The Moynihan Letters

    I received a call the other day from my son, a fine young writer, an artist with words, who is living in Los Angeles, where he studied film-making at Loyola Marymount, and has just celebrated one year of marriage.     He is working a full-time job while trying to establish himself as a screen writer — [...]

    Today is the day after the Feast of the Ascension, celebrated yesterday, Thursday, May 9.     It is also the day after the day that Russia celebrates as the end of World War II — May 9, celebrated in Russia as "Victory Day."     (Note: Germany's armed forces surrendered unconditionally to the Allies on May 7, 1945. The [...]

   The Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, the Armenian church in Rome, in early April 2024. It is currently undergoing restoration    The interior of the church during an Armenian rite liturgy    Cardinal Gregory Peter XV Agagianian (1895-1971). Agagianian was elected at the age of 42, on November 30, 1937, during the reign of Pope Pius [...]

    The Vatican on December 18 published a text, Fiducia supplicans (link) which may go down as the most controversial and most ecumenically damaging document of Pope Francis' pontificate.     At some point it will be necessary for the good of the entire Christian world, to explain more fully the genesis and drafting of this text, but [...]

Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Budapest, Hungary. He just gave an interview in which he expressed grave concern regarding the Vatican document on blessing, published December 18, Fiducia supplicans. The full text of the interview is below     Letter #5, 2024, Monday, March 4: Hilarion in Blessings     Below is an interview given a few days [...]

    The text below is a "pre-conclave" text — a text that seeks to begin the process of electing the next Pope.     It is also anonymous.     The text is a brief letter which raises a number of concerns about the pontificate of Pope Francis (2013-present).     It claims to be written by a member of the College [...]

    Professor Nina Sophie Heereman. Heereman has just published an important analysis of the issues involved in the December 18 Vatican document on ecclesial blessings Fiducia supplicans ("Supplicating trust"). Born and raised in Germany, Heereman is a scripture scholar who studied or did research and lecturing in India, Switzerland, France, Rome and Jerusalem. She is currently [...]