Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
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Zeale News
Vatican doesn’t block Germany’s ‘inclusive’ gender sex ed program
By David Uebbing, August 20, 2026
The Vatican has reaffirmed its existing teaching on sexuality in response to an appeal from Catholic parents in Hamburg, Germany, but has thus far declined to publicly order the archdiocese to halt a new sex education framework for Catholic schools set to take effect this week. Monsignor Matthias Ambros, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, wrote to the parents that the dicastery's position "remains that expressed" in the 2019 document "Male and Female He Created Them," which defends parents' right to base their children's education on an understanding of human sexuality rooted in reason and God’s design for the sexes. The Vatican, though, allows the Archdiocese of Hamburg’s planned rollout of its 33-page framework, "Male, Female, Diverse," across its 15 Catholic schools starting Aug. 20. The document promotes "acceptance of diversity" in sexual orientation and gender identity, states that biological sex doesn't necessarily correspond to social identity.
OSV News
Confession must include desire for reconciliation, AZ court says
By Tony Gutiérrez, August 20, 2026
Two weeks after ruling on clergy-penitent privilege, the Arizona Supreme Court issued another unanimous decision Aug. 12, setting a legal precedent for what qualifies in the state as “confession,” again creating legal implications for the Catholic Church’s confessional seal. While Doe v. Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints addressed when a member of the clergy may invoke the privilege, Rodriguez-Ramirez v. Arizona focused more on the penitent. In the latter case, the court ruled that the defendant’s admission to an illegal act could be admitted into court because it did not meet the legal definition of a religious confession. The case stems from former Baptist pastor Mario Rodriguez-Ramirez, who is accused of sexually abusing a minor. When the allegations came to light, he met with a co-pastor and friend, who secretly recorded the conversation containing Rodriguez-Ramirez’s admission of guilt. When he was arrested, Rodriguez-Ramirez invoked clergy-penitent privilege to prevent the recording from being shared in court.
Aleteia
Leo XIV: Guide AI, don’t abdicate to it
By D. R. Esparza, August 21, 2026
Pope Leo XIV received members of the International Catholic Legislators Network in the Vatican on Friday, August 21, addressing their annual meeting, this year on the theme “Human Dignity and Artificial Intelligence: Challenges, Chances, and Control.” The Pope framed the question of artificial intelligence as a decisive moral choice: “We may be tempted to construct a new Tower of Babel, where power, efficiency and control obscure the face of the human person; or we can build a civilization in which technology serves the integral development of every person.” Legislators, Leo said, have a task “not to hinder innovation but to guide it wisely.” Sound legislation should encourage technological creativity while safeguarding human rights, protecting users from exploitation, preserving privacy, ensuring transparency, and guaranteeing that emerging technologies “strengthen democratic institutions.”
National Catholic Register
UK bars Finnish Christian MP Päivi Räsänen from the country
By Edward Pentin, August 20, 2026
Päivi Räsänen, a long-serving Christian Democrat politician and Finnish parliamentarian, has been barred from entering the United Kingdom following her conviction by Finland’s Supreme Court for calling homosexuality a “sexual deviation” and an “aberration.” Her ban from entry into Northern Ireland follows the U.K. government’s refusal to allow a number of other high-profile figures to visit the country over the past year, often on grounds of what it deems to be “hate speech.” Räsänen’s blocked entry to the U.K. comes after Finland’s Supreme Court convicted her in March 2026 for expressing her Christian beliefs on marriage and human sexuality in a 2004 booklet titled Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Concept of Humanity. The Supreme Court held that passages calling homosexuality an “aberration of psychosexual development” and a “sexual deviation” were derogatory toward homosexual people as a group on grounds of sexual orientation.
EWTN News
Lourdes shrine will cover Rupnik mosaics ahead of pope’s visit
By Hannah Brockhaus, August 20, 2026
Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes told the French daily La Dépêche du Midi on Aug. 20 that “all of the works on the façade” of the Basilica of the Rosary will be covered and redecorated out of respect for abuse victims. He also said they will remain covered going forward. Micas’ decision to cover the mosaics comes just over a month before Pope Leo’s scheduled visit to France, which will include a stop at the popular Marian apparition site in Lourdes from Sept. 26–27. The visibility of the mosaics by Rupnik, an accused sexual abuser currently undergoing a Vatican trial, risked becoming the literal backdrop of Leo’s rosary procession and other events at Lourdes. The topic of sexual abuse and care for victims is still likely to come up in the pope’s meeting with French bishops on Sept. 27, though the pontiff is not expected to address the status of Rupnik’s case.
The Pillar
Another German bishop to step down over ‘psychological strain’
By Luke Coppen, August 19, 2026
Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of Speyer, southwestern Germany, stepped down Wednesday, only 66 and nine years earlier than 75, citing the “psychological strain” of office. He is the latest in a string of German prelates to offer their resignations well ahead of the customary age, suggesting the burdens of episcopal office are taking an increased toll in the country. Wiesemann, who has led the Speyer diocese for more than 18 years, explained in the Aug. 19 letter that he recognized as early as 2019 that he needed professional help. He began psychotherapy, a practice that he continues to this day. In February 2021, the bishop entered a clinic for treatment for what doctors diagnosed as a “recurrent depressive disorder.” He took a seven-month break from active ministry, including two months at the clinic. Wiesemann struggled to establish a “new pastoral and structural direction” for the diocese, including support for the priorities of the German synodal way and reducing the number of parishes in Speyer from 70 to nine amid a decline in practicing Catholics.
National Catholic Register
The rise of the Catholic anti-AI movement
By Jonah McKeown, August 20, 2026
Pope Leo has not banned AI chatbots. But some Catholics say their faith is compelling them to avoid the controversial technology — and invite others to join them. A writer and popular social media content creator, Eliza Monts, said “Increased speed and efficiency at performing tasks” was a pro-AI benefit, while the negative effects of AI overuse on young people’s education land in the “con” ledger. However, after closely reading the Pope’s 42,000-word encyclical, the breakdown wasn’t particularly close. Monts counted just five pros — and 37 cons. “I believe strongly in the movement that does not want to see the human sidelined in favor of the robot.” The “movement” Monts speaks of is a growing number of Catholics who have decided not to use AI, specifically the “generative” variety: technology that purports to create new text, images, audio or computer code by drawing on statistical patterns in massive databases.
Agenzia Fides
The miracle of ecclesial unity in the country of 800 languages
By Marie-Lucile Kubacki, August 12, 2026
As the Diocese of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea marks 125 years since the first Catholic missionaries arrived, a three-week jubilee culminated in a grand finale in the North Region from August 14 to 17, 2026. Rooted in the early Marist arrivals at Pokpok (1901) and Buin (1903), the local Church has grown from a fledgling mission sustained by lay catechists through WWII and the Bougainville crisis into a vibrant diocese of over 200,000 believers across 35 parishes. A tribal society boasting over 800 distinct languages and ethnic groups, Papua New Guinea is a young country. It celebrates 50 years of independence (1975–2025) as a unified, democratic, and predominantly Christian nation—despite significant social, tribal, economic, and political challenges. “I firmly believe that the most powerful unifying factor in our country is our Christian identity. This unity is most vibrant within the Church, where people from all backgrounds, regions, and tribes gather together as one family,” said Father Christian Sieland, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Keep informed - 8/21/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Big Pulpit, EWTN, & the Loop
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: August 21, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
The Smallest Thing Done for the Love of God is Priceless – St. Therese of Lisieux via TACatholic
U.S. Colleges Report Surge in O.C.I.A. Participation – Christine Rousselle at the Catholic Herald
Video: The Real Reason Modern Catholic Music Sounds So Bad – The Deep via The LoopCast
Casual, Irreverent Ways of Receiving Holy Communion Undermines the Faith – Fr. McDonald
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — August 21, 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.
Joint statement highlights ‘shared convictions’ in first Catholic-Confucian conference - By Tyler Arnold and Hannah Brockhaus - Catholic and Confucian scholars emphasized their shared goals for humanity while acknowledging important theological differences between the two traditions.
Meet the Augustinian saints celebrated by the Church in August - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - August is a particularly important month for Augustinians, the Order of St. Augustine of Hippo to which Pope Leo XIV belongs, as the Catholic Church celebrates a number of Augustinian saints.
Life of Brazilian woman who lived over half a century solely on the Eucharist hits the big screen - By Nathália Queiroz - On Good Friday in 1943, Floripes Dornellas de Jesús, known as “Lola,” decided she would eat no more. From that moment on, she received only the Eucharist each day.
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.
TRUMP ADMIN MOVES TO BAR TAX REFUNDS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - The Trump administration proposed new rules Aug. 19 that would bar illegal immigrants and certain other noncitizens from receiving the refundable portions of four major federal tax credits, a move the administration says could save taxpayers up to $2.6 billion.
SATANIC TEMPLE SUES IOWA - The ACLU of Iowa filed a federal lawsuit Aug. 13 on behalf of The Satanic Temple, alleging state officials violated the group’s constitutional rights by repeatedly refusing to let it hold a holiday event inside the state Capitol. The lawsuit is the latest development in a years-long saga that includes a Christian veteran destroying the group’s 2023 display.
SENATOR: COVID VACCINE RECKONING ‘LONG OVERDUE’ - Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., called for a broad reckoning over the government and medical establishment’s response to COVID-19, arguing in an Aug. 18 Wall Street Journal op-ed that federal health officials withheld information about theoretical vaccine safety concerns from pregnant women.
August 21, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic365
Existential pressures: A follow-on to the Galileo effect
By Michael A Lupo, August 21, 2024
Our problem as the global family of homo sapiens in modern times is that we do not know what we do not know. Our history does not reach far enough back, with enough clarity, to say for sure what we as a people experienced in our very distant past. For these reasons, and because of the lack of evidence, we as a people are extremely critical of ideas that call into question what is considered outside mainstream scientific understanding. This is also why some religious beliefs are bound in tradition, dogma, and cultural ideologies that do not allow for dissenting positions that challenge the status quo. This is the ongoing fight against the Galileo effect that will bring forth truth, light, love, unity, and eventually the proper evidence to bring humanity together as one people. [Lupo offers links to “begin your journey to true freedom from the matrix of control.”]
Catholic World Report
Clarifying ‘primacy’ for Catholic-Orthodox dialogue
By Ines Angeli Murzaku, August 16, 2026
Pope Leo XIV’s recent distinction is important for Catholic-Orthodox dialogue because of one of the most persistent Orthodox concerns about Roman primacy. The 30th annual Orientale Lumen Conference at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. was not only an academic exchange but also an act of unity in prayer, conversation, and ecclesial friendship. Pope Leo XIV’s recent revision of the Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, announced on July 31, 2026, may not resolve all remaining disputes, but it is a juridical clarification that directly serves Roman Catholic-Eastern Orthodox dialogue. Catholic-Orthodox dialogue has reached a delicate moment. Many aspects of first-millennium ecclesiology, synodality, councils, primacy, and the need to read the history of East and West together are agreed upon. Yet the hardest questions remain. One of the most persistent Orthodox concerns is that Roman primacy has been fused with juridical centralization, political sovereignty, and a monarchical-pyramidical view of the Church.
Catholic Exchange
Christianity, ultimately, deals with the issue of ‘blood sacrifice’
By Fr. Dwight Longenecker, August 21, 2026
Although Christian language is increasingly warm and fuzzy, there remain some genuinely strange and quite frankly bizarre and disturbing elements to Christian language and imagery that all Christians take for granted. I’m referring to the imagery of bloodshed. We sing, “There is a fountain filled with blood,” or speak in the Catholic Mass of “This victim, this spotless victim,” “the Lamb of God,” “the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” and “the Precious Blood.” Every church has a crucifix with a bloody human corpse on it, and we use the language of sacrifice constantly. Why all the talk of blood sacrifice? We’re modern people. We don’t slit the throats of sheep and goats to satisfy God! While we may not indulge in ritualized religious sacrifice anymore, is our society any less violent? This sense of reconciliation and release was acted out in multiple cultures through multifarious religious rites throughout history. As Christians, we believe all the ancient blood sacrifices find their fulfillment and completion in the one, full, final sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Bishop Barron
God who is love is not a kindly Santa Claus
By Bishop Robert Barron, August 21, 2026
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus says that the whole law depends on love of God and love of neighbor. For many, to love is equivalent to being a nice guy, or in Flannery O’Connor’s formulation, “having a heart of gold.” Now, there is nothing in the world wrong with being a nice guy or having a heart of gold, but you can easily achieve both of those states and not have love. Love isn't really about fitting in and being friendly; it is willing the good of the other as other. It is wanting what is best for another person and then doing something about it. And this means that real love can be as tough as nails or as disagreeable as a slap in the face—indeed, in Dostoevsky’s phrase, something “harsh and dreadful.” Compelling an addict to get help or questioning a dysfunctional style of life both involve the willing of the good of the other. This is why the God who is love is not a kindly Santa Claus who magically makes troubles disappear.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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