Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 2/16/26
Topics include: Conservatives are having the babies; Catholic moment is unfolding; Filipino bishops urge digital media fast; & SSPX controversy threw 'a hand grenade’
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Crux, Graphs about Religion, Aleteia, Zeale News, OSV News, Catholic Culture, & EWTN News. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Zeale News
Conservatives are more likely than liberals to have children
By Hannah Hiester, February 14, 2026
In a world where countries’ birth rates are consistently falling to depths well below the replacement level — and where conservatives are more likely than liberals to have children — the global future may be marked by a trend toward traditional values, according to a political analyst. Michael Barone wrote in a Feb. 13 op-ed for the North State Journal that, though plunging birth rates are a worldwide phenomenon, analyses of U.S. fertility patterns provide an image that can be extrapolated to other countries. The U.S. had a total fertility rate of approximately 1.79 births per woman in 2025. Over the course of the 2020s, conservatives are estimated to have a birth rate of about 2.4 — above the 2.1 replacement level — while liberals’ rate is about 1.8. Fertility rates have fallen sharply across Europe, East Asia, and parts of Latin America, with countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand reporting extremely low birth rates. In 1980, both ideologies had fertility rates of 2.7.
CRUX
Rubio’s US-Europe speech; Catholic moment is unfolding
By Charles Collins, February 16, 2026
A recent speech by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on U.S. relations with NATO served as a subtle signal to voters and Republican party leaders ahead of the 2028 presidential election about the real political issues at stake in the November 2026 midterm elections. The recent strains within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) parallel recent developments in the Vatican's stance toward the alliance and help show how the “Catholic moment” in U.S. politics is unfolding. At the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, however, Rubio said the United States and Europe “belong together. We are bound to one another by the deepest bonds that nations could share,” Rubio said, “forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry, and the sacrifices our forefathers made together for the common civilization to which we have fallen heir.”
Aleteia
With unique letter, Filipino bishops urge digital media fast
By Daniel Esparza, February 16, 2026
As Lent 2026 approaches, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) calls the faithful to a new kind of fasting: stepping back from digital media to make room for Christ. A unique pastoral letter dated February 13 and released ahead of Lent gives only a few paragraphs to make the point, and then offers two sections of bullet points: Practical ways to fast, and what you’ll get from doing it. CBCP President Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera invited Catholics to practice Digital Media Fasting as a contemporary expression of conversion. Quoting Matthew 6:18 — “Your Father who sees in secret will repay you” — the bishops remind the faithful that fasting is not about outward display but interior renewal. While abstaining from food remains a traditional Lenten discipline, they argue that modern life requires examining new attachments that shape daily habits. “One of the greatest influences today is digital media,” and it can absorb attention and weaken spiritual life.
OSV News
SSPX controversy has ‘thrown a hand grenade’ into TLM debate
By Jonathan Luxmoore, February 16, 2026
Supporters of the traditional Latin Mass have urged Catholics not to conflate their movement with the more controversial Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), whose leaders currently risk excommunication for threatening to ordain their own bishops. “We’ve waited patiently for Pope Leo to consider relaxing Latin Mass restrictions — the SSPX has now thrown a hand grenade into this,” said Joseph Shaw, chairman of the London-based Latin Mass Society, part of an international network of traditionalist groups. “We’ve absolutely no influence over their reasoning and timing, and their approach is completely separate. But we risk being lumped together by people who don’t care one way or the other.” Shaw said he still hoped for some “quiet and subtle, but rapid” concession on the traditional Mass by Pope Leo XIV, but feared the SSPX’s move would harden attitudes among some bishops and cardinals.
EWTN News
The Pope has chaplains
By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú, February 16, 2026
Among the recent appointments of Pope Leo XIV, one has been made with remarkable frequency: that of “chaplain of His Holiness.” Leo bestowed this title upon his secretary, Peruvian priest Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, in 2025, officially incorporating him into the papal household, in accordance with the provisions of the 1968 motu proprio Pontificalis Domus (“Pontifical House”). More recently, Pope Leo also named another priest as chaplain of His Holiness, Father Fermín González Melado, a diocesan priest born in Badajoz, Spain, who has resided in Rome since 2019. Melado explained that the title of “chaplain of His Holiness” is a recognition “granted by the dicasteries, since it is the prefects who suggest to the Secretariat of State the recognition of individuals who have been working at the Holy See.” This “does not imply a change of job or employment status, but rather a kind of medal that recognizes meritorious work. It is an honorary title that entails a change of cassock colors and little else.”
PIME Asia News
Pakistan’s Punjab marriages among the poor get national aid
By Shafique Khokhar, February 16, 2026
The Punjab government has expanded a social welfare initiative, the “Dhi Rani” (Queen Daughter, or Beloved Daughter) programme, aimed at supporting disadvantaged families in arranging their daughters’ weddings. Launched under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the program aims to reduce the financial burden of weddings for low-income families across the province. Under the project, disadvantaged brides from various faiths and backgrounds are selected through a vetting process. The selected couples then participate in collective wedding ceremonies organised by the government. In addition to the ceremony, each couple receives financial assistance. Initially set at 100,000 rupees (around US$360) and later increased, it covers basic necessities and household goods, such as furniture, clothing, and other essential items, to help couples begin married life. Christian couples are included in the assistance among primarily Hindu weddings.
Graphs about Religion
Non-denominational faith at the very top for Protestants
By Ryan Burge, February 16, 2026
Whenever I do any kind of analysis of denominational statistics, there’s always a chorus in the feedback: What about those non-denoms (non-denominational Protestant Christianity)? It’s like folks can’t get enough of this new phenomenon. The share of all Protestants who were non-denominational was just 5% in 1972. It was little more than a rounding error in the grand sweep of Protestantism. Today, about 30% of Protestants are non-denoms. But that number has been really unstable over the last four survey cycles. In real numbers, that translates to roughly 45 million non-denoms in the United States. For comparison, the Southern Baptist Convention has about 12.5 million members, and the Catholic Church has about 62 million. Their overall age profile is significantly younger than that of many of the largest Protestant denominations. It’s fair to say that non-denominational attendance now sits at the very top of the range for Protestants.
The Pillar
Bishop Rhoades’ options in challenging Notre Dame
By Michelle La Rosa, February 11, 2026
The University of Notre Dame announced last month the appointment of researcher Susan Ostermann, an outspoken advocate of legal abortion, to head one of its academic institutes. The appointment has generated considerable controversy, both within and beyond the university community. This week, Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop Kevin Rhoades issued a statement on the situation, calling the appointment a scandal and urging Notre Dame leadership to “rectify this situation.” The university has defended the appointment of Ostermann, while saying its commitment to upholding the sanctity of life is “unwavering.” Ostermann has said that abortion respects the dignity of women and that laws against abortion “have their roots in white supremacy and racism.” A bishop’s practical ability to intervene in the internal affairs of a university in his territory is somewhat limited, but he can raise his concerns at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Education and Culture and urge a Vatican intervention into the issue.
EWTN, UCA, and CW News for 2/16/26
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — February 16, 2026
EWTN News provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See, and is available to anyone with internet access.
‘It was the best thing I’ve ever done’: Abuse victim details papal meeting - By Walter Sánchez Silva, Colm Flynn - David Ryan, a 61-year-old Irishman who suffered sexual abuse as a teenager, shared his story face-to-face with Pope Leo XIV, the first time the pope met with a victim individually.
Mother of boy healed through intercession of Fulton Sheen celebrates his upcoming beatification - By Tessa Gervasini - Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of boy healed through the intercession of Fulton Sheen, provides an update on her son following the announcement of the archbishop’s upcoming beatification.
On Valentine’s Day, the Boston Archdiocese welcomed marriages into the Church with ‘convalidation’ ceremony - By Daniel Payne - About two dozen couples in the Archdiocese of Boston will have their marriages “brought into the Church” this year, part of a now-yearly tradition there in which husbands and wives can take part in “convalidation” ceremonies. Convalidation offers civilly married husbands and wives the opportunity for a valid Catholic sacramental marriage.
UCA News
The Union of Catholic Asian World News - 2/16/26
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
The challenges of AI-powered art: the lesson of Leo XIV - Pope Leo wants the arts to safeguard imperfection, singularity, and the irreducibility of human experience. In his Message for the Sixtieth World Day of Social Communications, Pope Leo XIV, gave an aesthetic manifesto for the age of intelligent machines. “The face and the voice are unique and distinctive traits of each person.”
Lawmakers urge White House to restore visas for international adoptions - By Daniel Payne - “Adoption visas are not guaranteed” amid a travel freeze, said lawmakers who have asked the State Department to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas.” The suspension of the visas “has introduced uncertainty for children and American parents who have waited years for their adoptions to be completed and were preparing to bring their children home.”
ICE to allow Communion, distribution of ashes at Illinois processing facility, judge says - By Tyler Arnold - Clergy had argued they “have lost their own religious freedom, by blanket denial of any opportunity to provide spiritual consolation.” The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, must accommodate Catholic clergy who wish to provide detainees with ashes and Communion on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, according to a federal court ruling.
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.
Pope Leo: ‘Minimal righteousness is not enough; great love is needed’
- Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV emphasized today that “the Gospel offers us this valuable teaching: minimal righteousness is not enough; great love is needed” (video). Reflecting on the Feb. 15 Sunday Gospel reading (Matthew 5:17-37)
9 abducted Catholic children released in Nigeria - Nine children abducted from a Nigerian parish on February 8 have been freed. The abduction took place at St. John’s Catholic Church in Ojije, in Nigeria’s Benue State, during a prayer vigil. Benue’s governor announced the children’s release on February 14.
No bishop yet: Retired cardinal named administrator of Texas diocese - Pope Leo XIV, on February 14, accepted the resignation of Bishop Patrick Zurek, 77, from the office of bishop of Amarillo, for reasons of age. Rather than naming a successor, Pope Leo appointed Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, 76, as apostolic administrator of the Texas diocese until a successor is named. Cardinal DiNardo led the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston from 2006 to 2025.
Nutshell reflections for 2/16/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - February 16, 2026
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Word on Fire
Don’t dismiss your opponents as dumb and malicious
By Leah Libresco Sargeant, February 16, 2026
Evangelizing a friend requires us to find the best in her. Where is God already speaking to her, even if she doesn’t recognize that voice as the Holy Spirit’s? How can I collaborate with where God is already drawing her to himself? Christians know, or should know, that the game is always rigged in our favor by providence. But in Something Wicked: Why Feminism Can’t Be Fused with Christianity, Dr. Carrie Gress makes her opponents smaller and wickeder than they are. It leaves her readers poorly formed to reach out boldly in love. I recognize these traps, because I fell into them as a New Atheist. These curt dismissals cut off curiosity, and without a real interest in your opponent, it is impossible to win her trust. Gress’s work, like that of the New Atheists, does not form readers for fruitful dialogue: It gives them excuses to disengage. Gress and I are in agreement that the mainstream feminist movement makes a serious mistake in making an idol of autonomy. We disagree on whether the term “feminism” is redeemable.
Dominicana
The idols on my desk
By Br. Cyprian Boehm, O.P., February 12, 2026
Relentless ambition surrounded me when I lived in New York. Many were running at full speed, chasing lucrative positions, higher salaries, and greater influence, all grasping for success in the city that never sleeps. Their only reprieve was the overindulgent pleasures of the city, amid a cycle of work and exhaustion that leaves its participants empty. I saw that jobs became the sole reason to live. Work became the definition of man. Instead of our kids, work is what gets us up in the morning. Instead of our spouse, we muse on work throughout the day. Instead of God, work wins our last thought before drifting to sleep. Like Pharaoh with the Israelites, work holds us captive. How can we escape? St. Thérèse discovered that the simplest path to holiness lies in doing work, even the littlest of things, with great love. Saint Thérèse heeded Jesus’ advice to “take my yoke upon you, and learn from me … for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28, 30).
Caeli
How to make a good Lenten promise
By Sarah Gagliano Taliun, February 16, 2026
When I was in primary school, I gave up chewing gum for Lent. Through trial and error, I realized that addition, rather than retraction, is more impactful for me, which likely explains my much higher success rate with Lenten promises of the latter kind. I try to choose an activity I have been meaning to do more regularly or that I've wanted to try but haven’t yet committed to. More recently, I have been able to give up something for Lent and carry it through. A few Lents ago, my husband and I decided to make a family Lenten promise to hold us accountable by participating together. Despite my poor track record, we chose to give something up by going meatless for the duration of Lent. A Lenten promise does not have to be extravagant. In contrast, it should be manageable and feasible. Perhaps most importantly, it should be meaningful for us.
Bishop Barron Reflections
You are part of God’s great design
By Bishop Robert Barron, February 16, 2026
Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign from heaven. They are testing him because they have no faith or trust in him. Faith is an attitude of trust in the presence of God. Faith is openness to what God will reveal, do, and invite. It should be obvious that in dealing with the infinite, all-powerful God, we are never in control. This is why we say that faith goes beyond reason. If we can figure it out, calculate precisely, predict with complete accuracy, we’re in charge—and by definition, we are not dealing with a person. Would you use any of those descriptors in talking about your relationship with your husband, wife, or best friend? Instead, you enter into an ever-increasing rapport of trust with such people. One of the most fundamental statements of faith is this: Your life is not about you. You’re not in control. This is not your project. Rather, you are part of God’s great design. To believe this in your bones and to act accordingly is to have faith.
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