Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 4/11/26
Topics include: ‘The world needs American Catholicism’; Join today’s Vigil for Peace; Final charge dismissed against pro-life activists; & Dorothy Day’s complicated cause for Sainthood
“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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EWTN News
Arthur Brooks: ‘The world needs American Catholicism’
By Tessa Gervasini, April 11, 2026
Now is the time to invite people to the faith, as it “is the moment for the American Catholic Church,” says bestselling author, Harvard professor, and renowned social scientist Arthur Brooks. Catholics must have “the entrepreneurial zeal to go out and get souls and to promise people what they actually deeply want,” Brooks said. “This is so critically important, but the way it could fail is because we just donʼt have the guts for it. We donʼt have the stomach for it. We donʼt have the heart for it.” In an April 10 interview with “EWTN News In Depth,” Brooks spoke about the increasing numbers of Catholics. He also shared what is driving people to the Church and how the Church can best reach new people in natural and simple ways. While there have been increasing numbers of baptisms and confirmations, Brooks said Catholics “canʼt just rest on our laurels,” as there are still “trends largely going in the other direction with respect to people coming to church,” he said.
Aleteia
How to join today’s Vigil for Peace
By Kathleen N. Hattrup, April 11, 2026
This Saturday evening in Rome at 6 pm local time (noon in New York), Pope Leo XIV will lead the Prayer Vigil for Peace that he invited everyone to join on Easter Sunday. For those not in Rome, the event will be live-streamed by the Vatican. Check with your local diocese to see if other initiatives will be combined. For example, in New York, following noon Mass, there will be exposition of the Eucharist. You can follow it at the Vatican’s website, or at their YouTube channels (in various languages, with English here and Spanish here). According to VaticanNews, the vigil will mainly consist of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, with meditations from various Church Fathers, including St. Augustine of Hippo, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Ambrose of Milan. This evening's event (Rome time) is the newest chapter in a line of global peace initiatives led by the Bishops of Rome.
The Pillar
Peruvian bishops investigating allegation against secretary general
By Edgar Beltrán, April 10, 2026
The Peruvian bishops’ conference announced Apr. 9 that its secretary general, Bishop Antonio Santarsiero OSJ, has temporarily stepped down from his position while an investigation is conducted following the emergence of abuse allegations against him. The statement also said that “possible affected persons can go to the recognized listening channels, according to the provisions of the motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi.” Spanish website InfoVaticana recently published an article accusing Santarsiero, the Italian-born 74-year-old bishop of Huacho, of sexually abusing several victims, including a minor. The website said it had access to a notarized letter sent to the apostolic nunciature in Peru on March 31 recounting several instances of sexual and psychological abuse allegedly perpetrated by Santarsiero. The alleged victims had already filed complaints against Santarsiero in 2024 and 2025, the article said.
OSV News
Rapid advancements in medical technology need Catholic input
By Charlie Camosy, April 11, 2026
How can rapid advancements in medical technology, questions about the criteria for brain death, and the rise of transhumanism be considered within a Catholic framework? Charlie Camosy recently spoke on this topic with Gabriel LeBeau, a second-year neurosurgery resident at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who has had the bioethics of the brain on his mind for some time and is interested in brain-machine interfaces, neurotechnology, and cerebrovascular neurosurgery. “It is tough to only share one brain-related insight, because there have been many. One that comes to mind relates particularly to brain-computer interfaces,” said LeBeau. “Through a brain-machine interface, a device can be implanted into the brain, which would in turn collect and synthesize neural data in a computer to produce an actionable output, such as moving a robotic arm, or having autonomy over the actions of a computer or other device.”
Jerusalem Post
Iran war forces the Arab world to pick a side
By Shiri Fein-Grossman, April 4, 2026
The war with Iran has created a real opportunity for regional realignment – but how it plays out now may determine whether normalization moves forward or stalls. For more than a decade, the Middle East has been shaped by two competing camps. On one side stood what was often called the “moderate axis” – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan; states focused on stability, opposed to political Islam, and increasingly aligned with the United States and, over time, with Israel. On the other side was a rival bloc led by Turkey, which supported Islamist movements. Saudi Arabia and Egypt did not abandon their traditional partnerships, but they reopened channels with Turkey and diversified their strategic options. In Yemen, tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE resurfaced over the role of southern separatists. In Sudan, the two backed opposing sides in a civil war. The Iranian threat is no longer theoretical. It is immediate and shared. The need for effective security cooperation is clearer than it has been in years.
CatholicVote
Final charge dismissed against pro-life activists
By CV News Feed, April 9, 2026
A California judge dismissed the final criminal charge against pro-life journalist David Daleiden on April 2, fully expunging a case that lasted nearly 11 years. San Francisco County Judge Brian Ferrall’s ruling closes a prosecution that Daleiden’s defense team has called a politically driven effort to punish investigative reporting on the abortion industry — one that began under Kamala Harris’ tenure as California attorney general. Daleiden, founder of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), and journalist Sandra Merritt released undercover videos in 2015 showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing fetal tissue procurement. Planned Parenthood changed its fetal tissue collection policy in October 2015 in response to CMP’s videos. Harris’ office launched a criminal investigation into Daleiden and Merritt and raided Daleiden’s apartment in 2016, seizing investigative materials. Defense attorney Steve Cooley said he had “never seen such a blatant exercise of selective investigation and vindictive prosecution” in his five decades of legal practice.
CRUX
Vatican drops investigation against Spanish bishop
By Fionn Shiner, April 11, 2026
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith has reportedly closed its investigation into a Spanish bishop who was accused of sexual abuse because it could not determine whether the victim was underage at the time of the alleged abuse. According to reports in El País and the Spanish Catholic website Religion Digital, the dicastery has closed the investigation because the Code of Canon Law in force at the time the abuse is alleged to have taken place – the 1990s – means that only cases involving a victim under the age of 16 constitute a crime. The complainant alleges that the abuse began when he was 14, and continued until he was 21, when Bishop Emeritus Rafael Zornoza of Cádiz and Ceuta – the accused – was rector of a seminary in Getafe. Zornoza has maintained his innocence throughout, calling it “an unjust and false accusation.” When the reports first appeared last November, Zornoza stepped back from public duties, and Pope Leo XIV then accepted his resignation, which Zornoza had submitted when he turned 75 in July of last year
National Catholic Register
Artemis II, Carroll Wiseman, and the Catholic Connection
By Gigi Duncan, April 10, 2026
Alongside its technical achievements, the Artemis II mission around the back side of the moon has also drawn attention for something less expected: moments of faith, remembrance, and a renewed sense of wonder at God’s creation. Those moments came into focus during a broadcast from orbit when the crew proposed naming two lunar craters. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen explained that one would be called “Integrity” after their spacecraft. The second, he said, was “especially meaningful for this crew.” “We lost a loved one; her name was Carroll,” Hansen said, referring to the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman. Describing the crater as “a bright spot on the moon,” he added, “We would like to call it ‘Carroll.’” The naming proposal will ultimately be reviewed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). If the name “Carroll” is approved, it will join a lunar landscape shaped by centuries of Jesuit contributions — from Riccioli’s early lunar maps to modern research at the Vatican Observatory — linking a personal story in space to a long history of scientific inquiry.
EWTN News, aciafrica, & CWR for 4/11/26
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — April 11, 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.
Poll: Catholic support for President Donald Trump drops below 50% amid Iran war - A poll shows Catholics disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance as president, overall, including on how he has handled the conflict with Iran.
Alabama updates law allowing students time for off-campus religious instruction - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation this week that strengthens parents’ ability to have their children briefly excused from public school during the school day to receive religious instruction. The measure adds clearer guidelines and protections that school superintendents requested.
Congressman criticizes Vatican for hosting China’s top organ transplant official - Rep. Chris Smith and Hudson Institute Senior Fellow and human rights advocate Nina Shea criticized the Vatican for hosting China’s top organ transplant official at an event in 2017. A new book, “The Xinjiang Procedure,” presents evidence of forced organ harvesting targeting Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim communities on an industrial scale in China.
aciafrica
aciafrica’s top headlines — April 11, 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.
Cameroonian Government Says Preparations Complete for Pope Leo XIV Apostolic Visit - Apr 10, 2026 - By Jude Atemanke - The Government of Cameroon has declared full readiness for the planned Apostolic Visit of Pope Leo XIV, scheduled for April 15 to 18.
Catholic Schools in Kenya Urged to Foster Church’s Identity in Institutional Environment - Apr 10, 2026 - By Silas Isenjia - The Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Wote has called on managers and teachers in Catholic schools in Kenya to ensure that the “marks of the Risen Lord” are evident.
“A sage of our time”: Catholic Priest Hailed for Advancing Higher Education among Seminarians, Clergy in Nigeria - Apr 10, 2026 - By Nicholas Waigwa - Bishop Callistus Chukwuma Valentine Onaga of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Enugu has hailed Monsignor Prof. Francis Obiora Ike, founder of the Catholic Institute of Development, Justice, and Peace (CIDJAP).
Catholic World Report
CWR’s Columns, Analysis, & Features - April 11, 2026
Catholic World Report is a free online magazine that examines the news from a faithful Catholic perspective.
Amid war and migration, Pope Leo XIV to bring message of religious freedom to North Africa - Ngala Killian Chimtom, April 10, 2026 - As Pope Leo XIV prepares to embark on his apostolic journey to Africa, the shadow of regional conflict and the plight of migrants loom large over the continent’s northern shores. Algeria is the first stop.
The Relevance of the Resurrection - Dr. Randall B. Smith, April 5, 2026 -Christ’s glorified body tells us that the promise of eternal life, which Jesus’s death and resurrection has opened up for us, results not in obliteration or negation, but transformation and glorification.
Claire Lai: “My dad wants people to reflect on Our Savior’s suffering for us…” - Jim Graves, April 4, 2026 - Claire Lai, daughter of imprisoned Hong Kong democracy advocate and devout Catholic convert Jimmy Lai, has become a prominent advocate for the release of her 78-year-old father, believing his conviction for colluding with foreign Chinese elements.
Nutshell reflections for 4/11/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - April 11, 2026
Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Catholic Stand
Does God listen to the prayers of those who wage war?
By Gene M. Van Son, April 11, 2026
I was a bit shocked by Pope Leo’s Palm Sunday homily. He said, “God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” A number of thoughts occurred to me when I read this. My first thought was, is Pope Leo trying to change Catholic teaching on war and Safeguarding Peace? If so, his homily could be a trial balloon. And if it is a trial balloon, woe to the Catholic Church. Given the confusion that resulted regarding Catholic teaching during Pope Francis’ papacy, I can only hope we are not in for more of the same. Dr. Marcus Peter writes that the Holy Father “might have been evoking Isaiah 1:15” when he said those words. The pastor of my church, in his homily on Palm Sunday, offered the same opinion. Isaiah, however, says that God does not hear the prayers of the wicked, the evil, or the corrupt. And not everyone who wages war is evil, wicked, or corrupt. I don’t think George Washington, our Founding Fathers, or Abraham Lincoln were evil, wicked, or corrupt.
National Catholic Register
What the Wall Street Journal didn’t print
By George Weigel, April 8, 2026
On March 21, the Wall Street Journal published a lengthy profile of the Pope as its “Saturday Essay.” The subtitle — “Pope Leo XIV pushes back against President Trump. Can the pontiff from Chicago make a difference in an era of power politics?” — gave the game away from the get-go: the Pope is to be understood as the over-against of the president, with Leo’s statements and actions filtered through that primarily political analytic prism. Which misses a lot. To put it mildly. Donald Trump has sucked the air out of virtually the entire media universe since 2015. Is there anything that isn’t to be parsed or explained by reference to him? This obsession distorts reality. It certainly distorts the reality of Pope Leo, who has insisted that his mission is to preach Christ and invite others into friendship with him. Pope Leo XIV is very much his own man, and very much a man committed to the fullness of Catholic truth. So it makes no sense to try to slot him into the hoary categories of "progressive" and "conservative," although various parties with their own agendas incessantly do so.
First Things
Dorothy Day’s complicated cause for Sainthood
By S. V. Arbogast, April 9, 2025
Twenty-six years ago, John Cardinal O’Connor launched Dorothy Day’s candidacy for sainthood: “It has long been my contention that Dorothy Day is a saint—not a ‘gingerbread’ saint or a ‘holy card’ saint, but a modern day devoted daughter of the Church, a daughter who shunned personal aggrandizement and wished that her work … might be the hallmark of her life rather than her own self.” Slow roads to canonization are not uncommon in the Catholic Church. However, there has arguably never been a case as complicated or as extreme as Dorothy Day’s. She sought radical changes in society, and it is unclear whether these activities were even close to aligning with longstanding magisterial teachings. It is in these details that the biggest questions for the Vatican reside, a point hinted at by the fact that throughout the Catholic world, many respect what Dorothy Day did, but few listen to what she preached. For Day’s cause, the venerable stage’s examination of magisterial fidelity will be the crucial test.
The Catholic Thing
The dignity of work in Catholic social thought
By Anne Hendershott, April 11, 2026
Catholic social teaching sees work not as a burden to be engineered away, but as a central part of life wherein the human person is formed. From Genesis to Laborem exercens, the Church teaches that work’s dignity lies not in how new or efficient it is, but in how it forms character, skill, and a commitment to the common good. This is precisely what Arthur Brooks misses in his Free Press essay entitled “It’s 2028: AI Has Made You Much Happier.” Brooks’s vision begins from a premise that the Catholic tradition has long rejected: that work is primarily a burden to be escaped. In Catholic thought, work is not an obstacle to human flourishing but one of its primary engines. It is the arena in which we cultivate moral character and responsibility. Brooks draws a sharp line between “complicated” tasks (solvable, mechanical) and “complex” ones (relational, existential). He seems to believe that these tasks are separate. But in practice, the two are intertwined.
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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