The Moynihan Letters

    "Mary offers a hermeneutical key for engaging herself with Truth Himself that is both fully free and personal, as well as irrevocable and objective. She combines and surpasses both how we understand objective truth as well as subjectively true love." --The central thesis of a new essay by a Dutch theologian, by Dr. Michaël Bauwens [...]

    Two young American Catholic seminarians in 1943, standing in front of the entrance sign to St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary in Callicoon, New York, USA. The young man on the left, then 17, is my father, William Moynihan, who died six years ago in 2020 at the age of 93.     He entered the seminary in September [...]

    Bishop Athanasius Schneider, 65, of Astana, Kazakhstan. He seeks to avoid a schism between Rome and the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX)     "The Holy See should bring the SSPX in, offering at least a minimum degree of Church integration, and then continue the doctrinal dialogue." —Bishop Athanasius Schneider's proposal to avoid a July 1 [...]

    Two young American Catholic seminarians in 1943, standing in front of the entrance sign to St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary in Callicoon, New York, USA.          The young man on the left, then 17, is my father, William Moynihan, who died in 2020 at the age of 93.     He entered the seminary in September, 1943, at [...]

    Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 60, the Latin-rite Patriarch of Jerusalem -- along with Father Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the Franciscan Custos ("Guardian") of the Holy Land -- was, "for the first time in centuries," stopped, by Israeli police, and prevented from celebrating Mass today, Palm Sunday, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (link). Full [...]

    Today's topic: the Antichrist     This is what The Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say on the topic:     Paragraphs 675 and 676     The Church's ultimate trial     Par. 675. Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. (574) The persecution that accompanies her [...]

    In commemoration of the 800th anniversary of his death, the relics of St. Francis of Assisi have been temporarily moved from their crypt to the foot of the papal altar in the Lower Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, Italy. This public veneration has been open from February 22 and will end in two days, [...]

    Pope Leo XIV in Rome today called for dialogue, a ceasefire, and peace in the war between Israel, the United and States, and Iran     Letter #15, 2026, Sunday, March 1: The Pope and the War        It is the second Sunday in Lent, and we are suddenly, since yesterday, in a time of new war —and [...]

    Bishop Eric Varden of Trondheim, Norway, was chosen to lead the Spiritual Exercises for the Roman Curia this Lent of 2026     An image from the Lenten Retreat of the Vatican Curia, in the Pauline Chapel, with Bishop Eric Varden preaching. Pope Leo is sitting in the front row     Letter #14, 2026, Thursday, February 26: Bishop [...]

    Pope Leo XIV, 70, received Bishop Athanasius Schneider, 63, in Rome on December 18, 2025, two months ago. The two men spoke for about half an hour...     Letter #13, 2026, Thursday, February 26: Bishop Schneider        Bishop Athanasius Schneider joined me for an hour-long conversation this morning.     Our podcast can be viewed on our YouTube channel [...]