On the Changes at America, With Thanks to Fr. Reese

The news just broke and already there’s speculation and conspiracy theories abounding about the announced change in the editor at America magazine. No doubt the Jesuits will be accused of keeping the “real reasons” secret. Perhaps there might be some truth to this, but it’s because the issue involves such things as due prudence and obedience. I don’t know all the reasons that Tom Reese is leaving his position, but I know that one is obedience to his superiors—the case when any Jesuit moves from one assignment to another. If it also has to do with Vatican pressure, or pressure from the Bishops, it also seems to me that the prudent thing to do would be not to make a big fuss about it. If Tom were to go “kicking and screaming,” and claiming that he was pushed out, etc., certainly those bloggers so eager to know the dirt would accuse him of being imprudent at best, and disobedient or disloyal at worst. And whatever you think of America magazine, the Jesuits, etc., I’m sorry, that’s just not Tom Reese’s style.

I had the privilege of working with Tom Reese last summer. He’s a fine man, a fine priest, a fine Jesuit and a fine editor. I sat in on editorial meetings, and I know that Tom always did his best to offer a variety of perspectives on many topics, and also that he was very careful not to publish anything that he thought Rome might disapprove of. Those are hard calls to make sometimes, especially when your magazine is meant to engage intellectually and critically many aspects of Catholic life. He did not back down from controversial issues, but he also tried his best to place appropriate limits on the content of articles on such issues. In my experience, if anything, he was too careful sometimes. As a Jesuit and writer myself, I know all too well that fine line we walk as journalists and intellectuals who are also representatives of the Church. One can love the Church and still be critical of it sometimes, as Tom does, and as I do. And, frankly, we don’t always know if we’ve stepped over the line until we’ve done it, as Tom did discover on a couple of occasions during his tenure as editor.

That said, the average term for a Jesuit assignment is usually about six years, so it’s really not so unusual that Tom would be moving on at this point. Tom brought a lot of good things to America magazine, but any magazine has to guard against becoming stale, as might happen if one editor is there too long. I’m sure Drew Christiansen as the new editor will offer things to the magazine that Tom couldn’t, and thus the magazine will grow.

I’m thankful for the good job that Tom has done as editor of America, and the only reason I’d be concerned about the circumstances of his departure is if he was hurt by it and he felt that his integrity was being impugned. I hope that’s not the case. But, if it is, I still wouldn’t be looking for the “Tom Reese expose.”

I think we all should just say, Thank you, Father Reese, for dedicating several years of your life in service to the Church to being editor of America. It wasn’t an easy job, and you did it well.