Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 8/18/25
Topics include: Planned Parenthood gets $500 million where?; Who has the Bible on its flag?; Evacuation order issued for Gaza parish; & After pushback, French archbishop appoints new chancellor
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Today's sources are Catholic News Agency, ChurchPop, Graphs about Religion, OSV, Aleteia, Fides, National Catholic Register, & Christian Post. (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
Planned Parenthood makes nearly $500 million in pro-life states
By Tyler Arnold, August 18, 2025
Planned Parenthood affiliates based in pro-life states rake in close to a half-billion dollars from various sources in annual revenue, which includes millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, according to a new report. Unveiled by the Catholic nonprofit American Life League (ALL) on Aug. 18, they found that the financial performance of Planned Parenthood affiliates in pro-life states is nearly identical to the performance of affiliates in pro-abortion states. Planned Parenthood still has 11 affiliates that represent 81 facilities in states that have heavily restricted abortion following the overturning Roe v. Wade. The average annual revenue for an affiliate in a pro-life state is more than $41.2 million, which means those affiliates combine for more than $450 million in yearly revenue. In states that have few restrictions on abortion, which represent 418 facilities. The average affiliate revenue in these states is nearly $43.4 million, which is only slightly higher than that in pro-life states.
Aleteia
The only country that has the Bible on its flag
By Adriana Bello, August 18, 2025
There are many historically Catholic countries, but there’s only one country that has the Holy Scriptures flying on its flag: the Dominican Republic, a beautiful Caribbean island characterized by the warmth and fervor of its people. At first glance, the flag has a large white cross in the center, and right in the middle, in the heart of the flag, is the Coat of Arms. This, in turn, contains an open Bible crowned by a small cross. In addition, a Gospel chapter and verse were specifically chosen. The text is John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” When the country was seeking independence, proponents of the cause felt it important to emphasize freedom in a broad sense in their national symbols. However, they also wanted to highlight specifically the freedom that comes from faith and good principles.
Vatican News
Evacuation order issued for Gaza parish neighborhood
By Vatican News, August 11, 2025
“An evacuation order has been issued for the entire neighborhood. And they said they're starting to distribute tents,” Fr. Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza, told the Italian press agency ANSA on August 18. His statement came as Israeli forces advanced plans to relocate thousands of Palestinians from northern Gaza, where the parish is located, to designated zones in the south, drawing international concern over worsening humanitarian conditions. However, he said, “where can they find the space for all the inhabitants” of the Gaza Strip, “two million three hundred thousand people?” On the conflict situation in general, he commented that "there is no agreement; they do not want to release the hostages, or only partially; the other side says ‘no, all together’... the only thing that is certain is that the bombs continue to cause deaths of civilians and children; the numbers are terrible.”
The Pillar
After pushback, Toulouse archbishop appoints new chancellor
By The Pillar, August 16, 2025
The Archbishop of Toulouse appointed a new chancellor Saturday, after widespread opposition to his recent appointment of a priest convicted of sexually assaulting a minor. “In order not to provoke division among bishops, and not to remain at a standoff between those ‘for’ and ‘against,’ I decided to reverse my decision; this has now been done, with the appointment of a new chancellor,” Archbishop de Kerimel wrote in an Aug 16 statement. “My decision was interpreted by many people as a snub to the victims of sexual abuse; I ask the victims' forgiveness. This was obviously not my intention.” In July, the appointment made headlines across France, as victims’ advocacy groups — and the priest’s own victim — said the appointment was unacceptable. Soon after he got pushback over the appointment, the archbishop said that he had “taken the side of mercy” in regards to Father Spina.
Our Sunday Visitor
The state of the Catholic debate over embryo adoption
By Charles Camosy, August 11, 2025
As in vitro fertilization (IVF) continues to make headlines, the status of the many embryos created and frozen in this process is a key concern for Catholics. OSV News’ Charlie Camosy recently spoke with Kent J. Lasnoski, founding president of the San Damiano College for the Trades, who co-edited “Human Embryo Adoption, vol. 2, Catholic Arguments For and Against” for the National Catholic Bioethics Center. 1978 saw the first birth of a child conceived “in vitro,” and surprisingly the Catholic magisterium wrote definitively in less than 10 years on the subject in its 1987 landmark document “Donum Vitae,” which treated a host of topics in reproductive technology and therapies. At that point, the specter of what to do with “spare” embryos had not raised its head. Consciousness of the problem of “spare” embryos grew over the next decade, so much so that by 1996, St. John Paul II stated in a speech to doctors that there seem
Graphs about Religion
Religious ‘nones’ now include ‘nothing in particular’ folks
By Ryan Burge, August 18, 2025
When I make a graph showing the rise of the nones over time, if I only include atheists and agnostics in my calculation, the share of nones has only risen to about 12% over time. If I throw the third category in there — the nothing in particulars — the nones are much, much larger. Somewhere between 30% and 35%. So, you can see the dilemma here. Many atheists want to include the “nothing in particulars” when it makes secularism appear more significant, but want to exclude them in other analyses, which is really par for the course among nothing in particulars because I think that they are the most overlooked, understudied ‘religious’ group in the United States. And they absolutely have a huge impact on American politics. there are almost as many nothing in particulars as there Catholics and evangelicals — 21% vs 22%.
Christian Post
Pastor on visa issue released: ‘Many souls came to Christ’
By Anugrah Kumar, August 18, 2025
A Honduran pastor living in Maryland's Eastern Shore who overstayed his visa more than two decades ago has returned home after he was arrested in late July by federal immigration authorities, saying he ministered to several souls who came to Christ during his detention. In a video posted on social media by a family friend on Sunday, Pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal of Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama in Easton thanked supporters for their prayers and financial support amid three weeks of detention. His daughter, Clarissa Fuentes Diaz, also appeared in the video, thanking Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's office and members of U.S. Congress for their advocacy on her father's case. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Fuentes Espinal on July 21 while returning to a construction site, alleging that he entered the United States on a 6-month visa but "never left in 24 years."
National Catholic Register
‘Called by Name’: Hundreds nominated for priesthood in Denver
By Kate Quiñones/CNA, August 18, 2025
The Archdiocese of Denver asked parishioners to share the names of young men they thought would make good priests. The result? More than 900 names. The monthslong campaign — a collaboration between the Denver Archdiocese and Vianney Vocations, a group that supports vocations efforts in Catholic dioceses around the U.S. — has also sparked a “real openness” to vocations in the hearts of young men in the community, said Denver Vocations Director Father Jason Wallace. The campaign, he told CNA, has “created a culture” in which speaking about vocations is becoming “more acceptable.” “All of a sudden, their name gets submitted and they get a letter from [the] archbishop,” Father Wallace said. “They’re like, ‘Wow, somebody else actually saw in me what I had an inkling could actually be true.’”
CatholicVote
Judge allows continuation of lawsuit alleging organ harvesting
By Hannah Hiester, August 18, 2025
Against the backdrop of ongoing financial challenges at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV has approved new rules aimed at strengthening transparency and efficiency in the awarding of public contracts, Vatican News reported Aug. 9. The decree, issued Aug. 5 by the Secretariat for the Economy, is the first major step in carrying out the 2024 motu proprio To Better Harmonize. They set out clear requirements for competitive bidding, oversight, and equal access for qualified contractors, while also aiming to cut through unnecessary bureaucracy. Vatican News said the policy was shaped through cooperation among multiple departments. The text explains that the changes are meant to safeguard fairness and accountability, ensure resources are used responsibly, and uphold Catholic social teaching in financial matters.
CNA, Agenzia, & ChurchPOP for 8/18/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — August 18, 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.
EUROPE/FRANCE - Sailing from France to the Antilles: fundraising campaign for the Salesian missionaries in Guadeloupe - Paris (Agenzia Fides) – 150 years after the first crossing of the Atlantic by the Salesian missionaries of Don Bosco to reach the archipelago of Guadeloupe (now part of the French Antilles, ed.)
Chant Camp aims to help children appreciate beauty and tradition of the Mass - Aug 17, 2025 - By Martin Barillas - Canticle Chant Camp was held at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 28 to Aug. 1.
Trump vows to do ‘everything’ to ‘save’ Jimmy Lai ahead of trial verdict - Aug 16, 2025 - By Daniel Payne - Trump promised to “see what we can do” to help the longtime human rights advocate jailed by Chinese authorities.
Agenzia Fides
News of the Pontifical Mission Societies for 8/18/25
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.
EUROPE/FRANCE - Sailing from France to the Antilles: fundraising campaign for the Salesian missionaries in Guadeloupe - Paris (Agenzia Fides) – 150 years after the first crossing of the Atlantic by the Salesian missionaries of Don Bosco to reach the archipelago of Guadeloupe (now part of the French Antilles, ed.).
Pope Leo: The poor and persecuted Christian communities are the joy of the Church, the first fruits of the Kingdom to come - Castel Gandolfo (Agenzia Fides) - The Church of Christ "lives in her fragile members, and their Magnificat renews her. Even in our day, the poor and persecuted Christian communities, are the witnesses of tenderness.
ASIA/CAMBODIA - Apostolic Prefect of Battambang: "Respect the truce, for a genuine and lasting peace" - Battambang (Agenzia Fides) – "The population had high hopes and was very happy and encouraged by the ceasefire agreement signed on August 7. Now the call is: respect it!
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - August 18, 2025
Our Lady Remained in the Ruins: The Marian Statue That Survived the Atomic Bomb in Nagasaki - That mutilated statue, now known as Our Lady of Nagasaki or Hibaku no Maria (“Bombed Mary”), has become a living symbol of hope
Miss Universe Costa Rica Presents Our Lady with a Crown, Thanks God for Victory at Catholic Basilica - After being crowned Miss Universe Costa Rica, Mahyla Roth visited Our Lady of the Angels to fulfill a promise she made earlier this year
'I'll Build My Own': How Mother Angelica’s Fearless Faith Built EWTN From a Garage Studio - When TV executives told her “no,” Mother Angelica turned to God — and built the world’s largest Catholic network from a humble garage.
Nutshell reflections for 8/18/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - August 18, 2025
Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
The Life and Works of Sister M. Fides Shepperson
By James K. Hanna, August 18, 2025
Poet, philosopher, pacifist, and so much more. A prolific writer and educator, she was universally recognized for her wide knowledge of classical literature, history, and philosophy, as well as her deep concern for human rights and international peace—Sister M. Fides Shepperson (1867-1952) was a Sisters of Mercy religious. Her teenage conversion to Catholicism was influenced by the writings of John Henry Newman and her vocation to religious life by the example of Catherine McAuley. Believed to be the first female admitted to any Catholic college in America, she was the first to graduate from Duquesne University (BA, 1911, MA, 1913) (then Holy Ghost College), the first woman to receive a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh (PhD, 1923), and among the first faculty of Mount Mercy College (now Carlow University) when it opened in 1929.
National Catholic Register
The compact & Catholic HEWO player — perfect for little hands
By Katie Warner, August 16, 2025
Created by Catholic parents Elie and Viviana de LaForcade, HEWO (short for “HEar the WOrd”) is the first faith-based audio player designed for kids, boasting a growing library of content from trusted publishers and sharing Catholic teaching in a dynamic, screen-free format. HEWO aims to make children’s faith formation accessible, wholesome and fun using the compact HEWO player — perfect for little hands — which connects to the parent’s mobile device, where the adult can customize content, based on age or interest, from the HEWO app. I especially love that HEWO adds the faith-formation element to this educational activity and also gives the child independence in being able to use the device on his or her own (the silicone cover is great for the littlest listeners who may be a little rough and tumble with their device) while allowing parents to select the quality content.
Exaudi
Pope Leo XIV: a calm papacy that avoids polemics
By Nicole Winfield / Associated Press, August 16, 2025
As Robert Prevost marks his 100th day as Pope Leo this weekend, the contours of his pontificate have begun to come into relief, particularly in his continuity with Francis and his signals of change. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that after 12 sometimes turbulent years under Francis, a certain calm and reserve have returned to the papacy. Leo seems eager above all to avoid polemics or making the papacy about himself, and wants instead to focus on Christ and peace. He’s been straightforward and forthright … but he’s not doing spontaneous press hits,” said Kevin Hughes, chair of theology and religious studies at Leo’s alma mater, Villanova University. Leo has a different style than Francis, and that has brought relief to many, Hughes said in a telephone interview. “Even those who really loved Pope Francis always kind of held their breath a little bit: You didn’t know what was going to come out next or what he was going to do,” Hughes said.
Catholic Culture
On the demise of Our Sunday Visitor
By Peter Wolfgang, August 17, 2025
There was a time when this would have been a big deal. Because OSV used to be a big deal. The reports of its demise in the NCR, and in OSV itself, barely touch on it. The closest you get is that passing reference to how OSV had a circulation of nearly one million in the 1950s. And it has a couple of other periodicals, in addition to its flagship publication, that will also cease to exist. And OSV had a lot more than just two other periodicals. As a publishing empire, Our Sunday Visitor was essentially the Catholic equivalent of Christianity Today. They had a whole family of magazines under one umbrella. Remember New Covenant, the magazine that catered specifically to the Catholic Charismatic Movement? Perhaps the takeaway here is that there appears to be no longer an audience for rational, un-hyperbolic Catholic commentary that leans Democrat. If so, we are poorer for it. And for losing the OSV.
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