Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 12/27/25
Topics include: $50M funding for faith and AI; Church in Alaska serviced by plane; A day of somber remembrance; & The Dead Sea Scrolls discovery
“We see through new tender verdant pecan leaves”
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, Catholic News Agency, The Pillar, Crux, George Weigel, Catholic World News, & Aleteia. (Catholic Nutshell is a FREE subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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Catholic News Agency
Notre Dame nets historic $50M funding for faith and AI ethics
By Daniel Esparza, December 23, 2025
The University of Notre Dame has received the largest private grant in its history—$50.8 million—to help shape a faith-based ethical framework for artificial intelligence at a moment when the technology is rapidly outpacing regulation. The grant, awarded by Lilly Endowment Inc., will fund the university’s DELTA Network, an initiative launched earlier this fall to explore how religious and moral traditions can guide the development and use of AI. University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd described the project as a bridge-building effort. “Notre Dame is well-positioned to bring together religious leaders, educators, and those creating and using new technologies,” he said, “so that they might together explore the moral and ethical questions associated with AI.” The timing is significant. Artificial intelligence remains largely unregulated in the United States. Universities and civil society groups are increasingly stepping into an ethical vacuum.
The Pillar
The road runs out, but the Church in Alaska continues, by plane
By Jack Figge, December 26, 2025
Fairbanks is a small town — 32,500 people — and the Catholic population is 5,000, living “in town,” and a scattering further afield. The Diocese of Fairbanks is huge — covering the northern 409,849 square miles of Alaska, making it by far the largest diocese in the country. It has 46 parishes — only nine of which can be reached by car — served by 24 priests. The diocese was established on August 8, 1962. Jesuit missionaries had been evangelizing and establishing parishes since the early 1900s. The last two Jesuits are due to retire and conclude their mission this summer. Given its remoteness, the diocese is an international missionary diocese — the last one in the country — overseen in Rome by the Dicastery for Evangelization. Only eight of its parishes are self-sufficient. “The biggest struggle that the faithful have is to maintain a Eucharistically centered relationship with the Church when Mass is only offered every 4 to 6 weeks,” said Father Robert Fath, vicar general and judicial vicar for the diocese.
CatholicVote
A day of somber remembrance: Commemorating infant martyrs
By Grace Porto, December 26, 2025
The Feast of the Holy Innocents marks a day of somber remembrance of all the baby boys in Bethlehem martyred shortly after the birth of Jesus. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Latin Church has commemorated the Dec. 28 feast day since at least 485 AD. The Gospel of Matthew relates that after the Wise Men returned to the East without telling Herod the location of the Child Jesus. Herod ordered all the infants to be killed, “when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more’” (Mt 2:16-18). Scholars disagree on how many children were killed. Medieval scholars thought that it was 144,000, because this is the number named in Apocalypse 14:3, though modern scholars place the number around 12, according to Catholic apologist Trent Horn.
National Catholic Register
75th anniversary of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery
By Matthew McDonald, December 27, 2025
In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd searching for a lost goat found the Dead Sea Scrolls instead. Over the next decade, archaeologists and local tribes uncovered additional caves. Thousands of fragments emerged, 900 scrolls dating from 250 B.C. to A.D. 68. They included biblical manuscripts alongside prayers, hymns, commentaries, and texts reflecting apocalyptic expectations shaped by Roman rule. Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition, which opened in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 22 at the Museum of the Bible, marks the 75th anniversary of the scrolls’ discovery. Before their discovery, the earliest complete Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament were the Masoretic Texts, dating to the ninth and 10th centuries A.D. The discovered scrolls pushed the textual history of Scripture back nearly a thousand years into the centuries just before Christ. Scripture was not dictated mechanically nor preserved by chance but faithfully handed on by a community conscious of its responsibility.
The Times of Israel
Hamas to elect a new leader, likely pro-Iranian candidate Hayya
By Noam Lehmann, December 27, 2025
Hamas is expected to elect a new leader within days or a few weeks, Saudi outlet Asharq reports, citing sources close to the group’s leadership. However, the same sources also reportedly “ruled out holding general elections before the war comes to a complete end.” The two leading candidates are reportedly former Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal and current Gaza politburo chief Khalil al-Hayya. Their main immediate policy difference relates to the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, according to the sources. Hayya, who is seen as close to Iran, is said to support the continuation of “armed conflict with Israel in the Gaza Strip until the war ends and the Israeli army withdraws from the Strip entirely,” while Mashaal, who is seen as closer to Qatar, is said to seek “negotiated compromises to end the occupation of Gaza.” Mashaal also reportedly supports “trying to move Hamas away from Iran” and “closer to the moderate Arab states,” said Asharq sources.
PIME asianews
Hindu protests against Christmas events ‘A worrying sign’
By Nirmala Carvalho, December 27, 2025
In the city of Bareilly, members of the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad protested in front of a Catholic church on Dec. 24, accusing a school of offending Hinduism during Christmas celebrations. The diocese rejected the accusations, explaining this was a serious distortion of the content of the theatrical performances dedicated to social issues and universal values. Bishop Ignatius D’Souza once again denounced the climate of growing religious intolerance. According to far-right Hindu groups, some scenes staged during the Christmas play portrayed Hinduism in a negative light and indirectly promoted conversion to Christianity. ‘If you project a screen of about 30x20 inches in front of an audience of 2,000 people, suggesting that there are problems with Hinduism, the indirect message is that you should convert to Christianity,’ said Ashu Agarwal, a VHP leader.
CRUX
The militants targeted by US airstrikes in northwest Nigeria
By Chinedu Asadu, AP, December 26, 2025
Security woes are more of a governance problem in Nigeria than a military one. Motives for attacks differ, but the gangs are often driven by the near absence of a state and security presence in conflict hot spots, making recruitment easy. Those hot spots, data show, have some of the country’s highest levels of poverty, hunger, and lack of jobs. Nigeria’s Minister of Defense, Christopher Musa, once said in his previous capacity as the defense chief that military action accounts for only 30% of what is needed to fix the country’s security crisis. In comparison, the remaining 70% depends on good governance. “The absence of the state in remote communities is making it easy for non-state actors to come in and present themselves to the people as the best alternative government,” said Samuel. Thursday’s U.S. strikes were seen as crucial help for Nigeria’s security forces, which are often overstretched and outgunned as they fight multiple security crises across different regions.
Vatican News
Vietnamese Catholic communities combat mass abortion
By Andrew Doan Thanh Phong, December 18, 2025
“A word of sympathy, a hand of support can save a life,” was emphasized by Father Joseph Tran Van Bong in a training session on the way of listening, accompanying, and supporting pregnant women in difficulty, especially those who are mentally traumatized or stuck in the situation of unwanted pregnancy. According to the Department of Family Planning in Vietnam, there are 300,000 abortions nationwide each year, mainly among the ages of 15-19—60-70% are students. Abortions after 12 weeks account for 80% of cases. A report from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health indicates that 44% of young people in Vietnam have sex in their premarital life. Another survey at Thai Nguyen University showed that among students living together with sexual relations, only 48% use contraception. When pregnant, 64% of them choose abortion, partly due to their boyfriends running away and leaving their girlfriends alone. The remaining 36% are getting married and leading marital life.
CNA, aciafrica, & CWR for 12/27/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — December 27, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the words of the Holy Father and the Holy See.
Chile’s president-elect on the decision that changed his life forever - Dec 27, 2025 - By Julieta Villar - José Antonio Kast, the pro-life Catholic president-elect of Chile, discussed his personal background and political career, asserting that young people “have the power to bring about change” and put an end to individualistic societies that lead to loneliness.
Should Catholics use AI to re-create deceased loved ones? Experts weigh in - Dec 27, 2025 - By Daniel Payne - The AI company 2wai ignited controversy on social media in November after it revealed an app that allows users to create digital versions of their loved ones using video and audio footage.
‘From despair to serenity’: The Italian nun saving women from human trafficking - Dec 27, 2025 - By Kate Quiñones - “Ten years ago, I felt a calling within a calling,” said Sister Carla Venditti. “I felt that God was calling me to something beautiful. I had to go out onto the streets because he was waiting for me there in the faces of the least among us.”
aciafrica
aciafrica’s top headlines — December 27, 2025
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 words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See.
U.S. Strikes on ISIS in Nigeria “potentially helpful way to bring some hope”, Catholic Bishop Says as Priest Concurs - Dec 27, 2025 - By ACI Africa Staff - Catholic leaders in Nigeria have cautiously welcomed the reported U.S. military strikes against elements of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) operating in the country.
First Holy Door Closed: “Special time for the Church is closed, but not God’s grace” - Dec 27, 2025 - By Marco Mancini - With the closing of the Holy Door of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome, the Vatican began on Dec. 25 the gradual conclusion of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope convened by the Church.
Pope Leo XIV: Christians Have No Enemies, Only Brothers and Sisters - Dec 27, 2025 - By Victoria Cardiel - Pope Leo XIV on Friday urged Christians to resist the temptation to treat others as enemies, saying the mystery of Christmas calls believers to recognize the God-given dignity of every person.
Cathlic World Report
CWR’s Columns, Analysis, & Features - December 27, 2025
Catholic World Report is a free online magazine that examines the news from a faithful Catholic perspective.
US gov’t speaks out after Christian woman prosecuted in UK for silently praying - By Anugrah Kumar, December 27, 2025 - A British woman has been charged under a new U.K. law for silently praying outside an abortion clinic, prompting the United States government to call the case “concerning” and a threat to religious liberty.
Amy Coney Barrett warns of attacks on free speech in UK, discusses Dobbs decision - By Jon Brown, December 27, 2025 - U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Bishop Robert Barron recently addressed the similarity between liberal textual interpretations of the Bible and the U.S. Constitution during an episode of Barron’s podcast that aired earlier this week.
King Charles III and the incoming archbishop of Canterbury push ‘diversity,’ immigration on Christmas - By Jon Brown, December 26, 2025 - King Charles III and the incoming archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Sarah Mullally, delivered Christmas messages that emphasized diversity and immigration as the U.K. faces simmering tensions over mass immigration.
Nutshell reflections for 12/27/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - December 27, 2025
Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
Aleteia
The Creed refuses to let Christianity forget history
By Daniel Esparza, December 27, 2025
Pope Leo XIV’s recent recitation of the Creed before the ruins of an ancient basilica in Turkey mattered. The Pope was not delivering a lecture on doctrine amid archaeological remains. He was telling a story in a place where history presses against the present. Stone, dust, and sky formed the backdrop for words that refuse, or at least resist, abstraction. The Nicene Creed can look, at first glance, like compressed theology: “begotten,” “consubstantial,” “incarnate.” But its decisive move is, I think, also narrative. It follows the arc Christians know from the Gospels themselves. Creation gives way to incarnation. Birth leads to suffering. Death opens onto resurrection. And then comes the line that anchors everything: Christ “suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Pilate matters. His name appears in the Creed for the same reason it appears in the Gospels: to insist that this story happened somewhere, sometime, under a recognizable political authority. The Creed refuses to let Christianity drift into myth. It plants belief firmly in the soil of history.
First Things
‘Postliberalism’ was introduced by theological thinkers
By R. R. Reno, December 26, 2025
Many regard “postliberalism” as a political program. In 1993, when the tide of globalized liberalism was at its high-water mark, the contrarian John Gray published Post-Liberalism: Studies in Political Thought, the book that brought the word into currency. But it was not political philosophers who first used the term. In the 1980s, I studied theology at Yale University. I’d venture that “liberal” first entered the lexicon in reference to German theology in the early nineteenth century, just as “postliberal” was first used in theological circles. The term “liberal” refers to the conditions under which a Christian intellectual operates. The use of modern methods and contemporary idioms would renew and deepen Christian faith and practice. Christian self-understanding would become more historically accurate and intellectually responsible, more contemporary and relevant, more personal and authentic.
The Catholic Thing
Pope Leo XIV is quietly restoring some recent traditions
By Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, December 27, 2025
High culture – and the spiritual appreciation of high culture – returned to the Vatican this month. Pope Leo XIV is quietly restoring some recent traditions, such as personally celebrating Holy Mass on Christmas morning, not done since 1994. Earlier this month, he brought back the classical sacred music concert. Pope Benedict XVI had a high appreciation for music and was a musician himself, playing Mozart on the piano. It was fitting then that this year the Ratzinger Prize for distinguished achievement in scholarship and culture was awarded to his longtime friend, Maestro Riccardo Muti. After something of a suspension of papal concerts under Pope Francis, the prize was conferred by Pope Leo XIV himself at a concert offered by Muti in the Paul VI Hall. Muti’s concert and prize were something of a balm for Benedict’s devotees, whose appreciation for sacred music and liturgical culture was not carried on under Francis.
George Weigel
The gospel of the Christmas Vigil Mass
By George Weigel, December 22, 2025
Today, when the toxic fumes of anti-Semitism are poisoning public life and seem to be influencing far too many young Catholics (especially young men), the Gospel of the Christmas Vigil Mass teaches the crucial lesson understood by faithful Christians since the heresy of Marcion was condemned 1,881 years ago: Jesus was of Abraham’s stock and Christianity cannot be severed from its Jewish roots without fatally compromising the structure of the faith. The lesson in the Gospel for the Mass during Christmas Day? In an increasingly irrational world, we must hold fast to the biblical claim that God impressed a rationality into the world and into us: truths that we can know by revelation and reason; truths that map out the path of righteous living; truths that pave the royal road to sanctification and beatitude. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . full of grace and truth.” Therein lies our hope, and the reason for Christmas cheer.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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