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Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources include: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, The Pillar, First Things, & Aleteia. Please support their ministries and apostolates. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)

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National Catholic Register

MA Governor enacts unrestricted abortion law immediately

By Matthew McDonald, November 6, 2026

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has attached an emergency preamble to the unrestricted abortion bill she signed in August, immediately removing all limitations on late-term abortions in the state. Her action late Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, prevented a pro-life petition from suspending the abortion law until it could be put to a statewide vote in November 2028. The 112,000 signatures of registered voters that pro-life leaders say they collected are more than double what would have been needed to suspend the bill if the governor had not acted. The signatures, which the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office has not yet certified, are almost triple the number needed to bring the new abortion law before the state’s voters in November 2028. A spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office told the Register it may take one to two weeks to certify the signatures. If that happens, it will trigger a statewide referendum on the bill in two years.

Related: Why the Satanic Temple Backs Big Abortion - A statue Baphomet stands in the Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts - Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, EWTN UK, September 18, 2021

EWTN News

New film tackles what has happened to dating

By Robert Brennan, November 7, 2026

The short documentary “The Dating Project” opens with a prologue from a Catholic priest explaining how he prays for young men and women to find one another for a holy Catholic marriage — but it’s also probably the most secular product the storied Family Theater Productions company has ever produced. It is a short film, but a big topic. And the situation is urgent. According to the film, for the first time in American history, more people are single than married. Boston College scholar Kerry Cronin is the film’s tour guide into the dateless culture we reside in and has become kind of a legend on campus with her “Dating Assignment” class. To pass the class, a student must ask someone out for a date face-to-face—no DMs or texts. Simply asking someone out for coffee earns a passing grade. Especially among college-age students, they do not really know what dating is, and few of them in the film recall ever having gone on one. If dating has been left to atrophy, the desire to forge relationships has not. Cronin said the main challenge: For two generations, the culture has been telling people that relationships and sex are “no big deal.”

Aleteia

St. Dominic’s ‘immortal’ orange tree in Rome

By Cyriac Zeller, November 7, 2026

At the beginning of winter, its foliage is thick, and a few still-green oranges promise a bountiful harvest in the coming months. This is where the "miracle" lies: According to tradition, the tree has borne fruit for about 800 years, although orange trees normally struggle to live a century. St. Dominic himself is said to have planted it around 1220, a few years after founding the Dominican Order. It’s believed to be Rome's first and oldest orange tree. It certainly makes an impression on tourists and pilgrims visiting the Basilica of Santa Sabina on Rome's Aventine Hill. Only the Dominicans living in the adjoining friary can approach it, but anyone can catch a glimpse through a narrow opening in a wall. Its place in Dominican tradition is beyond doubt. It symbolizes the Order of Preachers' endurance through the centuries.

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The Pillar

Release of Communist-era secret files rattles Hungary’s bishops

By Luke Coppen, November 7, 2026

The Hungarian bishops’ conference asked for forgiveness Wednesday on behalf of Church members who collaborated with the Communist state, following the release of secret police files. But the bishops’ conference also called Nov. 4 for recognition of the Church’s resistance to the regime that held power from 1949 to 1989, as well as for careful appraisal of the newly published documents. It said: “The names of individuals associated with the Church who appear in the documents that have now been made public conceal a wide variety of stories. Some of them genuinely collaborated with the communist regime, passing on confidential information about members of the community and others. On their behalf, we ask the victims and their families for forgiveness.” The bishops’ conference said that others had been tortured or blackmailed. The bishops’ conference urged the public “not to lose sight of the wider picture” when reading the files.

OSV News

Forum examines Chinese Catholic identity, unity with Rome

By Matthew Santucci, November 6, 2026

Held Nov. 5 at the Pontifical Urban University, known as Urbaniana, in collaboration with the Dicastery for Evangelization, the conference brought together Vatican officials, Chinese bishops, and scholars to examine a milestone in Chinese Church leadership amid ongoing questions about the Church’s relationship with Rome and the Chinese state. Discussions of Sinicization, patriotism and dialogue highlighted the challenge of building a Church rooted in Chinese society while safeguarding its universal identity and freedom from political interference. The provisional agreement on bishop appointments, reached in 2018, was renewed in 2020 and in 2022 before being extended for four years in October 2024. However, Archbishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing presented Sinicization as an expression of Catholic universality. “The Sinicization of Catholicism is not about building a different kind of Catholicism or a Catholic Church that departs from tradition.”

Related: China’s bishops explain their support for the “sinicization” of the clergy - from China & Vatican reports, PIME Asia News, November 5, 2026

Zeale

Campaign on affordability shifts to investigate Trump admin first

By Elise Winland, November 6, 2026

After campaigning heavily on affordability and healthcare ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, Democratic lawmakers preparing to take control of Congress in January are outlining plans to launch sweeping investigations into President Donald Trump, his family, and administration officials. Their plans include hearings and possible subpoenas, though lawmakers say they will also pursue legislation to lower costs. Speaking on MS NOW’s “The Last Word” Nov. 5, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who is expected to chair the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, warned that members of what he called the “Trump crime family” who are “grifting off the American public” should “lawyer up.” Asked about Democratic voters who want lawmakers to concentrate on legislation, Garcia said the party could pursue both priorities. “We can do both,” he said. “We have to focus on affordability because that’s what we got elected to do.”

Zenit

Confession is not psychotherapy, says the Vatican

By Rafael Llanes, November 2, 2026

The Regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Monsignor Krzysztof Józef Nykiel noted, during a seminar held at the Vatican, that Confession should not be confused with psychotherapy, nor should it be reduced to a paralyzing sense of guilt; rather, it is a moment of interior regeneration. The Apostolic Penitentiary organized the 5th Seminar on the practice of Sacramental Confession, titled «Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation,» held at the Palazzo della Cancelleria on October 23 and 24. Monsignor Nykiel’s presentation summarized the preceding contributions, which outlined “a comprehensive map — biblical, spiritual, psychological-existential, and pastoral — of the path of conversion.” By emphasizing that authentic contrition does not consist of dwelling on one’s own errors, Nykiel said, “but rather in recognizing them in the light of God’s love, it becomes clear that a confessor is 'not a judge of the ruins,' but a 'servant of mercy.”

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Pima AsiaNews

Ballot box is a means for change, but not in Hong Kong

By Giorgio Bernardelli, November 5, 2026

Joshua Wong got another 10 years in prison for “colluding with foreign forces”, a sentence coming on top of four years and eight months, nearly fully served, all because he dared to organize primary elections in 2020 in order to boost the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. For the 30-year-old, perhaps best-known leader of the “Umbrella Revolution,” this was no surprise. Indeed, everyone knew in advance that this would happen, given the farcical nature of Hong Kong’s judicial system. It is clear that such a legal abomination, effectively a second trial for the same offense for which he had already been convicted, would inevitably lead to another conviction. The defense opted for a guilty plea, hoping at least for a more lenient sentence, but that did not happen. Under the National Security Law, imposed by Beijing in 2020 to suppress pro-democracy movements (sending two million people to the streets in Hong Kong), the authorities deemed the “gravity of the offense” higher, maintaining a veneer of legality to the procedure.

Keep informed - 11/7/26 matters for Catholics:

Snippets: EWTN News, aciafrica, & Word on Fire

EWTN News

EWTN’s top headlines — November 7, 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.

‘You can be a good mom’: Her PLAN helps women find support to choose life - By Amira Abuzeid - “Abortion says to women: ‘You can’t be a good mom.’ It’s a lie,” she said. “The pro-life movement says the opposite.” The organization connects services that already exist in communities so pregnant women and new mothers who want to choose life can get the practical support they need.
Priest refuses to remove his clerical attire after being told he must to renew his passport in Mexico - By David Ramos - Father Alberto Medel reported that he was told to remove his clerical attire in order to renew his passport in Mexico despite the existence of judicial rulings that protect religious clothing. The employee consulted with a supervisor, and Medel was allowed to be photographed in his clerical attire.
Nationwide tax-funded abortion is top priority for Democrats in next session - By Tyler Arnold - Democrats are considering two abortion-related bills for the first 100 hours of the 2027 legislative session: one to legalize abortion nationwide and one to allow federal tax funds for abortion. “Reestablish a federal right to abortion care and end restrictions that prevent people covered through federal health programs from receiving abortion coverage.”

aciafrica

aciafrica’s top headlines — November 7, 2026

ACI Africa was founded in 2019 to provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, with particular emphasis on the Holy Father's words and the Holy See's activities.

Candidates to Religious Life are “not ready to endure”: Comboni Brother Questions Resilience at Formation Workshop in Kenya - “Formation is becoming more complex. The generation of people getting into Religious Life has a different mindset and a different experience,” Br. Jonas told participants at the workshop.
Document on Pastoral Challenge of Polygamy is Not Just for the Church in Africa - “The Pastoral Challenge of Polygamy,” published by the General Secretariat of the Synod on 24 March 2026, is not specific to Africa but applies to the universal Church. “It is not only African Bishops who should take this document into account, but bishops throughout the Catholic world”
Nigerian Government Lacks Political Will to End Attacks in Benue State: Catholic Bishop Laments - Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has faulted the government over persistent attacks in Benue State and other parts of the country, saying authorities have the capacity to end the violence but lack the political will.

Word on Fire

Fresh insights from the Word on Fire Institute - November 7, 2026

Word on Fire reaches millions each year by sharing the Gospel through podcasts, videos, books, articles, Scripture studies, and Gospel meditations.

‘Babette’s Feast’ and the Healing Power of Eros - by Lydia Perri - the 1987 Academy Award-winning film Babette’s Feast—people eat soup, sing hymns, and occasionally glare at one another—is an emotional and spiritual tidal wave. True feasting is not a profane indulgence of the senses, but a cosmological affirmation: The world is good, and it is good that I exist in it.

Living the Eternal in Flux - Johan T. Erlandsson-Díaz - It is tempting to think that our own age is unusually unstable. Historians, though, encounter that feeling in almost every period they study. Some of the hardest crises of belief arise not from hostility to God, but from the wish to remain faithful when the world—or one’s understanding of it—has changed.

After Election Night, Remember, Christ the King Remains - Dr. Kody W. Cooper - The American Left has aggressively pushed cultural liberalism. From mandating the Little Sisters of the Poor pay for contraceptives, to kicking Catholic Charities out of adoption programs in states like Massachusetts and Illinois. The Republican Party in some states (like Texas) has been in power so long that it has too often lost its immunity to internal rot.

November 7, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings

You can listen HERE — or read HERE:

Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Today’s Catholic commentary:

Zeale

Immigration is not responsible for Republicans’ midterm defeat

By S.A. McCarthy, November 6, 2026

The Trump administration’s often tough stance on immigration enforcement is being blamed by a faction of the Republican Party for the disastrous midterm election results. Experts and data, however, suggest voters have been more disappointed that immigration enforcement didn’t go far enough. President Trump and VP Vance bluntly acknowledged that Republican voters were discontented over the Iran war and its impact on the U.S. economy. Others have suggested the GOP ran bad candidates and relied on poor messaging. One wing of the Republican Party, however, fault the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts and the optics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests and mass deportations. An April 2024 CNN/SSRS poll found that 76% of voters rated immigration an important issue, second only to the economy (92%). An October 2025 Harvard/Harris poll found that 56% of American voters support the mass deportation of all illegal aliens in the U.S. In May 2026, Harvard/Harris found that 56% still support mass deportations. An October 2026 Marquette Law School poll found that 55% of voters back mass deportations.

First Things

It’s time for Pro-Lifers to engage the AI revolution

By Charles C. Camosy, November 6, 2026

Jonathon Van Maren’s First Things article offering a post-midterm reckoning for the pro-life movement is a must-read. Anyone should agree with his core diagnosis: We got killed in ballot measures in Virginia (62.4 percent) and Nevada (63.4 percent), and we once again lost Missouri by ten points. At the same time, previously pro-life Republicans who abandoned the position, as Mike Rogers did in Michigan, managed to both lose badly and compromise their core values. But while Van Maren suggests a recovery plan for a partisan instrument, I still believe pro-lifers need to creatively ride the current wave of political disruption and realignment as we figure out what the 3.0 version of the movement will look like. This version should refuse to give up on working for basic justice by fiercely arguing for equal protection for all human beings. For those looking around for creative ways to challenge this false anthropology, it is now clear that the pro-life movement has a tremendous opportunity to engage the AI revolution.

The Imaginative Conservative

Did St. Thomas Aquinas believe in ghosts?

By Br. John Maria Devaney, November 1, 2026

Reflecting on the fate of departed souls, we might wonder whether they ever leave their abodes and interact with us. It seems the Apostles thought it possible. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Our Lord walks on water, the Evangelist recounts the fearful reaction of the Apostles: “When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost,’ they said, and they cried out in fear” (Mt 14:26). The Apostles saw with their own eyes a feat defying the limitations of any physical man, and so they judged that they were witnessing the fearful sight of a human soul separated from its body—a spirit, or a ghost. In his Life of St. Thomas, Bernard Gui, around the time of Aquinas’ canonization in 1323, recounts two occasions where souls reportedly visited the saint: The first soul was that of Brother Romanus, the Master of Theology who succeeded Thomas in holding the Dominican Chair of Theology at the University of Paris. The second was that of his deceased sister.

The Catholic Thing

Take up and read: Resist the post-literate Dark Age

By Auguste Meyrat, November 7, 2026

To the dismay and disappointment of writers and English teachers, the habit of reading is falling by the wayside across the developed world. Study after study shows that fewer people read books, and even most Ivy League students can no longer make it through a classic novel without intense struggle. In place of the written word, people increasingly rely on screens to occupy their thoughts. London Times columnist James Marriott argues in The New Dark Ages: The Death of Reading and the Dawn of the Post-Literate Society that it will probably be the last. In Marriott’s view, the emergence of mass literacy accounted for many, if not most, of the goods that modern Westerners enjoy, specifically scientific advancement and a stable order. “As the age of print gives way to the age of the screen, the world we once knew is vanishing.”

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Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 11/7/26