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New York, 11th May 2005 (CNA)
- The forced resignation of Fr. Tom Reese as
editor of America magazine has created a wave of
reaction among Catholic journalists and academics
across the country.
The Jesuit priest resigned from the
Jesuit-owned publication after seven years as its
editor. There is speculation that his community
forced him to resign because the magazine had come
under Vatican scrutiny for having published
articles in favor of same-sex marriage, homosexual
rights and stem-cell research.
While some journalists and academics
reacted with fear that they, too, could be ousted
from their jobs, others’ reactions offered other
insight into Fr. Reese’s resignation.
“A lot of people were unhappy with America,
including people in Rome,” Fr. Richard John
Neuhaus, editor of First Things, told the Globe in
an interview. He said he knew many Catholics,
including bishops, who were unhappy with Reese's
editorial leadership, which “had kind of a carping
attitude toward the pontificate of John Paul
II.”
“Just as you don't expect Planned
Parenthood to give a platform to the pro-life
position, there's no reason why a Catholic journal
should provide a platform for positions that are
clearly contrary to those of the Church, and that
was an editorial error that caused Tom a lot of
trouble,” Neuhaus was quoted as saying.
Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told the Globe
that some bishops filed complaints with the
Vatican or the Jesuit order about articles that
appeared in the magazine.
Fr. Pat McCloskey, editor of St. Anthony
Messenger, said Fr. Reese’s resignation might give
other Catholic journalists and editors the notion
that they could suffer the same fate.
“I'm afraid that a move like this one will
cause more and more Catholic thinkers to say that
they want to write for publications that are not
identified as Catholic and to teach at schools
that are not identified as Catholic, because there
is more freedom there,” he told the
Globe.
“There is a concern now about what does
this mean for scholars and writers who are
Catholic and what does it mean for journals of
opinion," Boston College president Fr. William P.
Leahy told the newspaper.
Heidi Schlumpf, managing editor of US
Catholic, her publication came under scrutiny
several years ago for a piece about women’s
ordination; the magazine settled the issue by
publishing an article explaining the Church's
opposition to women priests.
“What's most troublesome is that for the
ordained, for those theologians who are priests,
and for people working in Catholic universities,
this will inhibit the honest exchange of views,"
Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal, was quoted as
saying.
Bauman had arrived at work May 9 to find an
e-mail from a critic that threatened that he would
be the next editor to be
ousted. |
