Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 641 › Conversation 641-004

Nixon, Raimondi & Flanigan on Pope Paul VI and Diplomacy

Thursday, December 23, 1971 · 11:32 AM–11:37 AM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Raimondi, Luigi; Flanigan, Peter M.; White House photographerConversation641-004 on Tape 641 (tape position 00:17:26–00:23:20)StartThursday, December 23, 1971 at 11:32 AMEndThursday, December 23, 1971 at 11:37 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 641-004 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417183173 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Apostolic Delegate Luigi Raimondi and White House aide Peter M. Flanigan to receive a personal message of peace from Pope Paul VI. The brief session included a photo opportunity and a general exchange regarding global peace efforts and holiday well-wishes. Nixon acknowledged the Vatican's diplomatic mission, reflecting on the persistent challenges of achieving world peace.

Pope Paul VI
Diplomacy
World Peace
Vatican
Luigi Raimondi

Audio

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NARA Description

On December 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Luigi Raimondi, Peter M. Flanigan, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:32 am to 11:37 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 641-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 641-4

Date: December 23, 1971
Time: 11:32 am - 11:37 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Luigi Raimondi and Peter M. Flanigan; the White House photographer
and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Opening remarks by Raimondi

     Message for peace from Pope Paul VI

     Peace in the world

     [Photograph session]

     [General conversation]

     Peace

     Holiday wishes

Raimondi and Flanigan left at 11:37 am.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Presidents and President.

I am very happy to be here.

The article cannot be resisted.

It, for the day of peace, the first day of battle, the first day of battle, it is here, but it is happening every day, every month, and I think in the time, in the end, every month, every month, we know what is going on all over the world.

First, my appreciation for receiving the message.

Second, as far as the Bay of Bees is concerned, we want to go over the reason.

Are you sure we support COVID?

We work hard to sign up.

We are right, and we hope that 1973 will be a great step forward for our peace in the world.

Why not these things?

One by one?

All right, let's go.

Well, I've heard a lot of things.

Thank you very much.

— 1 min 22 s with no transcribed speech —

Thank you.

— 1 min 7 s with no transcribed speech —

It's the kind of message we want to give.

We have a lot in here.

A little controversy.

Yes, Your Excellency.

I'll go over there.

Let's go.

Thank you.

Well, it just ain't working.

The world will never be perfect.

You know, we all know that from our religion.

Also recorded on December 23, 1971

641-001 11:14 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:14 am and 11:21 am.
641-002 11:21 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:21 am to 11:25 am.
641-003 11:25 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 11:32 am.
641-005 11:37 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:37 am to 11:53 am.
017-001 12:09 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 1:25 pm.
641-006 12:09 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:27 pm.
641-007 12:09 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:27 pm.
641-008 12:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:27 pm.

All 20 conversations from December 23, 1971 →

Nixon, Lodge & Colson on Vatican and Diplomatic appointments June 26, 1972
Nixon phone call with Haig on Economic freeze and Paris Peace Talks June 7, 1973 · 3 min
Nixon, Preus & Hughes on Vietnam War and Prisoners of War May 14, 1971 · 20 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 641-004, December 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417183173). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/641-004 (accessed November 1, 2026).