Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 10/17/25
Topics include: Scholars who deny the virginity of Mary; Financial correction by Pope Leo; Trump's IVF expansion criticized; & Judge bars saints’ statues
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, Catholic News Agency, Word on Fire, Our Sunday Visitor, ChurchPOP, & Aleteia. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
Please support the following Catholic news services and spiritual support sites. Click hereto view this email on the Catholic Nutshell News website. Today’s Catholic Nutshell News audio podcast is available on the Substack App.
Catholic News Agency
Scholars who deny the virginity of Mary a ‘challenge’ for the Church
By Victoria Cardiel, October 17, 2025
Father Stefano Cecchin, OFM, president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy (PAMI by its Italian acronym), which reports directly to the Roman Curia, said in a recent interview that the Church faces persistent challenges regarding truths about the Virgin Mary. Cecchin said PAMI encounters challenges every day from Protestants as well as groups within the Catholic Church, both openly and indirectly, who deny the dogma of the virginity of Mary established at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 and the Lateran Council of 649. “There are theologians and biblical scholars who are saying that the virginity of Mary is a myth, and this is very dangerous because the … Fathers of the Church, and even the Quran, defend the virginity of Mary.” He said, “If we question Mary’s virginity, we put into doubt all of Christianity.”
The Pillar
APSA audit led to financial correction by Pope Leo
By The Pillar, October 16, 2025
In 2022, Pope Francis ordered management of nearly all assets and funds under APSA’s management to be handed over to the IOR. That order was revoked earlier this month by Pope Leo XIV, who restored APSA’s autonomy. Pope Leo’s move to end the legal requirement for all curial assets to be managed via the IOR was notable, given APSA’s history of financial scandals, and because it is exempted from international regulation and from ordinary external oversight among the Vatican’s financial institutions. APSA has reported increased profits in recent years. Critics have noted that external audits do not verify financial statements from the department, and there is no transparency over APSA’s investments or portfolio, making an objective assessment of its performance difficult. The confidential audit report, a copy of which was obtained by The Pillar, flagged “urgent” concerns about the absence of investment planning and any formal risk assessment or control function.
CatholicVote
Trump's IVF expansion plan sparks criticism & ethical concerns
By CV News Feed, October 16, 2025
President Donald Trump announced two new initiatives aimed at expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), saying the measures will make fertility treatments more affordable and widely available. Speaking from the Oval Office on Oct. 16, Trump unveiled a partnership with pharmaceutical company EMD Serono, the maker of the fertility drug Gonal-F. He said the company has agreed to provide “massive discounts” on the fertility drugs through a new government website, TrumpRx.gov, set to launch in 2026. According to a White House fact sheet, the deal will reduce fertility drug prices to match the lowest paid among developed nations, known as the “most-favored-nation” price. CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt criticized Trump’s efforts to promote IVF, warning that IVF destroys human embryos, thus resulting in the death of innocent human lives. “The longing for a child is holy, but a child can never be the product of a laboratory process that treats life as disposable.”
National Catholic Register
Judge bars saints’ statues from Massachusetts building
By Matthew McDonald, October 15, 2025
A Massachusetts trial-court judge has issued an order blocking the installation of statues of two Catholic saints on a new public-safety building in the city of Quincy, setting up a likely appeal that may determine how the state treats separation-of-church-and-state disputes going forward. The 10-foot-high bronze statues of St. Michael and St. Florian, which were scheduled to be installed on the building’s façade this month, will instead await a higher court’s decision. The statues cost an estimated $850,000, part of the new, $175-million public-safety building that will serve as police headquarters and administration offices for the Boston suburb’s fire department. Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, a practicing Catholic, has said he chose St. Michael the Archangel because he is the patron of police officers and St. Florian because he is the patron of firefighters, not to send a message about religion.
The Times of Israel
Team enters Gaza to search for hostages’ bodies
By ToI Staff, October 17, 2025
Hamas claims it can’t access any more remains without additional equipment, but Jerusalem says that’s a lie; PM talks to Trump amid impasse, with 19 hostage bodies still in the Strip. After the Palestinian terror group insisted that the bodies it has returned so far are the only ones it can currently locate, a senior official told Israel’s Channel 12 that “there is a double-digit number of hostages that it can return.” Hamas has returned the remains of nine deceased hostages since it accepted the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which on Monday saw the release of the final 20 living hostages still held by terror groups in the Strip. Egypt has delivered a stern message to Hamas that it must meet its obligations under the ceasefire deal, but is also urging Israel not to apply additional pressure on Hamas yet, the outlet said.
Catholic World Report
Catholicism and Israel: An insight from a Dominican theologian
By Casey Chalk, October 14, 2025
Prominent Catholic politicians profess ‘unwavering support’ for Israel, while ecumenical (but mostly Catholic) First Things publishes content largely defending Israel. Alternatively, at Crisis Magazine, we read titles such as “America First Does Not Mean Unlimited Support for Israel,” and “Against Catholic Zionism.” In turn, Joe Heschmeyer at Catholic Answers asks: “Is Genesis 12 really saying that we’re to ‘the modern nation of Israel with military aid in its wars?” His answer: “Not according to St. Paul.” Principles of Catholic Theology: Book 4, On the Church, Mary, Nature and Grace, a new collection of essays by prominent theologian Fr. Thomas Joseph White, OP, offers extended reflections on Israel that provide deeply needed clarity on Catholic conceptions of Israel. The first essay observes that in contemporary Catholic theology, there are five prominent expressions of the notion of a Christian supersession of the people of Israel. When Christians in any way deny the covenantal dignity of the Jewish people, they not only supersede the Torah but also the Cross, which in turn undermines the core of the Christian Faith.
CRUX
In a regional first, Uruguay passes a law allowing euthanasia
By Associated Press, October 16, 2025
Uruguay’s senate passed a law decriminalizing euthanasia on Wednesday, putting the South American nation among a handful of other countries where seriously ill patients can legally obtain help to end their lives. It makes Uruguay the first country in predominantly Catholic Latin America to allow euthanasia via legislation. Colombia and Ecuador have decriminalized the practice through Supreme Court decisions. In Chile, left-wing President Gabriel Boric recently revived a push for the approval of an euthanasia bill long stalled in the Senate. Fierce debates and spirited activism around the practice have gripped the region in recent years. During the debate, senators from the ruling Broad Front coalition delivered impassioned defenses of the right to die, comparing the euthanasia movement to the legalization of divorce and same-sex marriage.
Vatican News
Meeting ties AI to social justice, a service of justice & peace
By Vatican News, October 16, 2025
Under the theme “Digital Rerum Novarum: Artificial Intelligence for Peace, Social Justice, and Integral Human Development,” the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences gathered 50 global experts from diverse disciplines at the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican on October 16–17. The goal was to foster dialogue and share experiences that could help promote a responsible, ethical, and human-centered use of artificial intelligence. During the event, participants launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development, which seeks to integrate the use of AI with attention to “the cry of the poor” and the advancement of inclusive and sustainable productive policies inspired by the principles of integral ecology. Through the lens of technological social justice, the participants called for cooperation among workers, employers, scientists, and governments to ensure a fair distribution of the benefits of AI. Proposals discussed included universal basic income, universal basic capital, and strategies to strengthen global value chains that treat technological progress as a global public good.
Big Pulpit, CNA & ChurchPOP for 10/17/25
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: October 17, 2025
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Cardinal Sarah Speaks On The War Over The Heart & Soul Of Catholicism – Return To Tradition
Mike Lewis, the TLM, & a Response – Fr. Allan J. McDonald at Southern Orders
Charlotte, Knoxville, & the Suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass – Leila Marie Lawler
Pope Leo XIV’s New Vienna Archbishop Wants Vatican III & Priestesses – Catholic Conclave
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — October 17 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable and free up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the words of the Holy Father and the Holy See.
Senator introduces bill to ban Obamacare-funded abortions - Oct 16, 2025 - By Kate Quiñones - The bill would prevent taxpayer dollars from going toward abortions or transgender procedures for minors via Obamacare. While the Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funding of abortion, Hawley’s bill would “write Hyde language directly into the federal coverage terms of health plans.”
USCIRF, lawmakers, advocates discuss the ‘severe’ threats to religious freedom in China - Oct 16, 2025 - By Tessa Gervasini - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) heard recommendations for addressing religious freedom concerns in China.
Jimmy Lai’s wife, daughter meet Pope Leo XIV in Rome ahead of trial verdict - Oct 16, 2025 - By Daniel Payne - The 77-year-old Lai has been imprisoned in Hong Kong for years on what advocates have argued are political charges including fraud and participation in unauthorized protests.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - October 17, 2025
‘I Don’t Remember’: What Jesus Told a 17th-Century Mystic About the Merciful Power of Confession - “He said, ‘I don’t remember.’”
The Stunning Transformation of San Joselito Adoration Chapel, Connecticut’s Hidden Gem - This beautiful, restored chapel reflects the courage of its patron, 14-year-old martyr Saint Joselito, who sacrificed his life for Jesus.
Fact Check: No, a Nun & Catholic Priest Did NOT Secretly Marry - The New York Post published a sensationalized story about a Catholic couple who discerned out of the religious life to pursue a vocation to the Sacrament of Marriage.
Nutshell reflections for 10/17/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - October 17, 2025
Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
Catholic Weekly
Australia’s first pro-life coffee
By Alex Woolnough, October 16, 2025
Little Bean Coffee launched last month with an inaugural blend, Imago Dei (in the image of God), using the nickname Hannah and Anthony have for their two-year-old daughter – “Little Bean.” Ten per cent of Little Bean’s profits go to Pregnancy Support Centres across Australia, helping women choose life through practical, real-world support. Hannah Farrugia believes the couple’s experiences during pregnancy significantly influenced their decision to move forward with Little Bean Coffee. “Back then, we didn’t really have a clear stance on abortion, and because of our circumstances, the people around us treated it as the practical thing to do. Ironically, it didn’t feel like we were really being given a choice.” She said, “There is a lack of pro-life voices here in Australia, and creating a company which could help to fill that gap is a great feeling.”
Aleteia
Gaza won’t go suddenly from black to white
By I.Media, October 17, 2025
“Peace is a demanding word. Peace must be prepared,” warned Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. He was commenting on the truce in Gaza. Cardinal Pizzaballa received the “Achille Silvestrini International Prize for Dialogue and Peace” on behalf of Father Gabriel Romanelli and the priests and nuns of Gaza’s only Catholic parish. “The failures of past years, of various agreements, have taught us that we must not move too quickly, even in our language, by talking about peace right away.” He stressed that it was “unfortunately inevitable” since one cannot “suddenly go from black to white.” For the cardinal, peace in the Holy Land is a “very perilous, very problematic, very fragile process, which must nevertheless be advanced in one way or another.” He told reporters that “the next generation” will be able to achieve peace if it is supported.
Word on Fire
Catholicism on campus after the Kirk assassination
By Dr. Tod Worner, October 15, 2025
If there’s one thing that Charlie Kirk’s assassination taught us, it’s that politics isn’t enough. Watching the celebratory reaction videos circulate online after the murder, I’ve realized that the divides in our society are much deeper than party lines. College campuses are often—morally speaking—bleak places dominated by the vanities of the world. Yet the Church provides an antidote to these booze-fueled, sex-crazed, ideology-driven institutions. The Church stands as a bulwark of hope and joy to desolate college students, helping them become beacons of joy, fueled by the Eucharist. The Church offers a different kind of response: bread for our hunger, solace for our aching, wisdom and silence for our racing hearts. In the wake of the tragic death of Charlie Kirk—a man who grew to see his God as the greatest and only adequate answer—may we return daily to the law and source of love.
Catholic365
Remain faithful because our help is from the Lord
By Tom Klocek, October 17, 2025
Jesus spoke about faith relentlessly. Last week, we saw how it was instrumental in the healing of the lepers. Today, we see lapses and even ignorance of faith. The statement, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief” is significant (Mark 9:24). Today, we see more of Jesus’ concerns about faith and lack of it, which even impeded His work in Nazareth (Matthew 13:58). The first reading deals with the positive results from belief in God and His works. As the Israelites were battling Amalek they trusted in God who had already worked wonders through Moses. Thus, Moses took the Staff of God, with which he had parted the Red Sea, and placed himself on a hill above the battle. Jesus final words can be taken as a caution for those whose faith is weak and “give up on God.” “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Faith is critical for gaining the benefits and graces that God has to offer.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
Listen to an audio podcast of today’s Catholic Nutshell News on the Substack App!
At the top of your phone, while in the app and reading a post, you can press the ▶️ play button and have Catholic Nutshell News read to you every day …
