Religious Education
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF MANY THINGS ore than halfway through story that simply sells is clearly evident in 106 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019-3803 the general election, Donald much of what they do. Ph: (212) 581-4640; Fax: (212) 399-3596 Trump’s presidential campaign Scott Pelley, the veteran anchor of the Subscriptions: (800) 627-9533 M www.americamedia.org is imploding. The Republican flagship “CBS Evening News,” may not be the facebook.com/americamag resembles Jonah’s boat to Tarshish: most exciting personality on television, twitter.com/americamag but he is undoubtedly the best journalist, the tempest-tossed and panic-stricken PRESIDENT AND EDITOR IN CHIEF passengers are looking for someone to a worthy heir to the legacy of Paley, Matt Malone, S.J. blame, someone they can sacrifice to Murrow and Cronkite, something EXECUTIVE EDITORS their angry god. that Mr. Pelley takes seriously. He has Robert C. Collins, S.J., Maurice Timothy Reidy MANAGING EDITOR Kerry Weber Mr. Trump’s favorite scapegoat avoided blurring the line between news LITERARY EDITOR Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. these days is the national media. "If the and entertainment, saying that “there’s SENIOR EDITOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT disgusting and corrupt media covered too much of a risk for the audience to Kevin Clarke me honestly and didn't put false meaning think ‘Wait a minute—is it scripted? Is EDITOR AT LARGE James Martin, S.J. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shawn Tripoli into the words I say, I would be beating it not? Are you telling me the truth? Is it EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AMERICA FIlmS Hillary by 20 percent," he recently acting?’ That’s a big red line for me, and I Jeremy Zipple, S.J. tweeted. That is highly unlikely, given the never have crossed it.” POETRY EDITOR Joseph Hoover, S.J. rock-solid polarization that characterizes That same reputation for being ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND VATICAN CORRESPONDENT Gerard O’Connell most of the national electorate. And a stickler with stick-to-itiveness ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL it’s just as likely that Mr. Trump bears characterizes the host of “Face the STRATEGY Sam Sawyer, S.J. at least some of the blame for his Nation,” CBS News’s Sunday public ASSOCIATE EDITOR & DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOpmENT Eric Sundrup, S.J. affairs program. John Dickerson, son predicament. SENIOR EDITOR Edward W. Schmidt, S.J. But there is an element of truth of the late and great path-breaking ASSOCIATE EDITORS Ashley McKinless, Olga in Mr. Trump’s comments. There is a CBS journalist Nancy Dickerson, has Segura, Robert David Sullivan fairly well documented left-leaning bias also established himself as one of the ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FIlm José Dueño, S.J. ASSISTANT EDITOR Joseph McAuley among national political reporters and most respected figures in the news ART DIRECTOR Sonja Kodiak Wilder commentators. But having personal business. The key to good journalism, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT FOR DIGITAL MEDIA opinions is a far cry from having an Mr. Dickerson recently told Politico, Zachary Davis ideological agenda that masquerades is delaying final judgment as long as EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Eloise Blondiau O’HARE FEllOWS Teresa Donnellan, Nicholas as objective reporting. And the more possible. When you hear something from Genovese, Wyatt Massey troublesome bias in news reporting is not a politician or an interviewee that doesn’t COLUMNISTS Helen Alvaré, John J. Conley, S.J., ideological but economic. If journalists make sense, rather than simply saying, Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., James T. Keane, John W. Martens, Bill McGarvey, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, and their editors are motivated by “They’re dumb,” he says, ask: “Does that Margot Patterson, Nathan Schneider something other than the noble pursuit make sense to me? And if it doesn't make NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Michael O’Loughlin of the truth, then it’s more likely market sense to me, why are they saying that? REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS John Carr (Washing- ton), Anthony Egan, S.J., and Russell Pollitt, S.J. share, not partisan advantage. The stories And what is it about what they're saying (Johannesburg), Jim McDermott, S.J. (Los Ange- they tell are the stories that sell. that tells me something about either the les), Timothy Padgett (Miami), Steven Schwankert (Beijing), David Stewart, S.J. (London), Rhona There are exceptions, of course, even issue we're talking about or where they Tarrant (Dublin), Judith Valente (Chicago) on television—news organizations that, come from?’ That's a better way.” MODERATOR, CATHOLIC BOOK CLUB while still driven by profit motive, are Asking intelligent questions with an Kevin Spinale, S.J. acting foremost in the public interest. open mind and a courageous spirit is not EDITOR, THE JESUIT POST Michael Rossmann, S.J. EDITORIAL E-MAIL Among the more reputable and only the better way; it’s the only way to [email protected] respected is CBS News, the birthplace do journalism that is worthy of the name. PUBLISHER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER of television journalism and the home For more than 60 years, CBS News has Edward G. Spallone DEPUTY PUBLISHER Rosa of Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite led the way. It still does. Does it lead the M. Del Saz VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Daniel Pawlus ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER and “60 Minutes.” In a dangerously ratings? No. Both Mr. Pelley and Mr. Chris Keller ADVANCEMENT COORDINATOR cynical television news environment, Dickerson, though they have dramatically Timothy Bouffard PROGRAMS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Nick Sawicki BUSINESS outfits like CBS News are still delivering increased their audiences, routinely finish OPERATIONS STAFF Glenda Castro, Katy Zhou consistently high-quality, thoughtful and third in the ratings race among the big ADVERTISING CONTACT ads@americamedia. org; 212-515-0102 SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT AND sober coverage of news events. They are three networks. But they are doing the ADDITIONAL COPIES 1-800-627-9533 REPRINTS: not without their biases—surely, none best work in television journalism today; [email protected] of us are—but the attempt to get the and, as Mr. Trump might say, that’s huge. © 2016 America Press Inc. story that matters most rather than the MATT MALONE, S.J. Cover: Mother Teresa, 1979. CNS photo/KNA Contents www.americamagazine.org VOL. 215 NO. 5, WHOLE NO. 5137 August 29—SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 ARTICLES 14 REINVENTING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS The system as we know it must change. Charles Zech 18 SAINT OF THE DARKNESS An interview with Brian Kolodiejchuk, the promoter of Mother Teresa’s cause James Martin 23 STILL SEPARATE, STILL UNEQUAL White Catholics must admit the sin of racism. Michael Pasquier 14 COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Editorial 6 Reply All 8 Signs of the Times 12 Column Merkel’s Mettle Margot Patterson 28 Vatican Dispatch New Cardinal Rules Gerard O’Connell 30 Vantage Point: 2003 Who Gets to Serve? Phyllis Zagano 33 Faith in Focus Godparents to Godfriends Kaya Oakes 46 The Word Weigh the Cost; God’s Joy John W. Martens 23 BOOKS & CULTURE 36 ART “Stuart Davis: In Full Swing” OF OTHER THINGS My Unhappy Facebook BOOKS Lit Up; The Catholic Enlightenment; The Enthusiast POEM Recovery ON THE WEB Submissions are open for America Media’s social justice short film fest for college students. Plus, Judith Valente talks to a sister who taught Mike Pence and a Jesuit who mentored Tim Kaine. More digital highlights on page 39 and at americamagazine.org/webfeatures. 36 EDITORIAL Commending Phoebe commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the a meeting with the heads of women’s religious orders from church at Cenchreae,” wrote St. Paul in the Letter to around the world. The pope in his response promised to set ‘I the Romans (16:1). What did Paul mean when he up a commission, whose members were appointed in July. referred to Phoebe as a deacon? What kind of diakonos was Among them is the scholar Phyllis Zagano, author of Holy she? How did she serve the church? Was she ordained as Saturdays: An Argument for the Restoration of the Female a deacon? And if so, what did her ordination mean? These Diaconate in the Catholic Church. questions, which may once have seemed arcane, have taken Professor Zagano’s book considers the historical on greater urgency in the wake of Pope Francis’ recent evidence of women deacons, much of which might surprise decision to appoint a commission to study the historicity of many Catholics. As she wrote in America in 2003 (see women deacons. Vantage Point in this issue, page 30), “While the work of We should note that the ordination of women to women deacons—always rooted in the word, the liturgy the priesthood is not under consideration. In “Ordinatio and charity—differed regionally, the fact of women deacons Sacerdotalis,” the apostolic letter promulgated by St. John is undeniable.” She is not the only reputable scholar to Paul II in 1994, which Pope Francis has endorsed on several sift through the historical record. In their book Ordained occasions, the late pontiff declared “definitively” that only Women in the Early Church: A Documentary History, Kevin men can be ordained to the priesthood. While St. John Madigan and Carolyn Osiek, R.S.C.J., sum up the ministries Paul II made no definitive pronouncement on the separate that women deacons performed in the Eastern churches: question of women deacons, the apostolic letter forestalled “Female deacons…exercised liturgical roles, supervised consideration of the issue in some quarters out of concern the lives of women faithful, provided ongoing care for that discussion of women deacons would inevitably lead women baptizands, and were seen going on pilgrimage to talk of the ordination of women to the priesthood.