Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 6/2/25
Topics include: What did Jesus look like; Quebec hotel cancels pro-life gala; ‘The Last Rodeo' box office gold; & Washington bishops sue
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Catholic News Agency, Omnes, Graphs about Religion, OSV, Aleteia, Fides, National Catholic Register, & Missio Dei. (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
What did Jesus look like?
By Francesca Pollio Fenton, June 1, 2025
“The Face of Jesus” examines two acheiropoietic images of Christ — the Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello, both believed to be divinely created — as well as the Vilnius image of the Divine Mercy, one of the most extraordinary hand-painted depictions of Jesus. To discover what our Savior might have looked like, the film takes viewers back 2,000 years to Jesus’ tomb in Jerusalem and then on to Rome and the small Italian village of Manoppello. The least known of the three images, the Veil of Manoppello, gained popularity after Pope Benedict XVI’s 2005 visit to the remote village where it is preserved. Also known as the Veil of Veronica, it was discovered in the early 1900s and reveals an image of Jesus' face, which, according to experts, corresponds to the face depicted in the Shroud of Turin.
CatholicVote
Quebec hotel cancels pro-life gala amid pro-abortion threats
By Rachel Quackenbush, May 30, 2025
After receiving threats from pro-abortion activists, a Quebec hotel has canceled a scheduled pro-life gala dinner just days before the city’s March for Life. The cancellation came just three days before the pro-life gathering was set to begin May 31. Georges Buscemi, president of the Quebec Life Coalition, shared the update in a message posted May 28, calling the hotel’s decision “deeply regrettable” and linking it to a broader cultural trend. “Sadly, it’s not surprising that pro-abortion militants would stoop to such tactics,” he wrote. “This aligns completely with the abortion mentality: a disregard for the lives of the most innocent — the unborn — inevitably leads to disrespecting the lives of those already born.” In addition to the hotel cancellation, Quebec City police notified organizers that the march would not be permitted to include a stage. Authorities cited logistical concerns.
National Catholic Register
‘The Last Rodeo’ lassoes box office gold
By Kathy Schiffer, May 30, 2025
When Angel Studios’ The Last Rodeo opened in theaters on Memorial Day weekend, it lassoed the hearts of moviegoers — earning a 95% rating on film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes’ “Popcornmeter” and exceeding earnings estimates with a $6.9-million weekend box office. CinemaScore gave the film an “A” rating, topping other new releases for the weekend. 59-year-old McDonough’s personal faith that might easily be overlooked, unless you’ve heard the inside story. A strong Catholic and a devoted husband, the actor has steadfastly refused kissing scenes throughout his career, instead saving his affection for his wife. In The Last Rodeo, McDonough breaks from that policy and does kiss a woman on screen — Neal’s actual wife, Ruvé McDonough. McDonough, who wrote and produced the film, said, “You can tell Hollywood, ‘We need more stories about faith, and about family, and about goodness.’”
The Pillar
Washington bishops sue over seal of confession
By Michelle La Rosa, May 29, 2025
The bishops of Washington filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging a new state law that requires priests to violate the seal of confession if they suspect the abuse of minors. The May 29 lawsuit argues that the new law violates First Amendment religious freedom protections, as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the Washington constitution. “Confession offers the faithful a confidential space to seek God’s mercy and guidance. This trust is sacred, and any law that jeopardizes it risks discouraging those who recognize the harm they have caused from seeking moral guidance,” said Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington Catholic Conference, in a statement. According to the lawsuit, the three Catholic dioceses in Washington have abuse reporting policies which “go beyond what Washington law requires,” with the sole exemption of information learned in the sacrament of confession.”
The Christian Post
Despite frustrations, few Evangelical pastors leave the pulpit
By Leonardo Blair,, June 1, 2025
An October 2021 Barna survey showed that nearly four out of 10 pastors (38%) in Evangelical or black Protestant churches said they were "seriously considering" leaving full-time ministry. Although record numbers of pastors, including more than half in mainline Protestant churches, seriously considered leaving full-time ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic, only about 1% of them have left ministry work annually in the last decade, a new Lifeway Research study finds. Researchers found that the share of pastors who left their positions for reasons other than death or retirement remained steady at just over 1%. In 2015, only 1.3% of pastors left their jobs for reasons other than death or retirement. In 2021, that share increased slightly to 1.5%; in 2025, it fell to 1.2%. More than half of the pastors in the study, 58%, reported that they began their current roles within the last decade, while 15% have served in their pulpit for at least 25 years.
Graphs about Religion
Rapid growth has turned to decline in Southern Baptist membership
By Ryan Burge, May 29, 2025
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has experienced a numerical decline for almost two decades. It’s been embroiled in the scandal relating to the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse by members of the Executive Committee (although the Department of Justice’s investigation into this only resulted in one conviction for a fairly trivial matter). There’s also an ideological war underway with groups like the Conservative Baptist Network arguing that the reason for the decline in membership is that the denomination has become too liberal. The SBC went from 6 million members in 1946 to 12 million by 1972, an incredible 45-year run that will never be duplicated again in the history of American Christianity. By 2006, the growth was all but over, dropping from 16.2 million members to 12.5 million today.
Aleteia
Pope Leo challenges married couples
By Theresa Civantos Barber, June 2, 2025
We live in a world of widespread brokenness — broken hearts, broken homes, broken families — in direct contrast to Christ's deep desire that his followers "be one." Pope Leo XIV encouraged all of us to embrace unity in a divided world with his homily on June 1 for the Jubilee of Families. He urged all Christians to live with an integrity and love that makes our unity something to “proclaim to the world.” His message was clear: Keep fighting for unity, even when it's hard. Don't give up on it as an unattainable ideal. Leo issued a special challenge to married couples, whose unity is a witness to the communion in love that Christ desires for us. He urged us to look to and imitate the examples of married couples who were canonized together, making their marriages a “sign of peace” in a troubled world.
Omnes
Jordan Peterson debates 25 atheists in one setting
By Paloma López Campos, May 29, 2025
Psychologist Jordan Peterson stars in a new viral video, debating 25 atheists about faith, morals, and Christianity. He presents a nuanced and well-argued defense of religion. Various guests discuss current issues that are often sensitive and complex. The psychologist has avoided speaking publicly about his faith. In the case of Peterson's video, Jubilee puts the renowned psychologist at the center of a debate with 20 avowed atheists who discuss four issues with Jordan:
Atheists reject God, but they do not understand what they are rejecting;
Morals and purposes cannot be found within science;
Everyone worships something, including atheists, even if they are not aware of it;
Atheists accept Christian morality but reject the fundamental stories of religion.
UCA News
Evangelizing suggestion inspired by Singapore boats
By Michel Chambon, June 2, 2025
Evangelizing is never an entirely individual matter. For Christians, evangelization always involves, to some extent, a collective body — an aggregate of people, things, and practices that carry and guide us. Along Singapore's coasts, a diverse array of vessels is visible, including ferries, cruise ships, container ships, transport barges, military frigates, coast guard vessels, luxury yachts, and even small fishing boats. Christian communities in the city-state are equally diverse in scope, appearance, and priority. Saint Paul used to travel across the Mediterranean and spread the Gospel throughout the empire. Jesus’ boats were coastal tools of work. Used for fishing, preaching, resting, and traveling, they remained closely connected to the coast and everyday reality. The variety of ships around us provides models that help us question what we’re doing together, as a Church.
From CNA to Agenzia, plus Satire for 6/2/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — June 2, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See to anyone with access to the internet.
Why the Philippines faces nine vacant dioceses - Jun 2, 2025 - By Rommel F. Lopez - Philippines may have nine vacant dioceses as bishops retire and transfer, creating urgent need for pastoral leadership in Catholic stronghold.
How can three French saints spark missionary momentum? Leo’s call for spiritual renewal - Jun 1, 2025 - By AC Wimmer - The pope emphasized their shared spiritual trait: “they loved Jesus unreservedly in a simple, strong and authentic way”
Canadian priest who survived school shooting & founded order is focus of new film - Jun 1, 2025 - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - A new film, “Permission: Fr. Bob Bedard’s Vision for the Church,” looks at the life and ministry of the founder of the relgious order Companions of the Cross in 1985.
Agenzia Fides
News of the Pontifical Mission Societies for 6/2/25
Fides has become an excellent center for collecting and producing material information on the missionary world through current news, photographs, mission studies, and missionary work.
AFRICA/KENYA - Endless violence: the Missionary Benedictine close their facilities in Kerio Valley - Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – The Missionary Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart Priory have closed all their facilities in Kerio Valley, Kenya, following daily violence in the region.
ASIA/MYANMAR - Floods in the north of the country: humanitarian situation worsens - Yangon (Agenzia Fides) – Extensive flooding, caused by heavy rains that lasted for about a week, has affected northern Myanmar, particularly the Sagaing region and Kachin State.
AFRICA/DR CONGO - Testimony from Bukavu: Children are the silent victims of war - Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – Children are the silent victims of all wars: in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Babylon Bee’s SATIRE News
Scandal: Historians Determine All Of George Washington’s Orders Were Signed By Auto-Feather
By History Staff, June 1, 2023
In a massive scandal upending centuries of historical beliefs, researchers have discovered that George Washington signed the vast majority of his orders with an auto-feather device. "After careful study and research of early American history, we've discovered a device called the 'Auto-Feather' that George Washington used to sign pretty much every one of his presidential orders," historian Fineas T. Barlow told the press. "Washington signed the pardon for his son Hunterias Washington using the auto-feather, which may have been invalid," Barlow said. "If that's the case, Hunterias's corpse may be exhumed and charged with a litany of felonies. To be honest, I kind of want to see that." At publishing time, experts had also discovered that Washington stored a large number of boxes of classified documents in his carriage house next to his vintage red buggy.
Nutshell reflections for 6/2/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - June 2, 2025
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Missio Dei
Jesus is in control
By Lexis Challen, June 2, 2025
Like the disciples in today’s Gospel, we may not understand the Lord’s ways or where He is calling us, so we tend to question and feel uncertain amidst our difficulties or troubles. The disciples, however, came to realize that they did not need to question Jesus, even when they did not fully understand. They discovered that He knows everything and is entirely in control of everything. When we experience troubles in our lives, as Jesus said we would, we must respond as the disciples did, with faith! Jesus has conquered the world and every situation that comes our way. He is with us in every moment, and we must look to Him, trusting Him to lead and guide us every step of the way. We must look to Jesus for His peace so that we might have peace in Him, regardless of the various storms that trouble our lives.
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
The definition of Catholic literature
By James K. Hanna, May 27, 2025
In 1942, Sr. Mary Madeleva Wolff, CSC (1887-1964) left a piece titled “Catholic Literature” found in Prose Readings: An Anthology for Catholic Colleges (Scribner’s, 1942). “Catholic literature is any literature that is treated as a Catholic would treat it. It is a literature in which there is a discipline, the discipline of the mind and the will, the discipline of the supernatural life. The perfectly disciplined Catholic is a saint. Our greatest literature has been the work of saints, the Scriptures, the writings of the Greek and Latin Fathers, the poetry of the Middle Ages, the autobiographies that followed. Its supreme asset is the influence of sanctifying grace, the power of the Holy Ghost.” The brief bio that accompanied her essay noted that she had by then published six volumes of verse, which have caused critics in 1942 to call her the “foremost American Catholic poet now living.”
The Catholic Gentlemen
A checklist for Catholic dads
By Randy Hain, May 28, 2025
After recently reflecting on my conversations with other dads, I made a list of the actions I am working on which I learned from my father and my own experiences as a parent. Just making this list was convicting and challenging for me, as I became acutely aware of where I fall short. We have to surrender on an ongoing basis to Christ for his will to be done in our lives. Our children will be much more likely to pray if we do. Recognize that helping our families get to heaven and being good husbands and fathers—not our business careers—is our real vocation. Our children need our time. Christians are meant to stand out, not blend in. Let go of the things that are in the way of our prayer lives. Our children will learn to love others by how they see Mom and Dad love each other.
Caeli Catholic
Mothered by Mary: An unexpected revelation
By Maria Mellis, June 2, 2025
Since my middle school years, I’ve had a strong devotion to Mama Mary. I formally consecrated myself to her in college, and all three of my children have been named partially in honor of her. So I believed that the experience of motherhood would only make me feel closer to the Blessed Mother. The wisdom and insights of others solidified this expectation. The details of my own motherhood seemed wildly different from Mary’s experience. Mary almost assuredly co-slept with her baby, but modern medicine instructs that my babies should lie flat on their backs on a separate surface. I mourned for her that she never got to relish this exquisite moment of cuddling a sweet baby girl. In that moment of unusual prayerful lamentation, Mary responded with the tenderest of words to my heart: “Ahh, but I did get to mother an exquisite, most precious daughter: YOU.”
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