The Field Hospital Needs Doctors, by Anthony Esolen

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine, May 8, 2025

Dr. Anthony Esolen is the author of 28 books on literature, culture, and the Christian life, whose most recent work is In the Beginning Was the Word: An Annotated Reading of the Prologue of John. He and his wife Debra also produce a new web magazine, Word and Song, devoted to reintroducing people to the good, the true, and the beautiful. He is a Distinguished Professor at Thales College …

To be called merciful an act must be oriented to the ultimate good of the person, namely, their eternal salvation.

Much has been said about the mercy of the late Pope Francis, as compared with the supposed rigidity of his two immediate predecessors. I will not draw comparisons here, nor will I pretend to judge these men on their merits. I wish to use the occasion to specify what work a moral teacher must do and its relation to mercy.

I like doctors who have good bedside manner. But I don’t hire a doctor for those. I want my doctor to be good at diagnosing a problem and straightforward in addressing it. I want him to give me the respect I am due by telling me exactly what is wrong, what can be done about it, with what hope for success, and with what risks. ….

Continue reading  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>