The Moynihan Letters

    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 [...]

    Letter #12, 2026, Wednesday, February 25: Cardinal Ruini     [Note: Please consider joining me tomorrow morning, Thursday, February 26, at 10 am US Eastern time (4 pm Rome time) in a live podcast with Bishop Athanasius Schneider, on our YouTube channel at this link.]     Bits and pieces of the interview I publish here below have been [...]

   Letter #11, 2026, Tuesday, February 24: A Statement by Cardinal Robert Sarah     [Note: Please consider joining me Thursday morning, February 26, at 10 am US Eastern time (4 pm Rome time) in a live podcast with Bishop Athanasius Schneider, on our YouTube channel at this link.]     Below, an image from almost 2 years ago of [...]

Letter #10, 2026, Tuesday, February 24: A New Text by Bishop Athanasius. Schneider, and the announcement of a Podcast with Bishop Schneider on Thursday, February 26     Please consider joining me Thursday morning, February 26, at 10 am US Eastern time (4 pm Rome time) in a live podcast with Bishop Athanasius Schneider, on our YouTube [...]

    Please consider joining me tomorrow morning, February 23, at 10 am US Eastern time (4 pm Rome time) in a live podcast with Bishop Athanasius Schneider, on our YouTube channel at this link.     —RM     Bishop Athanasius Schneider (born Anton Schneider on April 7, 1961, now 64 years old) is a Catholic prelate who serves as the Auxiliary Bishop of [...]

Pope Leo XIV will begin Lent 2026 with an historic procession on Rome's Aventine Hill, one of the seven hills of the Eternal City     Letter #8, 2026, Tuesday, February 17: Lent, Repent...     Lent Begins Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday     We live in a fallen world.     We look forward to a promise: a world redeemed.     Yet, [...]

    Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, speaking to the press in Rome today about the Vatican's position on a "Gaza Peace Board" being set up principally by US President Donald Trump to oversee the future of Gaza. Parolin said the Vatican will not participate. He said one of the reasons is that it is [...]

    Letter #6, 2026, Monday, February 16: Bishop Athanasius Schneider          I will be talking live with Bishop Athanasius Schneider in a podcast on YouTube this morning, at 11 am Eastern time. You may join the podcast live at this link.     We will be discussing his life and work, and present issues in the Church.     One [...]