Catholic Nutshell News: Monday 8/3/26
Catholics should know: Pro-abortion ‘judicial activism’ in Mexico; Foreign priests are under a travel ban; Colonial America’s Catholics; & Brazil's striking number of 21st-century saints
“Worth your weight in walnuts”
Your 5-minute daily Catholic briefing. Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, The Pillar, Crux, First Things, Zeale, & Aleteia. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
Please support the following Catholic news services and spiritual support sites. Click here to view this email on the Catholic Nutshell News website. Today’s Catholic Nutshell News audio podcast is available on the Substack App.
CRUX
Pro-abortion ‘judicial activism’ from Mexico’s Supreme Court
By Eduardo Campos Lima, August 3, 2026
Catholic activists are accusing Mexico’s Supreme Court of judicial activism when it comes to expanding access to abortion in the Latin American nation. Over the past few months, the Supreme Court has handed down a series of major rulings aimed at ensuring broad access to abortion services for pregnant women in Mexico. Pro-life advocates in Mexico say the country’s highest court has been gradually eroding legal protections for the unborn and conscience rights for medical professionals, slowly but surely leading to what they say is essentially unrestricted abortion access. In April, the Court ruled that, in states where abortion has been decriminalized, health authorities may be required by courts to implement the services needed to guarantee access to voluntary abortion. The Supreme Court also ruled that the Constitution of the State of Tamaulipas was unconstitutional for including a provision about protection to life “from conception until natural death.”
National Catholic Register
U.S. dioceses struggle to keep foreign priests under travel ban
By Gemma Flores, July 30, 2026
In the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, foreign-born priests aren’t a luxury — they’re a necessity. Of the 26 priests who administer the sacraments to Catholics across a territory roughly one-and-a-half times the size of Texas, 14 are from abroad, serving in the U.S. on temporary R-1 religious worker visas. But in a diocese where many parishes can only be reached by aircraft, boat, or snowmobile, many of Fairbanks’ foreign priests are facing a different kind of challenge to carrying out their ministry: difficulty getting their visas renewed. A Jan. 1 travel ban of nationals from 39 different countries deemed security risks has complicated the visa renewal process for seven of the diocese’s priests, who hail from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, or the Congo — all affected countries. Several across the country told the Register that retaining and recruiting foreign priests has gotten more difficult in 2026, as the Trump travel ban has effectively offset the benefits of the streamlined religious-worker visa process.
EWTN News
Little-known story of colonial America’s Catholics
By Tyler Arnold, August 3, 2026
When the American Founding Fathers declared independence from the British crown 250 years ago, Catholicism represented a very small portion of the population — accounting for less than 2% of the people. The primary hub for American Catholicism in 1776 was Maryland, which was created as a safe haven for Catholics and home to the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence: Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Yet, more than one-third of Catholics lived outside Maryland in the late 1700s. Archbishop John Carroll — the first bishop in the United States — reported the Catholic population to the Holy See in 1785: about 15,800 in Maryland, at least 7,000 in Pennsylvania, at least 1,500 in New York, and no more than 200 in Virginia. There were a few hundred scattered elsewhere. The primary reason for the low numbers was restrictive laws, some of which outright banned Catholicism and priests from colonies. Even in Maryland, after the 1689 Protestant Revolution, Catholics faced severe restrictions, including a ban on voting and openly celebrating Mass.
PIMA asia news
Thai farmworkers remain in Israel despite wars
By Israel - Thailand, July 18, 2026
Some 46 Thai migrants were killed when Hamas attacked on 7 October. Another 31 were abducted, with three dying in captivity in Gaza. In northern Israel, five were killed by Hezbollah rockets. Despite this, most chose to stay and continue to provide an essential service to Israeli agriculture. Since the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, and the subsequent war launched by the Jewish state against the movement that controls Gaza, Thai farmers, like other Asian migrants, have been called the “forgotten face“ of the tragedy. In less than three years, at least 51 workers from the Southeast Asian nation have died as a result of the conflict, while 31 have been abducted, their fate largely unresolved, although some had a positive outcome, like that of Watchara Sriaoun, a Christian who was released in late January 2025. Despite the losses and the suffering associated with captivity, Thailand's economic migrants, especially those working in the agricultural sector, have stayed, devoted to their fields, plantations, and crops.
Related: Israeli police arrest soldier suspected of shooting Palestinian child in West Bank, Zeale News, August 3, 2026
The Pillar
Brazil is producing a striking number of 21st-century saints
By Luke Coppen, July 28, 2026
Brazil has more Catholics than any other country in the world. So it’s not surprising that it’s producing a striking number of potential 21st-century saints. Among the figures whose causes are progressing is Padre Léo, who established a network of houses supporting people addicted to drugs and alcohol. The Dehonian priest died in 2007, at the age of 45. His reputation for holiness was so strong that his beatification cause opened in 2020. Many 21st-century sainthood candidates were born outside Brazil but made their homes there, often as missionaries. Waldir Lopes de Castro (1931-2001) didn’t see much of the 21st century. He served as pastor for the last 37 years of his life. Gilberto Maria Defina (1925-2004) also showed an exceptional sensitivity toward the needy, which he combined with a reputation for miracle-working. Luciano Pedro Mendes de Almeida (1930-2006) was an outspoken defender of human rights. There are more than a dozen others.
Zeale
Nigeria’s anti-Christian violence is unprecedented
By Zeale News Team, August 2, 2026
Christians in Nigeria have faced violent persecution for a number of years, but 2026 has seen an unprecedented volume of attacks, according to Brad Brandon, who founded Across Nigeria 11 years ago, a ministry that supports affected communities in the northern part of the country. Brandon said Across Nigeria cares for 570 widows, all of whom have lost their husbands due to the violence. He estimated that the frequency of attacks on Christian communities or villages, often perpetrated by co-opted Fulani militants and the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, has risen to almost one per day. Brandon, who spends about half of the year in Nigeria and the other half in the U.S., also commented on the difficulty of processing the volume of attacks. “While I was there, it was every time I turned around, there was another attack, another slaughter, [and] massacre happening. I couldn’t keep up with them.” 3.5 million Christians are currently in refugee camps in northern Nigeria.
Aleteia
Fort Bragg military priest celebrated all seven sacraments in one day
By Jenny Lark Snarski, August 3, 2026
Father Mike Metz celebrated the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation for a man who was raised Mormon and read his way into Catholicism, supported by his wife. Convalidating the couple’s marriage through the sacrament of Matrimony was the fourth sacrament of the day. Fifth was hearing numerous confessions, offering Reconciliation for 45 minutes before Mass, at which he baptized five other infants of families on base. Sixth was the Anointing of the Sick for a male volunteer at the church who has cancer and was going in for surgery. The seventh, Holy Orders, wasn’t received that day, but was the means through which the others were all made possible. “I felt like a big leaguer, hittin’ a grand slam, celebrating all of those sacraments in one day,” he shared with audible joy. “My life is so fun,” he affirmed. “And it’s such a blessing to live a priestly life this way…”
ZENIT
New anti-trafficking caucus in Congress
By Kate Scanlon, July 31, 2026
A bipartisan pair of lawmakers announced July 30 they will form and co-chair a new caucus in the U.S. House aimed at the prevention of human trafficking. Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., said the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Protection and Prevention Caucus — named in honor of the abolitionist and statesman — will advance legislation to prevent human trafficking, prosecute traffickers, and strengthen support and protection for victims, and facilitate greater cooperation to prevent trafficking through partnerships between government, law enforcement, private and faith-based organizations. “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and a scourge on our collective humanity,” Mfume said. “Nearly 27 million people worldwide are trapped in forms of forced labor and human bondage, and Americans in all 50 states have been victimized as well.” Smith added, “Human trafficking is an ever-evolving crime, as traffickers are constantly finding new ways—in-person and virtually—to exploit, manipulate, and abuse victims.
Keep informed - 8/3/26 news for Catholics:
Snippets: EWTN News, Catholic World Report, & Catholic World News
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — August 3, 2026
EWTN News provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the Holy Father's words and the Holy See.
Toronto Catholics launch first conference for young professionals - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - The Young Professional Catholics of Toronto (YPCT), a growing lay association of the Archdiocese of Toronto, will host its first conference on Sept. 26 at the Canada Event Center in the greater Toronto area.
Egypt executes convicted killer of Coptic Orthodox priest - By Souhail Lawand - A crime that deeply shocked Egypt’s Coptic community and broader public has reached its legal conclusion after the family of Father Arsanios Wadid confirmed that Egyptian authorities have executed the man convicted of murdering him.
Hope along the highway: The ministry behind thousands of pro-life billboards - By Katherine Matt - A Minnesota nonprofit has spent nearly 40 years using pro-life billboards and outreach to connect people with pregnancy resources and support nationwide
Catholic World Report
CWR’s Columns, Analysis, & Features
Catholic World Report is a free online magazine that examines the news from a faithful Catholic perspective.
Sold on a promise: How a Catholic network is rescuing Africa’s trafficked youth - Ngala Killian Chimtom July 30, 2026 - “I held my mother and siblings in a warm, tearful embrace of hope,” Pauline (not her real name) recalls. She pauses, offering a wan, ashy smile at the memory of November 23, 2016, and her rescue.
On Twenty Years of Twitter—er, X - Marcus Peter - July 29, 2026 - Twenty years ago, a small social media platform called Twitter was launched into public life. Few imagined that a service built around brief updates would become one of the principal architects of modern consciousness.
Listening Without Hearing: A Critique of Synodal Study Group 9 on Homosexuality - CWR Contributors - July 22, 2026 - The report is not magisterial teaching, but a document published under Vatican auspices, invoking the authority of synodal discernment and lived experience, is not without consequence. It deserves a careful answer.
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.
Pope prays for Ceuta, renews prayer for peace - At the conclusion of his midday Angelus address today, Pope Leo XIV prayed for Ceuta, days after 60,000 migrants from Morocco entered the Spanish city. “I am following with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta, praying to God that, through the intercession of Our Lady of Africa.
The Four Unpopular Last Things - When young Catholic children are taught the gifts of the Holy Spirit (if their parish religious-education program covers that topic), their teachers routinely reassure them that “fear of the Lord” does not really involve fear, but something more like awe. But that is a disservice to the students. First because the word is, after all, fear. Second because awe itself entails a component of fear.
“Shrinking” vocations: the McGrath report on seminary reform - There is disagreement over the value of the psychology for seminary formation and priestly life, and grave concern over its weaponization. An “expert scientific opinion” could be used to punish the man for ideological differences. It can be deployed as evidence of unsuitability for ordination altogether, especially when coupled with cherry-picked examples of behavior or skewed readings of his self-evaluations.
August 3, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
First Things
A Catholic moment or an Evangelical century?
By Timon Cline, August 3, 2025
Contrary to online chatter, we are not in a “Catholic moment.” But we may already be in an evangelical century. Significantly more people are leaving Catholicism than converting to it. By contrast, evangelical Protestants boast remarkably high conversion and retention rates and healthier levels of practical piety—church attendance, Bible reading, catechesis. Through the upheaval of the past half century, evangelicals have remained numerically and spiritually stable, have repeatedly reformed their institutions, and consistently outperform their counterparts. To cite one example, the percentage of Americans who convert from Catholicism to Protestantism (4 percent) is higher than the percentage of all converts to Catholicism (1.5 percent).
Aleteia
As of June, the Jesuits no longer have a presence in Alaska
By Joanne McPortland, July 31, 2026
In June, the Jesuits ended more than 100 years of missionary activity in Alaska. It's a chapter that began in 1887, when two members of the Society of Jesus, Father Pascal Tosi and Father Aloysius Robaut, set up a mission a few hundred miles west of Fairbanks. They came to serve the Native communities in the territory's most isolated areas, and for decades that's what they and the Jesuits who followed them and the sisters who joined them did. In the process, they helped build the Church in Alaska. Although there's no denying that decreased vocations to religious life and the shortage of priests throughout the US play a part in the province's decision to bring Jesuits back to the Lower 48, the principal reason is a good one. As they hoped from the beginning, the Jesuit missionaries are no longer needed because their churches are no longer missions.
Our Sunday Visitor
Pope Leo’s meets with rocker Patti Smith
By OSV News, July 31, 2026
The American singer-songwriter Patti Smith met with Pope Leo XIV July 31 in a private audience at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. Video shared of the meeting shows Smith grinning and giddy as she shakes the hand of Pope Leo, who, like her, was born in Chicago, before the two sat down and exchanged further greetings. Smith’s connection to Vatican cultural events began more than a decade ago. After meeting Pope Francis during a general audience in April 2013, less than a month after he was elected, the longtime rocker performed at the 2014 Vatican Christmas Concert. She returned for a performance at the 2021 annual Christmas concert. She has expressed admiration for St. Francis of Assisi and said in a 2015 interview that before Pope Francis’ election she had hoped a pope would take the saint’s name. Smith wrote a preface for Father Spadaro’s 2026 book on Jesus, and, also in Commonweal, the priest reviewed Smith’s 2025 memoir “Bread of Angels,” calling her a “wild mystic.”
The Catholic Thing
Pilgrimage is focused less on yourself and more on ‘The Way’
By Robert Royal, August 3, 2026
I’m deeply convinced that a walking pilgrimage – in its combination of the spiritual and the physical on God’s green earth– is of far greater human and religious value than anything we’ve yet seen in the interminably bureaucratic synodal “walking together”(here). But it must be a real pilgrimage, and there are disturbing signs that many people are now turning even some of the most hallowed pilgrim routes, followed by great saints and penitent sinners over centuries, into just one more self-involved path to “personal fulfillment.” There are even pilgrimage “influencers.” And those who enter classic pathways in search of “wellness.” (Mercy, Lord.) To be clear, a pilgrimage doesn’t have to be a perfect ascetic or soulful exercise. Or a perfect anything. There are days of drudgery and distraction amid others of lightness and purpose. But it’s a fulfillment that results from being less focused on yourself and more focused on the Way.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
Listen to an audio podcast of today’s Catholic Nutshell News on the Substack App!
At the top of your phone, while in the app and reading a post, you can press the ▶️ play button and have Catholic Nutshell News read to you every day …
