Antonio Spadaro

Antonio Spadaro, SJ (born 6 July 1966) is an Italian Jesuit priest, journalist and writer. He has been the editor in chief of the Jesuit-affiliated journal La Civiltà Cattolica since 2011. He is also a consultor to both the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Secretariat for Communications (previously known as the Pontifical Council for Social Communications). He is described as being very close to Pope Francis, who is also a Jesuit.[1][2] The pope named him as the incoming secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education in September 2023.

The Rev.

Antonio Spadaro

SJ
Antonio Spadaro in 2011.
Born (1966-07-06) July 6, 1966
Messina, Sicily, Italy
NationalityItalian
EducationUniversity of Messina
Pontifical Gregorian University
Occupation(s)Official of the Holy See and Vatican City State
OrganizationSociety of Jesus
TitleEditor of La Civiltà Cattolica
Term1 October 2011 — present
PredecessorGianpaolo Salvini
Successorincumbent

Vatican City—United States relations
Main articles: Holy See–United States relations and Catholic Church and politics in the United States

In July 2017 Spadaro co-wrote, a controversial article entitled "Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism" in which he and Argentine Presbyterian Marcelo Figueroa made political statements attacking the supporters of United States president Donald Trump. The article was approved by the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and published in the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica.[3] Sparado and Figueroa described American political life as Manichaean and said the Trump administration was responsible for promoting an "apocalyptic geopolitics", comparing American conservative Christians to ISIS.[4][5] Spadaro took aim at American Catholics who supported the conservative movement and Trump in particular. Spadaro published an article in which he criticized Trump advisor Steve Bannon for his ideological ties to Calvinist theologian Rousas John Rushdoony in spite of his Catholic faith.[2] He also singled out Church Militant for "shocking rhetoric." Spadaro said that American Catholics and Protestants both promoted an "ecumenism of conflict" over abortion, same-sex marriage, and religious education in schools that also included a "xenophobic and Islamophobic vision", transforming it into an intolerant "ecumenism of hate."[6] The article also criticized conservatives for being uncritical of militarism, capitalism and the arms industry and for disregarding the environment.[1]

While praised by publications such as the National Catholic Reporter[7] and Commonweal,[8] P.J. Smith wrote in First Things, "Indeed, the liberal atomization that Spadaro and Figueroa want to exalt is one of the central problems with modernity that Francis dissects brilliantly in Laudato si'. Francis teaches us in that encyclical that 'it cannot be emphasized enough how everything is interconnected.'"[9] The Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles J. Chaput, described the article as "an exercise in dumbing down" and accused Spadaro and Figueroa of being "willfully ignorant" of the battle faced by American Catholics and Evangelical Protestants.[10] Chaput said, "It's an especially odd kind of surprise when believers are attacked by their co-religionists merely for fighting for what their Churches have always held to be true."[11][12]

References
  1. "A papal confidant triggers a furore among American Catholics". The Economist. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  2. Politi, James (July 13, 2017). "Papal allies attack Bannon's 'apocalyptic' vision". Financial Times. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  3. O'Connell, Gerald (July 14, 2017). "Exclusive interview: Antonio Spadaro on his article about 'The Ecumenism of Hate' in the U.S." America Magazine. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  4. Kentish, Ben (July 14, 2017). "Pope Francis allies accuse Donald Trump's team of 'apocalyptic geopolitics' similar to Isis". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  5. Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (July 14, 2017). "Pope Francis allies accuse Trump White House of 'apocalyptic geopolitics'". The Guardian. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  6. Spadaro, Antonio (June 2017). "Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism in the USA: A surprising ecumenism". La Civiltà Cattolica. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  7. Winters, Michael Sean (14 July 2017). "The Civilta article: FINALLY!". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  8. Faggioli, Massimo (18 July 2017). "Why Should We Read Spadaro on 'Catholic Integralism'?". Commonweal Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  9. Spadaro Contra Franciscum, First Things, 19 July 2017
  10. "Archbishop Chaput: Civiltà Cattolica article was an 'exercise in dumbing down'". Catholic Herald. 19 July 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  11. "Archbishop Chaput: Civilta Cattolica got American Christianity wrong". Catholic News Agency. 19 July 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  12. "A papal confidante triggers a furore among American Catholics". The Economist. 19 July 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.

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