Letter from the Publisher

"In this issue, we look at the medium of cinema from a Catholic perspective. As many of you are no doubt aware, the history of film and, by extension, television and online streaming has been fraught with abuse... At the same time, however, film has been a vehicle to deliver profoundly edifying messages and create a permanent telling of some of the greatest stories ever told, from the works of Shakespeare to tales from the Bible."

Dr. William Fahey’s Movie Recommendations:

"What’s the technical know-how that might help a viewer evaluate and discuss movies? There are libraries filled with books on the subject and film studies programs of varying quality. But for our purpose, I suggest focusing attention in two areas to develop our capacity to perceive and not merely watch."

Place, Loyalty, and Humanity in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune

"Chani, a member of the Fremen people who inhabit the desert planet of Arrakis, is given few lines, but her first may be the most important.For whatever Dune is as a piece of world-building science fiction which, in the hands of its original author and his progeny, would spawn numerous sequels expanding upon, and perhaps in some instances distorting, the original tale of betrayal, hope, and destiny, it is also a story about place."

A Snapshot of the History of Film

"Yet, despite our continued cultural fascination with film, there is a tendency to think of film purely as entertainment, something not to be taken seriously. This is something that the medium has struggled with since its beginning. But when we increasingly turn to film—arguably more than any other medium—to process questions of our national identity, we can see its extraordinary myth-making potential."

Top Ten Catholic Films

"In his 1957 encyclical letter, Miranda Prorsus, Pope Pius XII offered a cautious openness to the mass communications of his day, which included radio, television, and motion pictures. Cinema, in particular, is said to be “a worthy instrument by which men can be guided towards salvation, raised to higher things, and become really better.” Now, more than ever, there is a need for good and quality films which promote Catholic teaching and morals. Below is my top ten list of Catholic films, in ascending order."

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Movie:

"Many bibliophiles would rather take a punch in the gut than watch a film that is an unfaithful adaptation of a book. After all, who can forget the totally random romance plot appended to The Hobbit movies, the nonsensical love affairs between heroes and villains in recent adaptations of Beowulf (1999 and 2007), or the overwrought brattiness of Emma (2020)? No longer do we judge a book by its cover: we judge it by its movie."

A Spanish Mystic of Paint

"In 1634, Francisco made his way tentatively through the heavily Moorish-influenced courtyard of the Palacio Real de Madrid—the Royal Palace of the King of Spain—summoned there to lend paint to the walls. There was much that was unlikely about this moment..." 

The Catholic Films Still Begging to Be Produced:

"Most people with some knowledge of the history of film probably think of the role of the Catholic Church solely with reference to her moral critique, with the American-born Legion of Decency (1934), and Pope Pius XI’s Encyclical Letter, Vigilanti cura (1936) strongly promoting its program for monitoring the cinema as talking points. Nevertheless, the true story of her involvement with the cinema is more complex than that..."

Films of Freedom

"The three films, The Ninth Day, Sophie Scholl, and A Hidden Life, each depict real-life heroes who chose, against great odds, to stand for truth..."

Cinema and Sanctity

"Human life is a balancing act between the intelligence (which can know the natures of things) and the senses (which are acquainted only with their outsides). We need both, in order to steer our way, but the intelligence should be the master, and the senses the servants. This is the natural hierarchy. Whenever our senses are in charge, this hierarchy has been turned upside-down; and no one can get far, standing on his head..."

Be Faithful Transmitters

"If the Society has one feature it is precisely that of fidelity, and I think that the Society can be defined as that which will help you to remain faithful for your personal sanctity and for the sanctification of souls. This faithfulness in the Church, faithfulness in the entire history of redemption fulfilled by Our Lord Jesus Christ, is perhaps the most essential and necessary quality. How can we define faithfulness?"

Questions and Answers

Is it always immoral, a sin, to use bad words? 

For whom can we pray?

The Canon—Part Five

"In this article we examine the portion of the Canon immediately following the Consecration, presenting the work of Msgr. Nicholas Gihr in his fundamental liturgical commentary The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Dogmatically, Liturgically, and Ascetically Explained. Msgr. Gihr was a priest of Freiburg in Breisgau whose work of liturgical research took place during the time frame spanning the pontificates of Popes Pius IX to Pius XI, including that of Pope Saint Pius X."

Meditations on St. John’s Gospel—Chapter Eleven

"Jesus therefore went beyond the Jordan (10:40) where there was a Bethany, scene of John’s baptizing (1:28). There was in Palestine another Bethany, home to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary near Jerusalem. From the latter the sisters send word to Jesus of their sick brother..."

Our Lady of Laus, Refuge of Sinners

"Nestled in the southern French Alps lies the small farming village of St. Saint-Etienne d’Avancon. On September 16, 1647, Benoite [Benedicta] Rencurel was born—the second of three girls—to very poor parents..." 

The Last Word

"Once a quarter, the “Restored Church of God” out of Wadsworth, Ohio sends me a copy of their magisterial magazine The Real Truth. The mailing label informs me that I am the second of eight subscribers in Quebec; it doesn’t tell me how I ended up on the distribution list. The glossy paper, the beautiful pictures and the layout would rival—were such a thing possible—even that of the Angelus. Inside, however, it turns out that the “real truth” is simply the world vision of Pastor General David C. Pack..."