Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 4/24/26
Topics include: Israeli settler encroachments; Debt is blocking religious vocations; Pope criticized same-sex blessings; & Antisemitism among Gen Z
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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CatholicVote
Jerusalem Patriarchate sees military about settler encroachments
By McKenna Snow, April 23, 2026
In the wake of settler encroachments on lands owned by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the West Bank, the Patriarchate’s Endowment Department met on April 23 with military authorities and civil administration to request immediate support. The department confirmed “protecting Church endowment properties is a red line. It will continue to take all legal and administrative steps needed to protect their sanctity, preserve their Church identity, defend their lawful rights, and continue supporting the local people,” wrote the patriarch's release, requesting not only that the situation be resolved but also that the authorities guarantee future protections. “It called for the immediate removal of all damage caused, prevention of any future intrusions into these areas, and the provision of legal protection for the Patriarchate’s lands. Representatives of the relevant authorities acknowledged the seriousness of the matter and committed to the immediate removal of the encroachments and continuing legal action against those involved.”
OSV News
Sainthood cause for Father Capodanno is gaining momentum
By Paula Katinas, April 24, 2026
As supporters of Maryknoll Father Vincent Capodanno‘s canonization cause marked the 60th anniversary of the late Navy chaplain’s arrival in Vietnam in 1966, there was renewed hope that the effort was gaining momentum. The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints is expected to decide whether to recommend to Pope Leo XIV that he declare Father Capodanno venerable in May. In the meantime, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services approved the creation of a novena for Father Capodanno’s cause. The novena took place from March 30 to April 7, to coincide with Holy Week. Father Daniel Mode, who wrote the novena, encourages the faithful to continue to pray it. “You can pray (the novena) anytime between now and May, or even after May,” he told The Tablet, the news outlet of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Father Capodanno, a Staten Island native who served as a chaplain during the Vietnam War and was killed in 1967, was declared a “Servant of God” in 2006.
Aleteia
Student debt is blocking religious vocations
By Theresa Civantos Barber, April 24, 2026
A $4.5 million anonymous gift is making it possible for a little-known Catholic organization to help solve an unexpected but major obstacle to religious life — student loan debt. The Fund for Vocations, founded in 2004, exists to pay off the debt of young men and women who feel called to religious life but can’t enter formation because canon law requires applicants to be debt-free before joining, a natural consequence of the vow of poverty. Since its founding, the Fund has made 350 grants, helping clear a path to the convent or monastery for people who would otherwise be turned away. For Sr. Zelia Maria Louis, SV, that help made all the difference to her vocation. “It allows you the freedom to pursue the vocation that God has put before you–and has given so much peace and joy.” There were 59,192 Catholic priests in the United States in 1970. By 2020, that number had dropped to 35,513. The situation is even more dire among religious sisters, whose numbers decreased by 82% over the past 60 years.
National Catholic Register
Midwest-based nonprofit brings aid to Ukraine’s front lines
By Judy Roberts, April 23, 2026
The founder of the nonprofit Chalice of Mercy, a native of Ukraine, seeks not only to relieve the suffering of her people through humanitarian aid but to heal the soul of a nation. Valentyna Pavsyukova has worked tirelessly since 2007 to ship medical and other supplies to Ukraine and oversee their distribution in person, a task that has taken her to the front lines of the country’s current war with Russia. At the same time, she has infused her mission with a spiritual and pro-life message by offering conferences, retreats, and pilgrimages to Medjugorje, the site of reported Marian apparitions, for doctors, medical students, soldiers, legislators, and young people. Impelled by her faith, Pavsyukova will don a helmet and bulletproof jacket to enter what she calls the “jaw of fire” to deliver supplies to areas of greatest need. “People in Ukraine have told her she doesn’t have to go there, but she wants to meet the doctors who are risking their lives and wants to show them she is not just offering help from a distance but is there physically helping,” Father Daniel Thelen, who serves as secretary of Chalice of Mercy.
EWTN News
Jewish-Catholic identity and antisemitism among Gen Z
By Madalaine Elhabbal, April 23, 2026
Catholics of Jewish descent shared their faith journeys and urged renewed dialogue and theological clarity to counter antisemitism at a Benedictine College panel. The panel was part of an April 22 event, “Shoulder to Shoulder: Strengthening Jewish-Catholic Friendship at a Moment of Crisis,” cosponsored by the college and the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism. Featured speakers on the panel included Yarden Zelivansky, an active reserve sergeant in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and a Jewish convert to Catholicism; Gideon Lazar, an American Jewish convert to Catholicism; and Aviva Lund, a Catholic of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Lazar said Gen Z men are looking for answers related to theological and political differences. “Gen Z men in many ways see a culture that has failed them, and they’re looking for answers and feel that because the older generations failed them, they don’t have those answers.”
The Pillar
Pope Leo: We do not agree on formal blessing of same sex couples
By Edgar Beltrán, April 23, 2026
Pope Leo XIV criticized a German cardinal’s recently unveiled plans to move forward with same-sex blessings on Thursday, while urging Catholics to broaden the scope of moral issues under discussion in the Church. “The Holy See has made it clear that we do not agree with the formal blessing of couples, in this case, same-sex couples… or of couples in irregular situations, beyond what Pope Francis has specifically permitted by saying that all people should receive the blessing,” the pontiff said during an April 23 press conference aboard the papal plane returning from his 11-day trip to Africa. Cardinal Reinhard Marx wants to formalize blessings for same-sex and other irregular couples in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, while requiring clerics unwilling to perform them to refer those requesting a blessing to another priest or pastoral worker. The pope said that “to go beyond this today, I believe, could cause more disunity than unity, and that we should seek to build our unity on Jesus Christ and on what Jesus Christ teaches.”
CRUX
Pope Leo condemns state executions in Iran
By Elise Ann Allen, April 23, 2026
On his return flight from Malambo to Rome on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV condemned the state executions taking place in Iran and defended the Holy See’s engagement with authoritarian regimes as necessary for improving social conditions. When asked about Iran’s execution of opposition members and its bloody crackdown on national protests against its authoritarian regime, which has reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths, he said, “I condemn all actions that are unjust. I condemn the taking of people’s lives, I condemn capital punishment. I believe that human life is to be respected and that all people, from conception to natural [death], their lives should be respected and protected,” he said. Pope Leo wrapped up a dizzying 11-day tour of Africa on Wednesday, having visited Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.
Zenit News
Christian doctrine threatens ‘psychological harm’ to children
By Zenit Staff, April 15, 2026
Does the gospel of Jesus Christ pose a serious risk of “psychological harm,” such that a court must protect an 11-year-old girl from going to a church that preaches directly from the Bible? Strange as it may seem, a federal judge in Maine made a ruling suggesting as much in December 2024. The case revolves around the custody of Ava (now 12), the daughter of Emily Bickford and Matthew Bradeen, who had never married. Bickford later started attending Calvary Chapel in Portland. Bradeen objects to his daughter joining her. Calvary Chapel, you see, teaches the Bible “verse by verse, chapter by chapter.” The pastor actually believes in God, Jesus, heaven, and hell, and takes salvation seriously. As Maine District Court Judge Jennifer Nofsinger notes, Bradeen was horrified to discover that Ava heard sermons “about warfare, fallen angels, and eternal suffering.” The church—imagine this—“teaches that people can only be saved by meeting God on God’s terms.” (Tellingly, the order actually lowercases the name of God throughout.)
Big Pulpit, EWTN News & Loop for 4/24/26
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: April 24, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Altar Boys Are Back – Fr. Dwight Longenecker at The Catholic Herald
Who is St. Expeditus? 5 Fascinating Facts About the Little-Known Saint of Urgent Causes – Ch P
Cardinal Marx Expands Gay Blessings, Defying Vatican Line – Nick Hallett at TEC
Against Concelebration: The Notable Intervention of Abp P.P. Philippe at Vatican II – NLMr
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — April 24, 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.
Kicked out of Mass as a mischievous child, Pope Leo will ordain him Sunday - By Walter Sánchez Silva - Eight seminarians on April 26, Good Shepherd Sunday, will be ordained priests by Pope Leo XIV. Among them is Christian Sguazzino, who, as a child, was once kicked out of Mass by a priest because he was causing "chaos.”
1 in 6 face infertility; Catholic author urges faith-filled support - By Tessa Gervasini - During this yearʼs National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), Leigh Fitzpatrick Snead, who personally carries the cross of infertility, spoke about the difficult topic with the hope of making others experiencing it feel less alone.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy calls assisted suicide laws ‘abhorrent’ - By Kate Quiñones - HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to help strengthen laws that protect people with disabilities from assisted suicide, saying “we can’t be a moral society” with these laws in place.
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.
DOJ MOVES TO LOOSEN MARIJUANA REGULATIONS - The Justice Department announced yesterday that it is moving to loosen federal restrictions on state-licensed medical marijuana by reclassifying it as a “less dangerous” drug. Specifically, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an executive order directing the immediate reclassification of FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. READ
WEST BANK CHRISTIAN ASKS AMERICAN CHRISTIANS FOR HELP - Alice Kisiya, a Palestinian Christian from a village just outside of Bethlehem, says her people in the West Bank are now facing “daily” Israeli settler violence. Kisiya is calling on American Christians to advocate for indigenous Christian communities in the Holy Land who live under the threat of being driven out of their ancient homeland. READ
BORDER CZAR SUGGESTS POPE SHOULD JOIN ICE FOR RIDE-ALONG - Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar and a lifelong Catholic, said he would be willing to invite Pope Leo to accompany ICE agents on a ride-along. “I will sit down and talk to him," Homan said, "because they’re talking about something that they don’t understand.” READ
Nutshell reflections for 4/24/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - April 24, 2026
Friday of the Third Week of Easter
Catholic365
Saint Rafael Arnáiz Barón: Patron saint of diabetics
By Joseph Freyaldenhoven, April 23, 2026
In an age overflowing with noise and distraction, the radiant witness of Saint Rafael Arnáiz Barón shines as a quiet beacon for every soul longing for God’s presence in stillness and simplicity. Born into wealth in early twentieth-century Spain, Saint Rafael Arnáiz Barón surrendered the world’s restless pursuits for a life veiled in humble silence—embracing the Cross with a love that was wholly Marian and Eucharistic. His journey, marked by suffering and deep spiritual joy, speaks not just to monks behind monastery walls, but to Catholic families, pilgrims, and spiritual seekers everywhere who yearn for deeper intimacy with Jesus and Mary. Diagnosed with severe diabetes at a young age, Rafael’s earthly journey was riddled with exhaustion, physical pain, and the humbling limitations of chronic illness. Suffering entered his life at an early age with bouts of illness, yet these sorrows only deepened his sense that each hardship could draw him closer to Christ. Family stories tell how Rafael quietly offered his discomfort for Our Lady's intentions.
Catholic Weekly
Truth-seeking led 12-year-old Christopher to the Catholic Church
By Christina Guzman, April 24, 2026
Despite having grown up in a non-religious household, belief in God was Christopher’s default position. Having been named by his grandmother, who wanted him to have a saint’s name, the Sydney teenager seemed destined for a relationship with God one day. “I had scripture classes in school, and I believed that Jesus was God,” he told The Catholic Weekly. “But it wasn’t something I thought about a lot; it was just how things were, because I hadn’t been exposed to anything else.” However, at 12, Christopher began asking deeper questions — one of which led him to embark on rigorous research into the theology and philosophy of different faiths, including Catholicism. “What is the true God? Do I have the right idea of him? It was something I thought about whenever I had the chance, so I’d look into it bit by bit,” he said. “I looked into the apostles and early church history. Then I realized the truth about the Eucharist and looked at chapter 6 of St John’s Gospel. I saw that the Eucharist was clearly the body and blood of Jesus Christ. So it was like, okay, I need to find a church that has this.”
Aleteia
The ‘princess’ who charmed the Paris Marathon
By Cerith Gardiner, Cécile Séveirac, April 22, 2026
There are always a few runners in a marathon who stand out, but at this year’s Paris Marathon, one in particular seemed to belong to another world entirely. Wearing a bright red ball gown and a tiara, Isaure Delhay ran the full 26.2 miles looking as though she had taken a wrong turn on the way to a ballroom, and in a sea of technical fabrics and determined expressions, she brought with her something altogether lighter, a sense of surprise that rippled through the crowd as she passed. Her decision was not simply playful but purposeful, as she explained to Aleteia France, saying that her first aim was “to bring visibility to the fundraising campaign I am running with the Helebor association.” The gown, as improbable as it seemed, became a way of opening a conversation that might otherwise never begin. And it worked. She raised nearly €6,000 in support of palliative care.
Bishop Barron
How do we appropriate Jesus’ shocking talk?
By Bishop Robert Barron, April 24, 2026
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus declares that “unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you.” The talk that Jesus gave concerning the sacrament of his body and blood was quite literally revolting. It is a rather remarkable understatement when John writes, “The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?’” So what does Jesus do when confronted with this objection? One would think that he would offer a metaphorical or symbolic interpretation of his words. Instead, he intensifies what he had said. How do we appropriate this shocking talk? We honor these unnerving words of Jesus, resisting all attempts to explain them away. We affirm the doctrine of “real presence.” Though Jesus is present to us in any number of ways—in the proclamation of the Gospel, in the gathering of two or three in his name, in the poor and suffering—he is nevertheless present in a qualitatively different way in the Eucharist.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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