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God and Presidential Politics Matt Malone Dec. 17, America2007 THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY $2.75 God and Presidential Politics Matt Malone What Would You Tell Your Bishop? George B. Wilson The Genealogy of Jesus Robert P. Maloney AR STORIES are an inevitable priest who ministers to a diminishing byproduct of the wars in community there. Canon White estimates Afghanistan and Iraq. Many that 90 percent of Iraqi Christians have America are stories of unspeakable fled or been murdered. Churches had to Published by Jesuits of the United States Wtragedy and loss; they are told selectively close in the city during the worst violence, and with reverence. Others are about the and Christians were reluctant to seek pro- Editor in Chief humdrum day-to-day existence of danger, tection, lest they be accused of collaborat- Drew Christiansen, S.J. fear and survival. But there are also stories ing with the U.S. military. Their pru- with humorous elements; those are the dence did not do much good, and Canon Acting Publisher ones most easily told to family and friends White estimates that the situation for James Martin, S.J. and then repeated by them. Christians in Iraq at present is the most One of my friends was stationed in difficult in history. Managing Editor Mosul, in the north of Iraq. He ran a rail- But even for those who have managed to Robert C. Collins, S.J. road, a big one with a staggering logistical flee, life is far from easy. Antoine Audo, capacity. Though there was constant dan- S.J., the Chaldean bishop of Aleppo in Business Manager ger, the general situation was then more Syria, where there are 50,000 Chaldean Lisa Pope peaceful than it later became. He and his Catholic refugees from Iraq, spoke recently troops actually got to know Iraqis, were of their plight. They left behind danger and Editorial Director careful not to refer to them as hajis, went to instability, sometimes forced from their Karen Sue Smith their shops and restaurants and came to homes by Islamic jihadis. With few material Online Editor respect them. The Americans were fascinat- resources and facing the scarcity of jobs in ed to see that university students had dis- Syria, poverty and survival have forced Maurice Timothy Reidy covered Skoal, the smokeless tobacco, and many into prostitution. Christian relief Associate Editors had even perfected the shake of the can. organizations and overseas relatives provide And they picked up local gossip, including some help, but more is needed. Bishop Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J. the belief that the Audo also George M. Anderson, S.J. new wraparound warned that in Dennis M. Linehan, S.J. sunglasses afford- addition to James P. McDermott, S.J. ed the soldiers X- Of Many Things the refugee ray vision. As a crisis, there is Matt Malone, S.J. result, the sun- also danger James T. Keane, S.J. glasses became obligatory for all whenever that Islamic jihadism will spread from Iraq they took out a convoy. And his entire unit to Syria and other neighboring countries. Literary Editor returned safely from Iraq, with their lives Clearly there are limits to what relief Patricia A. Kossmann and their sunglasses. organizations can do to ease the plight of Our Christian family war stories have Iraqi Christians in their own country or in Poetry Editor no elements of humor. And from the same the countries where they have sought James S. Torrens, S.J. city of Mosul come tales of persecution, refuge. It is equally clear that there are emigration and death. limits to what governments and military Assistant Editor The Chaldean archbishop of Mosul, forces can do to restore even a semblance Francis W. Turnbull, S.J. Paulos Faraj Rahho, painted a dark pic- of peace and security, even when and ture of conditions in his diocese. He rec- where goodwill is present. And it is not Design and Production ognizes that the U.S. forces are “cleaning clearly present in this maelstrom of horror Stephanie Ratcliffe up” in the south of the country; but that and suffering. Of course we can pray, give has forced the terrorists to move north, alms, pressure politicians, become active Advertising and now they are concentrated in Mosul. in peace building groups; but there Julia Sosa He blames the deplorable state of remains a pervasive sadness about how international politics and the ambitions of terribly people treat one another. 106 West 56th Street Iraq’s neighbors for the chaos. “They My officer friend with the railroad and New York, NY 10019-3803 don’t want a free and independent Iraq sunglasses is, by coincidence, from Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596. because it would be too strong. United we Michigan, and Michigan is the center of a E-mail: [email protected]; would constitute a great intellectual and vibrant and generous Chaldean Catholic [email protected]. economic power. By keeping the country community of Iraqi Christians. May we, Web site: www.americamagazine.org. weak and divided, it is easier to dominate with them, dare hope for peace and pros- Customer Service: 1-800-627-9533. it.” Though Christians in Mosul are only perity for all in Iraq, in God’s providence, © 2007 America Press, Inc. 3 percent of the population, they repre- though it may take decades. We repeat sent 35 percent of those with higher edu- the prayer of Archbishop Paulos: “Like cation; and doctors, lawyers, professors, Christmas in the past, this time the main Cover photo Presidential hopefuls Senator clergy and journalists are the prime tar- message of our prayers shall be for peace, Hillary Clinton and Senator John McCain gets of terrorism. Many choose to flee. which is what we wish uppermost and at the National Prayer Breakfast in In Baghdad it is almost as bad, accord- which we are trying to achieve.” Washington on Feb. 1, 2007. ing to Canon Andrew White, an Anglican Dennis M. Linehan, S.J. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque www.americamagazine.org Vol. 197 No. 20, Whole No. 4798 December 17, 2007 Articles 9 God and Politics 9 Matt Malone Faith is fair game in this season’s presidential politics. An analysis of what the candidates have been saying about it. I Need Your Help 16 George B. Wilson A church organizational consultant imagines a gathering at which a bishop outlines the problems of his diocese and solicits advice from his audience. Current Comment 4 16 Editorial Myanmar’s Anguish 5 Signs of the Times 6 Morality Matters 8 Remembering a Darker Christmas Story Maryann Cusimano Love Faith in Focus Advent 4: Matthew’s Story Karen Sue Smith 19 20 The Genealogy of Jesus Robert P. Maloney 20 Book Reviews 23 After the Baby Boomers; The First Word; Amish Grace Letters 28 The Word 30 Emmanuel; A Motley Crew Daniel J. Harrington This week @ Gerald O’Collins, S.J., evaluates Pope Benedict’s new encyclical, Spe Salvi. From the archives: Mary McGrory on the John F. Kennedy campaign trail. On our podcast, America Connects Jim McDermott, S.J., talks about comedy writing. All at www.americamagazine.org. Current Comment New Orleans is not alone in experiencing the demoli- A Halting Start tion of large segments of its public housing. In Chicago, If the Secretary of State’s closing talk was any measure, HUD destroyed more public housing units than it last week’s conference in Annapolis, Md., got the Middle replaced. Thirteen thousand demolitions there have forced East peace process off to a halting start. Condoleezza 20,000 people from their homes, and many clients are now Rice, usually full-voiced and self-assured, read her left waiting for new quarters. Actions like those pending in remarks in a weak and uncertain manner, like a rank New Orleans and tear-downs that have already occurred in amateur. Her obvious lack of confidence in her own mes- Chicago and elsewhere exacerbate the nation’s lack of sage was a metaphor for the event. Apart from gathering affordable housing and threaten an increase in homeless- representatives of 49 nations and international organiza- ness for financially vulnerable people. Underscoring the tions, the conference achieved little more than setting a sense of crisis, Catherine Albisa, executive director of the schedule for Israeli and Palestinian officials to meet reg- National Economic & Social Rights Initiative, has said of ularly for negotiations over the next year. No new ideas New Orleans: “Every moment we fail to act is another unit were advanced, no schema for negotiation ratified, no demolished, another grandmother evicted, or another child pressure applied. Popular opposition to the talks was who finds him or herself doing homework in a shelter.” manifest on the streets of Jerusalem, Nablus and Gaza. If there is to be a new Palestinian state by 2009, then the major issues need to be worked out in no more than six Out Tancredo-ing Tancredo months, so there will be time to bring the uncertain pop- Civility wilted in the heat of the CNN/YouTube debate on ulations and fractious political coalitions on board and to Nov. 28, in which several of the Republican presidential plan for implementing the accord. The timing is critical. candidates, few of them being entirely accurate or fair, In particular, achieving peace requires that both sides accused the others of being soft on illegal immigrants. The find a new way to engage Hamas, the Islamist group that invective even escalated to the point where Representative controls Gaza and a majority in the Palestinian legisla- Tom Tancredo, whose own virulent opposition to illegal ture. Only determination by the United States to grasp immigration sometimes looks like irrational xenophobia, the nettles represented by Hamas will make this happen.
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