Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 3/9/26
Topics include: Man returns to burn Church again; Pope’s pediatric hospital ranks 6th worldwide; Christians who participate in protests; & The afterlife isn’t going away
“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
The same man tries to re-burn the church he torched in 2016
By Mary Rose, March 7, 2026
A man who was charged a decade ago with arson at a Catholic church in the city of Biloxi, Mississippi, was arrested March 3 after local police said he was again being charged with the same type of crime at the same location. Local police arrested Hung Dung Nguyen, 57, after officers responded to reports of a small fire on the steps of Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church on Oak Street. By the time officers arrived, the fire on the church steps had already been extinguished, and the building suffered no structural damage, according to local reports from WXXV News 25, a FOX affiliate. In 2016, Nguyen, then 47, was arrested and charged with arson after a fire damaged the church’s front doors, according to local reports. The records also show Nguyen is facing separate misdemeanor charges tied to incidents in November 2025, including simple assault causing bodily injury, obscene electronic communication, and malicious mischief.
CRUX
RI clergy abuse report brings vindication, and renewed demands
By Leah Willingham, Kimberlee Kruesi, March 7, 2026
A report released this week by the Rhode Island attorney general detailed decades of abuse inside the state’s Catholic Diocese of Providence, identifying 75 clergy members who sexually abused more than 300 children since 1950. Officials said the true number of victims is likely much higher. But survivors say the numbers capture only part of the story. Behind each case, they say, are childhood fragments that resurface years later — along with the long struggle to understand what happened. The report released this week felt like a culmination of that effort, said Dr. Herbert “Hub” Brennan, a clergy abuse survivor: “That allowed me to switch from survivor-victim to advocate.” The Rhode Island investigation comes at a time when examining possible clergy abuse is no longer unusual—is a far cry from 2002. Still, State law has also made it difficult for victims to seek justice. “Clearly there’s a call for reform,” Attorney Tim Conlon said. “The magnitude of the need is well documented.”
Aleteia
Pope’s pediatric hospital ranks 6th worldwide, 1st in Europe
By Matthew Green, March 6, 2026
Newsweek has named the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital of Rome, which belongs to the Holy See, as sixth on its list of the world’s best pediatric hospitals in 2026. Its oncology department is mentioned for its “standout treatment.” Besides being the sixth on the list, the hospital is the highest-ranking pediatric hospital in Europe. The highest-ranked overall is the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada; ranks two through five are held by hospitals in the United States. Bambino Gesù (“Child Jesus”) Pediatric Hospital caught worldwide attention when it offered to care for Charlie Gard (2017) and later for Alfie Evans (2018), children who were being refused treatment in Great Britain for their incurable diseases. In both cases, the British government ruled that their life-sustaining treatment be withdrawn, against the wishes of the parents. Sadly, in neither case was Bambino Gesù allowed to help them.
OSV News
Challenges for Christians who participate in protests
By Tim Montgomery from The Catholic Spirit, March 8, 2026
One basic expectation of the faith, said Robert Kennedy, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, is that Christians will always strive to manifest charity — not as a kind of condescension or generosity, but as a genuine willingness to love others, in following the example of Christ. He spoke on the topic “Protests and a Christian Response to Government Abuses.” “Jesus submitted to civil authority,” Kennedy pointed out, “even when that authority chose to condemn him unjustly to death.” He said that peacefully enduring an injustice in some instances could be considered “an act of charity.” He identified the basis for Catholic ethical and legal considerations regarding protesting. Members of civil societies need to practice obedience (though never absolute, closing their eyes to injustice), forbearance (moderate criticism and speak carefully), and patience (which may enable people to see things more clearly over time).
EWTN News
Bishops advocate ‘just policies’ with Homeland Security successor
By Tyler Arnold, March 6, 2026
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will advocate for “just immigration policies” with the successor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. President Donald Trump said Noem would become special envoy for a security initiative called “The Shield of the Americas” the day after a tense hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 4. Trump said he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, to replace her. The position requires Senate confirmation, a process requiring a simple majority (51 votes) for approval. “Without commenting on the qualifications of any specific individual, my brother bishops and I remain committed to dialoguing with all leaders in every administration, as well as Congress, in support of just immigration policies that recognize the God-given dignity of all involved,” the bishops said. Noem has overseen the president’s mass deportation initiative, which faced criticism from the bishops.
The Indian Express
Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection says Iran’s plans remain ‘hardline’
By Rishika Singh, March 9, 2026
Mojtaba, 56, will be Iran’s third Supreme Leader after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1979-89) and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1989-2026). He has never held political office and is not a senior religious leader. Despite the repeated warnings from the US and Israel, alongside internal dissatisfaction with the regime, what does the choice indicate for Iran going forward? At this juncture, it shows an attempt to rally support around someone who represents continuity and a hardline regime. AK Ramakrishnan, a former professor of West Asian studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said, “If it were any other situation, there would have been greater competition for supreme leadership due to growing opposition within Iran. A person not attached to either the hardliners or the reformists (the two main ideological factions in Iran) would have been chosen, showing some inclination within the Islamic Republic to transform itself.”
Graphs about Religion
The afterlife isn’t going away
By Ryan Burge, March 9, 2026
There’s a saying that bounces around the sociology of religion: “You may be done with religion, but religion is not done with you.” I really like how Daryl van Tongeren describes this phenomenon as religious residue. It seems that holding to the concept of a soul remains widespread in the data. The religious tradition that is the least likely to believe in a soul is Jews, at just 75%. Even atheists—one-third of them—believe “in a soul or spirit in addition to their physical bodies.” Just a bare majority of Americans (55%) believe in both heaven and hell. The corollary is that 29% of folks do not believe in either heaven or hell. That leaves 16% of folks who believe in one, but not the other. The most popular combination is “heaven exists, but hell does not.” That encompasses 14% of all Americans. The group that is the most likely to believe in both heaven and hell is Black Protestants, at 84%. For Catholics, the gap is 60%; for mainline Protestants, 47%. For agnostics, 82% believe in neither heaven or hell, and it’s a whopping 94% of atheists.
The Pillar
UAE, Oman, and Yemen Catholics largely unaffected by Iran war
By Edgar Beltrán, March 5, 2026
In total, more than a thousand people have been killed in the initial U.S./Israel attacks and Iran’s retaliatory strikes, leading many in the international community — including the Vatican — to issue calls for peace. Among the countries affected by the violence is the United Arab Emirates, which has been under attack from Iran since Feb. 28, although its air defenses have intercepted most Iranian missiles. Bishop Paolo Martinelli, OFM Cap., apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, which includes the UAE, Oman, and Yemen, said, “In Oman, there have been some sporadic attacks, but the situation appears calmer. In Yemen, there are currently no reports of attacks. However, the situation remains very complex due to the more than 10 years of civil war that have deeply affected the country … None of our churches were damaged, and to date we have not received any reports of any of our faithful being injured in the attacks.”
EWTN, UCA, and CW News for 3/9/26
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — March 9, 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.
Pope Leo says parishes should reflect a Church that ‘cares for her children’ - By Veronica Giacometti - “Starting from the Eucharist, the beating heart of every Christian community, I encourage you to ensure that parish activities become a sign of a Church that — like a mother — cares for her children, without condemning them, but rather welcoming them, listening to them, and supporting them in the face of danger,” Leo XIV said.
Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortion - By Kate Cavanaugh - An advocacy group in Ireland is calling for an inquiry into the deaths of 108 babies who were born alive after attempted abortions in Ireland. In a story published March 1 and authored by Ireland’s Life Institute and others, the institute cited figures released by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) from 2019 to 2023.
El Paso Diocese declares bankruptcy amid abuse filings, ‘very limited’ financial resources - By Daniel Payne - The Diocese of El Paso will file for bankruptcy, facing “18 pending lawsuits” for alleged sexual abuse that occurred between 1956-1982. The bankruptcy filing will allow the diocese to streamline its abuse compensation plan into one process overseen by the bankruptcy court, allowing the diocese to “move forward on stable financial ground.”
UCA News
The Union of Catholic Asian World News - 3/9/26
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
Indian bishops slam Kerala govt for rising alcoholism, drug abuse - March 9, 2026 - The southern state has the highest rate of drug-related cases in the country, data shows. The bishops said the Left Democratic Front coalition government not only failed to check alcoholism and drug abuse despite making those pledges before the 2016 election, but “...now the state is flooded with liquor outlets.”
Leaving religious life carries a social cost in Vietnam - March 9, 2026 - In a culture that deeply reveres priests and nuns, former seminarians often struggle not with faith — but with stigma. In Vietnam, where family honor and communal reputation remain powerful social values, a religious vocation is rarely viewed as a purely personal decision. It belongs, in some sense, to the family and the parish.
Indonesian court acquits activists charged with inciting riots last August - March 9, 2026 - The public protests inciting deadly riots in August last year were the biggest and most violent of Prabowo Subianto’s presidency. The Central District Court of Jakarta on March 6 acquitted the activists who were charged with “disseminating provocative and confrontational” posts on social media.
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.
Confronting the Ideology of Inevitability - by Fr. Jerry Pokorsky - Dispensationalists teach that Christianity did not fulfill Israel. Rather, biblical promises to ethnic Israel remain to be fulfilled in a future earthly kingdom. Events in Jerusalem are not merely political developments, but rather necessary steps in a prophetic timeline. Jesus did not engage in politics as commonly understood. He speaks with authority.
Social Conservatives and the Iran War - by Peter Wolfgang - What will the Iran War mean for the domestic politics of Catholic causes that are, for better or worse, yoked to the political fortunes of President Trump? We voted for Trump three times because we thought it would mean the end of endless U.S. interventions in the Middle East. In fairness to Trump, it is possible to overcorrect, to overlearn lessons from recent history.
Pope Leo XIII against Freemasonry - by Thomas V. Mirus - Pope Leo XIII’s 1884 encyclical Humanum Genus is the Church’s most comprehensive explanation of why, ever since 1738, she has forbidden Catholics to become Freemasons. Reading the encyclical today, one has the impression that its continued relevance has less to do with the present-day activities of Masonic organizations and more with the fact that Masonic ideas have already come to pervade Western society.
Nutshell reflections for 3/9/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - March 9, 2026
Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Word on Fire
Distillation of the whole of Christ’s teaching
By Matthew Becklo, March 7, 2026
This “Sermon on the Mount”—a distillation of the whole of Christ’s teaching— hangs over the whole of our Lenten season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. And why shouldn’t it? St. Augustine in the fourth century called it the perfect guide to the Christian life; Servant of God Dorothy Day in the twentieth century called it the “manifesto” of Catholics in general—and of the Catholic Worker Movement in particular. Like Lent itself, the sermon invites us to get back to basics: Who is Jesus to me? What does it mean to be his disciple? Am I living in his kingdom, here and now? If not, how do I start? If so, where am I still holding back? A beautiful album from singer-songwriter Jon Guerra, titled simply Jesus, draws consistently and creatively from Christ’s teachings in the Gospels, but the Sermon on the Mount shines forth in a special way, challenging us to see his words afresh. He resists the instrumentalization of the Christian faith for worldly ends.
Dominicana
Christ the Statesman
By Br. Simeon Jaeger, O.P., March 7, 2026
Interrogated by the governor for political treason, the lowly Nazarene simply responds, “My kingship is not of this world” (John 18:36). Christ’s claim is puzzling, for it seems paradoxical that a political reality should belong to another world. To better understand this otherworldly kingship, we can turn to Plato, one of the greatest philosophical minds and an expert in realities beyond the physical. In his Statesman dialogue, Plato describes the perfect statesman as a king who possesses full knowledge of how to weave society together. Plato’s ideal, which he could grasp only through philosophy, finds its historical fulfillment in the person of Christ. Plato gets some elements of his story wrong, but the central message here—an idyllic garden of plenty, lost in a cosmic reversal—immediately evokes the opening chapters of Genesis. A king must possess statesmanship, which Plato describes as a kind of wisdom or expertise, “a science of judgement and command” exercised for the good of his subjects.
Caeli
Fast like a girl
By Ava Frecker, February 24, 2026
Since Christ instituted the Catholic Church, Catholics have proudly advocated for understanding the complementary differences between men and women. Pope St. John Paul II’s exploration of the theology of the body is just one example from the modern era. However, as more science advances, deepening our knowledge of our biological differences, questions arise about how men and women can or should live out the Faith. One example that recently came to mind is fasting. While men and women have generally approached fasting in the same way — excepting pregnant and nursing women — is there evidence to show that fasting affects a woman’s health in different ways, which should be considered? A one-size-fits-all approach to fasting doesn’t work, especially for women. In her latest book, “Fast Like A Girl,” Dr. Mindy Pelez wrote, “For a woman to realize the full health benefits of fasting, she needs to know when and how to flip her metabolic switch in accordance with her hormonal cycles.”
Bishop Barron Reflections
You are commissioned as a prophet
By Bishop Robert Barron, March 9, 2026
When most laypeople hear about prophecy, they sit back, and their eyes glaze over. “That’s something for the priests and the bishops to worry about; they’re the modern-day prophets. I don’t have that call or that responsibility.” Well, think again! Vatican II emphasized the universal call to holiness, rooted in the dynamics of baptism. Every baptized person is conformed unto Christ—priest, prophet, and king. Whenever you assist at Mass, you are exercising your priestly office, participating in the worship of God. Whenever you direct your kids to discover their mission in the Church, or provide guidance to someone in the spiritual life, you are exercising your kingly office. As a baptized individual, you are commissioned as a prophet—which is to say, a speaker of God’s truth. And the prophetic word is not your own. The prophetic word is the word of God given to you by God.
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