Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
I have always enjoyed watching movies. As a seminarian and priest, it was one of my favorite pastimes. I could always find a friend to attend the latest release or the most talked about film. A box of buttered popcorn, a comfortable seat and two hours of entertainment often gave me a much-needed break and, sometimes, material for a homily or talk.
I had flirted with a Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) dissertation in moral theology, in the area of social communication. That is, the responsibility the media has to truth, and to evaluate the manipulative social vehicle that may be used to present information. From a moral perspective, this fascinated me. If you think about it, what is presented to us in print, television, radio or film is often filtered or edited, and can make one seem like a saint or sinner, truthful or deceptive.
One question that is often posed to anyone who enjoys film is, what do you believe to be the greatest movie of all time? Experts have offered their opinions and, of course, it is a matter ultimately of “de gustibus non est disputandum” – in matters of taste, there can be no disputes. I use the Latin as homage to my Latin teacher, Father Reginald Foster, OCD, a Carmelite and without a doubt the greatest living Latinist.
For me, the greatest American film is “Citizen Kane,” a work that Orson Welles co-authored, directed, produced and starred. He was a true genius. The film is an examination of the life of Charles Foster Kane and his rise to power as seen through the eyes of several of his close friends and confidants.
The film begins with an eerie scene that depicts the aged Kane in an easy chair in his mansion. His lips utter the word “rosebud” and he dies, releasing a snow globe that was clutched in his hand. The remainder of the film seeks to answer the question: who or what is rosebud and what does it have to do with Citizen Kane?
After spending the entire film collecting the various responses to who is Kane, the film flashes back to a time when he was removed from his mother and his boyhood home, dragging a sled. No matter how many interviews the reporter conducts, he fails to bring a satisfactory closure to his quest.
In the mansion at the end of the film, workers burn the vast remains of the material possessions of Citizen Kane. They toss on the fire various articles, one being an old sled. As the camera panned in the flames, encircled is the inscription “rosebud.” The director seems to give us a hint that this is the key to understanding Kane’s life, which was his lost childhood and home. Was that the rosebud that was in his mind? We still don’t know.
The philosopher Socrates stated that the unexamined life is not worth living. College students will hear from their professors, “know thyself.” But believe me, only by grasping the concept of “mystery” can we begin to fathom the dynamic of the human person. In a talk that I gave to seminarians from St. Joseph Seminary in Chicago (2002), I implored them to save themselves some time in their examination of their lives by embracing one simple statement: you cannot fully know yourself without knowing Jesus.
Once you accept that statement, a whole new world opens up and the mystery of your life is reflected in the person of Jesus, who reflects the Father. “No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.” (Mt. 11:27)
The motto on my coat of arms is “Life is Christ.” In Him, the mystery of life finds its understanding and we receive a sense of peace in this chaotic world. The path to happiness is simple. Perhaps the common “rosebud” for all of us, is LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Note: This blog originally appeared as the September 17, 2015 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.