Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 3/13/26
Topics include: Religious engagement low as ‘nones’ grow; Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood are terrorists; Michigan's pro-abortion hiring problem; & Antichrist lectures at Vatican’s doorstep
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, OSV News, ACIAfrica, CatholicVote, Zeale, & Aleteia. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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Zeale
Religious engagement is still low as ‘nones’ reach new high
By Elise Winland, March 12, 2026
Americans’ engagement with religion continues to linger at much lower levels than in past decades, and a record share now say they have no religious affiliation, according to Gallup poll results released March 3. The drop in the perceived importance of religion has coincided with the continued rise of Americans who identify with no religion, often called “nones.” According to the survey, 24% of Americans identified as “nones” in 2025, which is the highest share Gallup has on record. The figure had held between 21% and 22% from 2021 through 2024. By contrast, in 1948, just 2% of Americans said they had no religious affiliation. The share of Americans identifying as Protestant or nondenominational Christian has steadily fallen. The share identifying as Roman Catholic, however, remained relatively stable. In 1948, 22% were Roman Catholic. In 2025, it is 20%.
aciafrica
U.S. designates the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists
By Silas Isenjia, March 12, 2026
A UK-based human rights organization has welcomed the decision by the United States to designate the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity, citing the group’s alleged involvement in serious human rights abuses during Sudan’s ongoing conflict. In a report shared with ACI Africa on Thursday, March 12, the leadership of the UK-based advocacy organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said that the United States Department of State's designation also includes plans to list the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). According to Mr. Thomas, the designation “supports the rejection of the Islamist political project by the overwhelming majority of the Sudanese people, whose protests during the 2018/19 revolution ousted Omar al Bashir.” The U.S. noted the ‘harmful effects to religious freedom and Sudan’s diverse religious and ethnic communities’ caused by mass atrocities and widespread human rights violations.
CatholicVote
Michigan gets more time for pro-abortion hiring response
By McKenna Snow, March 12, 2026
A federal judge has extended the deadline to March 27 for Michigan officials to respond to a lawsuit that two pro-life groups filed challenging a state employment law they say violates First Amendment protections, according to a March 11 report from Michigan Advance. The original deadline for the defendants to respond was March 4. Right to Life Michigan and the Pregnancy Resource Center in Grand Rapids, are challenging a state employment law that they allege “requires them to recruit and hire those with pro-abortion views, restricts these groups from explaining their pro-life requirements to applicants, and requires these groups to offer abortion coverage in their insurance plan because they generally offer insurance to their employees,” the lawsuit states. “Pro-life groups should be free to share the message of hope and joy with women and families experiencing a difficult season through employees who share their common goal,” said Senior Counsel Byran Neihart.
National Catholic Register
Iran-US war could be a turning point for Armenia
By Solène Tadié, March 12, 2026
Scenes of Armenians publicly expressing solidarity with Iran amid the war might surprise outside observers. Armenia is a predominantly Christian nation that has endured centuries of conflict and persecution from Muslim powers in the region. Yet geopolitics has produced unlikely alignments. Facing pressure from its traditional rivals — Azerbaijan and Turkey — the world’s oldest Christian kingdom has long relied on Shiite Iran as a strategic counterweight and key economic partner. The war between Iran, Israel, and the US could therefore have profound consequences for the South Caucasus. According to Lebanese-born Armenian activist Jirair Sefilian, the shifting balance of power brings both serious risks and potential strategic opportunities. “Our natural place is with the Western world,” he told the Register. His movement also calls for the recovery of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan lost in 2023, through both diplomatic and military means.
EWTN News
Miami archbishop warns about Haiti's temporary protective status
By Tessa Gervasini, March 13, 2026
Ending temporary residency protections for Haitians would be “sending people into a burning building,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said. This week, the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strip legal protections from Haitians living in the United States with temporary protected status (TPS). TPS provides hundreds of thousands of eligible Haitians in the U.S. with protection from deportation and work authorization, due to ongoing safety concerns in Haiti. The Justice Department requested that the court lift a judge’s Feb. 2 decision blocking the Trump administration from ending TPS, which was granted in 2010. “I would hope that the court does not support the Trump initiative at this time because this would create tremendous pain ... both with the Haitians affected by the end of TPS, but also of the local community here, which today benefits from these people’s participation in our labor force,” Wenski said in an interview on March 12 with EWTN.
The Pillar
Women await the Vatican to investigate religious community
By The Pillar, March 12, 2026
Vatican officials will investigate allegations of psychological and spiritual abuse in the Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus, women formerly in formation with the religious community say they’ve been told. The community is connected to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, a society of priests known for its use and promotion of preconciliar liturgical texts. While a number of former postulants of the women’s group allege a culture of intimidation and fear, manipulative spiritual practices, and disordered governance in their community, the community’s superior says that women who have raised complaints about the community “were unable to adapt” to religious life, and that their concerns were “exaggerations or misunderstandings of our rules and of different situations.” An expert on abuses in religious life and the Church told The Pillar that the women flagged issues that could constitute “spiritual abuse,” and which merit more examination from Church officials.
CRUX
Antichrist lectures at Vatican’s doorstep, raising ire of some
By Nicole Winfield, March 13, 2026
One of the hottest tickets in the Vatican’s backyard these days is for a four-lecture series on the Antichrist being given by Silicon Valley tech billionaire Peter Thiel. Discussion of the Antichrist by a tech billionaire in the Vatican’s backyard has proven divisive. The invitation-only conference in Rome, from Sunday to Wednesday, has proven so controversial that the Catholic universities initially associated with it have all denied official involvement. Thiel is a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, the data-mining company that has been assisting the Trump administration’s crackdown on migrant deportations. An early donor to Vice President J.D. Vance's political career, Thiel is also deeply interested in the apocalyptic concept of the Antichrist and has written and lectured on it before. “Christians debated these prophecies for millennia. Who was the Antichrist? When would he arrive? What would he preach?” he mused in a November essay in the Catholic magazine First Things.
OSV News
Vatican releases report on women’s role in Church leadership
By Courtney Mares, March 10, 2026
The Vatican has published the final report of the synod study group examining women’s participation in the Church, which calls for expanded roles for women in Church governance and leadership, including positions not involving ordained ministry. The study group calls for “new spaces” for women to exercise leadership in evangelization and administration in collaboration with ordained ministers. The report argues that laywomen possess distinct charisms from the Holy Spirit that demand recognition. The 75-page document, published in English and Italian on March 10, discusses women’s leadership in the Church, but not the specific question of a possible female diaconate. It is the third of 15 final reports. Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, has characterized these reports as “working documents” that will be used to develop proposals to be submitted to the pope for consideration.
Big Pulpit, EWTN News & Loop for 3/13/26
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: March 13, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Breaking Catholic Scrupulosity with Dr. Foluso Solarin – David L. Gray, Th.M.
Ford CEO Gifts Pope Leo XIV Custom Chicago-Inspired Car – National Catholic Register
How Fasting Helps – Philip Kosloski at Aleteia
30 Facts About Childhood Today that Will Terrify You – Ted Gioia via After Babel
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — March 13, 2026
EWTN News provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the Holy Father's words and the Holy See.
Detroit Archdiocese moves to diocesan‑wide employee fingerprinting to bolster security protocols - By Daniel Payne - The Archdiocese of Detroit will require hundreds of employees and clergy to undergo fingerprinting under rules implemented by Archbishop Edward Weisenburger to ensure “the protection of children and vulnerable adults.”
Church steps in to rebuild homes months after deadly floods in Sumatra, Indonesia - By Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves - In Indonesia, thousands of families remain without permanent shelter. Now the Catholic Church in Indonesia, a minority in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, is stepping in to help rebuild homes for communities still struggling to recover.
Pope names Spanish Augustinian as papal almoner - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - The Apostolic Almonry, formally renamed the Dicastery for the Service of Charity under Pope Francis’ 2022 reform of the Roman Curia, is the Vatican office responsible for carrying out charitable works for the poor in the name of the Holy Father, especially in Rome and in conflict zones.
Zeale / Loop / CatholicVote
Zeale is a new digital platform from CatholicVote that hosts LOOP
Over half a million people receive the LOOP news rundown six days a week. Zeale is the new home of the LOOP. Zeale is a project of CatholicVote, America’s top Catholic advocacy organization leading the fight for faith, family, and freedom.
THE LATEST IN THE IRAN WAR - Conflicting reports and escalating tensions surrounding the Iran war continued on March 12, as the White House rejected claims of an Iranian drone threat on U.S. soil, Iran’s new supreme leader issued his first public message, and U.S. officials signaled plans to protect global oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz. Here are the latest updates. READ
OP-ED: TRUMP CAN FULFILL PRO-LIFE CAMPAIGN PROMISES - A recent Federalist op-ed argued that President Donald Trump could follow through on several campaign pledges by restoring federal safeguards on the chemical abortion drug mifepristone. READ
INCREASED SETTLER VIOLENCE IN HOLY LAND AMID WAR - The European Union is calling on Israeli authorities to take swift action to protect West Bank communities suffering amid a reported wave of increased attacks by Israeli settlers. The death toll of Palestinians has risen to six in the past week, prompting outcry from human rights activists and international organizations who warn that the outbreak of the Iran war could be linked to the increased settler attacks. READ
Nutshell reflections for 3/13/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - March 6, 2026
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Catholic365
The immigration controversy: Lawmakers must compromise
By Michael J. Cummings, March 12, 2026
The catfight in the U.S. Congress over immigration enforcement will likely continue well into autumn as legislators vie for votes in states deeply divided over the moral and legal issues at the center of the controversy. Passing new laws, amending old ones, or simply altering enforcement polices at a time when the electorate is keenly aware of the positions of senators and representatives will be easier said than done. Meanwhile, for constituents, deciding what is right in individual cases under present laws will require careful consideration of the circumstances. We found out that some so-called illegals are a family of five—a father, a mother, and three children—who are said to be of good character, and we began looking for ways to help them obtain legal documentation. Conservatives argue that aggressive enforcement is necessary to rid the U. S. of dangerous criminals, terrorists, members of drug cartels, and other undesirables. Which side deserves the people's support?
Catholic Weekly
Compassion isn’t enough when it comes to euthanasia
By Hayden Ramsay, March 13, 2026
In 1997, the Commonwealth overthrew the Northern Territory’s euthanasia legislation after patient work by Kevin Andrews, Church leaders, and many non-Christians too. Now, however, euthanasia is permitted in every state. What a mess. I’ve met no euthanasia supporter who has wicked, malicious motivation. The motivation is compassion (or despair or fear) in response to suffering, and it’s most often connected to a personal story. This makes euthanasia a genuinely moral issue. We are thinking creatures and particularly when we are filled with fear or love or despair or rage (and ideally, before these feelings happen) we need to stop, think and work through what acting on our feelings of compassion would actually mean. Dignity’s meaning was hammered out centuries ago. It means value-beyond-price, the unique value people alone possess and can never lose. So, even when you’re not sensing your own dignity or when you’re feeling rather undignified, your dignity is still there, intact. Now, that’s not an argument against euthanasia, but it can start there.
Aleteia
Mid-Lent reminds us to bury our ‘idols’
By Philip Kosloski, March 11, 2026
Lent is traditionally a time of the year for spiritual renewal, and an old Polish custom can remind us of this simple reality. According to Herbert Thurston in his 1904 book Lent and Holy Week, traditionally, the middle of Lent was devoted to an old custom of “burying” pagan idols. In Jan Dlugosz's history of Poland, he explains how the drowning of an idol continues to take place in certain parts of Poland on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. While most of us do not openly worship pagan gods, all of us have our own "idols" in our lives. If we haven't already "drowned" the idols in our lives that control us, now is the time to bury whatever is keeping us from God, letting God reign victorious in our lives. After passing the mid-point of Lent, re-double your efforts to set yourself free from your idols, detaching yourself from anything that might hinder your full love of God.
Bishop Barron
Jesus is the God-man, whose divinity and humanity meet
By Bishop Robert Barron, March 13, 2026
It was a common practice in Jesus’s time to ask a rabbi to identify the central precept of the law. Thus, Jesus is asked, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” He gave his famous answer: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” All of religion is finally about awakening the deepest desire of the heart and directing it toward God; it is about the ordering of love toward that which is most worthy of love. But this love of God, Jesus says, carries, as a necessary implication, compassion for one’s fellow human beings. Why are the two commandments so tightly linked? Because of who Jesus is. Christ is not simply a human being, and he is not simply God; rather, he is the God-man, the one in whose person divinity and humanity meet. Therefore, it is impossible to love him as God without loving the humanity that he has embraced. The greatest commandment is, therefore, an indirect Christology.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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