Now the dean of Fordham Law School in New York, William Michael Treanor served for three years in the president’s Office of Legal Counsel, a branch of the executive that was little-known to the general public until legal advisers to President George W. Bush released the infamous “torture memo” in 2002. Treanor, who served under President Clinton, talks about the expansion of executive power under Bush II, and what Congress and President Obama can do to bring greater transparency to the activities of the executive branch and to restore the integrity of the Office of Legal Counsel. Read Den Treanor’s article, “Legal Obligations,” from the Aug. 3-10 America.
America’s Book Club reviews Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn, a new novel that chronicles a young Irishwoman’s journey to adulthood in an unfamiliar country. Purchase Brooklyn from amazon.com.
Julie Irwin Zimmerman discusses the difficulties facing Catholics encountering infertility. Too often, she argues, Catholics feel bewildered by the moral implications of the choices offered by the fertility industry. In this environment, the church should do more to reach out to couples weighing these difficult matters, to listen and guide them to a life-affirming decision. Look for Zimmerman’s article, “Science and the Path to Parenthood,” in the July 6-13 issue.
Jim McDermott, S.J., describes the terrible beauty of Australia, a country that he experienced as both exotic and familiar. Father McDermott spent seven months down under as part of the final stage of his Jesuit formation. Read his article, “Gone Walkabout,” from the June 22-29 issue of America.
Dave Nantais, a frequent contributor to America’s pages and a Detroit native, reports on the mood of the Motor City as the American auto industry continues to shrink, what the church is doing to help the unemployed and why the city’s cultural scene continues to hum despite the troubles.
Jaime Lara of Yale Divinity School considers trends in church architecture from early church history, when no seating was provided for the congregation, to the innovations introduced after Vatican II. Professor Lara also offers a critique of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, and an appreciation of the new Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, Calif.
Robert Sullivan, author of The Meadowlands and How Not To Get Rich and a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and Vogue, talks about rats, swamps and his new book, The Thoreau You Don’t Know. Inspired by the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins and the theology of Karl Rahner, Sullivan’s writings seek out the divine spark in even the most repellent of God’s creations.
As President Barack Obama charts a new course for the country’s educational system, Robert J. Birdsell, the president of the Cristo Rey Network, argues that Catholic schools should have a seat at the table. The potential economic collapse of Catholic schools could become a major issue for the president and his education team, Birdsell says, and both sides need Catholic schools to survive to improve the educational outcomes of inner city students.
A conversation with Justin Catanoso, author of My Cousin The Saint. Eight years ago, Catanoso, a business journalist and self-described lapsed Catholic, discovered that his grandfather’s Italian cousin was up for canonization. His book chronicles his attempts to find out more about his long forgotten relative, and his own faith journey along the way.
J. Matthew Sleeth, a former physician who now writes and preaches on care for the environment, introduces “The Green Bible,” a new project that seeks to highlight the passages from Scripture that are environmentally friendly.
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