Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
John W. O’MalleyOctober 07, 2012

John W. O'Malley, S.J., began writing for America in 1972. Since then he has brought his skills as a historian to bear on topics as diverse as Vatican II, the sexual abuse scandal and the presidency of Barack Obama. Fr. O'Malley is university professor in the theology department at Georgetown University and author of The First Jesuits and What Happened at Vatican II (Harvard Univ. Press). In the September 24, 2012 issue, he looks at the medieval university and the lessons it offers for Catholic institutions of higher education today.

Here we offer a selection of Fr. O'Malley's articles for America:

"Barack Obama and Vatican II," May 25, 2009

"Trent and Vernacular History," January 29, 2007

"Cardinals in Conclave: A Troubled History," April 18, 2005

"The Style of Vatican II," February 24, 2003

"Benedict: What's in a Name?" June 20, 2005

"Excommunicating Politicians," September 27, 2004

"The Scandal: A Historian's Perspective," May 27, 2002

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Sally Andrade
12 years 10 months ago
A view from the U.S./Mexico Border in El Paso, TX:
     Given the viciousness and hostility of the national and regional political arenas today, it is valuable to re-read Father O'Malley's 2009 comments about President Obama and the spirit of the Vatican II Council.  If only more leaders, both ecclesiastical and secular, would demonstrate those values of civility, willingness to listen and cooperation in addressing our common problems.
12 years 10 months ago
God bless Fr. O'Malley with a long life.  I have long appreciated his insights, wisdom and common sense, especially his book "What Happened at Vatican II."  I wish his down-to-earth scholarship would be more widely read and appreciated.  He's right up there with the great Jesuit scholars of the last 50 years such as Martini, Rahner, Murray, McCormick, Sullivan, Orsy, et al.  Thank you, AMERICA, for this little selection.

The latest from america

Frank Turnbull, S.J., a longtime editor at 'America' who died earlier this week, is remembered as a humble, quiet and yet forceful presence to those who knew him during his 85 years of life.
James T. KeaneJuly 18, 2025
A Reflection for Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, by Zac Davis
Zac DavisJuly 18, 2025
Trauma-informed spirituality knows better than to promise that prayer will take away all the pain. But it can offer the hope that, even in the midst of pain, there can be moments of feeling whole.
Nicole KirpalaniJuly 18, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned Pope Leo XIV, who urged Israel’s leader to revive negotiations and enact a ceasefire.