Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 7/24/26
Catholics should know: ‘Cult of Amazonian independence’; Bishops tighten funeral policies; No real peace in Ukraine; & Catholic Nun takes on modern vampire fiction
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)
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Zeale News
‘Cult of Amazonian independence’ talks women out of marriage
By Elise Winland, July 23, 2026
A growing cultural pessimism about men, dating, and marriage is leading some young women to close themselves off from relationships that could bring them lasting happiness, two writers argued in a July 19 Deseret News opinion article. Maria Baer, a journalist and co-host of the Colson Center’s “Breakpoint This Week” podcast, and Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and a senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, warned that young women are increasingly embracing “heteropessimism” — a term describing disappointment, embarrassment, or hopelessness about heterosexual relationships. The writers compared the trend to the Amazons of Greek mythology, a society of warrior women who, according to legend, lived apart from men, took no husbands, sent their sons away and raised only daughters, and even cauterized their breasts “so nothing would get in the way of their ability to fight.”
OSV News
DOJ releases updated religious liberty protections guidance
By Kate Scanlon, July 23, 2026
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche issued updated guidance July 23 on federal protections for religious liberty. The Department of Justice said the updates revise and expand its 2017 Religious Liberty Guidelines in light of recent and significant U.S. Supreme Court decisions. “Religious liberty is one of our Nation’s founding principles and a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution,” Blanche said in a statement. “It is essential that federal agencies fully respect and protect the ability of all Americans to live out their faith in daily life, including in their interactions with the federal government.” The memo said the free exercise of religion “includes the right to act or abstain from action in accordance with one’s religious beliefs.” The updated guidance directs all executive departments and agencies to ensure that federal programs, employment policies, contracting, rulemaking and enforcement actions comply with the Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, of 1993, and other applicable federal laws.
Aleteia
Peace in Ukraine ‘moving in the wrong direction’
By Daniel Esparza, July 24, 2026
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, warned on Wednesday that the prospect of peace in Ukraine is receding rather than advancing, called for renewed negotiations between the United States and Iran, and reiterated the Holy See’s opposition to the construction of a wall in Gaza — all on the sidelines of a book presentation in Rome. “Unfortunately, it seems to me that we are moving in the opposite direction: there is an escalation, while the prospects for peace remain nonexistent,” the cardinal told journalists at the presentation of Antonio Preziosi’s book Easter of Peace: From John XXIII to Leo XIV Towards the Jubilee of 2033, held at Palazzo Borromeo, the seat of the Italian Embassy to the Holy See. His remarks came days after what observers described as one of the most intense Russian missile and drone attacks of the entire conflict, striking Ukrainian cities over the weekend.
Catholic Exchange
St. Charbel’s miracles continue
By Emily Chaffins, July 24, 2026
On December 1, 2025, Pope Leo XIV knelt in Annaya, Lebanon, under an arch of stone, facing the carved cedar tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf. Pope Leo gazed at the image of the saint displayed above the tomb—a quiet, white-bearded religious priest and hermit robed in black. Charbel (Sharbel) Makhlouf was declared a saint in 1977, the first canonized monk belonging to the Lebanese Maronite Order. The memory of the holy hermit, whose feast day is July 24th, is valued by Christians and Muslims alike. St. Charbel’s Monastery of St. Maroun has recorded more than 33,000 miracles and counting. According to National Catholic Register, “In many of the reported miracles, Sharbel [AKA Charbel] is said to have performed ‘surgery.’ That was the case with Eskandar Obeid, a Lebanese ironmonger who in 1937 lost sight in one eye but who was cured by Sharbel, leading to the saint’s beatification.
EWTN News
Bishops tighten funeral policies after growth of ‘irregular practices’
By Amira Abuzeid, July 24, 2026
Several U.S. bishops in recent months have tightened diocesan funeral policies, emphasizing stricter adherence to the Order of Christian Funerals (OCF) amid evolving popular funeral practices that depart from Church norms and concern visitations, eulogies, and cremated remains, among others. Bishop Thomas Paprocki’s new rules for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, which went into effect on July 1, address what he described as “irregular practices” and “liturgical anomalies.” Paprocki explained that his goal is to “ensure that Catholic funerals in our diocese will conform to the norms of the Catholic Church” and maintain the integrity of the three parts of the OCF: the Vigil for the Deceased (the night before the funeral liturgy), the funeral liturgy itself (Mass or liturgy outside Mass), and the Rite of Committal. Among the “anomalies” the bishop addressed and prohibited was the practice of visitations in the church on the day of the funeral liturgy, as the vigil by definition must occur the night before.
National Catholic Reporter
Germany’s ‘National Guidance’ on blessings conflicts with Vatican
By Luke Coppen, July 23, 2026
Twenty-six priests in Germany’s Archdiocese of Munich and Freising have reportedly written to Cardinal Reinhard Marx, saying that his request that they follow national guidelines on blessings has presented them with a loyalty conflict, because the Vatican has criticized the guidance. Controversy has swirled around the German Church’s national guidance since it was first made public on April 23, 2025, two days after the death of Pope Francis. The text’s supporters dismissed accusations that the document’s release was timed to coincide with the papal interregnum, pointing out that it was approved on April 4, 2025. The 2023 resolution, on “blessing ceremonies for couples who love each other,” called for the official introduction of blessing ceremonies in all German parishes. But the Cologne, Augsburg, Eichstätt, Passau, and Regensburg dioceses rejected the document, arguing that it went beyond the provisions of the Fiducia supplicans, the 2023 Vatican instruction on blessings approved by Pope Francis.
Christian Science Monitor
Orthodox monks’ monastery in Estonia, first in 80 years
By Kostya Manenkov, July 24, 2026
Founded last year in one of Europe’s most secular societies, the Kirikla Orthodox Monastery is the first monastery the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church has established in decades. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the church has coexisted alongside a separate Orthodox church affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate, which has a larger membership in the Baltic country. Even so, the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church has long sought to rebuild its own male monastic community within its own borders. Bishop Damaskinos, the 41-year-old abbot, and his fellow monk, Father Paisios, are the first monks to live, work and pray at the new monastery’s farmhouse, about 25 miles outside the capital, Tallinn. While the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church system currently has more than 60 churches, as well as a convent, the last Orthodox monks lived in Estonia more than 80 years ago during a period of independence between the world wars.
Agenzia Fides
Wave of unresolved Madagascar child disappearances & killings
By Fides News Agency, July 22, 2026
Alarm is growing in Madagascar over a wave of unresolved disappearances and killings that, since the beginning of the year, has particularly affected children and adolescents, especially in and around the capital, Antananarivo. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Madagascar noted, “The situation we are experiencing compels us to ask: who stands to benefit from the path that we, the Malagasy people, are being forced to follow?” Official statistics released by the police paint a troubling picture. During the first six months of 2026, authorities recorded 172 reports of missing children and adolescents. Most of the cases have been reported in the Analamanga Region, which includes the capital and its surrounding areas, accounting for 119 of the 172 reports. Eight children were found dead after suffering violent deaths. Of the remaining 164 missing minors, 81 have been found, while 83 are still missing. Bishops urged citizens to remain vigilant against disinformation, slander, and fake news, while rejecting every form of revenge.
Related: Ciudad Juárez is confirmed as the municipality with the largest number (1,012) of people missing in the Mexican state of Chihuahua - David Dionysis, L’Osservatore Romano, July 23, 2026
Keep informed - 7/24/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Big Pulpit, EWTN, & the Loop
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: July 24, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Father James Martin Calls for ‘Gay Priests’ – Michael Haynes at Catholic Herald
Most Overrated Writer of the Previous Century (Hint - ‘Ernest’) – Donald R. McClarey, J.D., at The Americ Catholic
Video: Why Modern Fashion Is Failing Women with Anna Kalinowska – Catholic Unscripted
Video: George Washington Had Marian Apparitions? Protestants Covering – Jesse Romero
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — July 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.
Vatican weighing papal trip to Ukraine - By Victoria Cardiel - The Vatican will study the conditions needed for a possible trip by Pope Leo XIV to Ukraine, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher said following a six-day pastoral and diplomatic mission to the war-torn country. “The Holy Father takes this invitation very seriously.”
Priest who fled Nicaragua prays daily for God to free country from ‘cruel regime’ - By Diego López Colín - “It’s been 30 months since I had to flee,” the priest told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. He asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals against his family living in Nicaragua.
Catholic sisters bring free medical care to Kenya slum, uncover hidden illnesses - By Agnes Aineah - Sisters of St. Joseph of the Archdiocese of Mombasa (SSJ) found many previously undiagnosed and unmanaged cases of noncommunicable diseases — particularly hypertension — along with numerous skin diseases and suspected cases of cancer.
The Loop
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.
GOP REP INTRODUCES BILL TO BLOCK FORCED ABORTIONS IN SURROGACY CONTRACTS - Republican Rep. Andy Ogles announced yesterday he is introducing legislation barring federal courts from enforcing surrogacy contract provisions that force a woman to abort the child she is carrying. CatholicVote CEO and President Kelsey Reinhardt said the proposal, known as the Preventing Forced Abortions Act, would protect vulnerable women and unborn children from being treated “as a means to an end.”
NEW BISHOP ORDAINED IN CHINA AMID QUESTIONS OVER VATICAN-BEIJING DEAL - A new Catholic bishop was ordained this week in China under the Vatican’s controversial agreement with Beijing. Pope Leo appointed Bishop Joseph Chang Yanfeng to lead the Diocese of Chifeng, making him the fourth Chinese bishop ordained or officially recognized during the current papacy. His ordination comes as critics warn that underground Catholics continue to face persecution and increasing state control over religious practice.
CATHOLICVOTE PRESIDENT URGES ‘CATHOLIC REALISM’ ON IMMIGRATION - Drawing on late Cardinal Giacomo Biffi’s warnings about cultural integration, CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt wrote an open letter to U.S. bishops yesterday, calling on them to move beyond invoking human dignity and engage the tougher questions about assimilation, civic values, and national security. Reinhardt argued the harder question is not whether immigrants have dignity — “they do” — but whether every pattern of migration, country of origin, and cultural formation serves the common good.
July 24, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic365
God and time is somewhat like a record
By The Catholic Nurse, July 17, 2024
God is timeless. We live time in a linear way, but God experiences it all at once. Every moment is going on at the same time, and he is in each and every moment. This can be hard for us to comprehend, but it is somewhat like a record. On a vinyl record, all the songs are always there, but you can only play one at a time. This is how time is for God versus us. We can only live one moment at a time, as a record can only play one song. But for God, all the songs are there always, and they are also playing at once. God is endless and eternal, and our hope is to one day join him in eternity.
Catholic Culture
Missouri bishops enter the fray by opposing no state income tax
By Editors, July 24, 2026
Missouri’s bishops issued a statement discouraging the faithful from voting for Amendment 5, a ballot initiative that would eliminate the state income tax and raise sales taxes. “While the Church does not prescribe any particular tax model, she teaches that every system of taxation must serve the common good, be guided by justice and equity, and take into account each person’s ability to contribute,” the bishops of the state’s four dioceses said. “Tax systems that rely heavily on regressive forms of taxation, such as sales taxes, should be approached with prudence because they can place a disproportionate burden on those with lower incomes.” While conceding that the amendment’s supporters have “legitimate considerations,” the bishops said that such considerations ‘should be weighed alongside the potential effects on those who are most vulnerable.”
National Catholic Register
A Catholic Nun takes on modern vampire fiction
By Alyssa Murphy, July 23, 2026
In a secular young-adult market saturated with supernatural romance and morally ambiguous antiheroes, Pauline Sister Allison Regina Gliot, with the Daughters of St. Paul, is turning traditional monster lore on its head. Pauline Sister Allison Regina Gliot, author of the acclaimed In Aeternum urban fantasy trilogy, is drawing thousands of young readers into the Catholic faith by answering a deceptively simple question: What happens when a creature of darkness meets the Light of the World in the Eucharist? “So many mainstream young-adult novels don’t address faith or God at all,” Sister Allison told the Register. “By telling a story with characters who are actively grappling with faith questions and pursuing a relationship with God, I hope readers are inspired to encounter God in their real lives through prayer and the sacraments. I also want to get across the idea that it’s not weird to believe in God or be Catholic as a young person.”
Bishop Barron
God’s love is extravagant
By Bishop Robert Barron, July 24, 2026
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus explains the parable of the sower. This parable is reminiscent of another well-known story of Jesus: that of the shepherd and the lost sheep. “What man among you,” asks Jesus, “having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” Can we imagine the shepherds in Jesus’s audience shaking their heads? No shepherd would be so foolish! Which is just the point: God’s love is so extravagant that it breaks all of our categories of what is reasonable. One of our favorite pastimes is setting limits to the love of God. We say that God loves those who love him, or that God loves those who are in the right church or have the right doctrines. But God does not sow only on the receptive soil; he sows everywhere, even in those places that are least receptive.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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