Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 6/19/26
Catholics should know: COVID-19 religious discrimination; AI models overlook religion; The end of faith vs. science war; & Trump is too critical of Pope Leo XIV
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, OSV News, Zeale, Bishop Barron, & 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 here to view this email on the Catholic Nutshell News website. Today’s Catholic Nutshell News audio podcast is available on the Substack App.
Zeale News
Kaiser Permanente settles COVID-19 religious discrimination
By Elizabeth Ervin, June 18, 2026
Kaiser Permanente has agreed to implement corrective measures to resolve religious discrimination charges after federal investigators found reasonable cause to believe the healthcare company failed to provide religious accommodations to employees. According to a June 18 press release from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the charges alleged that Kaiser denied employees religious exemptions from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate at facilities in several states. The agency said 12 charges were filed with multiple EEOC offices. Following its investigation, the EEOC said it found reasonable cause to believe Kaiser violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by questioning the sincerity of employees’ religious beliefs and failing to provide religious accommodations where appropriate. As part of the settlement, Kaiser agreed to pay $358,000 and take corrective actions.
OSV News
AI models overlook religion, but also favor some, like Catholics
By Gina Christian, June 18, 2026
If you’re using a chatbot to help with life’s decisions, the answers aren’t necessarily going to include religion — and if they do, some faiths, including the Catholic faith, are more likely than others to get top billing in certain query results. Those findings were highlighted in several research papers on artificial intelligence released in May by scholars from the Consortium for Evaluating Faith and Ethics in AI. One of the consortium's research papers identified what it called the “omissive bias” displayed by large language models regarding religion. LLMs are AI models that can be trained to understand and generate language in a human-like way, with context and nuance. To measure the LLMs’ omissive bias, the researchers developed the “AllFaith Religious Representation Benchmark.” The B. H. Roberts Foundation observed that 20 commercial and open-source LLMs favored certain faiths — the Catholic, Bahá’í, and Sikh religions — when asked if a user should convert from one to another faith.
Aleteia
Reading list ends the faith vs. science war
By Theresa Civantos Barber, June 18, 2026
Why is there a persistent myth that science and faith are opposed? The thousands of members of the Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) have no problem reconciling the two every day. For most of history, virtually all scientists were religious, and it would never have occurred to them that the two could be in conflict. It was just accepted as a given that science and faith went together, two distinct ways of revealing the truth of God’s creation. John William Draper published History of the Conflict between Religion and Science in 1874, and Andrew Dickson White published A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom in 1896. Both authors spread the conflict narrative, partly to distance science from religious institutions. Fortunately, scientists of faith are becoming increasingly outspoken about the compatibility between faith and science. These 20 modern books debunk it.
Related: New workshop trains Catholic scientists to fight myth of faith-science conflict - By Theresa Civantos Barber, EWTN News, June 18, 2026
National Catholic Register
History shows the necessity of moral clarity in war
By Edward Pentin, June 18, 2026
“Too often,” Leo writes, just war theory has been used to “justify any kind of war” and fails to take account of the speed, destructiveness, and dehumanization of contemporary conflict. At the same time, he explicitly preserves a narrowly understood right to self‑defense — a key component of just war theory — and calls instead for peace built through justice, dialogue, diplomacy, and a “civilization of love.” The Church’s just war tradition dates back to St. Augustine, who taught that war can be justified to defend the peace and protect the innocent under proper authority. St. Thomas Aquinas later developed this into a more precise theory, setting out three basic conditions for a just resort to war: legitimate public authority, just cause, and right intention. Professor John Rist, a distinguished philosopher and historian of the early Church, who questions whether considering just war theory “outdated” adequately accounts for the enduring reality of sin and the persistence of political evil.
EWTN News
Majority of Catholics say Trump is too critical of Pope Leo XIV
By Tyler Arnold, June 18, 2026
A survey by the Pew Research Center found that more than three-fourths of Catholics view Pope Leo XIV favorably and that many Catholics, especially Democratic‑leaning Catholics, believe President Donald Trump has been too critical of Pope Leo, with views breaking sharply along party lines. Part of Pew’s broader American Trends Panel survey found that 78% of Catholics view Leo favorably. This is down from last summer, when his favorability was at 84%, mostly due to lower favorability from Catholic Republicans. Only 12% of Catholic Americans viewed the pope unfavorably, and 10% did not answer or did not know who Leo was. Among all Catholics, 51% say Trump has been too critical of Leo, 14% say Trump has struck the right balance in his criticisms, and 4% say he has not been critical enough of the pope. The remaining 31% were either unsure or did not answer.
Related: Pope Leo is very popular, though partisan polarization is growing, survey finds, Religion News Service, by Aleja Hertzler-McCain, June 18, 2026
The CRUX
Irish parliament removes three-day waiting period for abortions
By Fionn Shiner, June 18, 2026
The Dáil, Ireland’s parliament, on Wednesday voted in favor of removing the mandatory three-day waiting period for abortions by 86 votes to 70, with no abstentions. The bill from Sinn Féin would remove the current three-day waiting period between an initial consultation with a doctor and a termination of a pregnancy of up to 12 weeks – a provision included in the 2018 abortion legislation, which supporters say acts as a safeguard. The bill is now likely to go to the health committee for further scrutiny. The vote comes only a few weeks after the Social Democrats put forward a similar bill to abolish the waiting period, which failed to pass 85-30, with 36 abstentions. In May 2018, Ireland voted in favor of changing the constitution and reforming the abortion laws. Peadar Tóibín, leader of conservative political party Aontú, who was formerly a Sinn Féin politician, criticized the outcome of the vote, saying it has removed the “last protection for unborn children.”
Religion News Service
For Juneteenth, some faith leaders promote political causes
By Adelle M. Banks, June 17, 2026
For Christian evangelist Alveda King, niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Juneteenth is a time for remembrance and unity. For the Rev. Stephen A. Green, an African Methodist Episcopal minister, it’s a moment for supporting voting rights and spiritual freedom. For Bishop Garland Hunt, a nondenominational evangelical pastor, it is an opportunity to celebrate Black achievement and counter abortion rights. As faith leaders mark the Friday (June 19) holiday that commemorates the date in 1865 when more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, two-and-a-half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. At an online Georgetown University event on Monday timed to Juneteenth, Bishop-elect Robert Boxie III, the Catholic chaplain for Howard University, also expressed the need for Juneteenth and the country's 250th anniversary to be times of healing and solidarity. “Honestly, this whole division stuff that we are experiencing, this disunity, that’s tiring and exhausting,” said Boxie, who has been appointed a new auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington
The PILLAR
Italian bishop accused of antisemitism
By Edgar Beltrán, June 18, 2026
An Italian bishop is facing criticism, including from his colleagues, after signing a June 12 petition urging organizers of a literary festival in his diocese to withdraw an invitation to Israeli novelist Eshkol Nevo. Archbishop Franco Moscone of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo has been accused of antisemitism after joining an appeal calling for Nevo’s exclusion from the Libro Possibile festival, scheduled to take place in July in the town of Vieste. Moscone has previously drawn criticism for comparing the situation in Gaza to the Holocaust. The archbishop said he signed the petition not because Nevo is Israeli, but because he believes the novelist has not sufficiently opposed what Moscone describes as a genocide in Gaza. Nevo, however, has repeatedly and publicly criticized both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The petition, signed by Moscone, was launched by the regional secretary of the Communist Refoundation Party, Sabino De Razza, and the anthropologist Laura Marchetti.
Keep informed - 6/19/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Big Pulpit, EWTN, & the Loop
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: June 19, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Video: Does a Bad Bishop Void Your Tithe? with Fr. Charles Murr – Terry Barber at Full Sheen Ahead
San Francisco Archdiocese Breaks Silence on Giants Pride Drama – Mary Rose at Zeale
Confirmed: Pope Leo Says He Will Travel to Peru This Coming November – Rome Reports
Churches Turned Into World Cup Viewing Rooms and Pasta Bars While Traditional Mass Pilgrims Get Hotel Basements - Big Modernism
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 19, 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.
4 Venezuelans form new community of hermits where Christianity began in Spain - By Nicolás de Cárdenas - The hermits have taken up residence in the historic hermitage of St. Torquatus to pray for the needs of the pope and the Church.
Catholic mental health leader calls for greater support for clergy and religious - By Amira Abuzeid - We need “to make sure that we are always aware of the stressors that come up in their lives. While they’re called to ministry, they are human first,” he said.
Spiritual Hunger, Church’s Tradition Cited as Top Drivers of U.S. Adult Conversions – By Madalaine Elhabbal - “Personal growth in goodness, inner peace, and an understanding of truth emerged as some of the strongest motivations for exploring the Catholic faith,” said the report, titled “Why Are So Many People Becoming Catholic?”
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.
SAN FRANCISCO ARCHDIOCESE DEFENDS GIANTS PLAYERS - The Archdiocese of San Francisco issued a statement backing the three Giants pitchers who wrote a Genesis reference on their rainbow Pride Night caps, saying athletes "should not be asked to check their faith at the clubhouse door" and that a "respectful reference to Sacred Scripture should not be viewed as inherently hurtful or exclusionary." READ
VANCE REBUKES ISRAELI OPPONENTS OF IRAN DEAL - Vice President JD Vance issued a pointed warning to Israeli critics of the U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement yesterday, saying President Donald Trump is "the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time" and telling Israeli politicians who had "attacked" Trump over the deal to be more respectful of "the only powerful ally" Israel has "anywhere left in the entire world." READ
MINOR LEAGUE KIDS GET PRIDE NIGHT CANCELLED - York Revolution, a minor league baseball team in Pennsylvania, canceled its “Pride Night” game. “Unfortunately,” the organization announced, “several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey and the club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game.” READ
June 12, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic365
The ‘Yes’ that Heaven hears — and hell fears
By Chris Choma, July 19, 2024
There comes a moment in every Christian life when a simple yes to God becomes something far more serious than we expected. At first, obedience feels peaceful, almost gentle — a quiet interior nudge toward prayer, service, or surrender. But anyone who has walked with God long enough discovers that a sincere yes carries a weight that is not immediately visible. It is not the weight of burden, but the weight of consequence. A yes to God is noticed in heaven, but it is also noticed in places we cannot see. Scripture does not soften this reality. St. Paul writes that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12), and the Catechism echoes him when it teaches that “the whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil” (CCC 409). This is not poetic exaggeration. It is a description of the world as it truly is — a world in which your yes is not a private gesture but a declaration that reverberates through the spiritual realm.
Zenit News
Leo’s three theological virtues applied to Climate Change
By ZENIT Staff, June 16, 2026
Pope Leo drew a connection between the theological virtues and environmental issues. The Church has always been aware that the ecological question has a moral dimension. Indeed, the environmental crisis “is not an isolated issue, but rather the ecological aspect of the contemporary socio-economic crisis” (Magnifica Humanitas, 43). He said, “Those who believe that our world was created by God and is inherently good are compelled to assume an even greater responsibility to care for creation, since this is the requirement of their faith.” His second theological theme was hope. “Religious leaders and communities can offer a special insight for supporting ambitious social and environmental efforts, for the Bible is full of examples of how people’s fears can be overcome by hope, which ultimately is a gift from God himself.” Finally, he raised the theme of love. “‘Civic and political love’ (cf. Laudato Si’, 228-232) is the key to authentic development, since in order to make society more human, more worthy of the human person, love in social life must be given renewed value, becoming the constant and highest norm for all activity.”
National Catholic Register
Joe Capizzi reassures Notre Dame’s Catholic identity
By Jonathan Liedl, June 18, 2026
Advocates for the University of Notre Dame’s Catholic identity are welcoming the selection of a prominent moral theologian to lead an on-campus “Catholic think tank,” nearly two years after a leadership shakeup raised concerns about the influential institute’s future. The selection of Joe Capizzi, the current dean of theology at The Catholic University of America, a prominent moral theologian, to lead an on-campus “Catholic think tank,” comes nearly two years after a leadership shakeup, raising concerns about the influential institute’s future. Notre Dame has been dogged by concerns that a successor might be chosen who would steer the institute in a different direction. Concerns persisted after the search for a successor fizzled out at the end of the 2024-25 academic year without securing a new director, prompting a broader national search during the 2025-26 school year.
Bishop Barron
Redirect our attention precisely to the treasures of heaven
By Bishop Robert Barron, June 19, 2026
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples not to store up treasures for themselves on earth but to store up treasures in heaven, “where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.” No matter how good, beautiful, true, or exciting a thing or state of affairs is here below, it is destined to pass into nonbeing. Think of a gorgeous firework that bursts open like a giant flower and then, in the twinkling of an eye, is gone forever. Everything is haunted by nonbeing; everything, finally, is that firework. This is not meant to depress us; it is meant to redirect our attention precisely to the treasures of heaven, to the eternity of God. Once we see everything in light of God, we can learn to love the things of this world without clinging to them and without expecting too much of them.
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 …
