Mark Massa Interview

The Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life is dedicated to facilitating conversation from all members of the community about the intersection of religion and American public life. It’s not the only one of its kind. Across the country at other universities, there are similarly missioned groups who came together to hold these important conversations on a larger scale.

“There are very few places with the American church where bishops and theologians sit down at the same meeting.” said Fr. Mark Massa, Professor and Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. “For the important things, these decisions aren’t made overnight. But having people listening to each other is, for some people, a whole new experience.”

Three years ago, Fr. Massa, along with other leaders from Universities in the United States, decided to start holding conferences where members of the Church could discuss topical issues regarding the crossover between religion and American public life. This year’s theme was “Laudato Si: Protecting our Common Home and Building our Common Church,” following Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical. In this encyclical, he urges the Church to be neither exploiters nor worshippers of nature, but to see creation as a gift from God, entrusted to humanity to protect and care for.

“I think Pope Francis has a vision of the Church,” said Fr. Mark, “the typical Jesuit vision, that people should talk to each other. Pope Francis’ vision of the Church is a Vatican II vision of the Church, the Church as the entire people of God on pilgrimage. It’s not just the Pope, it’s not just the Bishops, it’s everyone.”

Under this vision of the Church, each Catholic has the responsibility to be aware of what is happening in the world and what is happening in the Church. Particularly regarding environmental concerns, Pope Francis expects a desire to understand the theological implications of our duties as inheritors of the earth. 

“The conversation should take place, and discernment should take place,” said Fr. Mark, “about where we should be going in the context of actually listening to other people, respectfully listening, especially with those we disagree with.”

 “Talking about the ecclesial context of Laudato Si,” said Fr. Mark, “like where did this come from, how does Pope Francis himself envision environmental concerns as an intrinsic and important part of Catholic belief?” 

Fr. Mark explained that concern for the environment is just as important as any other theological endeavor and perhaps even more important than other endeavors as it is becoming an urgent concern for the Church. 

“The environment is among the most important concerns of Catholic Christians because it’s about our common home,” he said. “And it’s about the planet we share with lots of other creatures who aren’t human beings and therefore, that environmental concerns are just as important as other theological concerns.”

The bishops and theologians who were invited to the conference were handpicked. Those who organized the event felt that there were not enough conversations between these two groups of people and the establishment of these conferences was in part to bring them together in dialogue. 

Of the bishops who were in attendance Fr. Mark said, “They were good. They were thoughtful; they were all over the place politically, but they were good listeners and had a history of overseeing changes and directives from Rome.”

To the Catholic students at Boston College he urged this same listening and dialogue, with an openness to our call to participate in the synodality of the church. Beyond just the bishops and theologians who start these conversations are the people who put those ideas into action, little by little and day by day. There are so many opportunities on campus and beyond to live out Pope Francis’ vision of the Church in our care for the environment and dedication to productive dialogue.

Fr. Mark finished by stating “All baptized Catholics make up the Church. And Pope Francis believes, therefore, that the most important decisions should come out of conversations from the entire people of God.”