The Moynihan Letters

    Earlier this year, Erika and her husband, the late Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10, two days ago, spoke together at an event in Texas. | Photo Credit: WikiMedia Commons By Gage Skidmore - (link)     Letter #65, 2025, Friday, September 12: Erika Kirk     Today I saw this article from the National Catholic Register [...]

    Charlie Kirk, age 31, a leading conservative figure in the US "culture wars," and a supporter of US President Donald Trump, was shot by a single bullet to his neck which severed a major artery and killed him instantly yesterday afternoon while speaking to a crowd of students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. [...]

    Letter #63, 2025, Wednesday, September 10: Leo analyzed     Pope Leo, elected on May 8, has now been Pope for 4 months and 2 days (just over 120 days).     John Allen argues below that Pope Leo is a "classic Moderate." (Here is a link to Allen's September 7 analysis)     For his part, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, 64, [...]

    Letter #62, 2025, Tuesday, September 9: Latin Mass      A quick note on an important matter: the London Times is reporting that Pope Leo has granted the request of American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke to celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Basilica in October according to the old Latin rite.     Many have been watching to see [...]

The new St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, canonized yesterday, September 7    The new St. Carlo Acutis, also canonized yesterday September 7     Pope Leo XIV at yesterday's canonization in Rome. Leo will turn 70 in one week, on September 14, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross     Letter #59, 2025, Monday, September 8: Two New Saints [...]

    Crux’s Elise Ann Allen and Pope Leo XIV at the Villa Borghese, the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, on July 10, 2025 (Credit: Cruxnow.com.)     Letter #60, 2025, Monday, September 8: Pope Leo XIV's 1st Book     It was announced this morning that Pope Leo earlier this summer granted his first interview (in two parts) to [...]

    Pope Leo XIV meets Israel President Isaac Herzog inside the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace September 4, 2025. (link, Credit: Vatican Media (link)     Letter #59, 2025, Monday, September 8: Gaza     In the Vatican, Pope Leo, 69, met four days ago with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, on Sepetmber 4, to speak about Gaza's plight, and the [...]

    The left angel symbolizes God the Father. He blesses the cup, yet his hand is painted at a distance, as if passing the cup to the central angel. Viktor Lazarev suggests that the central angel represents Jesus Christ, who in turn blesses the cup as well and accepts it with a bow as if saying, [...]

    Above, left, the then-young Cardinal Joseph Malula (1917-1989), of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), who, as a young bishop, had participated in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Malula's theological assistant ("peritus") during the Council was Archimandrite Boniface Luykx (1915-2004), right, who also served on the liturgical commission which, under the direction of [...]

    Letter #56, 2025, Thursday, July 31: A Perfect Essay     Sometimes one reads an essay that really hits the mark.     An essay that is a whistling arrow of truth that strikes the bulls-eye perfectly, vibrating in the very center of the target.     The words of such an essay are ordered, calm, clear; the ideas and concepts [...]