Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 2/7/26
Topics include: Homosexual people urged to live in chastity; A Catholic school has 8 in the Olympics; Catholic, pro-life advocate Luke Kuechly; & Catholic vote could shift again
“We see through new tender verdant pecan leaves”
Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, 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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Zenit
Accompanying homosexual people to live in chastity
By ZENIT Staff, February 6, 2026
On Friday, February 6, 2026, Pope Leo XIV received in audience some members of the Courage International team. Members of Courage are men and women who experience same-sex attraction and who, inspired by the Gospel’s call to holiness and the Church’s beautiful teachings on the good and end of human sexuality, have freely chosen to live in chastity. Among those present were Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport; Father Kyle Schnippel, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati; Father Brian Gannon, Executive Director of Courage International; and Antonio Sabella, a staff member and a Courage member for 31 years. EnCourage members are parents, spouses, sibling and friends of people who identify as LGBTQ. They are looking for help to keep the faith and maintain their family bonds. For almost 46 years, Courage has faithfully accompanied men and women who experience same-sex attraction, along with their loved ones, encouraging lives rooted in faithfulness, holiness, authentic friendship, and trust in Christ.
Aleteia
One Catholic school has 8 athletes in the Olympics!
By Jenny Lark Snarski, February 6, 2026
Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York, shared a January 7 press release announcing that eight of its alumnae were named to the Women’s Olympic hockey teams. This college-prep high school is home to the BK Selects Hockey Academy, which began for girls in 2016 and for boys in 2020. Student-athletes reside at Bishop Kearney while simultaneously playing top-level junior hockey across the U.S. and Canada. Both boys’ and girls’ teams, made up of students in grades 8-12, have won several state and national age-group titles, and graduates have gone on to play at the collegiate and professional levels. Religion Department Chairperson and Campus Ministry Coordinator Theresa Aldridge told Aleteia that these students were role models both on the ice and in the classroom, as well as in their faith lives.
The Pillar
Leo rent reversal returns Vatican to ‘previous situation’
By Edgar Beltrán, February 6, 2026
Pope Leo XIV reversed this week a Pope Francis-era policy that had proven deeply unpopular within the Roman Curia: it ended free or subsidized housing for senior Vatican officials and cardinals—a policy that removed housing benefits for cardinals and for prefects, presidents, and secretaries of Vatican dicasteries. Vatican officials told The Pillar that the rescript was not generally applied to officials already living in Vatican-owned properties; it affected only cardinals and senior officials who did not already have free or subsidized Vatican housing at the time of its publication, or who were appointed afterward. “Under Francis’ regulations, it became difficult to appoint bishops or cardinals to positions in Rome if they didn’t live here unless an exception to the regulation was granted,” said one Vatican official. In November 2023, Cardinal Raymond Burke was notified he should pay a market rate for his apartment or vacate the place. Pope Leo reversed Burke’s untenable situation.
EWTN News
Cuba’s bishops headed to Vatican this month
By Eduardo Berdejo, February 7, 2026
Cuba’s bishops are scheduled to travel to Rome later this month to meet with Vatican dicasteries and present Pope Leo XIV with a report on the state of the dioceses on the island. This is in addition to the meetings that some bishops have held in recent days with the chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, Mike Hammer. The trip is part of the ad limina visit that bishops must make every five years to the See of St. Peter. The Vatican trip comes as the Catholic Church is the sole distributor of humanitarian aid sent by the United States government to people affected by Hurricane Melissa, a distribution taking place without the Cuban government's intervention. On the occasion of their trip to the Vatican, the bishops have asked the faithful to accompany them in prayer and have published a prayer on their website.
Jerusalem Post
US Ambassador Huckabee says Rafah is opening slowly
By Tobias Holcman, February 7, 2026
People entering and leaving Gaza through the Rafah border crossing have to “be properly vetted so that you don’t bring terrorists in or take terrorists out,” US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told PBS in a Friday interview. “There’s a legitimately diligent effort to get this done. But we’re talking about people who are vastly displaced, because Hamas extended this war long before it should have been extended,” he told PBS’s Geoff Bennett. He said Hamas “could have ended this long before the destruction, but they wanted to hold hostages and torture them and starve them and make it difficult for them.” When asked about the Gaza Board of Peace (BoP), Huckabee said that people working on it “want to actually do some heavy lifting and make Gaza livable again.” He said when the United Nations was in charge of the food program, “92% of the food that was supposed to go to people who were hungry ended up getting looted or stolen or hijacked.” BoP members are limited to those who “meet the criteria of wanting to do it right.”
Zeale
Catholic, pro-life advocate Luke Kuechly in pro football Hall of Fame
By Mary Rose, February 7, 2026
Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, a Catholic and a pro-life speaker, has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The announcement came during the NFL Honors event held Feb. 5 in San Francisco. Kuechly, 34, enters the hall in his second year of eligibility, becoming one of the youngest modern-era inductees. He joins quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, placekicker Adam Vinatieri, and running back Roger Craig in the five-member class. The induction ceremony is scheduled for August in Canton, Ohio. A product of Jesuit education, Kuechly attended St. Xavier High School, a Catholic boys' school in Cincinnati, where he was a two-time All Greater Catholic League (GCL) selection. Over an eight-year NFL career spent entirely with Carolina, Kuechly earned seven Pro Bowl selections, seven All-Pro nods (including five first-team), and the 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
CRUX
‘Troubling pattern’ of human rights abuses in Uganda
By Ngala Killian Chimtom, February 7, 2026
Catholic theologians from the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) have complained about the shrinking democratic space in Uganda following a recent crackdown on protesters, which included the arrest of a Catholic priest, Father Deusdedit Ssekabira. The priest from the Diocese of Masaka disappeared on December 3, reportedly abducted by security personnel in an unregistered vehicle. It took the Uganda military ten days of public outcry from church leaders and bishops to confirm what the diocese already feared: Deusdedit Ssekabira was in their custody. The initial charge of money laundering was later overshadowed by a more politically explosive accusation from President Yoweri Museveni himself, who said the priest was arrested for financing his chief rival, opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, called Bobby Wine. The president’s statement strongly suggests the arrest was not about national security, but about punishing a perceived political ally of the opposition.
aciafrica
Catholic vote could shift ahead of the 2026 midterm elections
By Hannah Hiester, February 5, 2026
The Catholic vote shifted decisively toward Republicans in 2024, backing Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by roughly 14 points (56% to 42%), a larger margin than in previous presidential elections and one partly driven by increased support from non-white Catholics. Polling in late 2025 showed broad Catholic approval of Trump’s immigration stance, with majorities supporting mass detention and deportation and holding favorable views of Trump at the time. That support may be less stable as immigration enforcement becomes more closely associated with ICE operations, particularly following heightened national debate and two fatal ICE enforcement incidents in Minneapolis that have drawn sharp criticism from Catholic leaders. Recent data show widespread distrust of ICE among Catholics, especially Hispanic Catholics, suggesting that skepticism toward enforcement methods could complicate GOP efforts to maintain Catholic voter gains heading into the 2026 midterms.
EWTN News, aciafrica, & CWR for 2/7/26
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — February 7, 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.
Pope Leo XIV appoints Bishop James Golka to lead Archdiocese of Denver - By Daniel Payne - Colorado Springs Bishop James Golka will lead the Archdiocese of Denver after Archbishop Samuel Aquila steps down from the post, the Vatican announced on Feb. 7. Aquila — who at 75 has reached the customary retirement age for prelates — has led the Colorado archdiocese since 2012.
Zambia bishops instruct clergy and faithful to stay out of partisan politics - By Madalaine Elhabbal - “The Church is not and must never be a mouthpiece for any political party or candidate,” the Zambian bishops stated. Read more in this roundup of world news that you may have missed this past week.
Canadian Catholic bishops join members of Parliament in push to restrict medical aid in dying - By Terry O’Neill - Bill C-260, “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying — protection against coercion),” comes in response to numerous stories of counselors suggesting MAID to persons such as military veterans or disabled men and women who are seeking support, not death.
aciafrica
aciafrica’s top headlines — February 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 words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See.
Regional Superiors in Southern Africa Resolve to Incorporate Digital Literacy “in all aspects of formation” - Feb 7, 2026 - By Nicholas Waigwa - The member of the congregation of the Companions of St. Angela (CSA) said RCMSSA resolved to implement a digital literacy initiative “to be incorporated into all aspects of our formation” with the aim of helping ICLSAL members “reclaim the space as experts” and “move with the signs of the times.”
Seminarians Welcome Pope Leo XIV’s Anticipated Visit to Angola as a Source of Hope and Renewal - Jan 30, 2026 - By João Vissesse - Seminarians in Angola have expressed hope that the anticipated visit of Pope Leo XIV to the country and other parts of Africa will to mark a decisive moment of spiritual renewal and ecclesial strengthening.
“Terrible history”: Catholic Archbishop in Kenya Cautions Against “normalization” of Exam Cheating - Feb 6, 2026 - By Nicholas Waigwa - The Archbishop of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu has cautioned against “normalization” of exam cheating, warning that the country risks paying “a heavy price” if the crisis is left unabated.
Catholic World Report
CWR’s Columns, Analysis, & Features - February 7, 2026
Catholic World Report is a free online magazine that examines the news from a faithful Catholic perspective.
Performative moral theater - By Marcus Peter - The modern activist habit of flattening everything into a binary ideological accusation is the chief false virtue of social media politics, as it so often spares the speaker from having to quantify their position with reason and evidence. When a slogan is presented as an intellectual argument, it has to surreptitiously smuggle in a Christian and Western concept.
New Catholic dating app marries matchmaking tradition with digital era - By Rachel Hoover Canto - Emily Wilson Hussem is an internationally recognized Catholic speaker, best-selling author of seven books, and YouTuber who shares her faith both online and at events around the globe.
Making sense of Donald Trump - By James Kalb - We live in unusual times, and Donald Trump is, to put it mildly, an unusual politician. We need to understand him to deal with him. Trump has distinctive ways of doing things that never seem to vary. He wants to make deals, blusters outrageously to unsettle expectations, and then sees what can actually be put together.
Nutshell reflections for 2/7/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - February 7, 2026
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
National Catholic Register
‘Terrifying’ plan to decriminalize abortion pills up to birth
By Edward Pentin, February 7, 2018
A UK Catholic peer has warned that proposed legislation, currently passing through the British Parliament to decriminalize abortion up to birth, is a “terrifying proposition” and a “barbaric step” that would effectively encourage mothers to use abortion pills at home, even in later stages of pregnancy. In an opinion piece in the Daily Mail published Wednesday, Baroness Rosa Monckton said Clause 191, an amendment to a Crime and Policing Bill, would remove “all remaining legal invigilation of women regarding abortion, allowing a mother-to-be to abort her baby, up to full term, for any reason at all, including its sex.” The amendment, first tabled by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, was pushed through the House of Commons last June after just 46 minutes of backbench debate. If it is ultimately agreed by both Houses of Parliament and enacted, it would no longer be a criminal offense for a woman to end her own pregnancy at any stage.
George Weigel
Cardinal Dolan: By no means finished yet
By George Weigel, February 4, 2026
For the past seventeen years, the people of New York have known that they had an archbishop, and in the same sense in which John Paul II made them know they had a pope. Since the announcement last December that Pope Leo XIV had accepted the resignation Cardinal Dolan was canonically obliged to offer a year ago on his 75th birthday, tributes have been paid to Cardinal Dolan’s singular embodiment of Christian joy; to his skills as a homilist who combines accessibility with spiritual depth; to his effective work as a seminary rector forming exceptionally fine priests; to his leadership in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; and to his willingness to both work with the powers of this world and speak hard truths to them when necessary. Timothy Michael Dolan is a serious intellectual. He may well be the best-read bishop in the United States. He is a fiercely loyal friend. His presence will be felt stateside, and in Rome, for years to come. And we may thank God for it.
First Things
The reckoning of old age
By John Wilson, February 6, 2025
Earlier this week, the editors of the Wall Street Journal highlighted “A U.S. Life Expectancy Milestone.” After stagnating for about a decade and then declining, “life expectancy in the U.S. hit a record in 2024 as death rates for heart disease, cancer, Covid and drug overdoses fell.” Children born today in the U.S. will enjoy a record-high life expectancy of seventy-nine years (to the year 2105, a mind-boggling thought). That’s certainly good news. The Journal took it as an occasion to heap scorn on the “liberal clerisy,” concluding that “America’s private health system isn’t without flaws—which largely stem from market distortions caused by government—but it’s better than the alternatives.”
The Catholic Thing
Fighting the wicked witches of the West
By Auguste Meyrat, February 4, 2026
What is a feminist? This used to be an easy question to answer. When feminism simply meant equal rights and opportunities for women, most people felt comfortable identifying as such. After all, who could be against women having the right to vote and owning property? However, it has become less clear what their goals are anymore. Worse still, the rise of transgenderism has undermined the core claims of feminism by questioning the objective reality of womanhood. Perhaps the movement's touted benefits were overblown, and its history and underlying principles deserve more scrutiny. Rather than studying women in “a vacuum, isolated from family, husbands, and children,” a deeply Catholic anthropology recognizes that “man and woman are complementary creatures, reflecting two ‘equal’ but different ways of being in the world,” wrote Dr. Carrie Gress, in her new book Something Wicked: Why Feminism Can’t Be Fused With Christianity.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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