Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 10/20/25
Topics include: The end of US annual hunger report; Myanmar's situation is ‘sadly distressing’; Churches in Mosul reopen; & Typical Church size in America
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Catholic News Agency, Graphs about Religion, OSV, Aleteia, Fides, UCA, CWN, National Catholic Register, & Christian Post. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Catholic News Agency
Administration’s move to end annual hunger report criticized
By Steven Harras, October 20, 2025
The Trump administration’s recent decision to cease publishing an annual U.S. Department of Agriculture report on household food insecurity is being met with strong criticism by the Catholic Health Association of the United States, anti-hunger activists, and academics. The last USDA food insecurity report, covering 2024 data, is set for release Oct. 22. On Sept. 20, the USDA, led by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, announced the termination of future “Household Food Security Reports,” which were first published in 1995 during the administration of then-President Bill Clinton. “These redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous studies do nothing more than fear monger,” the USDA said in a published statement. The USDA questioned the legitimacy of the annual reports, saying food insecurity trends have remained virtually unchanged since 1995, “regardless of an over 87 percent increase in SNAP spending between 2019–2023.”
CRUX
‘Will the Son of Man find faith on earth?’
By Crux Staff, October 19, 2025
“[T]wo temptations test our faith,” Leo said, “the first draws strength from the scandal of evil, leading us to think that God does not hear the cries of the oppressed and has no pity for the innocent who suffer. The second temptation,” Leo said, “is the claim that God must act as we want him to: prayer then gives way to a command to God, to teach him how to be just and effective. When we hear the cries of those in difficulty,” Leo said, “let us ask ourselves, are we witnesses to the Father’s love, as Christ was to all? We see all this in the lives of the new Saints,” Referring to the seven saints the Church canonized on Oct. 19, Leo said, “they are not heroes or champions of some ideal, but authentic men and women.”
Related: Pope Leo XIV Canonizes 7 New Saints, Including First From Venezuela and Papua New Guinea. Courtney Mares/CNA Vatican, National Catholic Register, October 20, 2025
Aleteia
Myanmar's situation is ‘sadly distressing,’ says Pope Leo
By Kathleen N. Hattrup, October 19, 2025
Pope Leo XIV is praying that “instruments of war” give way to “those of peace,” specifically in the country of Myanmar. The country has been in civil war since 2021; however, the government has persecuted the Muslim minority ethnic group of the Rohingya since 2017. Pope Francis made numerous appeals for the plight of these people, often ignored. He visited Myanmar in the autumn of 2017, when that genocide was already underway. A few weeks ago, The Economist described them as the “world’s most persecuted people.” The civil war has brought increased bloodshed recently to the whole of the nation. Myanmar’s military government attacked a candlelight vigil last week, killing dozens. Those at the vigil were celebrating a Buddhist festival of light, while also protesting the regime. The country is supposed to have elections in December, but human rights groups already state that they can’t be fair.
Vatican News
Two historic churches in Mosul reopen their doors
By Joseph Tulloch, October 12, 2025
When ISIS seized power in northern Iraq in 2014, they declared Mosul—Iraq’s second-largest city, built on the ruins of ancient Nineveh—their capital. Holy sites belonging to Iraq’s many minority groups—Christians, Yazidis, and others—were desecrated, and believers forced to flee. When the city was finally liberated in 2017, after a year-long siege, the few residents who returned found their homes destroyed and religious buildings vandalized. What followed was a long, painstaking process of reconstruction, far from straightforward and still far from complete. Yet yesterday, Wednesday 15th October, marked a significant milestone in the process, with the inauguration of two restored historic churches in the heart of Mosul’s Old City. “These churches are our roots, our history,” Patriarch Louis Raphaël Sako, the head of Iraq’s Chaldean Church, told journalists. “We need to keep them alive.”
The Pillar
Protection of Minors Commission: Global child protection report
By Luke Coppen, October 16, 2025
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) released its second annual global child protection report Thursday, underlining the need for reparations, sanctions for abusers, and clear communication when bishops resign after mishandling cases. PCPM members believe the publication of the first annual report marked a breakthrough in the worldwide struggle against abuse in the Catholic Church. The second report is twice the length but has the same structure as the pilot study, with four sections, focusing respectively on local Churches, continental blocs, the Roman curia, and the Church’s wider child protection efforts. Like its predecessor, the new report employs diplomatic language. But it arguably offers an even sharper critique of the state of safeguarding in the Church today. The report suggests that the Church often leaves victims uncertain about whether their abusers and those who covered up for them have been held to account.
Our Sunday Visitor
How we think about marriage needs to change
By Cristina D’Averso-Collins, October 15, 2025
Peak wedding season is now upon us, and we all must prepare to face our culture’s image of the marriage ideal. In fact, the phrase “the perfect” often precedes every noun associated with weddings, from the “perfect proposal” to the “perfect dress” to the “perfect honeymoon.” Few couples escape this mindset. We are all products of our cultural ethos in one sense or another, and many of us grapple with this reality. An encouraging development within the Church has been the introduction of the Marriage Catechumenate based on the document “Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life.” In addition to calling for the conversion of the traditional pre-Cana process to a mentor couple model, the document also highlights the need for greater “remote preparation” for marriage. The whole of one’s life before engagement is the most crucial time for character formation, and this is the time when habit formation leads to either virtue or vice.
Graphs about Religion
How big is the ‘typical Church in America?
By Ryan Burge, October 16, 2025
I found that in Arkansas, there’s a church congregation for every 407 people, but in Nevada, it’s 2,042 people per house of worship. Generally speaking, the ratios are low in the South and much higher on the West Coast. First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon, Illinois, had a total membership of about 30 folks when we decided to close in July 2024. Our average Sunday attendance hovered around 10–12 in the months leading up to our last service. When I attend Mass with my wife at St. Mary’s, I’m certain their congregation has a couple of thousand folks on the membership rolls. The Southern Baptist Convention reported 51,000 churches, by far the highest of any group. The only other tradition that even comes close is non-denominational churches, at 44,319. Catholics come in fourth with 19,405. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not far behind the Catholics, with 14,567 churches. It seems possible that in the coming decades the LDS could surpass Catholics in the number of congregations.
National Catholic Register
Should certain hymns be banned at Mass?
By Tessa Gervasini/CNA, October 18, 2025
Several hymns were temporarily banned last year in the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, after being found “to be insufficient in sound doctrine,” with the action raising questions about what music is allowed at the Holy Mass. In a special report for the Oct. 17, 2025, edition of EWTN News In Depth, correspondent Mark Irons explored the subject. Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who implemented the brief ban, told Irons: “I would hope everybody else learns from my mistake.” The controversial ban in question encompassed 12 songs in total, including the popular hymns I Am the Bread of Life and All Are Welcome. Archbishop McKnight said the decree was implemented too quickly and without enough discussion among Catholics in the diocese. The USCCB’s 2020 “Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church: An Aid for Evaluating Hymn Lyrics” was created to make sure Mass hymns are in conformity with Catholic doctrine.
CatholicVote
Baptist ethicist challenges Christian acceptance of contraception
By Annie Ferguson, October 20, 2025
In a culture saturated with contraceptive messaging, one Baptist ethicist is encouraging Christians to reflect more deeply on the morality of birth control. “It’s things like hormonal contraception,” Evan Lenow, associate professor at Mississippi College and director of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Clinton, Mississippi, recently told Baptist Press. “The students say, ‘I didn’t even think there was even an issue to be considered here.’” While students recognize abortion as morally wrong, they rarely consider the ethical implications of preventing pregnancy within marriage. Lenow argues that believers should reexamine assumptions about family planning. “What I want to prevent from happening is just a wholesale acceptance [of the notion] that everyone should use contraception until they feel like now is the right time to have the 2.1 children we’re going to have,” he said.
CNA, UCA, and CNW News for 10/20/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — October 20, 2025
The Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, and up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the happenings of the Holy See to anyone with internet access.
New Catholic sports coaching program focuses on mind, body, and soul - Oct 20, 2025 - By Kate Quiñones - Catholic counselor and athlete Rachael Popcak Isaac has launched the Faith-Based Success and Performance Coaching Program through CatholicCounselors.com.
Children from African countries pray the rosary ‘for the first time’ in global campaign - Oct 19, 2025 - By Agnes Aineah - Children from across Africa joined their peers in the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign held on Oct. 7.
Poll finds revival of interest in religion in Northern Ireland among young people - Oct 19, 2025 - By Patrick J. Passmore - The youngest age group polled, 18- to 24-year-olds, now say they are more likely to have a “very positive” attitude of Christianity (30% vs. only 4% with a “very negative” view) than any other age group, even those over 65.
UCA News
The Union of Catholic Asian World News - 10/20/25
UCA News (UCAN) is the leading independent Catholic media service from Asia, with a convergent media approach that couples traditional journalistic practices with multimedia and social media
Vatican’s messages to Hindus remain like ‘bottles thrown into the sea’ - October 20, 2025 - The Vatican’s customary messages to Hindus on their major Diwali festival are “bottles thrown into the sea” as they get lost along the way, says Paris Foreign Missions (MEP) Father Yann Vagneux, who has lived in India since 2012.
Indian film claiming Taj Mahal originally a Hindu temple causes stir - October 20, 2025 - Such controversies undermine India’s image as a diverse and inclusive society, say critics. The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan in memory of his queen, Mumtaj Mahal, according to India’s official recorded history.
Indonesian minister draws flak for downplaying child abuse in Islamic schools - October 20, 2025 - Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar said the media exaggerated what was ‘only a small number.’ A 2024 report by the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) found that 20% of the 573 recorded sexual violence victims in educational institutions came from Islamic boarding schools.
Catholic World News
CatholicCulture.org from Trinity Communications
Catholic World News (CWN) is an independent Catholic news service staffed by lay Catholic journalists, dedicated to providing accurate global news from a distinctly Catholic perspective.
Washington will not enforce law on seal of Confession and abuse - Following a court ruling, the State of Washington’s attorney general said he has agreed “not to enforce reporting requirements for information clergy learn solely through confession or its equivalent in other faiths.” In May, the state enacted a law requiring priests to report information about child abuse, even if it is given in a sacramental confession.
Caritas calls for immediate humanitarian access to Gaza, prosecution of war crimes - Caritas Internationalis, the Church’s federation of relief and development agencies, called for “immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access” to Gaza, as well as “full accountability for all perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity before national and international courts.”
Pope to receive King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Vatican - King Charles III and Queen Camilla will take part in an official state visit to the Vatican on October 23. The visit—postponed from April—will focus on the unity of Christians and care for the environment. Pope Leo and the Anglican archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will lead an ecumenical prayer service for the care of creation in the Sistine Chapel.
Nutshell reflections for 10/20/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - October 20, 2025
Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Our Sunday Visitor
The challenges of Jesus’ parables
By Deacon Greg Kandra, October 20, 2025
Over the last several weeks, as St. Luke’s Gospel has unfolded in our Sunday readings, some of us may have been reminded of a famous line from one of the first episodes of “The Chosen,” when the shocked apostles have a hard time accepting the way Jesus does things. “That’s different,” someone says. He responds simply, “Get used to different.” The quote isn’t remotely biblical, but it sums up what we have been hearing in Luke. Jesus broke the rules and shattered the status quo. We see it again in this week’s Gospel. If anyone around Galilee had been following Jesus, they knew that this itinerant preacher had a knack for telling a story. He knew how to throw in a few unexpected twists — the outcome was often a shock. Again and again, Jesus challenged people to discover that things aren’t always what they seem. Samaritans can be good; prodigal sons can be loved and welcomed home; and — as we hear this Sunday — even tax collectors can be saved.
National Catholic Register
Why Saint John Henry Newman is the newest Doctor of the Church
By Amy Smith, October 20, 2025
In 2013, Melissa Villalobos’ heartfelt prayer amid dire pregnancy complications, marked by severe bleeding — “Please, Cardinal Newman, make the bleeding stop” — prompted the miracle that made St. John Henry Newman a saint. That prayer stopped her bleeding instantly; the mother and her unborn daughter, Gemma, were saved through Newman’s intercession. The Chicago area family’s devotion has only grown since that blessed day. Gemma remains healthy. After Gemma, aptly named John Henry was born in 2016, with Blaise following in 2019 — to bring seven children into Melissa and David’s family. She and her family have remained devoted to him. They began fervently praying for his canonization, which they witnessed in 2019. As the official proclamation of Newman as a doctor of the Church approaches, with excitement, she hopes that other faithful will “seek his guidance to grow in their faith.”
George Weigel
A reminder of God’s harsh and dreadful love
By George Weigel, April 14, 2021
It will be well to keep Easter confidence and hope in mind if, as may be happening, Catholicism is entering a new “Humanae Vitae moment”—a moment in which public dissent from authoritative teaching about ancient and settled Catholic truth tears new wounds in the Mystical Body of Christ. In 1968, dissenting bishops and theologians said, more or less openly, that Paul VI got it wrong theologically in affirming the Church’s ethic of human love: that the natural rhythms of biology are the morally appropriate way to regulate fertility. In 2021, dissident bishops and theologians claimed that not blessing same-sex unions liturgically because those relationships are “intrinsically disordered” (as the Catechism puts it) is insensitive, inhospitable, hurtful, and coldly abstract. “Progressive” Catholicism seems to have forgotten Dorothy Day’s claim that divine love is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.
The Christian Post
Will the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire hold?
By Tony Perkins, October 20, 2025
Much of the last two years has indeed been historic. The geopolitical landscape of the Middle East has shifted dramatically as Israel waged one of its most protracted and costly conflicts since its founding in 1948. Yet the causes of this war are anything but new. Each of 20 conflicts since 1987 has ended with a ceasefire or peace agreement — brief seasons of calm that ultimately gave way to renewed hostility. History and Scripture alike remind us why these peace accords are fragile and provisional. Still, the pursuit of peace remains both right and necessary. Scripture calls us to it. Psalm 122:6 instructs, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Our prayers and our policies should follow that call. True and lasting peace will come only when the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, reigns over all. Until then, Israel — and the world — must seek a managed peace, grounded not in illusion, but in faith, strength, and the assurance of God’s enduring plans and promises.
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