Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 10/11/25
Topics include: The ‘Church of the Poor’; Assaulted pro-lifer not giving up; Washington drops confession bill; & Israel has cause to 'be wary'
“We see through new tender verdant pecan leaves”
Today's news sources are Aleteia, CRUX, Catholic News Agency, National Catholic Register, Bishop Barron, First Things, & The Catholic Thing. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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National Catholic Register
Vatican II urged Catholics to be the ‘Church of the Poor’
By Father Joseph Thomas, October 9, 2025
“The Church of the poor,” a phrase that continues to resonate on today’s World Day of the Poor, originated before the start of Vatican II. On Sept. 11, 1962, one month before the solemn opening of the Council, Pope John XXIII used the expression in an address on Vatican Radio. In describing the universal scope of this assembly, he affirmed that the Church wants to present herself as, and wants to be, “the Church of all, and especially the Church of the poor.” The question of poverty was not a significant theme in the early stages of the Council’s debate on the topic of the Church. Still, it would eventually lead to the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium. Italian Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro, the archbishop of Bologna, toward the end of the first period of the Council’s work, on Dec. 6, 1962, highlighted an aspect of the Church’s mystery which the Council had not given sufficient attention to, namely, the presence of Christ in the poor.
Catholic News Agency
Pro-life influencer’s assault case dropped, but …
By Kate Quiñones, October 10, 2025
After New York City dropped the case against a woman who assaulted a pro-life influencer, the legal nonprofit Thomas More Society is advocating for justice. The pro-life influencer, Savannah Craven Antao, was punched in the face by a woman she was interviewing as part of her pro-life advocacy. The video went viral, but the city dropped the case. Thomas More Society, on behalf of Craven Antao, asked the Manhattan district attorney to reconsider and to press felony and hate crime charges. “The defendant made disparaging remarks about Ms. Craven Antao’s Christian beliefs and practices before brutally assaulting her,” the letter read. The district attorney’s office previously released an apology for dropping the case and said it is looking into it internally.
Agenzia Fides
Lebanon: ‘Pope’s visit comes at a time of collective exhaustion’
By Pascale Rizk, October 8, 2025
The Land of Cedars is looking forward to the imminent arrival of Pope Leo XIV, who is expected on November 30th for his first apostolic visit as Pope. “Lebanon is at a crossroads: either it develops into a country that promotes citizenship and good governance, or it remains stuck in a deadly impasse. Christians in Lebanon are not a minority, and Lebanon remains today an oasis of freedom of expression,” Father Raphael Zgheib, professor at the Saint Joseph University in Beirut and member of the ecumenical reflection group “We Choose Life,” told Fides. “For the Lebanese, the Pope’s visit comes at a time of collective exhaustion. Lebanon is trying to free itself from the abyss. It is necessary to renew John Paul II’s call to ‘lead this country to a path of prayer, penance, and conversion’ that will enable Lebanese Christians to ‘ask themselves before the Lord if they are faithful to the Gospel and truly committed to following Christ,’ as stated in his Apostolic Exhortation ‘A New Hope for Lebanon.’ In order to ‘build together the Body of Christ in the true spirit of the Church.’”
Aleteia
Washington gives up on asking priests to violate confession
By Christine Rousselle, October 11, 2018
Catholic priests in Washington will no longer face jail time for protecting the Seal of Confession. The state agreed on October 10, 2025, to settle a lawsuit filed by the Catholic leadership in the state. “Washington was wise to walk away from this draconian law and allow Catholic clergy to continue ministering to the faithful,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket, a law firm representing the Church in Etienne v. Ferguson. Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed Senate Bill 5375 into law on Friday, May 2. The bill, which is titled “Concerning the duty of clergy to report child abuse and neglect,” made it so members of the clergy, of all denominations, are mandatory reporters in the state. In July, a federal court issued an injunction blocking the law just days before it was set to go into effect. The Washington State Catholic Conference, which represents the public policy views of the state’s Catholic dioceses, expressed relief at the settlement.
CBCPNEWS
Reform won’t come from coups or snap elections
By CBCP News, October 9, 2025
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, head of the Catholic bishops’ leadership, urged Filipinos to uphold the rule of law and reject calls for political shortcuts amid talk of snap elections and rumors of a coup to unseat the Marcos administration. He said corruption must be confronted through accountability, not by tearing down institutions that were built to serve the common good. “Not through a coup, not through revolutionary government, not through military rule, not through snap elections. Let the rule of law work. What we need is not a new election term, but long prison terms for the plunderers.” He said genuine change must come from justice, truth, and the consistent application of the law. David’s remarks came amid mounting public anger over alleged corruption in government flood control projects, which have sparked street protests in several cities in recent weeks.
CRUX
Brazil’s activists short-circuit politics to expand access to abortion
By Eduardo Campos Lima, October 10, 2025
Brazilian Catholics concluded a week of pro-life activities this week, many of them opposing what organizers, legislators, and activists see as efforts to short-circuit the political process to expand access to abortion. One such effort is a controversial policy resolution published late last year that gave minor victims of sexual abuse the final say over pregnancies resulting from rape. The norm defines that an underage girl who was raped has the final word when it comes to deciding if she wants to have an abortion. Her parents or legal guardians can be heard, but they don’t have the power to impede the abortion from happening if that’s the girl’s wish. Pro-life activists say the resolution is part of efforts to do an end run around the legislature, where a majority of lawmakers — reflecting the stance of an overwhelming majority of citizens — are pro-life. The Week of Life and of the Unborn Child promotes awareness of the sacredness of life from the mother’s womb to natural death.
The PILLAR
The Catholic debate over conversion therapy
By Jack Figge, October 10, 2025
The idea of “conversion therapy” is both complicated and controversial — with professionals, including Catholics, debating what should be classified as conversion therapy, and even whether it’s really practiced very much today. Nailing down a precise definition of “conversion therapy” can be difficult, and that difficulty is one of the challenges in discussing the concept from a Catholic perspective. In general, conversion therapy is understood to mean an effort to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through talk therapy. The term is also sometimes used to describe efforts to help a person shift sexual or gender-related behavior, such as through encouragements for LGBT people to live chastely. “How common conversion therapy is is dependent on how it’s defined,” said Dr. Andrew Sodergren, a Catholic and director of the Ohio-based Ruah Woods Psychological Services.
CatholicVote
Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity hold 75th anniversary
By Mary Stroka, October 10, 2025
The Missionaries of Charity, the congregation Saint Teresa of Calcutta founded, celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special Thanksgiving Mass on Oct. 7 at its headquarters in Kolkata. Poor people — whom Sister Mary Joseph, the superior general, noted were “esteemed guests” — were joined by political and religious leaders, according to Union of Catholic Asian (UCA) News. “Members of the congregation continue the legacy of their founder, who devoted her life to the most neglected,” presider Archbishop Elias Franck said, UCA News reported. More than 5,000 nuns belong to the congregation, which operates 754 homes in 139 countries, according to the article. Mother Teresa lived from 1910 to 1997. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2016. Her feast day is Sept. 5.
CNA, The LOOP, & Pillar Posts for 10/11/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — October 11, 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.
Catholic ultra-endurance runner inspires men to strive for holiness - Oct 11, 2025 - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - Jonathan Kuplack founded “Sebaste,” a ministry that challenges men to become saints through intensive summer programs, adventure, brotherhood, and physical challenge.
Pregnancy centers fight California ‘censorship’ of abortion pill reversal drug - Oct 10, 2025 - By Tyler Arnold - Pro-life pregnancy centers defended speech about medication designed to thwart the effects of mifepristone during oral arguments in California.
The ‘Divine Office’ 2nd edition, the Liturgy of the Hours, 25 years to make
Oct 9, 2025 - By Tessa Gervasini - In November 2012, U.S. bishops voted to revise the English translation. On May 29 of this year, the USCCB sent the completed manuscript to the Holy See for confirmation. The current edition was translated and designed in the 1970s.
CatholicVote: Daily LOOP
Daily news and political impact stories at the LOOP
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news, which seek “to renew our country and culture.” CatholicVote’s advertised mission is “To inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.” Today’s Monday topics from the LOOP include:
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER DEDICATES AWARD TO TRUMP - Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, dedicated her award to the people of Venezuela and to President Donald Trump. She thanked Trump for his “decisive support” for democracy in her country.
CATHOLIC LEADER URGES VIRGINIANS TO DEFEAT ABORTION MEASURE - Amy McInerny, the director of the Respect Life Office of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is calling for Catholics to vote this month to put pro-life leaders in the state House of Delegates to prevent an extreme pro-abortion constitutional amendment.
ARE AMERICANS TOO POLITICAL? - Political tension is high, and so many of our American brothers and sisters have become radicalized and even dangerous. Have we become too political in our society? Thomas Dias at Acton says it’s actually the opposite. We’re just misunderstanding what it means to be political. Here’s his explanation.
The Pillar
Ed Condon’s Pillar Post for Friday, 10/10/25
The Pillar offers a daily news summary, their capsule take on the Catholic News. Here’s Ed Condon’s analysis of the news from yesterday’s Pillar Post:
The businessman who sold the Vatican the famous London building filed another lawsuit against the Vatican’s Secretariat of State this week - Raffaele Mincione filed a claim for fraud in the Commercial Court in London. The exact terms of the case have yet to be made public, but given other similar filings Mincione has made in different jurisdictions, we have a pretty good idea what is going on.
Why does Pizzaballa believe there is a need for change in Catholic-Jewish ties, and how does he envisage it? - Luke Coppen breaks down the history and what could come next. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem suggested that a new impulse was needed, not only concerning the Jewish people but also the Israeli state.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith did not approve recent guidelines for blessings of same-sex couples issued by the German bishops’ conference - The upshot seems to be that the German bishops’ leadership — Not for the first time, German bishops told Rome what it was about to do, were told not to do it in response, did it anyway, and then claimed they “consulted” with the Holy See.
Nutshell reflections for 10/11/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - October 11, 2025
Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi
First Things
Fearful to be known and shamed rather than known and loved
By Matthew Burdette, July 28, 2025
The need for social approval is bound up with the need for recognition. Humans are neither the fastest nor the strongest animals, and none of us can survive on our own. Social disapproval feels like a death sentence because, for most of history, it has been one. The same motivation drives the right-to-die movement. Suicide remains an object of social stigma, directed first at the person who kills himself and then at those close to him—his parents, his wife, his employer, his classmates. In our culture, suicide is still considered a tragedy. Beyond the evolutionary and civilizational need for social approval, there is the psychological and the spiritual: The approval we receive tells us who we are and who we ought to be. That our desires or behaviors may make us unlovable is devastating. The yearning for social approval and authenticity has driven countless people into closets, where they fear being known and shamed rather than loved.
The Catholic Thing
Is it only the dead whom we can call happy?
By Dominic V. Cassella, October 11, 2025
A wise Greek philosopher and political thinker, Solon, met the King of Lydia, Croesus, who was known for his immense wealth. Croesus asked the philosopher what he thought about his great riches and whether such wealth meant that he, Croesus, was the happiest man alive. To that, Solon replied that you can “Call no man happy until he is dead.” Solon’s point is that as long as someone is living, though they may be happy today, fortunes change, and bad decisions are made that can result in the fall of even the most well-off and mighty. Is Solon right? Is it only the dead whom we can call happy? To this, the Christian says “yes.” It just depends on how you are dead. For if you are dead to sin (Romans 6:11, 1 Peter 2:24), having been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), then your true life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
Bishop Barron
There is no chaining the Word of God!
By Bishop Robert Barron, October 11, 2025
Friends, our Gospel blesses those who hear the word of God and observe it. The power of the Polish Communist state, and behind that the power of the Soviet Union, is what John Paul faced at the beginning of the 1980s. But he was practiced in the art of facing down oppressive political forces, having grown up under Nazism and Communism. He spoke of God, of human rights, of the dignity of the individual—frightening at every turn, his handlers worried about diplomatic repercussions. As he spoke, the crowds got bigger and more enthusiastic. This went beyond mere Polish nationalism. At one gathering, the millions of people began to chant “We want God! We want God!” over and over for fifteen minutes. This is, of course, why Communist officialdom tried vehemently to stop John Paul II. But there is no chaining the Word of God!
National Catholic Register
Israel will be extremely wary of an international military force
By Michele Chabin, October 10, 2025
Exhausted Israelis and Palestinians are holding their collective breath and praying that the Hamas-Israel peace plan brokered by President Donald Trump will lead to a real and lasting peace. Having been disappointed countless times before, local people and Catholic Church leaders are hopeful but realistic. “It is good news, and we are very happy. It is a first step, the first phase,” of the plan, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. “There are challenges to overcome,” said Seth Frantzman, adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and author of The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza. Israel will be extremely wary about the proposed international military force. The U.N. force has largely stood by while Hezbollah built illegal tunnels, amassed weapons, and fired rockets at Israel. “But now we are happy, said Pizzaballa, “and we hope that this is just the beginning of a new phase where we can, little by little, start thinking not about war, but about how to rebuild after the war.”
Image of Pecans by tseiu from Pixabay
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