Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 7/4/25
Topics include: Uncertainty and martyrdom in Syria; Big Beautiful Bill sparks disappointment; Why Catholics are patriots; & ‘When we lose God, we lose country’
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, The UK Tablet, Catholic News Agency, Crux, Word on Fire, CatholicVote, Agenzia Fides, & Missio Dei. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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Agenzia Fides
A new time of uncertainty and martyrdom in Syria
By Gianni Valente, July 1, 2025
The massacre of at least 25 Christians who were killed while attending Mass at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Elias, in Damascus, will forever be associated with the stigma of martyrdom of Syrian Christians in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. "After the massacre," Joseph Tobji, the Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo, confirmed to Fides, "they wrote on the wall of a church in the Hama district the words 'your turn will come too." Someone wants to make it seem as if this is just the beginning. "People send me photos of leaflets posted on Christian homes saying 'Syria must be cleansed,' with drawings of bombs and Kalashnikov rifles. An intimidation reminiscent of the inscriptions on Christian homes in Mosul. These are the things circulating among Christians. Perhaps they are not even real photos, but someone generated them with artificial intelligence and posted them online. But the fear they unleash is not a "fake."
Catholic News Agency
Budget reconciliation act sparks disappointment
By Amira Abuzeid, July 3, 2025
Following the passage of “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued a statement lamenting “unconscionable cuts to health care and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation.” Specifically, Broglio faulted the legislation for “unconscionable cuts to health care and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation.” He also expressed disappointment over some “positive aspects” of the bill that were either reduced or removed — reduction of federal funds to Planned Parenthood from 10 years to only one, weakening of educational parental choice provisions, and elimination of restrictions on the use of federal dollars for “gender transition” medical procedures.
The UK Tablet
Leading Christian bioethics centre in UK to close
By Ruth Gledhill, July 2, 2025
The Anscombe Bioethics Centre, that has provided some of the most eloquent commentary on recent legislative developments on abortion and assisted dying, is to close. Staff at the centre have recently been informed that it is to shut down, a decision made on financial grounds by the centre’s corporate trustee, the Catholic Trust for England and Wales, which supports the legal, financial and charitable activities of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Operations will cease at the end of the month and donations are no longer being sought. “It is the earnest hope of staff at the centre that some means may be found to continue to make available the resources of that the centre has generated, and also to continue the vital work of bioethical research and education that fully respects the dignity of the human person,” the Anscombe Centre said in a newsletter to supporters today.
National Catholic Register
Why Catholics are patriots
By Daniel B. Gallagher, July 3, 2025
The Catholic faith necessarily orients us toward eternal life in a way that earthly citizenship does not. That leaves room for discussion and debate about the relationship between Church and state, religious and civic duty, and law and freedom. The Catholic tradition is blessed with a long history of thinking through these issues. St. Augustine made the radical claim that, for Christians, the love of God should prevail to the extent that all earthly concerns and individual desires are to be subjugated to it. In Christianity, Augustine explains, individuals can be citizens of both the City of God and the Earthly City, as everything — from family to commerce and government — can be shaped by the love of God and contribute to man’s proper end: union with Him. Patriotism allows for a civic and religious freedom that was simply unthinkable in the ancient world, which allows men and women to fulfill their duty of worshiping God based solely on the exigences of the City of God.
CRUX
Vatican documents undermine reason for Latin Mass restrictions
By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, July 2, 2025
An apparent leak of Vatican documents undermines the stated reason of Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, for restricting access to the ancient liturgy. The documents suggest that the majority of Catholic bishops who responded to a 2020 Vatican survey about the Latin Mass had expressed general satisfaction with it, and warned that restricting it would “do more harm than good.” The Vatican spokesman and prefect of the Doctrine Office didn’t immediately respond when asked on Wednesday to confirm their authenticity or comment. If confirmed, the documents could add pressure on Leo to try to pacify the liturgical divisions that spread, especially in the United States, during Francis’s 12-year papacy. Since the start of his pontificate, Leo has said his aim is unity and reconciliation in the church, and many conservatives and traditionalists have pointed to the Latin Mass dispute as an area that requires urgent resolution.
Related: Vatican spokesman: ‘Traditionis custodes’ leak ‘very partial’ - “It’s a contribution to a very partial and incomplete reconstruction of the decision-making process” - Pillar, Edgar Beltrán Jul 03, 2025
CathNews Australia
New Australia digital map ‘will empower’ Indigenous ministries
By NCPR website, July 4, 2025
Two new map layers are now available for each diocese and parish on the Australian Catholic Mapping Online 2021 Census maps, providing information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics and the birthplaces and languages of Australian Catholics. “To be able to see the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics across the country is a blessing and a very useful tool that will empower NATSICC and our Aboriginal and Islander Catholic Ministries,” Mr Arthur said. The new layer shows the percentage of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Catholics by diocese or parish. The “Australian Indigenous” language group used in the popup represents more than 150 active languages that were identified in the 2021 Census.
The Pillar
How a UK bill led to a Communion showdown
By Luke Coppen, June 30, 2025
An English bishop has offered to meet with a politician who says his pastor barred him publicly from receiving Holy Communion after he voted for an assisted suicide bill. Bishop Richard Moth offered to meet in person with Chris Coghlan, who represents the constituency of Dorking and Horley in the lower house of the U.K. Parliament, according to a June 27 statement from the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. Coghlan intimated that Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law says, “those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.” Chris Coghlan backed the bill, along with a large majority of his fellow Liberal Democrats.
ChurchPOP
‘When we lose God, we lose country’
By Jacqueline Burkepile, July 3, 2025
Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, in one of his talks titled "Quo Vadis America," explained what true patriotism means and how the Founding Fathers defined the United States’ liberties. “Patriotism is a virtue that was allied to the old virtue of the Greeks and Latin called ‘Pietas.’ 'Pietas' meant love of God, love of neighbor, love of country. And when one goes out, all go out … [When] we no longer have love of God, we no longer have love of country.” Sheen then explained his investigation of “the problem of revolution.” “We started our country with a revolution. Revolution is in the air today. As a matter of fact, the revolutionists of our day are all arguing and contending that, ‘well we started that way, therefore we should continue it.’
Pillar, CNA & Satire for Friday, July 4, 2025
The Pillar
Pillar Articles for 7/4/25
The Pillar is a Catholic Church news and investigative journalism website founded by J.D. Flynn, former editor-in-chief of CNA and former chancellor of the Archdiocese of Denver; and Ed Condon, former Washington, D.C., bureau editor of CNA.
Leo expected to appoint new PCPM president - The new president for the papal global safeguarding commission is meant to oversee assessment to the pope and other ecclesial leaders on both Vatican policy and the safe environment issues which arise in dioceses around the world.
How many new priests are there in Europe? - It’s a simple question, but difficult to answer, given that the continent consists of more than 40 nations, with varying attitudes to record-keeping. There were around 155,000 priests based on the continent in 2023, accounting for 38.1% of the world’s total.
Pope Leo XIV or ‘Pope Leo XIV’ — How to spot a fake online pope - A graphic accompanying the June 25 post explained that “fake Facebook profiles of ‘Pope Leo XIV’ are circulating, asking for donations.” The post stressed there is no official Facebook page for Pope Leo, and the only way to donate securely to the Peter’s Pence fund is via its website.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — July 4, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable and free up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the words of the Holy Father and the Holy See.
Pope appoints Pizzaballa and Mathieu to Vatican’s interreligious dialogue office - Jul 4, 2025 - By Madalaine Elhabbal - Their appointment comes amid a broad reshuffle that also brought in cardinals from Japan and Canada as well as bishops and experts with experience in fostering relations among faiths.
July Fourth celebration prompts Catholic reflection on religion and U.S. founding - Jul 4, 2025 - By Tessa Gervasini - Ahead of Independence Day, the National Catholic Bioethics Center’s Edward Furton presented a lecture in the nation’s capital about the country’s founders and their desire for a republic open to all faiths but one in which no citizen would be compelled to profess any particular religious doctrine.
New bill expands school choice; Catholic leaders applaud, urge caution - Jul 3, 2025 - By Kate Quiñones - With the passage of the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” tax credits will be given to donors who contribute to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations in what school choice advocates have called a “historic” moment for school choice.
Babylon Bee’s Satire News
Continental Congress Reluctantly Agrees To Trim Down Name Of ‘Big Beautiful Declaration Of Independence’
By History Staff, July 3, 2025
After a tense round of voting, the Continental Congress passed a resolution to shorten the title of the Big Beautiful Declaration of Independence to simply Declaration of Independence. "I really thought people would be more likely to vote for it if we called it big and beautiful," said John Adams, a member of the committee appointed to draft the declaration. "But then they just said 'Shut up, you insufferable rotundity!' That really hurt." Benjamin Franklin criticized the Congress for essentially neutering their independence before they've even declared it. "If we're to have any chance in this war, we need a big and beautiful declaration to really stick it to King George," he said. The president of the Congress, Mr. John Hancock, had said he would sign the document with much less vigor now that it had such a boring name.
Nutshell reflections for 7/4/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - July 27, 2025
Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Aleteia
The only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence
By Nicholas Senz, July 4, 2019
We see affixed to the end of the Declaration of Independence several signatures. John Hancock’s famously dwarfs the others; likewise, the names of some of those men have had a larger stature in history compared to their fellows. While we all remember John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, names like Caesar Rodney or Button Gwinnett are less well-known. One signature in particular should be of interest to Catholics: that of Charles Carroll, the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence. His story can tell us much about both the American founding and the beginnings of the Church in the United States. Charles Carroll was one of the most prominent voices calling for independence. He wrote, like others, pseudonymous newspaper tracts under the name of “First Citizen.”
Catholic Exchange
John Dubois—America’s champion of religious freedom
By John Singleton, July 4, 2023
To historians, the life of Fr. John Dubois is a footnote. His legacy as the third Bishop of New York from 1826-1842 is one of patience, peacemaking, and humility. But Dubois was a revolutionary figure too, a fugitive priest on the run from a war on the Church, who became the most prolific practitioner of religious freedom in American history. As a young priest, he founded a college in rural Maryland and produced progeny—from bishops to saints—who would push the envelope of religious liberty to revolutionary heights. At its founding in 1808, Mount St. Mary’s was called the nation’s second Catholic college, but it would become the first in the fifty states given Jesuit Georgetown’s establishment in a federal territory.
Word on Fire
The genius of American independence
By Alex Taylor, July 3, 2025
In János Csák’s short book, The Genius of America (2024), the current Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation seeks out the “intellectual and spiritual underpinnings” of the United States. He said that American ideals present “the most beautiful ambitions for human life on earth,” even though we have not always lived up to them, and that presently many in American public life, from politicians to university professors to activists, seek to repudiate our heritage of ordered liberty. True communal festivity cannot take place without thriving families, and for America to celebrate the Fourth of July for years to come, it is not enough (though it is important) to get our history right; we must also support young people as they endeavor to embark upon the adventure of family life, the founding of not only the domestic church but the domestic civitas, the true foundation of our republic.
Missio Dei
The coordinated global assault on Opus Dei
By Austin Ruse, June 20, 2025
Opus Dei critics are obsessed with corporal mortification, the practice whereby Catholics embrace sufferings large and small for the sake of spiritual advance. The leader of the pack seems to be formerly respected financial journalist Gareth Gore, who has made Church- and Opus Dei-hate something of a cottage industry. He and others extend a full-scale assault on the utterly beautiful vocation of Numerary Assistant. These are the women who take care of Opus Dei centers for men, handling cooking and cleaning duties. Their vocation is no different than any other in Opus Dei: to find God in everyday life and help others to find Him, too. Critics say that these women are conned into this vocation. Any stick is sufficient to bash Opus Dei. The critics hope the new pope will throttle Opus Dei, but they may be disappointed. Pope Leo knows Opus Dei very well.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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