- Let's talk about favorite movies.
One of my favorite,
"A Man for All Seasons,
And I know it's one of your favorites.
What's the importance of movies,
arts in general for a Catholic life.
For Catholic service. - We live in an age,
especially with our younger brother Knights.
Maybe they're less likely to go to a library
than they are to a theater.
So films are very important.
The visual is very important.
And of course the United States especially,
has taken a lead in cinema for the last 50, 60 years.
So,
it's important art form and it's important way to uplift
and get people to think about issues
that they might not otherwise.
And of course "A Man for All Seasons."
I'd like every Catholic to see it.
But more importantly,
I'd like everyone to see that film
because I think it expresses
what it means to be a Christian.
And we also think about Dostoevsky's
saying, his famous saying that,
"Beauty will save the world."
And so we have to be engaged in the arts because beauty,
whether it's in music or visual arts,
uplifts the spirit,
uplifts the soul.
And of course what we don't often add to Dostoevsky's,
"Beauty will save the world."
Is the idea that in his notebooks,
the time he wrote that,
he also wrote the most beautiful is Jesus Christ.
So for Dostoevsky beauty leads us,
not just up and out of ourselves,
but leads us to divine truth and divine beauty.
And we see this in "A Man for All Seasons,"
because it's all about this individual's,
what he says at the end of the film,
right?
Ultimately it's not about reason.
Ultimately it's about love.
- This movie itself is beautiful as well.
It's nicely done.
It's visually stimulating,
but one of the amazing things about this movie,
is actually the dialogue.
It's one of the most,
based on Robert Bolt's play.
It's one of the most quotable movies probably out there.
And I'm sure you have a lot of lines
that you really like key scenes.
what's one of the scenes that stands out.
Or we can talk about more than one too.
- Well,
I would say my favorite part in the movie,
I'd have to say is the entire movie.
I'm not sure I have a favorite part,
but one of the scenes that impresses me the most,
and I think it's something that's very moving to me,
especially as my wife and I are getting close
to our 50th anniversary,
is the scene toward the end.
When he's in the Tower of London,
he's facing his execution and his wife comes to see him.
And he's so,
he's so joyful about this.
And then he realizes
that she's been allowed to come to see him
because she has to convince him to sign the oath.
And so,
he tells her,
you know,
he can't do it.
And she says this incredible thing
where she doesn't understand why he's doing this.
His actions are impoverishing the family.
And she says,
you know,
I fear after you're dead,
I will hate you for it.
And here's the most eloquent man in England.
And you can see the anguish on his face.
And he says to her,
"Well Alice,
"you mustn't."
- Alice.
If you can tell me that you understand,
I think I might make a good death if I have to.
- Your death's, no good to me.
- Alice you must tell me that you understand,
- I don't.
I don't believe this had to happen.
- If you say that,
I don't see how I am to face it
- It's the truth.
- Oh.
You're an honest woman.
- Much good may it do me.
I'll tell you what I am afraid of,
that when you' gone,
I shall hate you for it.
- Well,
you mustn't Alice.
- He can't,
he's not eloquent.
All he can do is plead with her.
And so, as I think about
how strong a support my wife has been
to me all these years,
especially as Supreme Knight,
how much I've been able to do because of her support.
It's just maybe the most poignant aspect of the film for me.
There are other so many other important parts.
I think of the Duke of Norfolk,
where he says,
right? I mean,
"Come on,
can't you sign,
everybody signed,
come along with us for fellowship sake."
and Moore looks at him and says,
"Well, you know,
when you go to heaven for following your conscience
and I go to hell for breaking mine,
will you come along with me for fellowship sake?"
See the duke is Moore's friend.
He wants to help him,
but he's not at the same level as Moore.
He doesn't understand.
You might say
that the duke is sort of an everyday politician
or just someone who,
and isn't this the problem with the Saint
or the challenge of the Saint.
He's living at a level that most people don't understand,
not even his wife really understands him.
And so at the end,
Moore is alone.
It's between him and the Lord.
And it's just,
it's just all through the play.
- There's a beautiful moment at the end as well.
When he says to the executioner.
"Do your duty,
it's okay,
I'm going to God."
And he's questioned.
"Are you sure of that?"
And his response is
"I am, because God will not refuse to welcome someone
who so wants to see him."
So he's alone in one sense,
he's carrying all these burdens,
but he ends in the intimacy with God himself.
And that's what sustains him.
- Be not afraid of your office.
You send me to God.
- You're very sure of that Sir Thomas?
- He will not refuse one who's so blithe to go to him.
(birds chirping)
(footsteps)
- Yeah. So,
for me,
you know, being a lawyer,
being 20 years about in government service,
of course Moore was always the standard.
You always measured,
you know,
what would he do?
So in my office at home,
I have three portraits.
I have St. Thomas Moore.
I have St. John Paul II,
and I have blessed Michael McGivney,
the three pillars if you were,
beacons that have helped me so often for such a long time.