National Catholic Weekly March 26, 2012 $3.50
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THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY MARCH 26, 2012 $3.50 OF MANY THINGS s Rick Santorum right about John scientist William Galston quoted PUBLISHED BY JESUITS OF THE UNITED STATES F. Kennedy? Arthur Schlesinger: “Kennedy’s religion The Republican presidential was humane rather than doctrinal. He I PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER candidate was widely criticized for his was a Catholic as Franklin Roosevelt JOHN P. S CHLEGEL , S.J. unscripted remark that after reading was an Episcopalian....” Kennedy was Kennedy’s famous 1960 speech on reli - not publicly Catholic in the way EDITOR IN CHIEF gion and politics, he “almost threw up.” Santorum is publicly Catholic. In fact, Drew Christiansen, S.J. Santorum objected to what he took to in his public approach to his faith, EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT be Kennedy’s argument that religion is Kennedy is closer to Mitt Romney than MANAGING EDITOR a private matter and should not influ - any contemporary Catholic politician. Robert C. Collins, S.J. ence political decisions. Galston argued that Kennedy was in EDITORIAL DIRECTOR For many in the media, Kennedy’s favor of a kind of “triple separation.” Karen Sue Smith stand on church and state has become, The first separation, between church ONLINE EDITOR well, an article of faith. The New York and state, is largely uncontroversial Maurice Timothy Reidy Times called Santorum’s response to today, though it is often conflated with LITERARY EDITOR Kennedy’s “remarkable” speech to the the second—between religion and poli - Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. Houston Ministerial Association “one tics. The third separation concerned POETRY EDITOR of the lowest points of modern day democracy and God. James S. Torrens, S.J. electoral politics.” Was Kennedy arguing that religion ASSOCIATE EDITORS Yet there was one man who knew had no place in the public sphere? Kevin Clarke that Kennedy’s thoughts on religion and Kennedy called his faith a “private Kerry Weber politics would be controversial, and in affair” and said it did not influence his CONTRIBUTING EDITOR fact, could cause gastro-intestinal dis - public views. “There is no indication James Martin, S.J. tress. That man was Kennedy himself. that JFK regarded the church as having ART DIRECTOR “It is hard for a Harvard man to any rightful authority over his public Stephanie Ratcliffe answer questions on theology,” Kennedy conduct,” Galston said. ASSISTANT EDITOR quipped following a controversial 1959 Another panelist, the ethicist Shaun Francis W. Turnbull, S.J. interview with Look magazine. “I imag - Casey, found a clearer connection BUSINESS DEPARTMENT ine my answers will cause heartburn at between Kennedy’s faith and his public CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Fordham and B.C.” office. Casey cited the question and Lisa Pope In that interview, Kennedy sought to answer session following the Houston distance his role as a public servant talk. “The exchanges there…helped 106 West 56th Street from his private identity as a Catholic. knock down the argument that some - New York, NY 10019-3803 His speech drew sharp criticism, and as how Kennedy was declaring his Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596 a result he was better prepared for his Catholicism to be purely private, and E-mail: [email protected]; September 1960 speech in Houston. hence irrelevant,” Casey said. Kennedy [email protected] Commonweal’s John Cogley and John mentioned more than once that his Web site: www.americamagazine.org. Courtney Murray, S.J., tutored him views represented “the great majority of Customer Service: 1-800-627-9533 before the talk. American Catholics.” © 2012 America Press, Inc. The legacy and content of the So 50 years later ambiguity persists. Houston speech is still pored over in Santorum’s remarks, though crude, Catholic circles, notably at a sympo - were a visceral display of a debate that sium at Fordham University in 2008 in remains unsettled. At the Fordham advance of the 50th anniversary of the gathering, the Rev. J. Bryan Hehir speech. A review of the transcript of explained why, on the question of reli - that event reveals why Kennedy’s gion and politics, a delicate hand is remarks generate strong responses from required: “Religion has a place in the readers like Senator Santorum. larger political argument, but it is not Part of what rankles Kennedy’s crit - the totality of the argument, and how ics, surely, is what appears to be a less you define it and articulate it then than enthusiastic embrace of the becomes crucial.” Catholic faith. At Fordham, the social MAURICE TIMOTHY REIDY Cover: Shutterstock.com/nmedia CONTENTS www.americamagazine.org Vol. 206 No. 10, WHole No. 4966 MARCH 26, 2012 ARTICLES 13 CLIMATE FOR CHANGE What the church can do about global warming Elizabeth Groppe 17 ENGAGING THE SPIRITUALS The secular challenge to the New Evangelization Drew Christiansen COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Current Comment 13 5 Editorial Democracy and Stability 6 Signs of the Times 9 Column Time to Cool Down Thomas Massaro 29 Letters 31 The Word Darkness and Faith Peter Feldmeier BOOKS & CULTURE 17 21 NEW MEDIA Praying in the Internet age BOOKS Thornton Wilder and Amos Wilder; Secularism and Freedom of Conscience ON THE WEB ON THE WEB A podcast remembering the Christian Pakistani minister Shahbaz Bhatti , right, one year after his murder. Plus, Rev. Terrance W. Klein reviews the TV show “Smash” and addi - tional video reflections for Lent . All at americamagazine.org. 21 CURRENT COMMENT tives…) earn less than male plumbers (nurses, execu - Government’s Task tives…). The dollar difference often stings. A comparison In our March 5 editorial “Policy, Not Liberty,” we comment - of the 2010 median earnings of workers in full-time man - ed on the objections of the U.S. Conference of Catholic agement, professional and related occupations shows that Bishops to President Obama’s accommodation on the health the men received $1,256 a week, the women $923. Over a insurance mandate. We identified, by way of example, “the year, the women got $17,316 less. Women, it is often needs of self-insured institutions” as an obvious problem explained, (1) experience more career “interruptions” than needing correction. In the weeks since that editorial men do—time off for pregnancies and child/elder care, (2) appeared, the bishops have raised anew serious issues that work part time more often, (3) cluster in low-paying jobs need attention. A key issue, which we regret we failed to and (4) have fewer mentors. Prejudice is seldom noted as identify in that editorial, is the narrowness of the underlying an obstacle in the hiring, pay and promotion of women. Department of Health and Human Services regulation Wage parity requires changed attitudes and policies. maintaining a limited definition of religious institutions, a Women ought not be penalized for giving birth or provid - formula to which the bishops, as well as America in an ear - ing care. Uniform family care policies could equalize the lier editorial (“Taking Liberties,” 2/15), objected. load for men and women. And mentoring both male and This is not an issue for the United States alone. female workers would help. Justice is always the best way Archbishop Silvio Tomasi, representing the Holy See, to achieve equal opportunity. observed when speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council on March 1 on the issue of religious liberty world - Televangelism wide: “The task of government is not to define For thoughtful conversation about religion, television is often religion...but to confer upon faith communities a juridical the last place to look. Discussions about religious topics often personality so they can function peacefully within a legal devolve into debates between two extremes or, worse, into framework.” The church cannot function peacefully in the shouting matches. But once in a while television reveals its United States under the current regulatory framework. potential as an important tool for the New Evangelization. The existing regulation demands reworking. Two recent appearances made Catholics watch, and There are conflicting reports about how seriously the watch carefully. M. Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law two sides are engaged with one another at this time. We and theology at Notre Dame, appeared on “The Daily hope that in the weeks ahead, as the bishops and the Show With Jon Stewart,” to explicate issues surrounding administration attempt to resolve their differences over the the bishops’ opposition to insurance companies covering H.H.S. mandate, the legal definition of religious institu - contraception in employee health plans. Professor Kaveny tions will take a top priority. We trust that, with good faith patiently and clearly explained the role of the bishops as efforts, this potentially explosive issue will be defused, and teachers, pointed out the wide scope of the church’s social we support the bishops in that effort. teaching and even touched upon some of the more subtle topics in moral theology, like “cooperation with evil.” At the Women at Work close of the interview, she summed up why she stays in the It is particularly worth noting now, during Women’s church: “Because every human being matters.” History Month, that the sluggish U.S. economy has led A few days later, Diarmuid Martin, the archbishop of many young women to pursue higher education. In fact, in Dublin, was interviewed on “60 Minutes” about sexual 2010 and 2011 the number of women between the ages of abuse in Ireland, which the archbishop has worked tireless - 18 and 24 in college or university rose by 130,000, com - ly to combat. Toward the end of the segment, the archbish - pared with just 53,000 for men that age. Will a record op told of hearing of the rape (the right word) of an 8- number of college-educated women finally close the male- year-old boy by a priest.