Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 9/12/25
Topics include: Brazil Mother’s right to homeschool denied; Spanish Bishop threatens to resign; Family sizes shrink in Vietnam; & ‘There will be no Palestinian state’
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, Catholic News Agency, Word on Fire, Agenzia Fides, & Missio Dei, & Aleteia. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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Catholic News Agency
Brazilian court denies mother’s right to homeschool her child
By Nathália Queiroz, September 12, 2025
The Santa Catarina State Court of Justice in Brazil has denied Regiane Cichelero’s request to homeschool her son. In its Sept. 2 ruling, the court upheld the previous decision requiring the child to be enrolled in a regular school in addition to a fine of 100,000 reais (more than $18,000). In 2020, with the closure of public schools in Santa Catarina state due to fears surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Cichelero decided to homeschool her son. After schools reopened in March 2021, the lawyer decided to continue homeschooling him, believing it would guarantee a quality education in line with the family’s religious beliefs. At that time, the school began an “active search” for Cichelero’s son. The Child Protection Council went to the lawyer’s home and warned her about the mandatory school enrollment requirement, according to the Child and Adolescent Statute. After the Child Protection Council’s notification, the case was referred to the Santa Catarina public prosecutor’s office.
The Pillar
Bishop threatens to resign over Spanish shrine conflict
By Edgar Beltrán, September 11, 2025
A five-year dispute between the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón and Opus Dei escalated this week, when the local bishop signaled that he plans to reject a Vatican-mediated settlement over a Spanish shrine, claiming that he would resign if the Vatican decides against the diocesan plans for the shrine. The bishop has aimed to take control over the appointment of the shrine’s rector and repossess an image of Our Lady of Torreciudad, and Opus Dei leadership has refused to cede control of the site and icon unless the Holy See orders it. While the dispute seemed to be approaching a conclusion in recent weeks, Bishop Pérez Pueyo threatened in a Sept. 8 homily to resign if the Vatican-appointed commissioner does not decide the issue in his favor. Archbishop Alejandro Arellano, dean of the Roman Rota, is expected to rule in favor of Opus Dei in the dispute.
CatholicVote
Modernity, cost of living cut family sizes in Vietnam
By UCA News reporter, September 11, 2025
Though most young parents in Vietnam still value traditional marriage and family life, expenses associated with modern life bar them from having more than one child. A recent survey by the Institute of Sociology in the southern provinces of Ca Mau, Khanh Hoa, Soc Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City, found that most respondents do not have more than one child, despite some originally planning to do so. The three provinces and major city have recorded low fertility rates among women. 62% said they had enough children, 30% cited financial constraints, 12.7% mentioned health problems, and 11.4% said their jobs did not allow for another child. Others cited reasons such as the heavy time and energy demands of childcare, a lack of family support, or husbands' unwillingness to have more children. The institute’s director, Dr. Nguyen Duc Vinh, said economic and social changes have changed how parents perceive the value of children, who were once considered pillars of economic security, social standing and emotional fulfillment.
National Catholic Register
Gen Z defines a successful life in financial terms, not family
By Emily Zanotti, September 11, 2025
When NBC News asked Gen Z recently, they, to no one’s surprise, got a variety of answers — but precious few of the 18- to 29-year-olds asked suggested they saw getting married and having a family as an objective measure of a successful life. Both male and female respondents selected “having a job or career you find fulfilling.” They followed up with almost exclusively financial measurements of success: having enough money to do what one wants and achieving financial independence. Further down on the list — well past the suggested financial hallmarks — were “getting married,” “having children,” and “making [my] family proud.” Spirituality ranked somewhere near dead last for all four groups, which might explain why the results are so skewed. Without a good spiritual foundation, little of what is universal and true can cut through the din of materialism.
The Times of Israel
‘There will be no Palestinian state’: PM signs settlement expansion
By Agencies & ToI Staff, September 11, 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Thursday evening that “there will be no Palestinian state,” as he signed an agreement to push ahead with the controversial E1 settlement expansion plan that will cut across West Bank land Palestinians seek for a state. “We are going to fulfill our promise that there will be no Palestinian state; this place belongs to us,” Netanyahu said during a visit to the Ma’ale Adumim settlement in the West Bank, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, where thousands of new housing units would be added. “We will safeguard our heritage, our land and our security… We are going to double the city’s population,” he added. Last month, the E1 project, which would bisect the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, received final planning approval. Thursday’s signing ceremony was largely symbolic, but it allowed authorities to move forward with construction.
Related: Bishop advocates for a ‘two-state solution’ to achieve peace in the Middle East, Sep 11, 2025, By Andrés Henríquez
Agenzia Fides
Floods worsen in Pakistan: Human & economic costs are enormous
By Agenzia Fides, September 11, 2025
"It can be said that the entire country is flooded. No province has been spared by the heavy rains and flooding. There are approximately four million displaced people, and the need for assistance is immense. In addition, there is severe damage to the economy of families and the country,” said Amjad Gulzar, a Catholic and Executive Director of Caritas Pakistan. “The human cost of the disaster is enormous. Over 900 people have lost their lives, thousands are in emergency shelters, and many others are homeless and in urgent need of assistance. Elderly and sick people are in danger and risk their lives.” In addition to the human damage, there are high material and economic costs, as, "production for the next season is affected, severely impacting the already fragile economy: the damage to buildings and infrastructure and the destruction of agriculture are a severe blow."
CRUX
Nepal: 22 people have died in the protests
By Nirmala Carvalho, September 10, 2025
On Wednesday, a total curfew was placed in Nepal after anti-corruption protests escalated on Saturday, leading to several deaths and the burning of government offices in the capital Kathmandu. The unrest in the Asian country just north of India also led to a social media ban, which was later reversed by the government. At least 22 people died in the protests, with dozens of others being injured, as people complained about government corruption. Father Silas Bogati, Administrator of Nepal, told Crux the army issued the curfew. Bogati said the protestors have demanded the end of the existing constitution in Nepal, where the last Hindu monarch was abolished in 2008 for a republic. When asked if the protestors were looking to bring back the monarchy, the priest said, “It might be one possibility.” Nepal is mainly situated in the Himalaya Mountains and has a population of over 30 million people. It is mostly Hindu, and the Christians number less than 2%.
Catholic Weekly
Divorce rate is declining, but so is rate of marriages
By Francine & Byron Pirola, September 8, 2025
Recently published data on marriage and divorce in Australia have caught media attention: according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the crude divorce rate has dropped to 2.3 per 1,000 residents (2023). Like trends in the USA and other developed nations, it’s been trending downward over the past two decades and is at an all-time low since legal reforms in 1976. On the surface, it feels like a win for stability in our homes and communities, but there is more going on for us to consider. We have to keep in mind that marriage rates are also tumbling. In 2023, the crude marriage rate was 5.5 per 1,000 adults, and it has been trending down since 1970, when it was 13. De facto relationships and cohabitation are on the rise. 83% of couples now live together before tying the knot, compared to just 23% back in 1979. The true rate of relationship breakdowns might not be declining as much as it appears.
Big Pulpit, CNA & ChurchPOP for 9/12/25
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: September 12, 2025
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
Charlie Kirk’s Wife: What We Know About Erika Kirk’s Catholic Faith – Alyssa Murphy
See No Evil: Vatican Response To LGBTQ+ Pilgrimage – Philip F. Lawler, Ph.D.
Pope Leo XIV Jokes About His Election In Front Of The New Bishops – Rome Reports
Miracle?! Minneapolis Catholic School Student Is Now Out Of Critical Condition – Serenity
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — September 12, 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.
Benedictine College launches AI center on Carlo Acutis’ canonization day - Sep 11, 2025 - By Madalaine Elhabbal - “We are excited to dedicate this center under the patronage of St. Carlo Acutis, a model of how Catholics should use new technology thoughtfully but without fear.”
Charlie Kirk before death: ‘I want to be remembered for courage for my faith’ - Sep 11, 2025 - By Tyler Arnold - Just a few months before he was assassinated on Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk said that upon his death, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith,” Kirk answered. “That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith.”
Catholic Church’s new bishops complete formation in Rome - Sep 11, 2025 - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - Every September, the new bishops of the Catholic Church gather in Rome to participate in a formation course.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - September 12, 2025
Bishop Barron Mourns Charlie Kirk in Heartfelt Social Media Post: 'First and Last, a Passionate Christian' - "I know I’m joining millions of people around the world in praying that he rests now in the peace of the Lord.”
Charlie Kirk Declared ‘Christ is Lord’ & 'He Defeated Death,' Just Before Fatal Shooting, Witness Alleges - "One of the last things that Charlie declared before the shot rang out was that ‘Christ is Lord,’ and that ‘He defeated death.’"
'He Felt a Nudge': How the Power of the Rosary Saved a Missing Man's Life - "The man pulled over. Got out of the car. And saved his life...Prayer works. Pray the rosary. The world needs it."
Nutshell reflections for 9/12/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - September 12, 2025
Friday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Aleteia
Is Leo, now 70 years old, a young pope?
By Camille Dalmas, September 12, 2025
Is Leo XIV, who celebrates his 70th birthday on September 14, a “young pope”? Compared to his two predecessors, yes, but no so for others. Francis and Benedict XVI were not yet pontiffs when they passed this milestone. On December 17, 2006, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio celebrated his 70th birthday while Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger celebrated his 70th birthday eight years before his election, in 1997. John Paul II did turn 70 as a pope, and a seasoned one at that. The youngest pope since Pius IX — who was elected at the age of 54 in 1846 — John Paul II celebrated his 70th birthday on May 18, 1990, on the Throne of Peter. He had been pope for nearly 12 years. John Paul I, who died 34 days after his election at the age of 65, is one of the few popes who have not been septuagenarians in the last two centuries, along with Benedict XV (who died at 67), Leo XII (68), and Pius VIII (69).
Aleteia
Bishops call for eradication of ‘pattern of hatreds’
By Christine Rousselle, September 11, 2025
Recent acts of violence in the US are the result of a society that has turned its back on God, human dignity, and the family, said a September 10 statement from Bishop Michael Burbidge. These acts of violence, said the bishop, are "a vicious pattern of hatreds rooted in the rejection of God, of the dignity of the human person, and the sanctity of the family." The bishop of Salt Lake City, Oscar Azarcon Solis, responded with a post shared by the US bishops. “It seems that our society has lost the sense of the sanctity of life, and I pray that our government will undertake appropriate measures to stop these horrible crimes.” High-profile Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, rsaid he first met Kirk a few years ago when he was visiting Phoenix. "He reached out and invited me to breakfast. I was deeply impressed by him that day.” The bishop explained that Kirk was about to appear as "a guest on my interview program, 'Bishop Barron Presents.'"
Word on Fire
‘You can’t hear this … because I don’t want you to hear this’
By Dr. Tod Worner, September 11, 2025
Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world — Robert F. Kennedy, on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. A conservative political activist, Charlie Kirk was an evangelical Christian, husband, and father, he cofounded Turning Point USA, for which he was publicly debating when he was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. Clearly, he was intelligent, passionate, and unafraid to mix it up in the scrum of the public square. it’s not relevant if Charlie was an arch-conservative or an arch-liberal, a devout Catholic or a hard-bitten atheist. What matters is that someone said, “You can’t hear this . . . because I don’t want you to hear this. I am the arbiter of who you listen to, what you consume, and what you discern because I know better than you.” This is the dark spirit of ideologically blinkered protestors who prevent events, intimidate crowds, drown out voices, and murder speakers. And they do this because they believe murder is good for you.
Missio Dei
We may not like everyone, but …
By Grace McCormick, September 12, 2025
This reading from Luke’s Gospel, 6:39-42, can remind us all of the fact that the Church is meant to be a hospital for sinners. None of us are meant to be perfect; in fact, none of us can be perfect, which is exactly why Christ needed to save us from our sins to begin with. If everything was always going well, we wouldn’t need God. Our brokenness reminds us of our need for dependence on our Lord. Our brokenness helps his love shine through. Through our brokenness, we are able to help others see the love of God. When we experience hardships ourselves, we gain knowledge about how to be there for others when they experience similar feelings. God saved humanity from eternal damnation; we may not like everyone we encounter, but we are called to love them.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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