Commonweal

Christian Century, Nov 20, 2002

* Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, editor of the Catholic opinion magazine Commonweal, will retire at year's end to spend more time pursuing creative outlets. Steinfels announced her decision in the November 8 edition of the magazine, which is considered one of the most influential and independent lay voices within the church.

She said Paul Baumann, the New York-based magazine's executive editor, has been chosen to replace her. Steinfels, whose husband, Peter, is a religion columnist for the New York Times, said she leaves Commonweal in good shape. Invited last June to address the U.S. Catholic bishops as they debated the crisis of sexual abuse in the church, she said flatly, "Whatever the causes of this scandal, the fact is that the dam has broken. A reservoir of trust among Catholics has run dry."