Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 6/1/26
What Catholics should know: Buffer zones for houses of worship; Trump continues papal tirade; Infertile couples find hope in Marian shrines; & 'Nones' are going back to religion
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Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. 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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Zeale News
New York approves buffer zones around houses of worship
By Hannah Hiester, May 30, 2026
New York has enacted a law that establishes a 50-foot buffer zone around houses of worship and criminalizes blocking entrance to the buildings, a move that follows several protests outside synagogues that turned heated. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the law on May 26, additionally criminalizing actions that threaten the safety of worshipers and permitting police to establish buffer zone perimeters indicating where protests are forbidden, AP News reported. In a statement, Hochul said, “Every New Yorker should be able to enter their house of worship and practice their religion without fear.” According to AP News, protestors have been holding real estate events outside synagogues in order to promote emigration to Israel and the West Bank. Some Jewish leaders consider the demonstrations antisemitic, while pro-Palestine say they are “part of a yearslong campaign to drive Arabs out of Israel and the land it controls,” the outlet reported.
EWTN News
Trump continues tirade against the pope, adds visit by mayor
By EWTN News Staff, May 31, 2026
President Donald Trump warned against a nuclear‑armed Iran, reacting to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsonʼs May 28 meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where the mayor said they discussed U.S. immigration and the Iran conflict. Trump posted, “Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon.” He also shared screenshots of the mayor’s posts featuring him and the Chicago-born pope exchanging gifts and praying. Trump made the comments in a May 30 post on Truth Social. Trump expressed his disapproval of Leoʼs public statements denouncing the U.S.-led war on Iran. The Holy Father has repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing conflict. The president has repeatedly claimed, framing Leo as calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” that the pope wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.
Related: Pope Leo at Rosary: Even in times of conflict, peace is possible, Vatican News, By Kielce Gussie, 30 May 2026
Aleteia
Catholic nuns were once the only order of Anglican sisters
By Matthew Green, June 1, 2026
The Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary look like any other Catholic nuns. They follow the rule of St. Benedict, they wear black and white habits, and they’re very devoted to the Virgin Mary. A rosary is part of their habit. But these nuns are extraordinary, because they were all previously Anglican nuns who entered the Catholic Church in 2013. Now, they are the only monastic community in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. The first comment that might come to mind is, “I didn’t even know the Anglicans had nuns!” Indeed, when the Church of England first separated from the Catholic Church in the 16th century, monasticism was practically wiped out in the Church of England. King Henry VIII dissolved the convents and monasteries and seized their properties. A resulting revival of Anglican monasticism by William John Butler, a young Anglican vicar in Wantage, England, founded the Anglican Community of St. Mary the Virgin in 1848. Their rule is based on St. Augustine.
First Things
The ‘peace of order’ is the peace of moral reasoning
By George Weigel, May 27, 2026
So, in light of recent Catholic debates about the pursuit of peace in the Middle East and elsewhere, permit me to reprise, with slight adjustments, parts of a column from twenty-four years ago. In his [2002] World Day of Peace message, John Paul II taught a truth many Catholics have seemingly forgotten: that “peace,” in the classic Catholic sense of the term, is a matter of order, the order that is built through law and politics. The peace of order is the peace that the just war tradition of moral reasoning has sought to restore or build since Augustine first formulated just war principles in the early fifth century. It is a serious mistake, therefore, to think that the just war tradition and the pursuit of peace are somehow in opposition to each other. The peace of order is the end; the just war tradition asks: When and how can that peace of order be restored or built by means of the proportionate and discriminate use of armed force? It is the end of peace that justifies the means of military action.
The PILLAR
Belarusian archbishop highlights growing priest shortage
By Luke Coppen, May 29, 2026
The president of the Belarusian bishops’ conference said this week that the number of priests in the country is diminishing, making the provision of pastoral care increasingly challenging in the eastern region. Archbishop Iosif Staneuski of Minsk-Mohilev told Vatican News’ Belarusian service that the priest shortage made it difficult to realize plans to establish a Belarusian Catholic pastoral center in Rome, known as the Belarusicum. The predominantly Orthodox Eastern European country, which has a population of around 9.5 million and borders Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, forms only 6% of the population. As relations with Poland deteriorated, the Belarusian government began to view Polish priests with rising suspicion. Human rights groups reported this month that three Polish priests serving in the Vitebsk diocese and five in the Minsk-Mogilev archdiocese were refused permission to extend their residency.
National Catholic Register
Infertile couples find hope and healing at US Marian shrines
By Patti Maguire Armstrong, May 31, 2026
With Jesus having grown in the womb of Mary, and having been nourished by her milk after his birth, devotional images showing Mary as pregnant (Our Lady of Guadalupe, for instance) or as a nursing mother, like Our Lady of La Leche, portray the unique relationship between the Blessed Mother and her Divine Son. Many couples experiencing infertility are drawn to the Blessed Mother under these titles, praying to her to ask her Son to fulfill their desire for a child. There are many reported answers to these prayers, along with peace and understanding of God’s mission for marriage, regardless of whether it results in a baby. For couples praying for a child, Father Christopher Liguori, pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Jacksonville, said: “Mary knows the vulnerability of motherhood, the fragility of new life, and the hope that comes with waiting.”
Graphs about Religion
The religious reversal from nones back to religion is startling
By Ryan Burge, June 1, 2026
The big headline finding is that the share of Americans who claim to be atheist, agnostic, or have no religion in particular has continued to decline. It was 36% in both 2021 and 2022, but had started to slide from that all-time high. By 2024, the CES estimate for those three groups was down to 34%, and then it declined even further to 32% in the most recently released data. The nones were back to their 2018 levels. That’s a big deal, clearly. Just 14% of Boomers are “nones”, no religion in particular. That’s a five-point decline in just two years, a level of movement uncommon in the world of religious demography. For Boomer Democrats, the rise in the nones was startling. It reversed, and the share of Democrats who claim no religious affiliation dropped by 7 percentage points over two years. For Independents, it’s an eleven percentage drop between 2023 and 2025.
Our Sunday Visitor
US bishops’ child protection report shows ‘historic milestone’
By Gina Christian, May 29, 2026
In the preface to the bishop’s annual report, USCCB president Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City noted that by the end of 2025, “100% of the 196 dioceses and eparchies” in the US “had participated in at least one on-site audit.” The “historic milestone” marked “the first time since the Charter’s inception that full participation has been achieved,” he said. At the same time, said Archbishop Coakley, “continued vigilance is essential as sexual abuse often occurs within trusted relationships, and consistent monitoring is vital to prevent harm.” Safe environment training rates have remained above 99% for clergy, ordination candidates and educators, and above 98% for staff and volunteers, with rate for background checks equally high. However, safe environment training rates have declined among children, down to 89.1% in 2025 from 93% in 2018. The report showed that responding dioceses and eparchies reported a total of 117 credible allegations of child sexual abuse by 89 diocesan or eparchial priests.
Keep informed - 6/1/26 news for Catholics
Snippets: EWTN, UCA, and CW News
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 1, 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.
‘Invisible, silent, misunderstood work’: The pope’s school for diplomats at 325 years - By Ishmael Adibuah - The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the school in Rome that trains young priests to serve as ambassadors for the pope, is celebrating the 325th anniversary of its founding this year.
Catholic scientists to gather near Chicago to discuss human sexuality, future of the universe - By Theresa Civantos Barber - The society exists as an answer to the call of St. John Paul II that “members of the Church who are active scientists” be of service to those who are attempting to “integrate the worlds of science and religion in their own intellectual and spiritual lives.”
Bishop highlights Church’s ministry to seafarers facing danger and isolation - By Madalaine Elhabbal - While the main role of port chaplains with Stella Maris is to celebrate Mass and the sacraments aboard ships, their work includes providing counsel and aid to sailors, Bishop Frank Schuster said.
UCA News
The Union of Catholic Asian World News - 6/1/26
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
Graft-accused Filipino senator surrenders amid calls for transparency - June 01, 2026 | UCA News reporter - Philippine Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who faces an arrest warrant on anti-graft charges, surrendered to police on June 1, but Christian groups said the move alone was insufficient to ensure justice in a case involving alleged misuse of public funds.
Church, economists criticize Sri Lanka’s IMF loan dependency - June 01, 2026 | UCA News reporter - The country needs to reassess the open economic policy introduced in 1977, says Cardinal Ranjith.
Pakistani Muslims, Christians hail pope’s mention of ex-PM Bhutto - June 01, 2026 | Yousaf Benjamin - Leo’s first encyclical refers to the contributions of global icons like Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, but also to Pakistanis, especially in recognizing former prime minister Benazir Bhutto for her courageous and generous stance on civil rights and peace.
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.
French lawmakers debate eliminating seal of Confession for abuse cases - June 01, 2026 - France’s National Assembly is scheduled to debate a bill today that would require priests to report abuse against minors when they learn about it in the confessional. “Ministers of religion are subject to the obligation to report acts of violence against minors,” the legislation against violence in schools states.
Nigerian priest found guilty of abusing adult women in Texas - May 30, 2026 - A priest of the Diocese of Uyo, Nigeria, who ministered in the US, was convicted in Texas of three counts of sexual assault of adult women. Father Anthony Odiong, who was arrested in Florida in 2024 for child pornography, also “fathered at least one child with another woman in Louisiana who had been under his spiritual direction,” according to the prosecution’s DNA evidence.
‘Queer voices were strong’ at Katholikentag, group says - May 30, 2026 - New Ways Ministry, which dissents from Catholic teaching on homosexuality, said that “queer voices emerged loud and proud in both their worship and their calls for reform” during Katholikentag (Catholic Day), the biennial German Catholic gathering first held in 1848.
June 1, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
Listen HERE - June 1, 2026 - or, read HERE:
Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Word on Fire
Living and dying in Canada
By Mark Bradford, June 1, 2026
Fr. Larry Holland, an elderly priest in Vancouver, Canada, has recently been in the news after it was disclosed that the hospital where he was recovering from a fractured hip offered to help him die. Actually, he was offered a death prescription twice! In Canada, it is legal to have a medical professional kill you or provide you with drugs so you can kill yourself. It seems strange to suggest such ways of dying to a priest, but as EWTN reports, Canada’s death professionals—the Association of MAID [Medical Aid in Dying] Assessors and Providers—published guidelines that direct members not to assume a patient’s faith would keep them from engaging terminal services. The Church’s teaching against physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia could not be clearer. Directive 59 of the USCCB’s Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs) states, “Catholic health care institutions may never condone or participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way.” Of course, a Catholic physician can never participate in death-dealing acts in whatever hospital he or she practices their healing art.
What We Need Now
Dawn amidst the darkness in New York City
By Fr. Eric Banecker, May 26, 2026
Saint Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village has recently been highlighted as a lodestar of a trend which more than the usual outlets have reported on in recent months: the spike in people—largely under 40—becoming Catholic. I found the New York Times’ recent article on this topic (“Roman Catholic Churches See a Surge of New Converts”) comprehensive and well-researched. It focused mainly on the unique paths that several people in very different places and states of life took to the Catholic Church amid this “surge.” The overarching narrative was that we live in a lonely and anxious age, and that the Catholic Church provides an antidote in the form of stability and community. Ultimately, the real source lies beyond human nature. The veil has to be lifted. That is, to believe not just that God exists or even the truths he has revealed in Christ, but to believe unto God, to surrender my life and all that I have to him.
ZENIT
Looking ahead to the coming years
By Pope Leo XIV, May 28, 2026
We cannot underestimate the fact that, especially in Western countries, the crisis of faith, together with other socio-cultural factors, has given rise to widespread religious indifference. To many, faith no longer appears relevant to their lives. The underlying danger, the gravity of which is not always perceived, is that the very essence of what is most human – namely, the search for meaning – may be lost. The great existential questions remain unanswered, whilst a technological culture that is supposed to meet every need is spreading. Even in this context, the encounter with Christ is able to restore full meaning and value to people’s lives, and the Church rediscovers the enduring relevance of the mandate she has received from the risen Lord. No one can take her place in this mission, which is as urgent as it is necessary to ensure a reliable foundation for the future of humanity, so that it may be a future of peace, justice, freedom, and fraternity.
(From the Pope’s address to the members of the Dicastery for Evangelization)
Lamp Magazine
I had high hopes, but …
By Matthew Walther, May 27, 2026
It is important to remember that in May 2025, Cardinal Prevost was a mystery man. The only thing many of us knew of him was the bare facts of his biography. In retrospect, it was probably a mistake to read much into them. Prevost is, in the best sense, a “company man.” He seems to care deeply about institutions and order. He is not a bold speculative thinker; he has never (to my knowledge) written a single word for publication in the English-speaking world. We cannot afford to project our own interests or inclinations onto him, or to invest throwaway remarks (however compelling in themselves) with qualities they do not possess. Simply put: Magnifica humanitas is not compelling. Whose target audience was, I cannot possibly imagine (though I think I can just about hear the sighs of relief coming from entrepreneurs whose “targeted educational products” will still be saleable to Catholic schools). It is not a fire sermon; it is not a cri de coeur; it is not even, by any reasonable definition, “anti” A.I. For me, the most interesting thing in the text was Leo’s anatomy of the “idealist,” the “debased realist,” and the “authentic realist.”
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