How Do Bishops Decide When to Speak? an Exclusive Excerpt from a New Report
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NOVEMBER 26, 2018 THE JESUIT REVIEW OF FAITH AND CULTURE 2018 CPA MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR How Do Bishops Decide When to Speak? An exclusive excerpt from a new report p20 #ChurchToo: A Story Finding God in a of Clergy Misconduct Newsroom Shooting p28 p34 The Evolution of René Girard p40 CHRISTMAS GIFTS These gifts are for Faith, Comfort, & Joy Read together and share stories of faith this Christmas. 20% off for a limited time!* Using simple yet profound truths, this book helps children quiet their minds and listen to their hearts to know that we are all deeply loved by God. Visit www.GodIsintheSilence.com for fun activities to do at home. English | PB | 978-0-8294-4657-9 | $8.95 $7.16 Bilingual | PB | 978-0-8294-4696-8 | $8.95 $7.16 Leo’s a shy, six-year-old boy who overcomes his self-doubt and discovers that he has a beautiful gift to share with the world – just in time for Christmas! Visit www.LeosGift.com for fun activities to do at home. 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I fear that too many of us, humanity while containing the worst. She shouldn’t be. You’ve got to treat while loudly complaining about the The separation of powers in the U.S. the White House and the office of the polarization and coarseness in our Constitution, novel for its time, is a presidency with respect.” public discourse, quietly rather enjoy good example of this theo-political That last bit is true. But the it, even if only subconsciously. Deep balancing act: No single person can president should be treated with down in places we don’t like to talk be trusted to wield power; therefore, respect because all people should be about, we seem to get a thrill from the power must be shared among many treated with respect. That is the value politics of destruction. It makes us feel and policed by a legal system of checks that justifies civility. Embedded in the powerful, if only for a moment. Cain and balances. Yet our founders also very notion of democracy, of a free and didn’t kill Abel, after all, over a mere recognized that the U.S. Constitution fair society, is the principle that we are difference of opinion. He killed him is but one part of a larger whole called all worthy of respect or none of us is. out of jealousy, arrogance and pride. the American political economy. When challenged about his lack of So too do we. As I have previously noted in this decorum, Mr. Trump responds by Overcoming sin requires grace. space, while the United States does telling us that he is the victim of slander Our founders knew that. They did have a single document called “The and is therefore justified in employing not understand civility to be some- Constitution,” with an uppercase T and a bombastic style. People hit him, so thing like a social contract: We agree C, the American system also presumes he hits them back, his handlers tell to treat each other a certain way; and nonconstitutional values and customs us. Yet that is the moral reasoning if the other party breaks the deal, then that are just as vital, if not more vital to of a 12-year-old. Few parents would we are released from the obligation. the health of our democracy. accept the excuse “Everybody else is No, our founders understood that the Among these indispensable cus- doing it” from their children. So why duty to be civil is not rooted in social toms are decorum and civility in public do we accept this justification from custom but in the divine command to argument, which largely distinguish a the president? Why do some offer it in love one another. And God didn’t say: polity from a mere mob. A presuppo- defense of his actions? “Since some of you are not loving one sition of our political economy is that I am well aware that Mr. Trump another, all bets are off.” reasonable people can and do disagree is not the only demagogue in the God doesn’t ask us, he orders us about important public matters and country. A quick glance at my Twitter to love one another. Civility is one that they will do so through spirited feed is enough to establish that sad fact. way we carry out that command. The yet civil public argument. Americans But Mr. Trump is the only one who task of every citizen, but especially have not always been civil or decorous happens to be president of the United the Christian citizen, is to testify to with one another, of course; but until States and, as such, has a greater duty this divine command in all our public recently this was the minimal expec- than most to deploy his rhetoric with actions; to labor to build a public tation, and when one failed to meet it, prudence, decorum and moral clarity, square that calls forth the best in a some social penalty was often applied. an extra-constitutional but nonethe- fallen humanity while containing Yet the words of the previous para- less essential duty of his office, one he the worst, a place where destructive graph now seem as quaint as a telegram. consistently fails to execute. While Mr. confrontation yields to creative The public discourse has devolved to Trump is far from the only culprit in encounter, a place of true civil such an extent that the value of civility the demise of the civic discourse, he is dialogue not for the sake of one but for itself is now openly questioned as often the most visible; and, whether we like it the many. as its conventions are routinely vio- or not, he establishes the standard for lated. “You talk about somebody that’s others. As we used to say growing up on Matt Malone, S.J. a loser,” President Trump recently Cape Cod, “a fish rots from the head.” Twitter: @americaeditor. 2 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG NOVEMBER 26, 2018 AMERICA | 3 THE ISSUE GIVE AND TAKE DISPATCHES FEATURES 6 12 20 YOUR TAKE MIDTERM ELECTIONS: THE BISHOPS SPEAK Does political rhetoric HISTORIC TURNOUT, How do bishops decide when incite violence? NEW DIRECTION? to discuss political issues? Results from a new survey 8 Infographic: Tracking the results of Stephen J. Fichter, Thomas P. Gaunt, OUR TAKE the November vote Catherine Hoegeman, Paul M. Perl After the midterms, the case for bipartisanship; the moral duty to Our 40-foot Lady at the border 28 fight anti-Semitism #CHURCHTOO In street protests South Africans How can the church prevent 10 demand progress clergy misconduct? SHORT TAKE Lea Karen Kivi Catholic colleges should turn Pope Francis prays for Pittsburgh and off pornography an end to anti-Semitism Patrick T. Brown 4 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP Photo Marin/Pool Ludovic The leaders of Morocco, Germany, France, Canada, Niger and the Republic of Guinea walk toward the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as part of the commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of the armistice ending World War I, Nov. 11. THE ISSUE Cover image: iStock FAITH IN FOCUS IDEAS IN REVIEW THE WORD 34 40 50 REMEMBERING MAC THE EVOLUTION OF Do the satisfactions of your life blind My mentor was killed in a newsroom RENÉ GIRARD you to grace? massacre—and I had to cover it How one man made us think differently about religion, violence In what ways must you renew and desire yourself? VANTAGE POINT Cynthia L. Haven Michael Simone 38 BOOKS WALTER ONG ON The Collected Stories of Machado LAST TAKE MICKEY MOUSE de Assis; The Incendiaries; Fear; Oct. 4, 1941 Refuge in Hell 54 KAYA OAKES POEM CULTURE Reflections from a Catholic feminist “Bohemian Rhapsody”; “Downstate” 43 WHOSE RESOLVE, WHICH SALVATION? Joshua Wall NOVEMBER 26, 2018 VOL. 219 NO. 12 WHOLE NO. 5205 YOUR TAKE Does political rhetoric incite violence? Ninety-fi ve percent of respondents toldAmerica that yes, comments about anything, but especially people, those political rhetoric can incite violence. Respondents cited who are already angry feel justifi ed in acting out on their current events as evidence for how irresponsible political negative feelings.” rhetoric can result in violence. Sixty-three percent of respondents, including Ms. “The recent pipe bombings and the murders at the Caldwell, said political rhetoric had aff ected their person- Tree of Life seem to be inspired by the appeal to violence al relationships. “I have been called a heretic, a liberal and and hatred espoused by the president,” wrote Sheila Kurtz a non-orthodox Catholic because I disagree with certain of Knoxville, Tenn.