Christopher Hale
@christopherjhale.bsky.social
Proud Tennessean. ’20 Democratic nominee for Congress & DNC Delegate. Obama-Biden White House & campaign alum. Former nonprofit exec. Bad guitarist & good 💃.
Pope Leo XIV met privately with the mother of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide after forming a bond with an AI.
The pope has since issued his most forceful warning yet about artificial intelligence — calling for global safeguards to protect children.
Some tech moguls are already lashing out.
The pope has since issued his most forceful warning yet about artificial intelligence — calling for global safeguards to protect children.
Some tech moguls are already lashing out.
Pope Leo Confronts AI That Lured Teen to Suicide — and Tech Moguls Lash Out
A 14-year-old boy, lured by a chatbot’s “love,” took his own life. Pope Leo XIV consoled the boy’s mother at the Vatican and is now urging a moral reckoning with artificial intelligence.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Pope Leo XIV met privately with the mother of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide after forming a bond with an AI.
The pope has since issued his most forceful warning yet about artificial intelligence — calling for global safeguards to protect children.
Some tech moguls are already lashing out.
The pope has since issued his most forceful warning yet about artificial intelligence — calling for global safeguards to protect children.
Some tech moguls are already lashing out.
When asked to name the book that shaped his spiritual life, Pope Leo XIV didn’t turn to Aquinas or Augustine. He pointed instead to a 17th-century monk who found God while washing dishes.
“The Book That Formed Me” — Pope Leo’s Surprising Spiritual Guide
Returning from his Türkiye-Lebanon trip, Pope Leo XIV offered reporters an unexpected key to his worldview: he recommended a slim 17th-century devotional, “The Practice of the Presence of God.”
substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:01 AM
When asked to name the book that shaped his spiritual life, Pope Leo XIV didn’t turn to Aquinas or Augustine. He pointed instead to a 17th-century monk who found God while washing dishes.
If Isaiah is right, God isn’t stingy — he’s extravagant. A feast on the mountain. Bread for thousands. Satisfaction for all. This Advent, don’t shrink your desires. They might be the very place God is trying to speak.
December 3rd Advent Reflection: This Season Is All About Desire
Desire often gets a bad name in religious circles. But even in the visceral desires of life, such as sexual desire or material wants, we can see the hand of God working.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:36 PM
If Isaiah is right, God isn’t stingy — he’s extravagant. A feast on the mountain. Bread for thousands. Satisfaction for all. This Advent, don’t shrink your desires. They might be the very place God is trying to speak.
At the end of the day, I’m asking you to help build the future Pope Leo sees — and America needs.
His witness calls us to bring a revolution of tenderness into American politics, culture, and media — a different way of being a nation in an age slipping toward cruelty and authoritarian reflex.
His witness calls us to bring a revolution of tenderness into American politics, culture, and media — a different way of being a nation in an age slipping toward cruelty and authoritarian reflex.
A Late-Night Letter About the Revolution of Tenderness Pope Leo Is Calling Us To
Before this day ends, I’m asking you to help build the future Pope Leo sees — and America needs.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:17 AM
At the end of the day, I’m asking you to help build the future Pope Leo sees — and America needs.
His witness calls us to bring a revolution of tenderness into American politics, culture, and media — a different way of being a nation in an age slipping toward cruelty and authoritarian reflex.
His witness calls us to bring a revolution of tenderness into American politics, culture, and media — a different way of being a nation in an age slipping toward cruelty and authoritarian reflex.
Lindsey Graham is lecturing Pope Leo XIV on Catholic teaching.
December 3, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Lindsey Graham is lecturing Pope Leo XIV on Catholic teaching.
NEW: Pope Leo XIV rebuked President Trump’s foreign policy on two fronts — warning against a U.S. military invasion in Venezuela and criticizing a Trump-Putin Ukraine peace plan that excludes Europe.
It’s the newest flashpoint in a months-long clash between the pope and the president.
It’s the newest flashpoint in a months-long clash between the pope and the president.
Pope Leo Confronts Trump: Don’t Invade Venezuela — and No “Solo Deal” in Ukraine
Leo delivered twin admonitions aimed at Donald Trump’s foreign policy gambits — urging dialogue instead of a military ouster in Venezuela, and insisting any plan for Ukraine peace must include Europe.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:10 PM
NEW: Pope Leo XIV rebuked President Trump’s foreign policy on two fronts — warning against a U.S. military invasion in Venezuela and criticizing a Trump-Putin Ukraine peace plan that excludes Europe.
It’s the newest flashpoint in a months-long clash between the pope and the president.
It’s the newest flashpoint in a months-long clash between the pope and the president.
Reposted by Christopher Hale
I typically hold the line on Christmas music until December 24.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
December 2, 2025 at 4:36 AM
I typically hold the line on Christmas music until December 24.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
Pope Leo XIV is the first missionary pope since St. Peter himself.
According to Pope Francis, a missionary is someone who “warms hearts and heals wounds.”
A missionary Church, he says, belongs in the streets and is “bruised, hurt and dirty.”
According to Pope Francis, a missionary is someone who “warms hearts and heals wounds.”
A missionary Church, he says, belongs in the streets and is “bruised, hurt and dirty.”
December 2nd Advent Reflection: Knowing Jesus vs. Knowing About Jesus
We often think of missionaries as persons in far away lands, but the truth is that we’re all called to be missionaries of God's love and mercy — right here and now.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Pope Leo XIV is the first missionary pope since St. Peter himself.
According to Pope Francis, a missionary is someone who “warms hearts and heals wounds.”
A missionary Church, he says, belongs in the streets and is “bruised, hurt and dirty.”
According to Pope Francis, a missionary is someone who “warms hearts and heals wounds.”
A missionary Church, he says, belongs in the streets and is “bruised, hurt and dirty.”
I typically hold the line on Christmas music until December 24.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
December 2, 2025 at 4:36 AM
I typically hold the line on Christmas music until December 24.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
But newly resurfaced footage of Pope Leo XIV singing Feliz Navidad at a 2014 parish concert?
That one gets an Advent exemption.
Pope Leo XIV stepped into rain-soaked streets and was met by thousands of young people chanting his name. He didn’t just wave. He demanded justice for Palestine, peace for Lebanon, and dignity for all.
‘There’s No Peace Without Justice’ — Rain-Soaked Crowds Roar as Pope Leo Calls for Peace
In rainy Beirut, Pope Leo XIV was greeted like a rockstar by 15,000 young Lebanese — a sharp contrast to his quiet stop in Turkey. The American pope used the moment to urge Middle East peace.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Pope Leo XIV stepped into rain-soaked streets and was met by thousands of young people chanting his name. He didn’t just wave. He demanded justice for Palestine, peace for Lebanon, and dignity for all.
JD Vance and Peter Thiel are morons. We stand with Pope Leo.
JD Vance’s Top Donor Suggests Pope Leo XIV is Antichrist
In a leaked lecture, Peter Thiel says he’s urged Vance to ignore the pope on moral questions — and simply pray for him.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:58 AM
JD Vance and Peter Thiel are morons. We stand with Pope Leo.
In a landmark move, Pope Leo has appointed Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś — a leading progressive voice for synodal reform — as the new Archbishop of Kraków, John Paul II’s former diocese.
This marks a major shift for Poland’s Church and signals that Leo’s papacy will deepen, not dilute, Francis’s legacy.
This marks a major shift for Poland’s Church and signals that Leo’s papacy will deepen, not dilute, Francis’s legacy.
Pope Leo XIV Picks Progressive Bishop for John Paul II’s Home Diocese
In a historic changing of the guard for Poland, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś — widely seen as “Pope Francis’s man” in the Polish Church — to the Archdiocese of Kraków.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:56 AM
In a landmark move, Pope Leo has appointed Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś — a leading progressive voice for synodal reform — as the new Archbishop of Kraków, John Paul II’s former diocese.
This marks a major shift for Poland’s Church and signals that Leo’s papacy will deepen, not dilute, Francis’s legacy.
This marks a major shift for Poland’s Church and signals that Leo’s papacy will deepen, not dilute, Francis’s legacy.
“The Catholic Church has publicly supported the two-state solution for several years. We all know that, at the moment, Israel still does not accept this solution. But we see it as the only one capable of offering a resolution to the conflict they continue to endure.” — Pope Leo XIV
December 1, 2025 at 2:00 AM
“The Catholic Church has publicly supported the two-state solution for several years. We all know that, at the moment, Israel still does not accept this solution. But we see it as the only one capable of offering a resolution to the conflict they continue to endure.” — Pope Leo XIV
On the same day the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was accused of committing war crimes at home, the first American pope, visiting Istanbul, delivered a stark message:
Violence in God’s name is an unspeakable sin against heaven.
Violence in God’s name is an unspeakable sin against heaven.
Pope Leo Demands Peace as Hegseth’s “Kill Them All” Order Sparks Outrage
Leo’s call for peace in Turkey comes as Trump’s ‘devout Christian’ defense chief faces war crime allegations.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM
On the same day the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was accused of committing war crimes at home, the first American pope, visiting Istanbul, delivered a stark message:
Violence in God’s name is an unspeakable sin against heaven.
Violence in God’s name is an unspeakable sin against heaven.
Hope isn’t naïve — it’s defiant.
It survives heartbreak, doubt, sacrifice, and the quiet decision to keep showing up.
As Emmanuel draws near, may we see the world with new eyes — the Eyes of Hope.
It survives heartbreak, doubt, sacrifice, and the quiet decision to keep showing up.
As Emmanuel draws near, may we see the world with new eyes — the Eyes of Hope.
Can We Trust in Hope?
On the first Sunday of Avent, we explore the true meaning of hope — and whether or not it's a reliable tool to guide our lives.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 30, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Hope isn’t naïve — it’s defiant.
It survives heartbreak, doubt, sacrifice, and the quiet decision to keep showing up.
As Emmanuel draws near, may we see the world with new eyes — the Eyes of Hope.
It survives heartbreak, doubt, sacrifice, and the quiet decision to keep showing up.
As Emmanuel draws near, may we see the world with new eyes — the Eyes of Hope.
Hope reminds us that so much is unseen. It isn’t projecting our beliefs forward, but admitting the present is bigger than what we grasp.
No wonder a campaign rooted in hope resonates. Americans want to believe again — that hope is real, active, inspiring.
The question: Can we truly trust in hope?
No wonder a campaign rooted in hope resonates. Americans want to believe again — that hope is real, active, inspiring.
The question: Can we truly trust in hope?
Can We Trust in Hope?
On the first Sunday of Avent, we explore the true meaning of hope — and whether or not it's a reliable tool to guide our lives.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Hope reminds us that so much is unseen. It isn’t projecting our beliefs forward, but admitting the present is bigger than what we grasp.
No wonder a campaign rooted in hope resonates. Americans want to believe again — that hope is real, active, inspiring.
The question: Can we truly trust in hope?
No wonder a campaign rooted in hope resonates. Americans want to believe again — that hope is real, active, inspiring.
The question: Can we truly trust in hope?
Pope Leo XIV warned about A.I. without ethics. Trump donor Marc Andreessen sneered. JD Vance’s top patron Peter Thiel invoked the Antichrist.
Reid Hoffman? He said: Listen to the pope.
Reid Hoffman? He said: Listen to the pope.
One Tech Billionaire Just Defended the Pope — While the Others Turned on Him
LinkedIn’s co-founder Reid Hoffman breaks ranks with fellow tech titans by backing Pope Leo XIV’s call for “moral discernment” in AI — a striking contrast to recent attacks from Marc Andreessen and Pe...
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 30, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Pope Leo XIV warned about A.I. without ethics. Trump donor Marc Andreessen sneered. JD Vance’s top patron Peter Thiel invoked the Antichrist.
Reid Hoffman? He said: Listen to the pope.
Reid Hoffman? He said: Listen to the pope.
Like a prudent builder, Pope Leo is laying a long-term foundation to knock down the foundations of MAGA. He’s in it for the long haul, willing to be the steady drumbeat of the Gospel against the cacophony of lies.
Make no mistake — Leo will win this fight.
Make no mistake — Leo will win this fight.
Pope Leo vs. the Empire of Lies: The Long Game to Defeat Trumpism
He’s already rebuked immigration crackdowns and blasted the “logic of exclusion” fueling rising nationalism. Now, as the youngest pope in 35 years, Leo is poised to help defeat Trumpism for good.
open.substack.com
November 30, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Like a prudent builder, Pope Leo is laying a long-term foundation to knock down the foundations of MAGA. He’s in it for the long haul, willing to be the steady drumbeat of the Gospel against the cacophony of lies.
Make no mistake — Leo will win this fight.
Make no mistake — Leo will win this fight.
Pope Leo’s closet aide is a millennial from Peru.
The charismatic young priest’s close bond with Leo — from the villages of Peru to the halls of the Vatican — has already won him a following among the Church’s youth.
The charismatic young priest’s close bond with Leo — from the villages of Peru to the halls of the Vatican — has already won him a following among the Church’s youth.
The Pope’s Closest Aide Is a Millennial from Peru
The charismatic young priest’s close bond with Leo — from the villages of Peru to the halls of the Vatican — has already won him a following among the Church’s youth.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 29, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Pope Leo’s closet aide is a millennial from Peru.
The charismatic young priest’s close bond with Leo — from the villages of Peru to the halls of the Vatican — has already won him a following among the Church’s youth.
The charismatic young priest’s close bond with Leo — from the villages of Peru to the halls of the Vatican — has already won him a following among the Church’s youth.
Both American men claim Christianity. Only one lives it.
This week, Pope Leo XIV demanded global peace in Turkey — denouncing violence in God’s name.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces allegations he committed a heinous war crime here at home.
This week, Pope Leo XIV demanded global peace in Turkey — denouncing violence in God’s name.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces allegations he committed a heinous war crime here at home.
Pope Leo Demands Peace as Hegseth’s “Kill Them All” Order Sparks Outrage
Leo’s call for peace in Turkey comes as Trump’s ‘devout Christian’ defense chief faces war crime allegations.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Both American men claim Christianity. Only one lives it.
This week, Pope Leo XIV demanded global peace in Turkey — denouncing violence in God’s name.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces allegations he committed a heinous war crime here at home.
This week, Pope Leo XIV demanded global peace in Turkey — denouncing violence in God’s name.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces allegations he committed a heinous war crime here at home.
While Trump demands a total shutdown on immigration for poor countries, Pope Leo XIV stands in Istanbul lifting up the “little ones” — refugees, migrants, outsiders.
One calls for exclusion, the other for radical welcome.
Here’s how Leo flipped the script on American power and greatness.
One calls for exclusion, the other for radical welcome.
Here’s how Leo flipped the script on American power and greatness.
Pope Leo Defends Migrants in Istanbul as Trump-Vance Call for Total Immigration Shutdown
The first American pope uses his first overseas trip to defend migrants — even as MAGA pushes for a total shutdown of migration back home.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:56 PM
While Trump demands a total shutdown on immigration for poor countries, Pope Leo XIV stands in Istanbul lifting up the “little ones” — refugees, migrants, outsiders.
One calls for exclusion, the other for radical welcome.
Here’s how Leo flipped the script on American power and greatness.
One calls for exclusion, the other for radical welcome.
Here’s how Leo flipped the script on American power and greatness.
Right wing Catholic networks aren't just whispering in US politics
They're shaping the whole game
Peter Thiel funds
Leonard Leo strategizes
JD Vance emerges as their champion
This isn't coincidence
It's a years long playbook
And 2028 is their target year
They're shaping the whole game
Peter Thiel funds
Leonard Leo strategizes
JD Vance emerges as their champion
This isn't coincidence
It's a years long playbook
And 2028 is their target year
Inside JD Vance’s Post-Liberal Catholic Brain Trust
They aren’t household names — but they made JD Vance, are shaping the soul of the new American Right, and are trying to make him the next president of the United States.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Right wing Catholic networks aren't just whispering in US politics
They're shaping the whole game
Peter Thiel funds
Leonard Leo strategizes
JD Vance emerges as their champion
This isn't coincidence
It's a years long playbook
And 2028 is their target year
They're shaping the whole game
Peter Thiel funds
Leonard Leo strategizes
JD Vance emerges as their champion
This isn't coincidence
It's a years long playbook
And 2028 is their target year
Pope Leo XIV walked into the Blue Mosque, slipped off his shoes without touching them, and showed off his white socks in honor of his favorite last-place team.
The Chicago pope strikes again.
The Chicago pope strikes again.
November 29, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Pope Leo XIV walked into the Blue Mosque, slipped off his shoes without touching them, and showed off his white socks in honor of his favorite last-place team.
The Chicago pope strikes again.
The Chicago pope strikes again.
Peter Thiel — JD Vance’s top donor and one of Silicon Valley’s most powerful figures — has urged the vice president to disregard Pope Leo XIV on social and moral questions.
In leaked remarks, he even described the pope as a tool of the Antichrist.
In leaked remarks, he even described the pope as a tool of the Antichrist.
NEW: JD Vance’s Top Donor Suggests Pope Leo XIV is Antichrist
In a leaked lecture, Peter Thiel says he’s urged Vance to ignore the pope on moral questions — and simply pray for him.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Peter Thiel — JD Vance’s top donor and one of Silicon Valley’s most powerful figures — has urged the vice president to disregard Pope Leo XIV on social and moral questions.
In leaked remarks, he even described the pope as a tool of the Antichrist.
In leaked remarks, he even described the pope as a tool of the Antichrist.
He’s 36. He’s Peruvian. And he’s the pope’s most trusted aide.
What Monsignor Edgar Rimaycuna’s rise tells us about the future of the Church — and the heart of Leo XIV.
What Monsignor Edgar Rimaycuna’s rise tells us about the future of the Church — and the heart of Leo XIV.
The Pope’s Closest Aide Is a Millennial from Peru
The charismatic young priest’s close bond with Leo — from the villages of Peru to the halls of the Vatican — has already won him a following among the Church’s youth.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:03 AM
He’s 36. He’s Peruvian. And he’s the pope’s most trusted aide.
What Monsignor Edgar Rimaycuna’s rise tells us about the future of the Church — and the heart of Leo XIV.
What Monsignor Edgar Rimaycuna’s rise tells us about the future of the Church — and the heart of Leo XIV.