The Moynihan Letters

Sometimes you need to hear about it before the magazine comes to your door. An email sent directly to your inbox with coverage of world affairs by Dr. Robert Moynihan.

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Letter #29, 2025, Sunday, April 27: Orthodox Leaders on Pope Francis

    Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Havana, Cuba in 2016. It was their first and only meeting...     Letter #29, 2025, Sunday, April 27: Orthodox Leaders on Pope Francis         Pope Francis's funeral Mass was celebrated yesterday in St. Peter's Square.     I was present at the Mass, held under a blue sky and [...]

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Letter #28, 2025, Monday, April 21: Pope Francis has died

    Letter #28, 2025, Monday, April 21: Pope Francis has died         Pope Francis passed away this morning at 7:35 a.m.     Here is the statement issued by Matteo Bruni, the head of the Vatican Press Office:     Statement by the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, 21.04.2025 (link)     At 9:47 this morning, His Eminence Cardinal [...]

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Letter #27, 2025, Mon, Mar 17: Children First

    St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897). She said her childhood years left a "sweet imprint" on her soul     St. John Chrysostom (347-407), one of the Fathers of the Church. He said "the downfall of society stems from a disregard for children"     St. Alphonsus of Liguori (1696-1787), founder of the Redemptorists. He said, "By the bad education [...]

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Letter #24, 2025, Wed, Feb 26: Kolbe, martyr of charity

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941). He gave up his own life that another might live     Letter #24, 2025, Wednesday, February 26: Kolbe, Martyr of Charity     I received this email at 6:25 this evening, about 2 hours ago:     "I have a long time subscriber to Inside the Vatican, and a contributor.     "However, for weeks I [...]

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Letter #23, 2025, Tues, Feb 11: Next papal election

    Lightning struck the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica 12 years ago today, at about 6 p.m. on the evening of February 11, 2013, about seven hours after Pope Benedict XVI announced to his assembled cardinals that he would resign the papacy on February 28, 2013     Pope Celestine V (c. 1215-19 May 1296). Born Pietro Angelerio di [...]

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Letter #22, 2025, Fri, Feb 7: Francis

Pope Francis at the conclusion of the Jubilee Mass for the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel (VATICAN MEDIA Divisione Foto)     Letter #22, 2025, Friday, February 7: Francis     The Pope Has Bronchitis     Pope Francis, 88, has fallen sick with bronchitis (see article below), curtailing his meeting schedule in Rome.     Man Desecrates Altar in St. Peter's [...]

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Letter #21, 2025, Tues, Feb 4: Motu Proprio, Pt 8

    Letter #21, 2025, Tuesday, February 4: Motu Proprio, Pt 8     This letter ends my series about the liturgy.     I gave a lecture almost 18 years ago, in the summer of 2007, and this is the 8th and final part.     A great deal has happened since then, that I could not know at the time but [...]

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Letter #20, 2025, Mon, Feb 3: Vatican on AI

    Letter #20, 2025, Monday, February 3: Vatican on AI     The Vatican last week released a powerful and important new document on Artificial Intelligence, entitled ANTIQUA ET NOVA ["Ancient and new (wisdom)"]: Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence (link).     Essentially, the document teaches that the search for "artificial intelligence" risks -- risks -- [...]

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Letter #19, 2025, Sat, Feb 1: Motu Proprio, Pt 7

    In Psalm 51, King David sought God's forgiveness, in lines that were woven into the prayers of the old Mass:     Psalm 51:1-19     For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.     1 Have mercy on me, O God,     according to your [...]

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