For ex-editor, it's home again

By Allison Sundaram

A controversial former editor of a national weekly Jesuit magazine will spend his year-long sabbatical at Santa Clara while discerning the next step in his career.

Tom Reese, S.J., who edited America magazine, is a "man of great integrity, who boldly brought to the forefront issues pertinent to the marginalized members of society and important to the reality of Catholics and the Church," said Meghan Hennessey, co-director of the Santa Clara Community Action Program.

Reese resigned from the Jesuit publication abruptly in May, following a term defined by controversy over article choices and material published by the magazine according to reports in The New York Times, especially dealing in conflicts with the influential Catholic Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, a church task force headed until recently by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI.

"It is an ominous sign for the freedom of the press in the United States, for the American Catholic Church and the church in general, that a person of his wisdom, fair-mindedness and common sense was removed from his position as editor of America magazine," said Frederick Parrella, a religious studies professor.

A doctorate holder in political science from the University of California at Berkeley with an emphasis on public policy, Reese says his political science background influenced his editorial policy.

"I think I tried to get more social science into the magazine, both in terms of how social scientists look at social problems in the United States, and how social scientists look at the Catholic Church," he said.

Most criticism leveled against America stressed there was too much of a focus on controversial issues in the modern church which explored topics such as homosexuality in the priesthood or refusing communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians.

"In America, we did not publish flakes," he said. "They were writing on issues that were never infallibly taught by the Church and that at least the scholarly community felt were open for discussion and examination."

In spite of the media attention, Reese was practical about the past. "These things happen and you move on, and go on," he said.

Reese partially attributed the increased interest to his media accessibility, for his commentary and explanation of Catholic doctrine and his increased visibility following the death of Pope John Paul II in April.

Although he had offers from all three Jesuit universities in California, several factors collaborated in bringing him to Santa Clara. His friendship with University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., combined with Santa Clara being the first to extend an offer to host him, contributed to his decision, as did a past history with the school.

Reese, who was the assistant to then-University President Tom Terry in the early 1970s, says returning to Santa Clara was "kind of like coming home in some ways."

Reese is on a "true" sabbatical in that he has no teaching or other responsibilities.

Over the summer, he continued work on the magazine's Web site, answered the some 2,000 mostly supportive e-mails which arrived in the wake of his departure and caught up on his reading. As the school year begins, Reese said he is interested in pursuing some opportunities on campus.

"I'm looking forward to having some interaction with the Ethics Center and with the people in the theology department as well as the political science department because of my interest and reading in this area," he said.

"It's wonderful that he's here at Santa Clara. I think that he did a wonderful job as editor of America," David DeCosse, director of on-campus ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics said. "We are very sorry about what happened to him in his role there and we wish to welcome him. We are very fortunate to have him at the university this year."

His Santa Clara sabbatical will not be all rest and relaxation. "For one thing, I want to decide what to do with the next 20 years of my life," he said.

Contact Allison Sundaram at (408) 554-4546 or asundaram@scu.edu.