THE EDITORS ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF MANY THINGS 106 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019-3803 Ph: (212) 581-4640; Fax: (212) 399-3596 followed the returns on election fight in which victory has displaced Subscriptions: (800) 627-9533 www.americamedia.org night from a hotel room in the common good as the ultimate end. facebook.com/americamag I Barcelona. As the evening evolved Yet the common good is something to twitter.com/americamag (or devolved, depending on one’s which we can all aspire, while victory PRESIDENT AND EDITOR IN CHIEF perspective), it was increasingly clear obviously is not. Matt Malone, S.J. that a huge swath of voters was sending a “Victory is a myth,” David Neuhaus, EXECUTIVE EDITORS Robert C. Collins, S.J., Maurice Timothy Reidy powerful message to another huge swath S.J., recently told America: “The idea MANAGING EDITOR Kerry Weber in the only way it now could: through that you can be victorious gets in the LITERARY EDITOR Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. the blunt instrument of the ballot box. way of pulling down the walls. And SENIOR EDITOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT Kevin Clarke In those halcyon though still imperfect when we speak as church of pulling EDITOR AT LARGE James Martin, S.J. pre-Google days of American politicking, down the walls, we are speaking first CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shawn Tripoli such messages were also exchanged of a process that we must undergo.” EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AMERICA FIlmS Jeremy Zipple, S.J. In other words, prescinding from before the balloting through reasoned POETRY EDITOR Joseph Hoover, S.J. public debate, informed by objective the fact that neither political party ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND VATICAN CORRESPONDENT data, established by universally credible represents the totality of a Catholic Gerard O’Connell ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL sources. This was known as public social worldview, and that Catholics STRATEGY Sam Sawyer, S.J. discourse. And it is very nearly gone. who are committed to that totality are ASSOCIATE EDITOR & DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE Some Spaniards told me that politically homeless, the crisis in our DEVELOpmENT Eric Sundrup, S.J. SENIOR EDITOR Edward W. Schmidt, S.J. looking at the United States from public discourse is so profound and ASSOCIATE EDITORS Ashley McKinless, Olga abroad, it seems that politics has poses such a clear and present danger Segura, Robert David Sullivan become our national pastime, our to the body politic that Catholics must ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FIlm José Dueño, S.J. ASSISTANT EDITOR Joseph McAuley principle social and cultural pursuit. fundamentally reassess our public ART DIRECTOR Sonja Kodiak Wilder But it is a politics without argument, engagement. We must ask how we EDITORIAL ASSISTANT FOR DIGITAL MEDIA I replied, which is the most dangerous have been complicit in the demise of Zachary Davis EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Eloise Blondiau kind of politics. While it might seem as public discourse and what distinct and O’HARE FEllOWS Teresa Donnellan, Nicholas if we were engaged in a vigorous public essentially Catholic contribution we can Genovese, Wyatt Massey argument for the past 20 months about make to fixing it. COLUMNISTS Helen Alvaré, John J. Conley, S.J., Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., James T. Keane, John W. the direction of our country, what this Now is the time not to rebut but Martens, Bill McGarvey, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, election actually revealed was the extent to reframe the question. We must ask Margot Patterson, Nathan Schneider NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Michael O’Loughlin to which public argument, in the truest not what our country can do for us REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS John Carr (Wash- sense of the term, is nearly impossible in but what it is doing to us and what ington), Anthony Egan, S.J., and Russell Pollitt, S.J. (Johannesburg), Jim McDermott, S.J. (Los the current American political climate. we can do for it in turn. It starts by Angeles), Timothy Padgett (Miami), David Stewart, The theologian John Courtney remembering, as William T. Cavanaugh S.J. (London), Rhona Tarrant (Dublin), Judith Valente (Chicago) Murray, S.J., reminded us that has observed, that there is more to MODERATOR, CATHOLIC BOOK CLUB “disagreement and argument are rare the church’s public witness than the Kevin Spinale, S.J. achievements, and most of what is tired quadrennial debate about whom EDITOR, THE JESUIT POST Michael Rossmann, S.J. EDITORIAL E-MAIL called disagreement and argument is we can vote for. Such questions, [email protected] simply confusion.” An argument, in while important, are mere politics. PUBLISHER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER the classical sense, requires allegiance Yet if our democracy is to survive Edward G. Spallone DEPUTY PUBLISHER to a shared set of principles, as well as and prosper, then our politics must Rosa M. Del Saz VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Daniel Pawlus ADVERTISING general agreement about the data of become less important. It must yield SALES MANAGER Chris Keller ADVANCEMENT experience or, to put it more simply, the to public argument about the ends of COORDINATOR Timothy Bouffard PROGRAMS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Nicholas Sawicki facts of the matter. Yet the partisans our common existence rather than the BUSINESS OPERATIONS STAFF Glenda Castro, who now command our attention mere means. Make no mistake: The Ryan Richardson, Anastasia Buraminskaya ADVERTISING CONTACT ads@americamedia. claim a right not only to their own end of true public argument presents a org; 212-515-0102 SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT AND opinions but to their own facts. This is profound crisis for democracy, a greater ADDITIONAL COPIES 1-800-627-9533 REPRINTS: [email protected] a consequence of the overpowering and threat to the health of the body politic destructive influence of post-factual than that posed by the worst of the © 2016 America Press Inc. ideological partisanship, which has policy proposals of either major party. Cover: Denver, Colo., and environs. iStockphoto. reduced public discourse to a street MATT MALONE, S.J. com/ David Parsons Contents www.americamagazine.org VOL. 215 NO. 17, WHOLE NO. 5149 NOVEMBER 28, 2016 ARTICLES 16 NOT IN OUR NAME State power can lead to groundless morality. John Gallagher 20 HARD CLAIM American exceptionalism runs up against ‘Laudato Si’’ John D. Wilsey COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Current Comment 16 5 Editorial Solidarity Now 6 Reply All 8 Signs of the Times 14 Column Find Your Tribe Nathan Schneider 23 (Un)Conventional Wisdom The Change Is Us Robert David Sullivan 24 Vatican Dispatch The Ecumenical Pope Gerard O’Connell 25 Faith in Focus Such Great Heights Brian Doyle 27 Generation Faith Through the Motions Nicole Bazis 20 39 The Word Let’s Try This Again Michael R. Simone BOOKS & CULTURE 30 ART Kerry James Marshall BOOKS Mr. Blue; Systematic Theology; The Catholic Church; Catholic Women Speak POEM Resurrection ON THE WEB America and the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture present a three-part video web series, “Deacons, Women and the Call to Serve the Church.” Plus, how Catholics are responding to the election of Donald J. Trump. Full digital highlights on page 38 and at americamagazine.org 39 CURRENT COMMENT repeated until a majority is won.” Suffering Children Under such a system, candidates who do not fit the rigid The demolition of the Calais “Jungle,” a vast migrant camp two-party model could have a path to election—candidates, that had grown up around the entrance to the tunnel for example, who support Democratic Party economics connecting France and the United Kingdom, left scores but are pro-life, or who support the Republican Party of children adrift amid smoldering ruins in October. Like on spending and taxation but also back environmental the adult migrants around them, these unaccompanied protection measures. But ranked-choice voting could also minors, some as young as 8, had made it as far as Calais, lead to a proliferation of niche candidates hoping to slip hoping to find sanctuary in Great Britain. The plight of into office with little scrutiny, and the system may not be these children and teens highlights the growing problem of compatible with the compromise and coalition-building unaccompanied child migrants throughout Europe. that are essential in a working democracy. Maine, where Nearly 90,000 children unaccompanied by parents or independent candidates are unusually popular and several other guardians sought asylum in Europe in 2015—four state officeholders have recently won with far less than a times the number in 2014. Thirteen percent of them majority of the vote, is a good state for this experiment. But were under the age of 14. Most are boys between the ages it would be wise for other states to see what happens in of 16 and 17; many represent the one family member Maine before adopting this innovation themselves. sent off, after pooling meager family resources, to escape conflict zones to a better life. That hope can be misplaced. In January, the E.U. police intelligence agency Europol Death Watch estimated that at least 10,000 child refugees have gone Slowly, the death penalty is gaining ground again. Though missing since arriving in Europe. It is feared many have many states have abolished the practice, residents of become victims of exploitation by human traffickers and Oklahoma, California and Nebraska voted in favor of the criminal gangs, who force them into prostitution, child death penalty on Election Day. labor and the drug trade. Nov. 7 marked the start of the federal death penalty trial These children and teens have been making their way of Dylann S. Roof, the white 22-year-old who a year and a through Europe in flight from war and ISIS terror in half ago shot and killed nine African-American worshipers the Middle East or escaping other conflicts and extreme in a church in Charleston, S.C.