Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 4/17/26
Topics include: Iran war differences; False bomb threat at home of Pope Leo’s brother; Defend abortion pill reversal procedures; & Prayers and war and who God listens to
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, OSV News, CatholicVote, Zeale, Bishop Barron, & 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
‘Not necessary’ to iron out Iran war differences
By Elise Winland, April 16, 2026
President Donald Trump on April 16 defended his criticism of Pope Leo XIV’s stance on the Iran war, saying he has a right to disagree with the Holy Father and that a meeting is not necessary to resolve their differences. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said he has “no disagreement with the fact the pope can say what he wants, and I want him to say what he wants, but I can disagree.” “I want him to preach the Gospel. I’m all about the Gospel,” Trump said of Pope Leo at another point. “But I also know you cannot let a certain country, which is a very mean-spirited country, have a nuclear weapon. If they did, they would use it, and I think they’d use it quickly, and they would kill many millions of people.” Trump argued that the Holy Father “has to understand” that if Iran did have a nuclear weapon, “every country — including Italy, where he’s stationed — every single country in the world would be in trouble.” When asked if he would meet with Pope Leo in person to work out their differences, Trump said, “I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Related: Brazil’s Lula defends Pope Leo in message to Catholics after Trump’s criticism, By Associated Press, Apr 16, 2026
Related: American Pope Leo Has a Massive Case of TDS, PJ Media, Rick Moran, April 14, 2026
OSV News
Investigation into false bomb threat at home of Pope Leo’s brother
By Simone Orendain, April 16, 2026
The police chief of a southwest suburb of Chicago, where one of Pope Leo XIV’s brothers lives, confirmed to OSV News that his department is conducting “an ongoing and active investigation” of an unsubstantiated bomb threat at John Prevost’s house. New Lenox Police Chief Micah Nuesse said in an email to OSV News that, as of mid-afternoon April 16, “the NLPD will conduct extra patrols and there will be an increased police presence in the area.” Nuesse sent a media statement that said officers responded to a call in the early evening on April 15 about a bomb threat in Prevost’s neighborhood. “A thorough search of the residence and surrounding property was conducted,” the department said in the statement. “After careful examination, investigators determined that the threat was unsubstantiated and that no explosive devices or hazardous materials were present.”
CatholicVote
Heartbeat International to defend abortion pill reversal procedures
By Grace Porto, April 14, 2026
The pro-life organization Heartbeat International will defend abortion pill reversal (APR) at two key court cases on April 15 in courts held on opposite coasts. A press release from Heartbeat International states that the case People v. Heartbeat International, et al. will take place in California. The case began in 2023, when California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the organization for advertising that abortion pill reversal is safe and effective. The case is at the summary judgment stage, the release explained, meaning the court will decide whether or not the case will be resolved without a trial. Heartbeat International runs the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, a national hotline that helps women reverse chemical abortions by prescribing progesterone. Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, said that women deserve access to information about abortion pill reversals. “Women deserve the freedom to make fully informed decisions about their pregnancies, including the opportunity to reverse a chemical abortion if they regret starting it,” he said.
National Catholic Register
Dan Cellucci is shaping a missionary Catholic Church
By Zelda Caldwell, April 16, 2026
Dan Cellucci might just be one of the most influential people in the U.S. Catholic Church today, although it’s probably safe to say that few Americans sitting in the pews know his name. The 44-year-old father of four from the Philadelphia suburb of Malvern is CEO of the nonprofit Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI). For the last 35 years, CLI has advised roughly half the bishops in the U.S., worked with almost 150 dioceses in the U.S. and Canada, and had about a third of the diocesan priests in the U.S. go through its formation program. At any given time, Cellucci said in an interview with the Register, his staff of 70 is working with some 20 to 30 dioceses throughout the country. Bishops turn to Cellucci when they’re newly appointed or when they’re trying to reinvigorate once-thriving Catholic communities that are facing shrinking Mass attendance, as Archbishop Nelson Pérez is doing in Philadelphia.
EWTN News
Leo XIV to orphaned children in Cameroon: ‘God is present’
By Marco Mancini, April 15, 2026
Pope Leo XIV was welcomed by the happy chatter of children on Wednesday at the Ngul Zamba Orphanage in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where he shared a message of Godʼs presence. “Dear children, I know that many of you have endured difficult trials. Some of you have known the pain of loss through the death of parents or loved ones. Others have experienced fear, rejection, abandonment, deprivation, and uncertainty. Yet, you are called to a future that is greater than your wounds. You are bearers of a promise.” Run for 40 years by the religious congregation, the Daughters of Mary, the Ngul Zamba Orphanage — whose name means “Strength of God” — provides food, lodging, and education to poor or abandoned children. Leo was also moved by the recitation of a verse from Psalm 27: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even should mothers forget, I will never forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before my eyes.”
The Pillar
Florida Catholic community faces second $200k theft
By The Pillar, April 16, 2026
A former Catholic school principal in Miami will avoid jail time after being convicted of stealing $200,000 from the school where she worked, the second six-figure theft discovered at St. Coleman’s Church and School in the past eight years. Former principal Lori St. Thomas received 10 years’ probation and is required to pay back $121,548 to St. Coleman Catholic School, where she had worked for more than 20 years before being fired in 2024. The sentence comes less than a decade after another $200,000 theft was discovered at the same parish: The parish pastor resigned in 2018 after the archdiocese announced that he had stolen the money. A retired IRS investigator told The Pillar the case should serve as a warning to Catholic leaders to ensure that parishes, schools, and other Church institutions have proper internal financial controls in place.
CRUX
At what age is confirmation received in the Catholic Church?
By Philip Kosloski, April 15, 2026
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, any baptized Catholic can be confirmed, regardless of age. This means that a 90-year-old who was never confirmed can receive the sacrament of confirmation, as well as a tiny baby who is in danger of death. Age is not a factor, though particular pastoral circumstances have led local churches to make general guidelines. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that, "For centuries, Latin custom has indicated 'the age of discretion' as the reference point for receiving Confirmation. But in danger of death, children should be confirmed even if they have not yet attained the age of discretion" (CCC 1307). For Eastern Catholics, as well as Eastern Orthodox, the celebration of confirmation always occurs at baptism, a practice that emphasizes the reality that both sacraments are sacraments of initiation.
Zenit News
Should the Bible influence a country’s laws?
By Jorge Enrique Mújica, April 15, 2026
As Latin America moves into a dense electoral cycle in 2026—with presidential contests in Peru in April, Colombia in May, and Brazil in October, followed by midterm elections in the United States in November—the region’s political landscape is being shaped not only by economic concerns or institutional debates, but also by a persistent and evolving religious factor. Far from retreating into the private sphere, faith continues to influence how millions of voters understand leadership, national identity, and even the foundations of law. Recent survey data collected in 2024 among more than 6,200 adults across six major Latin American countries—Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Chile—suggest that religion retains a significant, though uneven, public role. In Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, roughly two-thirds of respondents consider it important or very important that a president defend the population's religious beliefs. In Argentina, Chile, and Mexico, that proportion drops to around half, indicating a more secularized public sensibility but not a fully disengaged one.
Big Pulpit, EWTN News & Loop for 4/17/26
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: April 17, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
How Could Grace Not Change the World? – Jeffrey Bruno at Words & Pictures
Prevost’s Unpublished Letter to Benedict XIV on the Day of His Resignation – Catholic Concl
Before and After: Our Lady of Lourdes in Denver, Colorado – Liturgical Arts Journal
Trump Has Underestimated the Pope – Damian Thompson at The Spectator
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — April 17, 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.
Carmelite sisters ask for prayers, donations after fire destroys retreat house - By Tyler Arnold - “[The] No. 1 [way to help] is just to pray with us, to be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit right now, especially in this time of rebuilding, that we move according to what the Lord wants,” Sister Meredith Boquiren, OCD, directress of the Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra, California
Diocese of Phoenix pioneers role for priestly well-being: No priest should walk ‘alone’ - By Kate Quiñones - “I believe that a priest who is known, accompanied, and cared for brings that fullness to everything he does: to the altar, to the confessional, to the bedside of the dying,” Bui, auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Phoenix, told EWTN News.
Donald Trump on tensions with Pope Leo XIV: ‘I have nothing against the pope’ - By Daniel Payne - “Itʼs very simple, I have nothing against the pope,” Trump said. “... Iʼm not fighting with him. The pope made a statement, he says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Zeale / Loop / CatholicVote
Zeale is CatholicVote, hosting the 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.
EXCLUSIVE: CATHOLICS RECLAIM ENVIRONMENTALISM - Zeale's McKenna Snow sat down with the co-founder of Vita et Terra, a new Catholic organization challenging the "throwaway culture" that discards both the unborn and the land — and making the case that authentic environmentalism and the pro-life cause cannot be separated. READ
IRAN HAS 'AGREED' TO NO NUCLEAR WEAPON - President Donald Trump said Iran has “agreed” not to develop or possess a nuclear weapon. He added that the U.S. has “a very good relationship with Iran right now,” which he thinks is because of “a combination of about four weeks of bombing and a very powerful blockade.” READ
VIRGINIA MOVES US CLOSER TO ELECTING PRESIDENTS BY POPULAR VOTE -Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill joining a multistate pact that would award the presidency to whoever wins the national popular vote, bypassing the Electoral College without a constitutional amendment. Every state in the compact so far is Democrat-led. READ
Nutshell reflections for 4/17/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - April 17, 2026
Friday of the Second Week of Easter
Catholic365
There’s a cost to living a smaller life
By Debbie Field, April 17, 2026
I’ve lived a smaller life. Always have. Not small in activity or work or even in the depth of my friendships—but small in numbers. Fewer people. A quieter circle. I don’t remember when I consciously chose this life. But somewhere along the way, my life became more intentional about who I spend time with and how I spend it. And if I’m being honest, I likely would choose it again. But here’s the thing I don’t always say out loud: There’s a cost to living this way. A full life isn’t about how many friends you have, but about the ones you do have—are they the people you would walk through fire for? In my case, yes. But even with that… there are times when I want to spend time with someone, and they don’t always have time for me. And that’s where loneliness finds its way in. There are reasons to embrace a smaller life….privacy, less chaos, quiet solitude. However, loneliness has a way of settling in quietly. And since my life has been this way for so long, anything other than “quiet” would feel uncomfortable or invasive.
Catholic Weekly
Pope Leo XIV sets stage for June consistory with letter to cardinals
By OSV News, April 15, 2026
Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to the College of Cardinals thanking them for their participation in the January consistory and preparing the conversation for their next gathering 26-27 June – right before the solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul. The January consistory focused on two topics, voted on by the cardinals: synodality and Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”). The pope did not specify in his letter what the topics of the next consistory would be, but he gave hints on what are the possible further reflections driven by the first consistory that coincided with the closing of the Jubilee Year doors on 6 January and started right afterward. The conversation in January resulted in “free, concrete and spiritually fruitful exchanges,” the pope said in his letter, dated 12 April and published by the Vatican on 14 April. “The compiled contributions constitute a resource of lasting value, which I hope will be reflected on further, and will mature through ecclesial discernment,” he said.
Aleteia
Prayers and war and who God listens to
By Michael Wee, April 17, 2026
Prayer and its relation to war, mercy, justice, and who is the pray-er, have been getting a lot of attention in the news in the last few weeks. One prayer that got a lot of coverage, voiced in late March after a reading from Psalms 18:37-42, was said to have been composed by a chaplain before the US raid on Venezuela: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” The modern prayer is not so different than the quoted section of Psalms, which uses language such as “my assailants sink under me” and “those who hated me I destroyed.” In a strict sense, God listens to all prayers, in that He knows all our prayers, spoken and unspoken — He is omniscient, after all. The Bible, and in particular the Old Testament, often describes God in metaphorical ways to bring out a more important truth.
Bishop Barron
The only food capable of feeding the hunger of the human heart
By Bishop Robert Barron, April 17, 2026
Friends, today’s Gospel tells of the feeding of the five thousand, which is a type of the Mass. Jesus is interested not only in instructing the crowds but also in feeding them. Copying this rhythm, the Mass moves from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The disciples supply a poor pittance—five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus makes the customary eucharistic moves regarding the bread: taking, giving thanks, and distributing. And everyone is fed. During the sacred liturgy, the priest, on behalf of the people, offers to God a small pittance: some wafers of bread and some wine and water. But because God has no need of these gifts, they come back infinitely multiplied for the benefit of the people. Through the power of Christ’s word, those gifts become his very body and blood, the only food capable of feeding the deepest hunger of the human heart.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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