Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 9/5/25
Topics include: Syriac Catholic archpriest attacked; Bolivian court convicts Jesuit superiors; Couple reunited during annulment; & What is RFK, Jr. up to?
Fridays, "Living that coconut kinda life."
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, Catholic News Agency, 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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Catholic News Agency
Syriac Catholic archpriest attacked in Syria
By Madalaine Elhabbal, September 5, 2025
Tensions in Syria deepened this week after a brutal assault on Archpriest Michel Naaman of the Syriac Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Homs. Returning home one evening, Naaman was ambushed by two masked men who beat him, threatened him at gunpoint, and stripped him of his gold cross and cash, ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported Thursday. The attack is part of a troubling pattern of insecurity hitting Christian communities across Syria. In recent months, robberies, kidnappings, and even attacks on churches have become increasingly common in Homs, Aleppo, and beyond. For many, the assault on Naaman is another chilling reminder of the dangers Christians still face in a country fractured by war and lawlessness.
The Pillar
Bolivian court convicts Jesuit superiors over cover-up
By Edgar Beltrán, September 3, 2025
A Bolivian court sentenced two Jesuit priests on Sept. 2 to one year in prison for covering up the abuse of disgraced Fr. Alfonso Pedrajas, SJ. Pedrajas was accused of abusing at least 85 boys during his time in Bolivia and left a diary attesting to his crimes. The priests convicted of covering up abuse, Fr. Marcos Recolons SJ and Fr. Ramón Alaix SJ, served as provincials of the Society of Jesus in Bolivia from 1993-1999 and 1999-2007, respectively. Pedrajas, who died in 2009, spent much of his ministry in Bolivia, including running a school for boys from poor rural families. Recolons also served as councilor general of the Society of Jesus in Rome between 2004 and 2012. Despite the one-year jail sentences imposed by the court, however, neither Alaix nor Recolons is likely to spend actual time in prison, as Bolivia applies an automatic commutation to most sentences of less than three years in jail.
CatholicVote
What is RFK, Jr. up to, and what should Catholics know?
By Kelsey Reinhardt, September 5, 2025
In a story that received little coverage last week, Secretary Kennedy openly questioned a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list of “accomplishments,” which he pointed out included the celebration of abortion. He also raised long-overdue concerns about fluoridation in water and the safety of widely mandated vaccines. What makes this moment so full of promise is Kennedy’s willingness to challenge the corrosive assumption that pregnancy is a disease to be “managed” rather than a gift to be safeguarded. An important issue in this regard is protocol and safety surrounding the abortion drug, Mifepristone. In an exchange with Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today on Capitol Hill, Secretary Kennedy noted that new data is being received and is being taken into account. He also stressed the need for maintaining high standards. “We know that during the Biden administration, they actually twisted the data to bury one of the safety signals, a very high safety signal.”
National Catholic Register
King Charles III first monarch to visit Newman’s Birmingham Oratory
By Edward Pentin, September 4, 2025
King Charles III was “very engaged, very interested” and “exceedingly kind” when on Wednesday he toured the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, becoming the first English monarch to visit the priestly community St. John Henry Newman established there in 1848. The provost of the Birmingham Oratory, Oratorian Father Ignatius Harrison, said it was a very brief but joyful visit that was on “His Majesty’s own initiative.” Father Harrison and Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham accompanied him on a tour through the sacred buildings that include a church, a shrine containing relics of Newman, the sacristy housing his vestments, and the English saint’s library and study. A former Anglican clergyman, St. John Henry Newman was a theologian, academic, and writer who was received into the Catholic Church in 1845 and elevated to cardinal in 1879.
Aleteia
Couple reunited during annulment: Now happily married
By Majo Frias, September 5, 2025
Joaquín and Karina began their journey as spouses at a very young age; she was 20 and he was 24. After eight years together, they decided to separate and begin the process of annulment. Karina tells Aleteia that they felt a lot of love and friendship for each other when they first decided to get married. However, they also bore very deep inner wounds that needed to be healed. “We hid behind fun and alcohol,” she says. “We had no idea what the commitment of marriage really meant. Our unhealed wounds began to clash, and without a living relationship with God, without that personal work, we simply couldn't sustain ourselves.” However, before signing their annulment, they had a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit. Guided by God, they decided to seek sacramental marriage. Today, their married life is completely different. “If there’s no deep encounter with Him, if the inner wounds aren’t healed with His light, it’s very difficult to sustain a healthy and true relationship.”
Agenzia Fides
Catholic rectors support deadly student protests in Jakarta
By Agenzia Fides, September 4, 2025
Representatives of student movements, workers, and civil society groups protested the Parliament building in the capital, Jakarta. A coalition of student associations known as "Bem Si" declared that the focus of the protest was "corruption and the politicization of the law." An open letter from the rectors and presidents of Indonesian Catholic universities, all members of the Association of Catholic Universities (APTIK), analyzes the political and social situation and warns of the danger of a serious split between politics and civil society. In the letter, sent to Fides, 28 rectors of Catholic academic institutions write: "We are aware that Indonesia is currently experiencing a wave of uncertainty due to global geopolitical and economic turmoil. This situation has impacted the national economy.” After a week of protests in various cities — ten dead, over a thousand injured, three thousand arrested throughout the archipelago — President Prabowo Subianto declared that the army and police had resisted the violence of the masses, behind whom "traitors and terrorists" hide.
CRUX
Crowdfunding campaign for movie about Our Lady of Aparecida
By Eduardo Campos Lima, September 5, 2025
Producers have been campaigning online to collect donations to shoot the first movie about the story of Brazil’s patroness and major popular devotion, Our Lady of Aparecida. The creators hope to raise at least part of their financial goal among devotees of the Virgin and enthusiasts of the project, which involves top Brazilian actors, although they know that it’s not an easy task to do so in the South American country. The movie Aparecida will tell a complete story of the devotion, from the context in which the 14-inch-high clay sculpture was found in 1717 to its crowning by Princess Isabel in 1888, “which is an untold story till now,” producer Isaac Raitz told Crux. The producers' project is to create a high-quality movie with a substantial budget — approximately $5.5 million — in accordance with Brazilian cinematographic standards.
Our Sunday Visitor
Spiritual bouquet: Prayer aspirations for each flower
By Zoey Maraist, September 4, 2025
For each day of one spiritual bouquet she made, St. Thérèse of Lisieux paired a flower with a prayer. Beneath the name of every white bloom — white rose, white iris, daisy, lily, and jasmine — she wrote a little “aspiration.” “My God, I believe in you, I hope in you, I love you with all my heart,” said one. “O Jesus, I only want to taste joy in you alone,” said another. Then she presented the little booklet to Sister Marie-Madeleine, a nun in her Carmelite convent who was preparing to take her perpetual vows. Creating spiritual bouquets, such as the one crafted by St. Thérèse over 100 years ago, is a time-honored devotion that can take many forms. Often, an individual or group of people will offer prayers and sacrifices on behalf of someone or something. The collected prayers might be listed on a card or accompanied by flowers. They are typically given on a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, or when the recipient is facing some hardship.
Big Pulpit, CNA & ChurchPOP for 9/5/25
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: September 5, 2025
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
More Bad News From Charlotte – Fr. Z’s Blog
Cardinal McElroy Asks Vatican to Laicize Whistleblower Priest – Complicit Clergy
When the Laity Must Uphold the Faith Against Bishops – Jesse Romero at Full Sheen Ahead
Shifting The Episcopal Paradigm – Philip F. Lawler, Ph.D., at Catholic Culture
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — September 5, 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.
Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati: Church’s young, ‘ordinary’ holy patrons - Sep 5, 2025 - By Kristina Millare - The canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati will be a crucial step in a decades-long effort to attract young people to the faith.
Trump immigration policies spark fear and faith at Spanish Catholic Masses - Sep 5, 2025 - By Amira Abuzeid - Changes to immigration policies by the Trump administration has led what some Catholic dioceses are calling “terror” to take hold.
Pope Leo XIV discusses Gaza, 2-state solution with Israeli president - Sep 4, 2025 - By Hannah Brockhaus - Pope Leo XIV discussed the conflict in Gaza, including a two-state solution, with Israel President Isaac Herzog in a private meeting.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - September 5, 2025
This 'Seals the Deal': What Made This Revert Come Back to the Catholic Church - “If you’re thinking about becoming Catholic, I want to give you one thing that to me seals the deal..."
Banners Unveiled at St. Peter’s Basilica for Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati Canonizations - The official banners honoring Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati have been unveiled on the massive façade of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
App Identifies Blessed Sacrament as a Person: ‘Even AI Knows Jesus Is Alive’ - "As you can see, the little icon shows that there’s a person there."
Nutshell reflections for 9/5/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - September 5, 2025
Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Aleteia
A vampire fiction that leads to deeper truths about redemption
By Lucia Rodríguez, September 5, 2025
What if vampire fiction could lead us to deeper truths about redemption? Sr. Allison Regina Gliot's debut novel, The Curse He Chose, first of the In Aeternum series, dares to ask this question. The story opens with familiar young adult themes: Elizabeth faces an uncertain future while her friends head to college. But her mundane worries quickly evaporate when she becomes entangled in a violent confrontation between vampires. She finds herself thrust into a dark world filled with seemingly irredeemable creatures and sinister plots. Elizabeth is left dependent on Christopher’s confusing protection and her own faith in God. Together, the two of them must navigate both external threats from other vampires and their own internal struggles. Don't let the vampire premise fool you — this is ultimately a story about grace, and it might just change how you see both monsters and saints.
Crisis Magazine
What conclusion are we as Catholics supposed to draw?
By Fr. Mario Alexis Portella, September 5, 2025
The Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyov (1853-1900), who Pope John Paul II praised for establishing “a fruitful relationship between philosophy and the word of God” and who, in his epic work Russia and the Universal Church displayed an unequivocal profession of faith in the Catholic doctrine of the Roman primacy, said: Christianity, if we really accept it as an absolute truth, must be put into practice in all affairs and relationships of life. There cannot be two supreme principles of life. This is the religious and moral axiom: one cannot serve two masters. There may be those who say that this “supreme or first principle” is limited to religion and thus cannot be expected from someone who is not Catholic, for we all, as human beings, have our own opinions. Yet, Church teaching is not subjective, and thus one cannot claim to be ignorant of the universal concept of truth since the natural law dictates it.
Word on Fire
The lost art of Catholic cinema
By Dr. Daniel McInerny, September 5, 2025
Evelyn Waugh was a great lover of the cinema and a perceptive critic of the art. His fiction was much influenced by the cinema as well, as can be seen in the “cinematic” montage technique he often employed of cutting quickly and without comment from one brief scene to the next. In “The Lost Art of Cinema,” written around 1930, the year of his conversion, Waugh lamented the rise of the “talkies,” not because he was against talking films but because he feared they would lead—as they have almost entirely succeeded in doing—to the elimination of the silent film. Waugh treasured silent films because they showcased what he perceived as most essential to the cinema: what he calls “the art of moving shapes about.” Similarly to the way talkies unwittingly helped make the art of the silent film nearly obsolete, so too the present, almost exclusive, emphasis by Catholic and other Christian filmmakers on stories drawn from Scripture and the lives of the saints is unwittingly—I stress unwittingly—helping to make different kinds of stories nearly obsolete.
Missio Dei
We need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable
By Grace McCormick, September 5, 2025
The Gospel today begins with the Pharisees having noticed the disciples of Jesus acting differently than the rest; instead of fasting, they are eating and drinking. Right away, we can take away from this that, as followers of Christ, we are meant to be set apart. We were not made to live according to the norms that society around us has set; instead, we are called to leave all else behind in pursuit of our Lord. When others think of us, they should know we are Christians because of the love we show. When we follow Jesus, we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We need not be satisfied any longer with what the world has to offer us in our comfort. If we are to adhere to the ways of the Lord, we need to get comfortable with denying ourselves in pursuit of a transformed life.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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