Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 5/4/26
Topics include: Farm bill will reshape global food aid; US Catholics asked to keep donating; Shroud of Turin has a feast day; & Holy Land is becoming a ‘Christian Disneyland’
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Crux, Graphs about Religion, Aleteia, The PILLAR, 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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EWTN News
House passes farm bill that would reshape global food aid
By Gigi Duncan, May 1, 2026
The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the farm bill in a 224-200 vote on April 30, advancing legislation that could reshape U.S. global food assistance, following warnings from Catholic organizations about its potential impact on global hunger response efforts. Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which had urged lawmakers ahead of the vote to preserve and strengthen global food aid programs, said in an emailed statement to EWTN News that it was “encouraged that key international food security and nutrition programs were protected.” “Several steps remain in the process,” it continued, “and we look forward to continuing to work with both parties to lift up these essential programs as conversations move forward.” The bill’s passage marks a step forward in the farm bill process, which has stalled in recent years since the 2018 reauthorization. Senate consideration is next, with lawmakers expected to weigh revisions amid ongoing debate over how the federal government should structure food assistance at home and abroad.
CRUX
Pope encourages wealthy US Catholics to keep donating
By Nicole Winfield, May 3, 2026
Pope Leo XIV on Saturday encouraged some of the wealthiest U.S. Catholics to keep on giving to support his charitable works, in an audience that confirmed how the election of the first U.S.-born pope has invigorated American Catholics and their donations. The Chicago-born Leo met with members of The Papal Foundation, a major funder of papal development projects in the developing world, in the Apostolic Palace at the end of their annual pilgrimage to Rome. Leo thanked the foundation stewards for their generosity, which he said had allowed “countless people to experience in a concrete fashion the goodness and kindness of God in their own communities.” He noted in particular the priests and nuns from poor countries who are able to study at Rome’s pontifical universities to earn advanced degrees thanks to scholarships funded by the foundation’s grants, which, combined over the past four decades, have totaled more than $270 million.
Aleteia
May 4 is the feast of the Shroud of Turin
By Philip Kosloski, April 30, 2026
Over the centuries, the Church has instituted several feasts commemorating aspects of Jesus’ Passion. For example, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14 is often associated with the discovery of the true cross by St. Helena. This event also once had a separate feast on May 3 called the “Invention of the Holy Cross.” While some still debate whether the Shroud of Turin is a genuine artifact from Jesus' tomb, the Church has instituted several feasts in honor of the "Holy Winding Sheet of Christ." May 4 is not a universal feast, and so it does not appear on any calendar in the United States or in other English-speaking countries. Each diocese may, with the permission of the Vatican, establish its own feasts in accordance with local piety. Pope Benedict wrote that the Shroud was “a truly mysterious image, which no human artistry was capable of producing. In some inexplicable way, it appeared imprinted upon cloth and claimed to show the true face of Christ, the crucified and risen Lord.”
Indian Express
Mercy for women on the streets of Mexico City
By Sister Susy Vera, May 4, 2026
On the streets of Mexico City, inequality, poverty, marginalization, and structural violence affect wide sectors of the population. Among the many vulnerable groups who walk the streets are women who have fallen into prostitution and their complex stories, often marked by violence, abandonment, lack of opportunities, and exclusion from an early age. The Oblate Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer go out into the streets each day, even at night, taking on the risks of their mission. Their task is to walk alongside, listen, accompany, and offer a presence that restores dignity. Their gaze does not judge or question the past; it recognizes the person and her dignity. Lucía Herrerías, a missionary of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, said When they invited me to collaborate with the Oblates of the Most Holy Redeemer in the apostolate they carry out with women in situations of prostitution, I was attracted by the opportunity to share the Word of God with the poorest of the poor… With the poorest of the poor”.
The PILLAR
The Catholic population in South Korea is slowly climbing
By Michelle La Rosa, May 2, 2026
The Catholic population of South Korea has surpassed 6 million, with recent statistics showing growth in the local Church, even as the country’s population continues to shrink. However, as the Church in the country expands, its demographics also reflect the rapid aging of the general population in the East Asian nation. There were 6,006,832 Catholics in South Korea in 2025, an increase of 9,178 from the previous year. Overall, Catholics make up 11.4% of the population in South Korea. Catholicism took root in the country — whose culture was deeply shaped by Buddhism and Confucianism — in the late 1700s and grew amid intense persecution that saw the creation of countless martyrs. In 1995, the country was home to 2,885,000 Catholics. A decade later, in 2005, that had risen to 5,015,000. But the annual growth rate has slowed significantly. Catholicism’s visibility is likely to be further increased when the nation hosts World Youth Day in 2027.
National Catholic Register
Notre Dame stained-glass dispute enters new legal phase
By Solène Tadié, May 2, 2026
The long-running controversy over the replacement of six 19th-century stained-glass windows at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral appears to be entering a new — and potentially decisive — phase. The heritage preservation group “Sites et Monuments,” which watched helplessly as scaffolding was erected on April 27, announced that it would file an urgent legal appeal before the Paris Administrative Court, targeting the authorization itself. The plan to replace these windows with contemporary creations by French artist Claire Tabouret — unveiled to the public at the Grand Palais late last year — has drawn unusually broad opposition over the past two years, from heritage experts to Catholic figures. The main arguments against the project are that the Viollet-le-Duc windows are part of the cathedral’s 19th-century restoration and that introducing contemporary works into the nave would disrupt its balance.
Graphs about Religion
‘I like the IDEA of religion’
By Ryan Burge, May 4, 2026
The predominant approach to measuring religion is called “the three B’s.” One is religious behavior. The second B is religious belonging. It’s the most sociologically accurate measurement of religion because it’s really about how the respondent situates themselves in the grand sweep of American society. If belonging is sociological, then religious belief, the third B, is primarily psychological. It’s the mental schema that one has in their head when they think about supernatural and philosophical things. For young men, the share who said religion was very important was 28% in 2022–2023. In the most recent data, it shot up to 42%. For young women, those figures went from 32% to 29%. A 50% increase in importance among young men in less than two years is a bit eyebrow-raising. For those who study long-term trends through survey data, it’s not every day that you see a measure move 10+ points in such a short period of time. What may be surprising to some readers is that both the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers have become less likely to say religion is very important to them over time.
Our Sunday Visitor
Abbot warns the Holy Land is becoming a ‘Christian Disneyland’
By Junno Arocho Esteves, April 29, 2026
Father Schnabel, abbot of Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion in the heart of Jerusalem and of Tabgha, the community’s priory on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, told national directors and representatives of Aid to the Church in Need his fear is that “Holy Land could become a kind of ‘Christian Disneyland'” where holy places, monks and priests remain while there “may be no Christian families, no young Christians, no ordinary Christian life.” In his address, the Benedictine abbot noted that while there are 13 historic Churches, both Catholic and non-Catholic, the diversity presents a paradox: the places “where the most important events of our faith occurred risk losing their indigenous population.” Those in Jerusalem have full citizenship, but without political rights, while in the West Bank, Christian residents face movement restrictions. In Gaza, the small community of Catholics is “particularly vulnerable, living under a ‘double occupation.’”
EWTN, UCA, and CW News for 5/4/26
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — May 4, 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.
Ethics and Public Policy Center at 50: A part of America’s ‘secret sauce’ - By Ken Oliver-Méndez - Several hundred supporters gathered to celebrate the ecumenical think tank that engages on public policy questions within the context of America’s historic Judeo-Christian moral framework.
In Syria, icon restoration becomes a quiet fight to preserve Christian memory - By Souhail Lawand - Syrian icons emerge as an act of safeguarding identity. It repairs the fractures of time and restores to sacred figures the radiance of a history that runs deep, declaring that protecting this heritage is not a cultural luxury but a struggle for survival.
Toronto Catholic conference to explore breakdown of the social covenant - By Canadian Catholic News - Canada’s Catholic Conscience launched a new annual conference, “Building a Culture of Life and Dignity,” to tackle one of the deepest problems in contemporary society: the breakdown of our shared social covenant and the erosion of human dignity from conception to natural death.
UCA News
The Union of Catholic Asian World News - 5/4/26
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
Sri Lankan Tamils demand return of ancestral land from military custody - May 04, 2026, Rubatheesan Sandran - A Buddhist shrine was erected on private land in Thaiyiddy, raising fears among local Tamil Hindus. At least 17 landowners held a protest on May 1 and demanded that the local authorities release their lands, located near the Buddhist shrine, which they alleged were “illegal.”
Malaysian man arrested for attacking Singapore churchgoers - May 04, 2026, UCA News reporter - The unprovoked attack left a 66-year-old woman injured. The suspect had entered the Protestant church premises and had allegedly unleashed an unprovoked attack while slapping multiple individuals before fleeing the area, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said.
Pope Leo XIV to meet US Secretary of State Rubio - May 04, 2026, AFP, Vatican City - The meeting comes amid strained relations between the pope and the US administration. A Vatican source on May 3 confirmed Italian media reports that the meeting was an attempt to "thaw" relations between the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and the US administration.
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.
Vatican newspaper decries Israeli attack on Catholic school building in Lebanon - The Vatican newspaper decried the Israeli army’s attack on a Catholic school building in Yaroun, Lebanon. “In the last few hours, Israeli bulldozers have torn down the Holy Savior Christian School in the village of Yaroun, located in the Bint Jbeil district.
Pope encourages Rosary during May, recalls World Press Freedom Day - At the conclusion of his Regina Caeli address today, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the praying of the Rosary during the Marian month of May and recalled World Press Freedom Day. “The month of May has begun: throughout the Church, the joy of gathering in the name of Mary, our Mother.
Employees at Padre Pio’s hospital begin hunger strike - Unions representing employees at the Home for the Relief of Suffering, a hospital founded by St. Pio of Pietrelcina in 1956, announced the beginning of a hunger strike on May 2.
The unions have four demands: guarantee of quality care for patients; protection of the rights of hundreds of workers and their families; defense of the original mission of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza; and enhancement of the historical and social heritage of the territory.
Nutshell reflections for 5/4/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - May 4, 2026
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Word on Fire
All things are revealed in the cross
By Dr. Richard Clements, May 4, 2026
Omnia in cruce manifestantur. “All things are revealed in the cross.” So said St. Bonaventure in his classic book The Triple Way. Indeed, all things are revealed in the cross—at least, all of the most important things in life. The nature of God, the nature of love, the nature of human beings, the meaning and purpose of human life, our intended destination, and the path to that destination are all revealed in the cross, either explicitly or implicitly. And much that the cross reveals to us is symbolized by the outstretched arms of the God-man on that cross. Therefore, the essence of ultimate reality is love. On the cross, Jesus revealed this—the most profound truth about who and what God is and what life is all about—in the most dramatic and striking manner possible. Those outstretched arms, nailed to the cross on our behalf, also dramatically embodied the self-sacrificial, self-surrendering nature of true love.
Dominicana
Why me, Lord?
By Br. Mannes Bresnahan, O.P., April 28, 2026
“Descendants as countless as the stars of the sky” (Gen 22:17) seems like an impossible promise for someone in Abraham’s shoes. The stars are practically innumerable, and Abraham was an aging man without an heir. Gazing up at the vast desert sky and contemplating the magnitude of God’s promise must have been overwhelming. If I were in his position, my only response to his promise would be, “Why me, Lord?” Saint Paul’s “vast desert sky” was the number of people he had to evangelize. He probably asked the same question whenever he reflected on God’s election of “a blasphemer and a sinner” (1 Tim 1:13) to be his apostle. God’s providence is full of these apparent contradictions. Saint Augustine was busy with worldly pursuits before eventually becoming one of the Church’s greatest theologians. Saint Francis of Assisi lived extravagantly but eventually became the exemplar of poverty.
George Weigel
What the Wall Street Journal didn’t print
By George Weigel, April 8, 2026
On March 21, the Wall Street Journal published a lengthy profile of the Pope as its “Saturday Essay.” The subtitle—“Pope Leo XIV pushes back against President Trump. Can the pontiff from Chicago make a difference in an era of power politics?”—gave the game away from the git-go: the Pope is to be understood as the over-against of the president, with Leo’s statements and actions filtered through that primarily political analytic prism. Which misses a lot. To put it mildly. Pope Leo XIV is very much his own man, and very much a man committed to the fullness of Catholic truth. So it makes no sense to try to slot him into the hoary categories of “progressive” and “conservative,” although various parties with their own agendas incessantly do so. Normality has certainly returned to the patterns of governance in the Vatican, and that is a very good thing.
Matt Fradd
What it actually means to love the Lord
By Matt Fradd, May 4, 2026
[Matt’s interview with Dr. J. Budziszewski, author of Pandemic of Lunacy] We can look at all the books, feel guilty that we haven't read them all, buy them, and then never read any of them. What good would that do? Begin with just one book. Nothing to excess. Just calm down. 15 minutes a day. When mother church talks about mental prayer, she simply means that we're talking to our Lord in the intimacy of our own words. What could be easier? The church canonizes children as saints. They spoke to our Lord from the bottom of their hearts. Try to do that every day. Work at it and work at it some more. This is going to bring you the speed ramp to becoming a saint. When we come to our Lord in mental prayer, it’s just me and him and my own words making acts of adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication. And what he does in return is send us the Holy Spirit. There are many devotions within the church's treasury. Choose only a few and remain faithful to them. I like that advice because we are tempted to vacillate and overdo it.
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