Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 8/6/26
Catholics should know: Church vandalism continues; Sacred images point to Jesus Christ; ‘Cult’ denomination in Philippines; & Divorce rates are dropping significantly
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. Please support their ministries and apostolates. (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
Man faces federal firearms charge for shooting at Catholic church
By Elizabeth Ervin, August 5, 2026
Matthew Albain Alarcon, 40, of Las Cruces, is accused of firing five rounds at a Catholic church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, earlier this year and is now facing a federal firearms charge, prosecutors announced Aug. 3. Alarcon allegedly opened fire at the front entrance of St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church May 4 before leaving the scene in a black sedan. Because Alarcon has a prior New Mexico felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition and has since been charged in federal court for possessing both. Officers responding to the church found five bullet holes in its front glass entrance and recovered .380-caliber shell casings. The release did not report any injuries. Police identified Alarcon after the same vehicle was reported at the scene of an attempted burglary at a Las Cruces business May 11. A subsequent search of the sedan led to the recovery of a handgun.
Related: Vandal beheads Blessed Virgin Mary statue at New York church, by Elise Winland, Zeale News, August 5, 2026
OSV News
Living for ‘God’s purposes,’ Knights care for his people
By André Escaleira, Jr., August 5, 2026
In a moving display of the Catholic Church’s unity, thousands of Knights of Columbus from around the world gathered in Denver for their 144th Supreme Convention Aug. 4-6. The convention opened Aug. 4 with a special Mass celebrated by Denver Archbishop James R. Golka, along with dozens of bishops and hundreds of priests concelebrating and deacons assisting. “The Knights of Columbus exists to help our men grow in their faith, and they sure did for my dad,” Archbishop Golka said in his homily. Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, the papal nuncio to the United States, opened an afternoon session with words of reflection on the Knights of Columbus’ mission in this apostolic age. He also introduced a special video message from Pope Leo, who urged the Knights to be living witnesses of unity and charity in a world often marked by division. Reflecting on the convention theme, he said Christian unity must be actively nurtured through humble dialogue and bridge-building in families, parishes and communities.
Aleteia
Sacred images should point us back to Jesus Christ
By Philip Kosloski, August 5, 2026
In the Old Testament, it was not possible to create images of God, as God did not have a "face" that could be accurately depicted. Only with the incarnation of Jesus Christ were we able to begin creating sacred images that gave us a small glimpse of the glory of God. Since then, humans have delved ever deeper into the art of crafting sacred images that lift our minds and hearts to God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the theology behind sacred images in its section on the liturgy: The sacred image, the liturgical icon, principally represents Christ. It cannot represent the invisible and incomprehensible God, but the incarnation of the Son of God has ushered in a new "economy" of images: Previously, God, who has neither a body nor a face, absolutely could not be represented by an image. But now that he has made himself visible in the flesh and has lived with men, I can make an image of what I have seen of God... and contemplate the glory of the Lord, his face unveiled.
Crux
Death threats for denouncing ‘cult’ denomination in Philippines
By Paterno R. Esmaquel II, August 5, 2026
Father Robert Reyes and social anthropologist Melba Maggay have exposed death threats against them by alleged members of the independent Christian church Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). Father Robert Reyes, 71, an activist priest popularly known as The Running Priest, and Melba Maggay, 75, an award-winning social anthropologist, addressed the threats at a press conference in the Diocese of Cubao headquarters on Tuesday. Maggay said it is time for Catholics and Evangelicals to “stand up to” the INC, which she called a “cult.” She said the INC has been “skewing the elections” because “for the longest time, politicians have been making a beeline for this church” due to their bloc voting practice. The INC or Church of Christ is a 112-year-old independent Christian denomination founded in the Philippines. Although the INC counts only 2.8 million members in a country of 86 million Catholics, the INC rivals the Catholic Church in terms of political influence.
EWTN News
Divorce rates for couples in the last 15 years are considerably lower
By Daniel Payne, August 6, 2026
If you want to strengthen marriages in your community and drive down the divorce rate, Mary Rose Verret has a simple piece of advice: “Start with your own marriage.” Verret and her husband, Ryan, have for years run the marriage ministry Witness to Love; in 2024 Pope Francis named them as consultants to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. Since 2012, the Verrets have used that ministry to reach both engaged and married couples in a variety of formats. And their work has occurred amid an encouraging shift in U.S. marriage culture: declining divorce rates for new marriages. Data compiled by the Institute for Family Studies shows that couples who married in the 2010s have markedly lower divorce rates than couples who married in earlier decades. That trend has been part of an overall decline in divorce since roughly the 1980s onward: While 30% of first marriages in the 1970s ended in divorce after 10 years, just 18% of first marriages from 2010–2012 did so, with the divorce rate for the rest of the latter decade remaining roughly similar so far.
The Pillar
Spanish bishops divided over immigrant ‘invasion’ in Ceuta
By Edgar Beltrán, August 5, 2026
The Spanish bishops are sharply divided in their responses to the recent influx of undocumented migrants from Morocco into the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta. The president of the Spanish bishops’ conference called last week’s migrant surge “an invasion,” a striking contrast to the local diocese’s emphasis on a humanitarian response to the migrants. More than 80,000 people flooded across the border from Morocco to Ceuta in a matter of hours last week, according to Spanish authorities, overwhelming the city of just 83,000 inhabitants. News reports suggested that the migrant rush was due in part to false news on social media suggesting that the border had been opened. It is not clear who was behind the social media posts. Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid, president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, said Aug. 2 on X that the influx of migrants was part of a broader political strategy. Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, of Mérida-Badajoz, blamed the crisis on local trafficking mafias
Religion News Service
The seeming, growing public power of the religious left
By Amanda Henderson (Complexified), August 3, 2026
Pastors, seminarians and other faith leaders are running for office as Democrats across the country. Their campaigns are making progressive Christianity newly visible — and prompting opponents to challenge not only their politics but their legitimacy as Christians. Amanda Henderson. Across the country, an unusual collection of Democratic candidates is stepping out from behind the pulpit and onto the ballot. In Texas, Kansas, Iowa, and across the country, pastors and other faith leaders are running for office as Democrats. They aren’t all part of one movement, but taken together they raise an intriguing question: is there a deeper well of progressive Christianity in America than our politics has allowed us to see? James Talarico is currently a state-level lawmaker in Texas. He is also a seminarian at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. As many as twelve pastors, seminarians, and ex-pastors are running on the Democratic ticket this year.
Related: Adam Hamilton, mega-church pastor, wins Dem Senate primary - now comes the hard part - Jack Jenkins and Kathryn Post, Religion News Service, August 5, 2026
Related: Mainline Protestant leadership out of step with their laity, By Ryan Burge, Graphs about Religion, July 30, 2026
Agenzia Fides
Drone warfare adds to humanitarian crisis in Darfur and Kordofan
By Fides News Agency, August 3, 2026
El Obeid continues to be one of the main hotbeds of Sudan's conflict. The city continues to come under repeated drone attacks, while residents face severe water shortages, frequent power outages, food insecurity and an increasing risk of sexual violence, particularly for women forced to travel long distances to collect water. These challenges are compounded by the growing threat of famine in Darfur, driven by drought, soaring prices for basic necessities, the deep-rooted shortage of funds for humanitarian assistance and the role of the conflict in fueling the illicit trade in gold and gum arabic. According to the United Nations, drone strikes killed more than 1,000 civilians during the first five months of 2026. On Sunday, August 2, the Sudanese Armed Forces carried out a drone strike on a traditional court in the village of Garra al-Zawaya, in North Darfur, according to a human rights organization. The attack reportedly killed 35 people, wounded numerous civilians, and damaged the building housing the court.
Keep informed - 8/6/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Big Pulpit, EWTN, & the Loop
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: August 6, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Reminder: “The Life of Little Saint Placid” – Fr. Z’s Blog
St. Francis-The Whole World is a Friary – David Torkington at Catholic Stand Magazine
New Notre Dame Report Lists 12 Key Proposals to Improve Seminary Formation – OSV News
Communion in the Hand: Ancient Norm, Humanist Myth, or Protestant Rebellion – New Liturgical Movement
Catholicism/Orthodoxy vs. Protestantism in a Nutshell – Erick Ybarra
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — August 6, 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.
Pope Leo XIV to Assisi youth: ‘Europe and the whole world are looking to you to be new saints’ - By Veronica Giacometti - “It was here that the transformation of Francis, Clare and then thousands of other young people began,” he said. “They embraced the Gospel sine glossa — we could say, in its simplicity — then the life of Jesus began anew within them.”
U.S. Catholic bishops urge ‘fair representation’ on Voting Rights Act anniversary - By Tyler Arnold - Bishop Daniel E. Garcia said the Voting Rights Act was born from the sacrifice of those who fought to secure equal access to the ballot, especially for communities of color long denied that right.
4 facts to know about Ceuta, the Spanish border city in Africa - By Nicolás de Cárdenas - Ceuta is a Spanish city located on the North African coast, at the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar. Together with the city of Melilla, it forms the European Unionʼs only land border with Africa and is a point of critical geopolitical importance.
The Loop
Zeale hosts 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.
YOUNGKIN TAKES SCHOOL-CHOICE FIGHT NATIONAL - Former Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has launched Empowering America’s Parents, which plans a multimillion-dollar campaign urging holdout states to join President Donald Trump’s Education Freedom Tax Credit. The campaign will begin in four Democratic-led battlegrounds: Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
PRO-LIFE DEFEAT IN KANSAS SUPREME COURT BATTLE - A constitutional amendment to replace Kansas’ lawyer-majority judicial nominating commission with direct Supreme Court elections was defeated this week. Pro-life advocates backed the change as a long-term way to reshape a court whose 2019 ruling recognized a state constitutional “right” to abortion. Planned Parenthood celebrated the result.
AMERICANS LESS GLOOMY ON ECONOMY—BUT STILL PESSIMISTIC - Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index rose seven points to -31 in July, continuing its rebound from a May low of -45. But 67% of Americans still say the economy is worsening. The survey — conducted July 1-19 among a random sample of 1,200 adults — found that 22% of Americans rated current economic conditions as excellent or good, up from 16% in May. Forty-four percent described conditions as poor, down from 49% in May, while 32% called them only fair.
August 6, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic365
Jesus ‘is’ God
By Marianne Giltner, August 6, 2024
Only God could create the marvels and miracles that He showed, and continues to show us all throughout the mysteries of life. You do realize that God is Jesus and Jesus is God. When we see Jesus, we see God. Imagine seeing Him elevate to the sky with your own eyes, and then having the sky open and hearing a voice say, “This is my beloved Son.” What more witness and proof that God is for real do we need? Still, more proof is needed or expected for us stiff-necked generations. I can only imagine the jaw-dropping moment for Peter, James, and John when they saw their Raboni rise from the ground in all splendor. Still, Peter denied Him, and James and John ran when the soldiers arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane. It gives me great Hope to know such great Saints had moments like this. I pray for my soul to overcome the defeat of my lukewarmness, and all my imperfections, and rise above my sadness at, at times, my disbelief, to also realize and know that God loves a repentant sinner. He loves His creation.
Vatican News
Confucian-Christian colloquium: Build a harmonious world
By Vatican News, August 5, 2026
“Authentic encounter does not erase differences, but instead deepens understanding, strengthens trust, and enriches us all”, reads the Final Statement of participants in the First Confucian-Christian Colloquium, held at Sogang University, in Seoul, South Korea, from 4 to 5 August. The Colloquium, convened by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, together with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, the Confucian Academy of Korea (Sungkyunkwan) and Sogang University, brought together scholars, religious leaders, educators, and practitioners from Asia, Europe, and North America, to reflect on the theme: “New Heaven, New Earth and Great Harmony/Great Unity): Confucian-Christian Dialogue for Building an Ideal Society.” Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad explained that the value of dialogue lies in respecting fundamental differences while allowing each tradition to enrich and broaden the other’s horizon. He noted that the Christian vision and the Confucian ideal give voice to one of humanity’s deepest aspirations: that our shared life may be in harmony with a ‘Way’ that is truly good and beautiful.
National Catholic Register
Quantum physics and the mystery of God’s creation
By Edward Pentin, August 5, 2026
Quantum physics, or quantum mechanics, is rapidly emerging not just as a means to develop new technologies but also as a scientific method that can help mankind better understand the truth about creation, pointing to the mystery of its Creator. In “A Day With Mary” conference in London, Catholic professor Vincenzo Tamma discusses what quantum mechanics is, how it relates to divine action, and how it can be a useful tool in the dialogue between science and theology. “Quantum mechanics helps the faithful think about how God made the world because it describes the deepest level of how nature works.” He called for the recovery of an interdisciplinary idea of the university, as proposed by St. John Henry Newman, to deepen the intersection of Catholic theology, philosophy, and quantum science and educate the wider public. He said, “Quantum physics is the rulebook for how reality works from the smallest scale. It is, if you like, the science of the fundamental building blocks of the universe.”
Bishop Barron
Ordinary Jesus became transformed, elevated, & enhanced
By Bishop Robert Barron, August 6, 2026
Friends, today’s Gospel celebrates the transfiguration. Christ came not just to make us nice people or morally upright folks, but rather to give us a share in his divine life, to make us denizens of heaven, people capable of living in that new environment. What gave the first Christians this conviction? The answer is the resurrection—and the great anticipation of the resurrection, which is the transfiguration. This ordinary Jesus somehow became transformed, elevated, enhanced in his manner of being. The first thing we notice is that his appearance becomes more beautiful. These somewhat grubby bodies of ours are destined for a transfigured, elevated beauty. Secondly, in his transfigured state, Jesus transcends space and time. Have you ever noticed that even as we appreciate all that is wonderful about this life, we are never really at home? There is a permanent restlessness about human life. But a higher, richer, more beautiful and spiritually fulfilling life awaits us.
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 …
