Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 2/28/26
Topics include: Birth rates dip again; New Swiss Guard barracks back on; Brazilian archbishop declares schism; & A ‘polite persecution’ faces Christians in Japan
“We see through new tender verdant pecan leaves”
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, The Pillar, Crux, First Things, 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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Zenit
America’s quiet demographic turn: Birth rates dip again
By Tim Daniels, February 24, 2026
After a brief and fragile rebound, the number of babies born in the United States has begun to slide once more, reopening a debate that many Americans long considered a distant, foreign concern: whether the country is edging toward the same demographic stagnation that has reshaped large parts of Europe and East Asia. According to provisional figures released in early February 2026 by the Associated Press, just over 3.6 million births were registered in the United States in 2025. That represents roughly 24,000 fewer births than in 2024. The data, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are close to complete; final numbers are expected to differ by only a few thousand. The decline confirms what many demographers suspected when births rose modestly in the immediate post-pandemic period. That uptick, which lasted roughly two years after COVID-19 restrictions eased, now appears less like the start of a sustained recovery and more like a temporary release of delayed family plans.
Aleteia
Green light for construction of the new Swiss Guard barracks
By Camille Dalmas, February 28, 2026
The Swiss Guard construction project, begun in 2019, has reached a new milestone. It was paused during the Jubilee in 2025 and slowed down by the change of pontificate. It has now finally received the approval of the Holy See and should soon obtain that of UNESCO. This is essential since Vatican City is a World Heritage Site recognized by the organization. The project is ambitious: It plans to demolish almost all of the current Swiss Guard buildings, located at the foot of the Apostolic Palace. Unsuitable and dilapidated, the building is currently unable to accommodate the soldiers with dignity, especially since Francis increased their numbers in 2018 from 110 to 135. The exterior façade of the barracks, a few meters from the Apostolic Palace, will be preserved. However, the new complex, which will have five floors instead of the current three, will allow for the creation of 81 single rooms, 18 double rooms, 11 studios for non-commissioned officers, and 21 apartments for families.
The Pillar
Brazilian archbishop declares schism, excommunicates Catholics
By Edgar Beltrán, February 27, 2026
Archbishop Carlos Alberto Breis Pereira, OFM, of Maceió in Brazil, has declared that any Catholic in the diocese who attends an unauthorized Traditional Latin Mass will incur an excommunication, for the canonical crime of schism. The bishop’s decree is the most assertive episcopal action aimed at enforcing the norms of Traditionis custodes, Pope Francis’ 2023 motu proprio restricting use of the Extraordinary Form, to be reported so far. Breis Pereira’s decision is an application of canon law previously unseen in contemporary diocesan governance, and is likely to be challenged for validity at the level of the Holy See. The statement describes one authorized liturgy location, the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul in the city of Maceió, as a “concession” granted by Breis Pereira, “with the approval of the Holy See,” in line with the provisions of Traditiones custodis. “This liturgy is not authorized anywhere else, whether religious or not, nor in any civil law association,” the archbishop stated.
EWTN News
Former New Age medium converts & will found a religious order
By Nicolás de Cárdenas, February 28, 2026
Catalina Davis spent 15 years in the New Age movement. After her conversion, she described it as a “Luciferian sect” driven by Freemasonry. Now she is preparing to found a religious order to guide those living in a “personal hell” toward God’s mercy. Davis just published in Spain “The Great Prison: The Hidden Price of Alternative Therapies,” a book in which she describes her entire life and spiritual journey, revealing how immersion in practices such as Reiki, crystals, regression therapy, and quantum coaching poses a danger. “You don’t know you’re in prison; you think you’re riding a wave, that you’re becoming more and more powerful … But the reality is that you’re digging your own grave and you don’t even realize it. And when you open your eyes, the blindfold falls away, you’re surrounded by bars, and you can’t get out,” she explained in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.
Jerusalem Post
Trump confirms US operation in Iran, blasts heard in Tehran
By Shir Perets, James Genn, Jerusalem Post Staff, & Reuters, February 28, 2026
Israeli and US strikes on Iran killed several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and Islamic Regime political officials, an Iranian source close to the establishment told Reuters on Saturday. Iran’s Security Council instructed residents of Tehran, as well as other major cities, to stay in safe, protected locations until further notice, Walla reported. Security forces blocked roads in the Tehran area that is home to the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and parliament, witnesses said. This follows on from Israel and the United States launching an attack on Iran, with Iranian state media reporting explosions heard in Tehran, Qom, Isfahan, Kermanshah, and Karaj. Khamenei is not in Tehran and has been transferred to a "secure location," an Iranian official confirmed to Reuters earlier on Saturday. "The time has come for all sections of the people in Iran... to remove the yoke of tyranny from (the regime) and bring a free and peace-loving Iran," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Zeale
Dublin archbishop welcomes record number at Rite of Election
By Elizabeth Weiss, February 27, 2026
Dublin Archbishop Dermot Farrell welcomed a record 129 catechumens and candidates Feb. 22 during the annual Rite of Election at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, calling them to embrace a lasting conversion as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Initiation this Easter. The archbishop addressed those preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the liturgy, marking a significant milestone in their journey into the Catholic Church. “Augustine’s is one of the great accounts of conversion,” the archbishop said. “What happens to him surprises him, bowls him over, turns his life upside down. It makes him into a new person. This is not his doing — it is the gift of God.” The archbishop also cited the example of Saint Paul, whose encounter with Christ dramatically changed his life. Emphasizing the beauty of embracing one’s vocation to love the Lord, he praised the catechumens for their “yes” to God.
CRUX
Japanese cardinal: A ‘polite persecution’ faces Christians in Japan
By Nirmala Carvalho, February 28, 2026
A “polite persecution” is facing Japan that threatens the guarantees given to the freedom of religion, according to Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, the archbishop of Tokyo. The Japanese cardinal was responding to recent remarks made at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, marking the 20th anniversary of its founding. Pacho said so-called “new rights,” a term often used by the Holy See to refer to more recently articulated human rights claims — particularly in areas such as abortion, assisted suicide, gender identity, and sexual orientation — are being used to take away traditional human rights, like religious liberty. “It is often argued that, because of the principle of separation between religion and state, the Church should refrain from speaking about any matters related and considered as political matters,” the cardinal said. “We are nonetheless facing a challenging situation that could be described as a form of polite persecution.”
National Catholic Register
Notre Dame’s Catholic identity crisis is not over
By The Editors, February 12, 2026
Abortion-rights advocate Susan Ostermann’s decision to withdraw from her appointment as the new head of the University of Notre Dame’s Asian studies institute is welcome news, so far as it goes. But it’s only the start of initiating a necessary review to identify the factors that allowed her completely indefensible appointment to occur. Notre Dame’s administration hasn’t acknowledged its profound lapse of judgment in appointing Ostermann in the first place. This obstinate refusal to admit mistakes underscores the urgency of reform. And more broadly, to do everything that’s necessary to reinstate a comprehensively Catholic identity, throughout all of Notre Dame’s operations. The decision to appoint Ostermann to head the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, despite her strident history of abortion-rights advocacy throughout her tenure as a professor at Notre Dame’s Keough School for Global Affairs, ignited a national firestorm of criticism.
EWTN News, aciafrica, & CWR for 2/28/26
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — February 28, 2026
EWTN News 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.
Egypt’s blasphemy law back in focus after boycott call targets Christian-owned shops By Souhail Lawand - A video by Egyptian content creator Mahmoud Dawoud has reignited public controversy after he called for a boycott of shops owned by Christians, claiming that purchasing from them “contributes to insulting Islam.” Dawoud also accused Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, of inciting insults against the Islamic faith.
Deacon launches Adore Movement to spark adoration revival - By Jim Graves - Deacon Steve Greco, founder of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry and director of evangelization and formation for the Diocese of Orange in California, has joined with technology company eCatholic to launch the Adore Movement to promote adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Historic Vermont campus offered free to Catholic nonprofit by donor - By Madalaine Elhabbal - The owner of a historic 155-acre Vermont college campus is looking to give it away to a suitable Catholic nonprofit at no cost. Raj Peter Bhakta, a whiskey entrepreneur and former contestant on “The Apprentice,” has announced his intention to relinquish the former Green Mountain College campus and surrounding land in Poultney, Vermont
aciafrica
aciafrica’s top headlines — February 28, 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 words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See.
Appeal for More Catholic Pastoral Agents As Church Faces Mobility Crisis in Mauritania - Feb 27, 2026 - By Sabrine Amboka - The Bishop of Mauritania’s Catholic Diocese of Nouakchott has issued a heartfelt appeal for more pastoral agents to assist in evangelization as the Church in the northwest African country struggles with constant mobility, limited resources, and the pressures of migration in the predominantly Muslim nation.
Nigerian Catholic Archbishop Faults Government for Excessive Food Importation, Proposes Subsidies for Farmers - Feb 27, 2026 - By Abah Anthony John - The outgoing President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu-led government to support farmers directly to address rising food prices.
Order of Malta Launches Operating Theater in Kenya to Boost Surgical Care among Vast Refugee Community - By Nicholas Waigwa - Feb 26, 2026 - The Sovereign Military Order of Malta has launched a new operating theater in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening humanitarian and health services for vulnerable communities in the East African country.
Catholic World Report
CWR’s Columns, Analysis, & Features - February 28, 2026
Catholic World Report is a free online magazine that examines the news from a faithful Catholic perspective.
Pro-life activist questions inclusion of Candace Owens in speaker’s bureau - Anna Farrow, February 26, 2026 - Amanda Achtman is a Canadian Catholic pro-life advocate. Ethics Director for Canadian Physicians for Life and founder of the Dying to Meet You project, Achtman discovered that one of CSO’s “featured” speakers was Candace Owens. That posed a problem.
Saint Polycarp of Smyrna: Father of the Church and apostle to Protestants - Dawn Beutner, February 22, 2026 - The Coming Home Network, a group established to help non-Catholic Christians “make the journey home to the Catholic Church,” has an entire webpage devoted to the testimonies of recent Catholic converts who were strongly influenced by their reading of the early Church Fathers.
The Augustinian Pope: Four key themes of Leo XIV - Matthew Becklo, February 27, 2026 - Leo XIV has continued to reference St. Augustine again and again since his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te. Perhaps most notable were his comments on Augustine’s City of God in his so-called state of the world address. Interiority, clarity, charity, unity—searching, finding, loving, binding—this is the great Augustinian program.
Nutshell reflections for 2/28/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - February 28, 2026
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Catholic Stand
Where is the passion or mystery?
By Alex Long, February 28, 2026
I am not an apologist. I cannot have arguments with people where we bring bullet points and one wins, and one loses. It feels stifling if everything can be cleanly argued. If everything is clear, then where is the passion or mystery? Knowing facts does not make you a lover of truth. I think our hearts either desire for there to be a God or not, and then we build logical constructs on that foundation. I think someone who desires God to exist but struggles to understand how that makes sense is closer to Biblical theism than someone who accepts God’s existence in the abstract, but does not think about Him or wrestle with what that means. As someone who is very emotional, I would not feel confident being vulnerable and open with others if I did not have the concrete railings of Catholic tradition keeping me stable. What plausible arguments against Catholicism will they find if their hearts are not humble enough to want there to be a God over them?
George Weigel
An incoherent USCCB intervention on birthright citizenship
By Phil Lawler, February 27, 2026
In the amicus brief urging the US Supreme Court to restore the “birthright citizenship” policy that was ended by a Trump executive order, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) argues that the key consideration is “whether the law will protect the human dignity of all God’s children.” So is birthright citizenship—that is, the longstanding American policy offering citizenship to anyone born on US soil—an absolute requirement for human dignity? If birthright citizenship is a fundamental human right, why has it not been recognized by most other nations? Why is it not accepted in Vatican City? True, Vatican City is an unusual nation-state, with special legal status. But if this is a fundamental human right, it should apply everywhere. The policy of birthright citizenship is based on the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which was originally intended to ensure that freed slaves would not be denied citizenship. That clause became an important facet of the extraordinary welcome that the US extended to migrants for many decades.
First Things
How secularization happens
By Peter J. Leithart, February 27, 2025
Way back in the day, when Elon Musk stalked the halls of the federal bureaucracy swinging his giant, if metaphorical, chainsaw, we learned a lot about the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), created in 1961 to promote development projects, technological innovations, and investment in poor countries that might be vulnerable to Soviet demagoguery. USAID thus served America’s mission to shepherd the Third World into the Free World. Musk exposed a pipeline from USAID to progressive NGOs—a million for DEI in Serbia, a couple of million to fund sex-change operations in Guatemala, 25 million a year for LGBTQ programs, millions more for “family planning” (aka, abortion), and a few million to put Sesame Street on Iraqi television. You could hardly throw an egg anywhere in the world without hitting a gay rights or abortion advocacy group funded by American taxpayers. For progressives, all this is perfectly defensible.
The Catholic Thing
Changing the world is not enough
By Kristen Ziccarelli, February 28, 2026
My generation, Gen Z, has been graduating from college for about ten years now, and is typically told some variation of the same message at Commencement: go forth and change the world. But not everyone can change the world. And perhaps it’s worth considering that not everyone should. Right after graduating from college, I was leaving Mass at a Jesuit Basilica, and I noticed a small flyer pinned near the exit. Beneath a photograph of then Blessed Carlo Acutis were the words: “You too can become a saint.” The contrast was arresting. “You can become a saint” is radically different from “you too can solve the world’s problems.” The former is universal and attainable; the latter, though not inherently wrong, is neither the purpose of life nor achievable for most of us. The saints have, indeed, changed the world, but primarily as a consequence of their devotion to Christ. The Christian call is not to change the world, but to strive towards sainthood – and to let God change the world through you.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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