Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 12/22/25
Topics include: Vatican employees should stay on ‘mission’; Online Christian influencers; Christmas not a moveable feast like Easter; & CEO buys closed Aspen Monastery
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Crux, Graphs about Religion, Aleteia, Fides, UCA, Catholic Culture, & Catholic News Agency. (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
Pope calls for Vatican employees to stay on ‘mission’
By Angela Ambrogetti, December 22, 2025
Pope Leo XIV on Monday called on officials of the Roman Curia to deepen both mission and communion, urging Vatican offices to be “more mission-oriented” and cautioning against the “forces of division” that can take root even “beneath an apparent calm.” He insisted that ecclesial structures should serve evangelization rather than slow it down. “Structures must not weigh down or slow the progress of the Gospel or hinder the dynamism of evangelization; instead, we must ‘make them more mission-oriented,’” he said. The pope warned that communion within the Church requires ongoing conversion, especially when tensions arise in workplaces and debates about doctrine and practice. Such patterns, he said, can lead to “rigidity or ideology” and the conflicts that follow. The pope acknowledged that long years of service can leave some Vatican employees disheartened by workplace dynamics, including “the exercise of power,” “the desire to prevail,” or “the pursuit of personal interests.”
Related: OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Appeal of ‘Catholic Mission’: “No” to destructive violence and hatred in society, Agenzia Fides, Monday, 15 December 2025
CRUX
Online Christian influencers have a positive effect on young
By Charlotte Kramon, AP, December 21, 2025
Millennial and Generation Z Christian influencers are increasingly filling a void in American religion, growing audiences across digital platforms by steering young people to biblical answers to tough questions that aren’t always answered in Sunday sermons. “I can be that in-between — Monday to Saturday help — to give you practical things to make you feel like you’re not walking this walk alone,” said Megan Ashley, 35, sitting cross-legged in sweats on the couch where she records her “In Totality” podcast. From myriad backgrounds, these influencers talk candidly to their listeners about everything from anxieties and doubts to dating and culture, delving into the Bible’s complexities. Those of faith say Christian influencers are galvanizing young people seeking meaning in a culture that lacks it, at a time when years of declining church attendance have slowed. “What they’re making accessible is a truth that transforms people,” said Lecrae Moore, a Christian rapper and podcaster. “There’s something that’s happening existentially — supernaturally — that I can’t explain.”
Aleteia
Christmas not a moveable feast like Easter
By Philip Kosloski, December 22, 2025
For Christians, the two most significant celebrations of the year are Christmas and Easter. Everything else revolves around those two feasts, as they recall the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet, these two feasts are celebrated very differently. Jesus’ resurrection is remembered on a different calendar day each year, as it always occurs on a Sunday and follows the Jewish calculation of Passover. Jesus’ birth, on the other hand, was fixed on the calendar to December 25. It is on a different day of the week every year, but its calendar date is not moved at all. Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday. This detail was explicitly mentioned in the Bible: Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre (Matthew 28:1). When it comes to Christmas, the Bible is silent as to the specific day of the week. We don't precisely know when Jesus was born.
Agenzia Fides
Moscow hosts a conference on relations with the Holy See
By Agenzia Fides, December 19, 2025
On December 16, the conference entitled “Italy, Vatican, Catholicism: 19th-21st Centuries” was held in Moscow at the Institute of Scientific Information of Social Sciences (INION) of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The event, the seventh meeting of the Association of Italianists of Russia, featured 14 presentations: 11 by Russian scholars and 3 by Italian scholars. “It is not possible to study Italy, its history, its language, and its culture without knowing the history of the Papal State, the Vatican, the relations between Italy and the Holy See, as well as contemporary Catholicism,” Valerij P. Ljubin, senior researcher at INION, internationally renowned historian, and president of the Association, told Fides. Currently, around 150 scholars and amateurs receive updates on scheduled events. In the words of President Ljubin, it remains essential to encourage ongoing exchange among scholars: “Science must be international; otherwise, it is not science. We must continue to forge constructive relationships among ourselves, especially today.”
The Pillar
USCCB to consider building sale amid financial realities
By The Pillar, December 19, 2025
The U.S. bishops’ conference is at the start of a restructuring process that could see its Washington, D.C. headquarters sold or leased, as the conference faces ongoing financial challenges and a recent round of layoffs. While conference leaders say that USCCB finances are healthy, the task force approaches its work after a significant loss of federal funds and personnel cuts across several departments in recent years. “Restructuring” of the departments Checchio mentioned has led to dozens of layoffs in recent years, with at least 50 occurring this year, amid a federal cessation of refugee resettlement funds administered by the conference. The restructuring and belt-tightening come amid a period of change already underway at the bishops’ conference, said Archbishop Bernard Hebda, who succeeded Checchio as treasurer in November. “In recent years, COVID changed the way the conference operates, allowing more remote work to be done.”
Zenit
U.S. military moves to reclaim chaplain’s spiritual leadership
By Tim Daniels, December 21, 2025
In a decisive move that could reshape the moral and spiritual landscape of the U.S. armed forces, Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth has announced a comprehensive reform of the Army Chaplain Corps in response to what he described as the erosion of the chaplains’ historic role in the military. “Faith and virtue have been replaced by self-help and self-care,” he said. “In an environment dominated by political correctness and secular humanism, chaplains have been minimized rather than empowered.” The announcement singled out the current Army Spiritual Fitness Guide for criticism. “The guide’s approach ironically alienates the 82% of service members who identify as religious,” Hegseth noted. “It is unacceptable and undermines the mission of the Chaplain Corps. We are discarding it.” Hegseth emphasized that chaplains are to be recognized primarily as spiritual leaders, not merely counselors. The reforms, he said, are intended to restore chaplains’ authority to guide their congregations — soldiers — with freedom and courage.
Graphs about Religion
Most who work in ‘Religious Organizations’ are Republicans
By Ryan Burge, December 22, 2025
The partisan lean is a straightforward calculation—it’s just the Republican share minus the Democratic share in each industry. Is anyone shocked that people who work in higher education are 32% more Democratic than Republican? One large industry sector has zero lean at all—and that is real estate agents. People who worked for religious organizations are clearly the only group to the right of center. Among those employed in this sector, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by seven percentage points. Right behind them are people who work in commercial construction and real estate appraisal. The next two on the list are insurance brokers and real estate agents. I don’t think the vast majority of people who work in religious organizations are focused on economic issues—I guess that they’re more concerned with topics like abortion, same-sex marriage, and other questions of morality. These groups aren’t at all alike on many issues, yet they still support the same candidates.
University of Notre Dame
Heart speaks to heart: Science and scripture agree
By Donald DeMarco, December 19, 2025
The heart is cited more than 1,000 times in the Bible. It refers to the inner self, the seat of emotions, will, and moral character. By no means does it refer to a physical organ. Scientists, despite their preoccupation with observation and experimentation, can, indeed, appreciate the importance of the heart. “Few are those,” said Albert Einstein, “who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.” Dr. Rollin McCraty, author of Science of the Heart: Exploring the Role of the Heart in Human Performance, claims that the heart sends more messages to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. Then, there are men of science who are tireless in their search for the beginning of the universe but interrupt their search for the beginning of life for purely political reasons. Philosophy began when philosophers sought the beginning of things on a material level. Religions began when people sought the beginning of things on a spiritual level. Civilization had a long and arduous beginning.
New York Post
Palantir CEO buys the closed 3,700-acre monastery near Aspen
By Mary K. Jacob, December 17, 2025
A former monastery tucked into the mountains outside Aspen has quietly set a price record, as Palantir Technologies co-founder and chief executive Alex Karp paid about $120 million for the vast Snowmass property. The roughly 3,700-acre estate, known as St. Benedict’s Monastery, sits about 30 minutes from Aspen and was owned for approximately seven decades by an order of Trappist monks. The main monastery building, dating to the 1950s, spans about 24,000 square feet and features arched windows and architectural details inspired by a 12th-century Cistercian abbey. A roughly 6,000-square-foot retreat center was added in the 1990s using reclaimed timber and local stone. Scattered across the land are early-1900s houses, cabins, barns, and outbuildings, while much of the acreage remains undeveloped and is bordered by national forest, with multiple creeks running through it.
Related: Old Snowmass monastery announces date of last Mass, Kaya Williams, Aspen Daily News, Dec 15, 2025
CNA, UCA, and CW News for 12/22/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — December 22, 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.
Church in Jordan reopens as a rare window into pre-Constantinian Christianity - Dec 21, 2025 - By ACI MENA - In Aqaba, Jordan, an archaeological church site is being highlighted as one of the world’s oldest purpose-built Christian worship spaces.
St. Francis and the story of the first Nativity scene - Dec 21, 2025 - By Hannah Brockhaus - One of the world’s most beloved saints, St. Francis of Assisi, loved Christmas so much that he created the first-ever Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy, in 1223.
San Diego bishop dedicates sculpture honoring migrants and refugees at college campus - Dec 19, 2025 - By Jim Graves - The 8-foot-tall bronze sculpture by artist Timothy Schmalz is a scaled version of one in St. Peter’s Square in Rome commissioned by Pope Francis in 2019 and depicts 140 migrants of varying backgrounds on board a boat with a pair of angel wings in their midst.
UCA News
The Union of Catholic Asian World News - 12/22/25
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
Philippine ‘flood control queen,’ others to face trial for graft - December 22, 2025 - Nation was rocked by an investigative report that exposed a multi-million-dollar ‘ghost’ flood projects scam in August. Discaya, a co-owner of St. Gerrad Construction Corporation, was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Pasig City on Dec. 18 along with eight other suspects.
Church leaders welcome Indian state’s anti-hate speech law - December 22, 2025 - Christians say Hindu groups use hate speech as an electoral weapon, targeting Christians and Muslims.
Israel urges Jews worldwide to move home - December 22, 2025 - A week after the Sydney attack, it warned that rising antisemitism is making life unsafe abroad. "Jews have the right to live in safety everywhere. But we see and fully understand what is happening, and we have a certain historical experience. Today, Jews are being hunted across the world."
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.
Jerusalem cardinal visits Gaza, vows to rebuild - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem concluded a three-day pastoral visit yesterday and promised to rebuild. “We will rebuild—our schools, our houses, and our life,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, said at Gaza’s sole Catholic parish on the first day of his visit. Later during the visit, he celebrated Mass and preached: “We are in a very difficult situation, like many others throughout Gaza. But now we are in a new phase. We are called not only to survive, but to rebuild life.”
Vatican newspaper shines spotlight on ‘forgotten’ refugees fleeing Sudan - The Vatican newspaper devoted the most prominent front-page article in its December 19 edition to what charitable organizations have described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis: the plight of refugees fleeing the Sudanese civil war. In “Accanto ai dimenticati del Sudan.“
Pope, in phone call with Israeli president, reiterates Church’s condemnation of anti-Semitism - President Isaac Herzog of Israel called Pope Leo XIV on the afternoon of December 17 to extend his Christmas greetings. During the call, which took place three days after the Bondi Beach shooting, Pope Leo reiterated the Catholic Church’s firm condemnation of all forms of antisemitism.
Nutshell reflections for 12/22/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - December 22, 2025
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Word on Fire
When machines take the work, what happens to the soul?
By Sebastian Barros, December 17, 2025
Something decisive has shifted in the last twenty-four months. The world’s largest technology companies are entering a wave of labor reductions unmatched in recent memory. Meta announced more than 11,000 cuts in a single round in late 2022, the largest in its history. Amazon has eliminated roughly 27,000 roles across its corporate divisions since 2022. Alphabet eliminated about 12,000 positions in a single major restructuring round. Microsoft followed with about 10,000 cuts across engineering, cloud, and gaming. Salesforce eliminated more than 8,000 roles as part of a broad reset. Cisco reported more than 4,000 cuts. According to layoff trackers, Intel removed more than 15,000 roles in 2024 alone. Even companies that reported solid revenue or rising margins continued to narrow their workforces. Past technological revolutions replaced human strength. This one reaches into cognition and presence. It touches the very capacities that allow humans to contribute, create, and build.
Dominicana
Through loving humility, we find our way back to you
By Br. John David Corwin, O.P., December 4, 2025
On his journey to understanding God, he recounts the many dead-end loves of his life. He squanders his time for delight in games and shows; he panders to competition judges for honors; the reputation of friends induces him to lie and deceive; greed and ambition cause him to sell his talents. These loves toss and fling Augustine about for years. Chasing new and changing loves ever, he meets only with sadness and unfulfilled desire. His insatiable concupiscence has lured him into a pitiable misery. “[Casting] about for something to love, in love with loving,” Augustine knows not how to love, even if he knew what to love (Confessions III.1). Augustine tells us: “Yet through loving humility we find our way back to you . . . provided only we no longer defy you in the arrogance of a spurious freedom . . . loving some advantage of our own better than yourself, who are the good of all” (Confessions III.8, 16).
Omnes
Are you feeling guilty for living well?
By Almudena Rivadulla Durán, December 20, 2025
As I prepare for Christmas and look for a good butcher shop to buy a nice turkey, I think about all this and find it hard to fully understand. The poor, for me, tend to be too abstract a concept, and I wonder if I don't understand the Popes well or if I lack compassion. I get caught up thinking about how to fulfill my family obligations while also taking care of those most in need, as so many saints did. The poor and the sick are protagonists in the Gospel. What is it about them that merits this divine predilection? It is pure necessity. And that predilection teaches me something decisive: life and dependence are equivalent; they are the same reality. Life does not begin when dependence is resolved. The sick and the poor represent extreme forms of dependence, and now, at Christmas, so does God himself, who will live that way until the end. It is not about feeling guilty for living well or romanticizing poverty. It is to understand that poverty is something more than a social group; it is the bonds of the heart.
Bishop Barron Reflections
The key to understanding everything about Mary
By Bishop Robert Barron, December 22, 2025
The Magnificat hymn commences with the simple declaration “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” Mary announces here that her whole being is ordered to the glorification of God. Her ego wants nothing for itself; it wants only to be an occasion for giving honor to God. But since God needs nothing, whatever glory Mary gives to him returns to her benefit, so that she is magnified in the very act of magnifying him. In giving herself away fully to God, Mary becomes a superabundant source of life; indeed, she becomes pregnant with God. This odd and wonderful rhythm of magnifying and being magnified is the key to understanding everything about Mary, from her divine motherhood to her assumption and immaculate conception to her mission in the life of the Church.
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