Anthony Esolen
Orpheus Redeemed: A review of ‘Hamnet’
Hamnet, the 2025 film that has already won a slew of awards and is a favorite to win Oscar “Bests” for Picture, Director (Chloé Zhao), and Actress (Jessie Buckley), deserves its accolades. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, it reimagines the…
The Holy Innocents – The Catholic Thing
The Church, “expert in humanity” (as Pope Paul VI put it), knows that the mystery of Christmas (like that of Easter) is so great that it cannot be adequately plumbed – let alone celebrated – in a single day. And so, taking a page out of our…
The Last Lifeline – The Catholic Thing
I take it as given that God commands only what is good for us and forbids only what is bad, which means sometimes also not permitting others to do what’s bad. For we are social beings, and permission slides into participation, and participation…
Poverty and the Kingdom – The Catholic Thing
Pope Leo issued an encyclical on poverty this week. Perhaps he should recommend it in part as a cure for our ills. “Blessed are the poor,” says Jesus, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The only time I met the saintly Father Benedict…