'Speaking of Faith'

America Magazine editor-in-chief addresses forgiveness, Pope, politics

MADISON  At times, people may find themselves in a terrible situation that causes them to borrow the grace of God from another person. Jesuit Father Matt Malone, president and editor in chief of America Media, recalled when his father, John, decided to summon that grace about 30 years ago. It compelled him to do what many might consider unthinkable: ask a judge for leniency for the young drunk driver, who caused the death of his 16-year-old son, Joe.

Joe — one of Father Malone’s older brothers — was killed in an accident in 1984 while riding in a car that was driven by his friend, Kenny, who was under the influence. The 17-year-old defendant faced prison time for vehicular homicide. Surprisingly, John Malone stood up in court and pleaded for the minimum sentence that would not include jail time. The judge headed his passionate appeal.

“My father saw Kenny as more than the young man responsible for killing his son. He saw a future for him. He stepped out of his grief to see someone else in three dimensions. It was the only way that my father could free himself of the horrendous experience,” said Father Malone, who spoke Oct. 7 at St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard here as part of “Speaking of Faith,” its series of conversations about faith, life and work. “I asked my father, ‘Why did do ask for leniency?’ He answered, ‘I did what I thought your mother would have done.’ My father borrowed grace from someone else [his late wife],” the priest said.

Father Malone spoke about his parents’ faith that has reverberated through his life and family — along with other topics — during a friendly, thoughtful dialogue with Father Paul Manning, St. Paul’s executive director and diocesan vicar for evangelization. The two sat in front of a classroom with a small table between them as Father Manning asked the Father Malone questions about recent U.S. visit of Pope Francis, a fellow Jesuit; his previous career in politics; the role of the Church in the public sphere; and his own vocation. Listening in to intimate conversation was an enthusiastic, engaged audience.

“ ‘Speaking of Faith’ is a series of interviews with noted Catholics, where we ask them to reflect on the concept of God and about the integration of faith with life,” Father Manning said in the introduction.

The faith of Father Malone’s parents found its way into his discernment for the priesthood and early in his priestly ministry, after being ordained in 2010. He recalled that his mother — who served as a novice in the Sisters of St. Francis, before discerning a married vocation — lived faith “in the context of community, family and other people.” She died, when the future priest — the fifth of six children raised on Cape Cod — was 11. So when he met Jesuits before he entered in 2002, after years of working in the world of politics, he was attracted to the order, in part, because its members “have a faith that is lived in community.”

“They [the Jesuits] brought me back to the Church, before they brought me to the Jesuits,” said Father Malone, who became the youngest editor-in-chief of the Jesuits’ America Magazine, part of America Media, in 2012.

Shortly after his ordination that year, Father Malone thought about his father’s mercy for Kenny — who has made something of his life — while hearing his first Confession. After, he wept, thinking of his role as “a minister of mercy,” said the priest, who wrote about his father’s act of forgiveness in “Father of Mercies,” a 2005 column that appeared in America.

“Mercy is the medicine that the world needs today, Pope Francis says,” said Father Malone, who provided analysis on TV broadcasts, during the Holy Father’s visit to the U.S. “When the Pope was here, there was much joy among American Catholics. As the Pope went through Central Park, people moved to tears,” he said.

The body politic needs to bring that mercy into the world of politics, said Father Malone, who served as special assistant and speechwriter to U.S. Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), from 1995 to 1997. The priest said that he left politics because it is “at best inadequate to bring lasting change to the world.”

“The world needs conversion of hearts for true change. The Jesuits felt closer to the source of that change: Jesus. This world would be a better place if we enacted love and forgiveness,” Father Malone, who then answered Father Manning’s question, “Do Catholics have to win hearts for others to see that truth?” “Yes, but more important is allowing our hearts to be won. We must allow ourselves to be possessed by the one who is true,” the priest said.

Also, we as citizens should favor encounter over confrontation in politics, said Father Malone, who has interviewed many political figures for America, including Vice President Joe Biden, a Catholic.

Father Manning asked Father Malone, “Is the Church political? If so, is it good or bad?”

“The Church should be part of politics. The Pope is a political figure and is a head of state. He makes claims on the public attention and asks for public action. Faith makes demands on every part of human life. It is imperative that the Church has a voice, so it can furnish a moral framework to help [society] make public decisions,” Father Malone said.

During a question-and-answer period, Father Malone encouraged people — including those who want to pursue a political career — to blend politics with faith by being authentic and sincere. He also encouraged people to “inhabit the tension between politics and religion,” because “we can’t resolve those tensions” even though we try to resolve them.

After the “Speaking of Faith” conversation, one audience member, Kyle Folbrecht, a young adult from Annunciation Parish, Wayne, seemed to find Father Malone’s comments helpful in his own pursuit of a political career.

“I like what Father Malone said about politicians being authentic. It’s tough to get people to like and trust you, no matter where you stand on the issues,” said Folbrecht, who has worked on political campaigns and hopes to run for elective office. “I want to be the guy that the people put their faith in to make the tough decisions.”