The Moynihan Letters

  The Persian wise man, Artaban, hero of the book The Other Wise Man, written in 1895 by Henry van Dyke. The book tells how Artaban, who had planned to set out with the other three wise men — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar (link and link) — to find the Christ Child, was delayed along [...]

    The great pyramids of Egypt, and the Sphinx. The Persian wise man, Artaban, hero of the book The Other Wise Man, written in 1895 by Henry van Dyke, tells how Artaban, who had planned to set out with the other three wise men — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar (link and link) — to find [...]

     Fr John Hunwicke, a convert from Anglicanism who was ordained a Catholic priest in 2012, taught for nearly three decades at Lancing College, teaching Latin and Greek language and literature. He was also Head of Theology, and Assistant Chaplain. He has served three curacies, been a Parish Priest, and Senior Research Fellow at Pusey [...]

     An image by Giotto illustrating The Slaughter of the Innocents. (link) The Persian wise man, Artaban, hero of the book The Other Wise Man, written in 1895 by Henry van Dyke, tells how Artaban, who had planned to set out with the other three wise men — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar (link and link) [...]

     An image by Robert T. Barrett illustrating The Other Wise Man, written in 1895 by Henry van Dyke, published by Harper and Brothers. Van Dyke tells the story of Artaban, a wise man from Persia who, 2,000 years ago, planned to set out with the other three wise men — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar [...]

     An image by Robert T. Barrett illustrating The Other Wise Man, written in 1895 by Henry van Dyke, published by Harper and Brothers. Van Dyke tells the story of Artaban, a wise man from Persia who, 2,000 years ago, planned to set out with the other three wise men — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar [...]

     An image from 1895 edition of The Other Wise Man, written by Henry van Dyke, published by Harper and Brothers. The words quoted — "The other wise man had found the king" — are the very last words of the little book in which Van Dyke tells the story of Artaban, a wise man [...]

    Patriarch Kirill, 75, head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Church, following meetings in recent days, agreed to receive into their Church "102 clerics of the Patriarchate of Alexandria [in Egypt] from eight African countries." The clerics decided to leave the Patriarchate of Alexandria in protest over the Patriarch of Alexandria's decision to support [...]

    Father Christopher Basden, the parish priest in Ramsgate, England, celebrating Mass in the shrine of St. Augustine (link)     "But let us get back to the question at hand. Why on earth does such a venerable ancient Rite with stellar accomplishments in the pantheon of saints, not to mention the huge cultural impact it has had [...]

    Pope Francis meeting with Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion a few days ago in Rome, when the two discussed a possible trip of Pope Francis to Russia in 2022. On December 25 (Christmas Day) in Russia, Hilarion was interviewed on Russian television and said that the world's two largest Christian Churches "must collaborate." And the area [...]