Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 7/14/25
Topics include: Bishops of war-torn regions; MoMa Breastfeeding counters La Leche League; $80 billion to reconstruct Ukraine; & What about churches endorsing candidates?
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Catholic News Agency, ChurchPop, Graphs about Religion, OSV, Aleteia, Fides, National Catholic Register, & Catholic Digest. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Agenzia Fides
Bishops of war-torn regions: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled’
By Agenzia Fides, July 10, 2025
In the face of terrible events — the bloody civil war and the earthquake that devastated central Myanmar — three bishops of the Burmese dioceses of Myitkyina, Banmaw, and Lashio (in north-central Myanmar) address the faithful in a joint pastoral letter: "The Lord Jesus told us: 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me!'“ (John 14:1). The pastoral letter, sent to Fides, is signed by the three bishops: Msgr. John Mung-ngawn La Sam, M.F., of the diocese of Myitkyina; Msgr. Raymond Sumlut Gam, of the Diocese of Banmaw; and Msgr. Lucas Dau Ze Jeimphaung, SDB, of the Diocese of Lashio. All three are often forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere due to insecurity and fighting in their territories. "No matter how difficult our situation may be, if we pray to God every day with faith and love, we will be able to endure all difficulties and become bearers of the Cross with Jesus Christ.”
Catholic News Agency
MoMa Breastfeeding founded to counter shift in La Leche League
By Amira Abuzeid, July 12, 2025
“The only males allowed in our meetings will be very young ones,” said Ruth Lewis, one of the founders of MoMa Breastfeeding, a newly launched support group for breastfeeding mothers. The group was founded by former trustees of La Leche League Great Britain, who say they were ousted from the group for their belief that only women can breastfeed. Founded in 1956 by seven Catholic women in Illinois who named the group after the nursing Madonna and in response to a rise in formula feeding, La Leche League (“La leche” means milk in Spanish) supported natural family planning and Catholic moral teachings. It changed over the years, however, dropping its Catholic identity as it grew. And in recent years, the group in the U.S. and elsewhere has embraced gender ideology and so-called “inclusive” language, using terms like “chestfeeding” and allowing men who say they are women to participate in meetings.
Vatican News
World Bank mobilizes $80 billion to reconstruct Ukraine
By Joseph Tulloch, July 4, 2025
“The World Bank Group, like so many others, has really stepped up to make sure that we could support Ukraine during this very difficult time, providing significant amounts of financing, both our own and also mobilizing resources from Ukraine's main development partners by setting up various platforms and trust funds and ways of channeling funds to Ukraine,” said Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank. Energy is key. “In February, we released our fourth damage and needs assessment for Ukraine. For the coming ten years, based on where we are as of February, Ukraine will need $524 billion for a recovery and reconstruction. Between the fourth damage and needs assessment and the one we did about a year earlier, the damage to the energy sector has gone up by 70%.”
The Pillar
What does canon law say about churches endorsing candidates?
By The Pillar, July 9, 2025
The Internal Revenue Service this week conceded in a court filing that a rule blocking churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates was neither neutral nor generally applicable. The move essentially ends a 70-year federal gag on religious bodies from wading too directly into partisan politics without risking their tax-exempt status. The U.S. bishops said Tuesday that the Church’s political engagement will remain unchanged by the decision. The Code of Canon Law acknowledges that secular partisan politics is an integral part of civil life and that Catholics have essential roles to play in the public sphere. But as a general principle, the Church asserts her “duty and innate right, independent of any human power whatsoever, to preach the gospel to all peoples, also using the means of social communication proper to it.”
Our Sunday Visitor
Washington abuse law and the seal of Confession
By Carol Glatz, July 8, 2025
A contested Washington state law that would require priests to violate the seal of confession to report abuse “represents an egregious violation of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment,” Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, who is a member of the U.S. Religious Liberty Commission, told OSV News. “That the state could interfere in this most sacred discipline of the church should alarm not only Catholics, but indeed all Americans who revere religious liberty,” he said in a statement emailed to OSV News July 7. Bishop Barron, founder of the Word on Fire media ministry, filed a friend-of-the-court brief July 4 in a case brought May 29 by Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle and other bishops and clergy against Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and his administration over the recently passed law on mandated abuse reporting, which lacks exceptions for the clergy-penitent privilege.
Graphs about Religion
Religious affiliation & resistance to societal changes
By Ryan Burge, July 14, 2025
The world is changing rapidly. The share of Americans who are white is declining annually. The portion of Americans who claim no religious affiliation is up sixfold from the early 1990s. The share of people in the United States who were immigrants was higher in 2023 than it had been for a century. When it comes to the question of changing views on transgender Americans, it’s pretty clear that the public is evenly divided. The question of immigration is also equally divisive. Partisanship plays an unmistakable role in all this. On the question of whether acceptance of transgender individuals is good for society, Democrats are +47 on this topic. For Republicans, it’s nearly the exact opposite at -49. The question of more women working is one that meets a lot of approval by basically everyone.
CatholicVote
Turkey may reopen ancient Armenian Cathedral as mosque
By Elise DeGeeter, July 11, 2025
Turkey’s ongoing restoration of the 10th-century Armenian Cathedral of Ani has prompted fears it may be reopened as a mosque, as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s broader pattern of Islamizing historic Christian landmarks. The cathedral — also known as Surp Asdvadzadzin or Holy Mother of God — is one of the most significant remnants of medieval Armenian Christianity. It has been under restoration since 2022 as part of a project led by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. According to a July 9 AsiaNews report, questions about the project’s intent surfaced after Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency published a July 3 report describing the cathedral as a “conquest mosque.”
National Catholic Register
The right way to ask for a miracle
By Joseph Pronechen, July 12, 2025
Bestselling author Anthony DeStefano has just released The Miracle Book: A Simple Guide to Asking for the Impossible. It is an inspiring work that deserves a prominent place on every bookshelf and in every reader’s hands. Doug Keck, wrote in his endorsement: “DeStefano strips away superstition and wishful thinking to present a clear-eyed, compelling case for how prayer can unlock the miraculous. A rare blend of spiritual wisdom and practical guidance.” The conversational style is also a plus because it makes readers feel as if they are being spoken to personally. DeStefano did the same with the Register as he answered questions about The Miracle Book. “I think so many people out there are suffering badly — maybe some of the people reading this now — but they don’t know how to go about asking God for help, other than begging him. They beg, they plead, they negotiate, they promise they’ll do absolutely anything, if only God will grant them this one request,” said DeStefano.
Crux
Ban online gambling, Filipino bishops ask Marcos government
By Joseph San Mateo, July 11, 2025
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) appealed to the Marcos government to ban all forms of online gambling, which bishops called “a deep and widespread moral crisis” plaguing this mostly Christian country. In a statement issued at the end of their 130th plenary assembly, the CBCP said it is “gravely concerned” because of the “new plague or virus that is destroying individuals, families, and society.” They said this moral ill “is quietly spreading and causing widespread slavery.” “It is clear that online gambling is no longer just a simple pastime. It is a deep and pervasive moral problem, hidden in the guise of entertainment and technology,” said Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the CBCP, in a statement on behalf of the conference.
From CNA to Agenzia, plus Satire for 7/14/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — July 14, 2025
The Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, and up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the happenings of the Holy See to anyone with internet access.
Rome readies for Jubilee of Youth: ‘You will never experience anything like this again’ - Jul 14, 2025 - By Victoria Cardiel - "Young people will never experience this in their lives again. I'm sure of it. In practice, it will be like a World Youth Day," explained Father Alfredo Tedesco, director of youth ministry in Rome.
Six months into new presidency, Lebanese Christians take stock - Jul 14, 2025 - By Romy Haber - Six months in: How Lebanon’s Christians evaluate their president’s performance.
Athlete, convert to Catholicism, and future priest: The story of Josh Brooks - Jul 13, 2025 - By Diego López Marina - Josh Brooks, a native of Delaware County in metro Philadelphia, dreamed of following in the footsteps of his idol LeBron.
Agenzia Fides
News of the Pontifical Mission Societies for 7/14/25
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.
ASIA/PAKISTAN - Christians accused of blasphemy continue to seek justice -Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Asif Pervaiz, a 42-year-old Pakistani Christian, has been in prison for 12 years after being sentenced to death for blasphemy by a Lahore court in 2020.
ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Young people happy to follow their vocation: the Major Seminary in Dili celebrates its first 25 years - Dili (Agenzia Fides) – Young people happy to live their vocation by following Christ and serving the Church every day.
AFRICA/NIGERIA - Armed attack on the Seminary in Ivhianokpodi: three young seminarians kidnapped - Auchi (Agenzia Fides) – An armed attack took place at the "Immaculate Conception" diocesan minor seminary in Ivhianokpodi, Edo State, Nigeria.
Babylon Bee’s SATIRE News
Christians Decide To Put Aside Their Petty Differences And Unite For The Gospel (Haha Just Kidding We’re Fighting Each Other Online)
By Christian Living Staff, July 13, 2023
Christians across the globe have decided to put aside their petty differences and unite for the greater purpose of sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the world. Just joshing! They're actually fighting each other online. According to sources, Christians really did consider not letting minor theological differences get in the way of the shared mission to spread the Gospel, but decided it would be better to argue with each other on social media. "This is such a better use of time," said local Christian Zach Milton as he absolutely roasted a fellow Christian on Facebook. "I could go out and talk to my neighbors at the block party and maybe invite them to church. But then who would wreck this idiot 'My_Jesus_Saves23' who believes in paedobaptism?" Christians had considered taking the Sabbath off from arguing online, but decided instead to argue about what constitutes a modern Sabbath.
Nutshell reflections for 7/14/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - July 14, 2025
Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]
Exaudi
Educating in the Faith: The mission of parents, not the state
By Pope Leo XIV, July 13, 2025
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we have heard one of Jesus’ most beautiful and moving parables. We all know the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). The parable is really about compassion. True, the Gospel story speaks of the compassion that moved the Samaritan to act, but it first speaks of how others regarded the wounded man lying on the roadside after being attacked by robbers. We are told that a priest and a Levite “saw him and passed by” (v. 32). Of the Samaritan, however, the Gospel says, “he saw him and had compassion on him” (v. 33). Dear brothers and sisters, how we look at others is what counts, because it shows what is in our hearts. We can look and walk by, or we can look and be moved with compassion. If Christ shows us the face of a compassionate God, then to believe in him and to be his disciples means allowing ourselves to be changed and to take on his same feelings.
Christian Post
Most churches still pass the plate to collect offerings
By Anugrah Kumar, July 13, 2025
Most Protestant churches in the United States continue to pass a plate or basket during worship services to collect offerings, according to a new survey of pastors by Lifeway Research, which found the traditional method remains far more common than digital giving or collection boxes. Nearly three in four U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches collect physical offerings by passing something around during the service, and close to half say they also have giving options as people arrive or leave the building, the study found. After surveying 1,003 Protestant pastors, Lifeway found that 64% use passing the plate as the primary collection method, more than any other option, with that number rising to 68% among pastors leading churches with 50 to 99 attendees.
The Catholic Gentlemen
Bl. Pier Giorgio: Famously known for many poor at his funeral
By Will Gray, July 11, 2025
Born in 1901, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was a man living in the world and abided with God daily. He let this be shown through his interactions with his friends and the poor in Turin, Italy, where he was born. He grew up and came from a wealthy family and is commonly known for sharing this wealth with others. He utilized any extra spending money for bus fares and meals, and gave that to the poor. Bl. Pier took advantage of the many devotional opportunities that the Catholic Church has to offer. The Eucharist and Mary were the foundations of his life. In his life, he became a Lay Dominican, joined the Marian Sodality, and the Apostleship of Prayer. Because of Bl. Pier Giorgio’s lived relationship with God, many were impacted by his life and actions. He is famously known for having many poor show up to his funeral.
Catholic Digest
Clearing up the use of the word ‘Canon’ in Church jargon
By Kevin T. Di Camillo, July 8, 2025
“Canon” has two discreet definitions that have absolutely nothing to do with one another. First, there is “canon law” or the law of the Church as codified in the Code of Canon Law (abbreviated in its Latin form to CIC). When one hears of “the canons of the Church that deal with questions of divorce, ordination, or the sacraments,” canon law is generally what is being referred to. “Canon” law is the opposite of “civil” law, or the law of the land one happens to be living in. However, “canons” also refer to a group of men, usually priests, who have taken vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability to a religious order. A good example: The Canons Regular of Premontre, better known as the Norbertines. The word “regular” comes from the fact that the Canons, who live together in an abbey, mean that they follow a “rule,” in this case the Rule of St. Augustine. Worth noting: there are also “canonesses,” women who follow the same rule.
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The full article fills out the quote, "But as a general principle, the Church asserts her “duty and innate right, independent of any human power whatsoever, to preach the gospel to all peoples, also using the means of social communication proper to it.”
You'll find:
“The IRS was addressing a specific case, and it doesn’t change how the Catholic Church engages in public debate,” the USCCB said in a July 8 statement.
“The Church seeks to help Catholics form their conscience in the Gospel so they might discern which candidates and policies would advance the common good. The Catholic Church maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates.”
Sooo, the Catholic church will or will not choose up sides from the pulpit? The words in the article from the church were meaningless!