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When he became secretary of Doctrine of the Faith, Merton notes this as good news in his journals and that Paul Philippe was his best friend in Rome. He often sought him out during his vocational crisis of the late 1950's and early 1960's, asking for support if he chose to leave Gethsemani for somewhere in Latin America.
Paul-Pierre Cardinal Philippe was a Dominican priest who initially taught at the Pontificium Athenaeum Angelicum in Rome. In 1959, he became secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for Religious. In 1967, he became secretary of Doctrine of the Faith for the Roman Curia, and was elevated to cardinal in 1973. Philippe had been to Gethsemani and spoke to the community.
Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.
Usage permission for letters to Merton from Columbia University must be obtained from the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
See also one published letter from Merton to Philippe in The School of Charity, pp. 162-166; and see also published letters (some not sent to Philippe) in Witness to Freedom, pp. 221-226 and 229; and see also Series 11 of the "Fox, James" file.
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"
| # | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| | y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
| 1. |
1949/04/22 |
TLS to Merton |
Que devez-vous penser de mon silence après votre lettre du 5 février et après l'envoi de votre livre |
|
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1949/06/24 |
TLS to Merton |
Je suis "awfully" confus de répondre si tard à votre bonne lettre que j'ai reçu la veille |
|
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1949/12/31 |
TLS to Merton |
Que devez-vous penser de votre ami de Rome? Votre dernière lettre est du 27 août et je vous réponds |
|
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1950/12/30 |
TALS[x] to Merton |
Pardonnez-moi de vous écrire si peu, alors que je parle si so[u]vent de vous autour de moi, |
|
[much of this letter is cut off in copying - see Columbia University for original]
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1951/02/06 |
TLS to Merton |
Le Rme Père Abbé Général m'a dit qu'il vous avait déjà annoncé ma visite à Gethsemani pour l'été |
|
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1951/05/12 |
TLS to Merton |
I must begin to write to you in english: you will be able to judge how far I am from Shakespeare's |
|
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1952/02/21 |
TLS to Merton |
What are you thinking about your little son "extra muros", who did not write to you for almost four |
|
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1952/04/28 |
TLS to Merton |
Permettez-moi de vous écrire en français: je crains que mon anglais ne vous casse la tête, en vous |
|
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1953/03/21 |
TLS to Merton |
Je vous écris en cette fête de saint Benoît, en pensant à vous et à tous mes chers frères |
|
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1953/07/08 |
HLS to Merton |
Je suis aux États-unis depuis une semaine et je |
|
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1955/05/05 |
TL to Merton |
Que devez-vous penser de votre Trappiste-extra-muros? Je reste pourtant très uni au Monastère |
|
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1955/10/17 |
TALS to Merton |
Je m'excuse de ne pas vous avoir encore remercié de l'hommage que vous m'avez fait de votre dernier |
|
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1960/08/06 |
transcript from Merton |
I have been thinking for a long time of writing to you, but I have refrained from doing so, knowing |
✓ |
[photocopy from published letters]
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1960/08/17 |
TL[c] from Merton |
Since my letter to you of the 6th, which you have probably not had time to consider thoroughly yet, |
✓ |
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1960/08/30 |
HLS to Merton |
[..] de répondre seulement le 30 aôut -- fête de Sainte Rose de Lima! -- à vos trois bonnes lettres |
|
«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1960/09/19 |
TN[c] |
MEMORANDUM [-] The request for an exclaustration to Cuernavaca has been renewed. Father Paul |
✓ |
[personal memorandum by Merton, not sent]
«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1963/04/05 |
TAL[c] from Merton |
First of all, I have delayed a long time to congratulate you on your elevation to the |
✓ |
[2 copies]
«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1963/06/11 |
TLS to Merton |
This is to acknowledge gratefully your letter of April 5. You have done well to send us your |
|
«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1965/10/22 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
No one ignores the crucial importance of promoting contemplative life in Latin America today. |
✓ |
[given to Ernesto Cardenal - Cardenal never given the word to send to Rome - see carbon copy and xerox of signed copy of the letter in the "Cardenal, Ernesto" correspondence file]
«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1966/12/no |
HNS to Merton |
I deeply appreciated receiving your last book "Confessions of a Guilty Bystander", which I enjoyed, |
|
«detailed view» |
| 21. |
undated/no/no |
HNS to Hays, Charlain |
thanks so much, dear Mrs Charlain Hays, for your kind communication of the copies of my letters to |
|
«detailed view» |
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