Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 6/13/26
What Catholics should know: ‘Base editing embryos’; Becket Fund's ‘noble task’; Beijing’s new passion for science fiction; & A burning cross in a Chicago park
“We see through new tender verdant pecan leaves”
Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources: National Catholic Register, EWTN News, The Pillar, Crux, First Things, OSV 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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National Catholic Register
‘Base editing embryos’ takes a further unethical step
By Joseph Meaney, June 12, 2026
Recent biomedical news headlines have exposed the deadly lack of ethics in research involving human embryos. Dr. Dieter Egli, a Columbia University developmental cell biologist, claims his team successfully “base edited” the genome of several human embryos. Hailed as a scientific milestone rather than a giant ethical violation, as happened when Dr. He Jiankui similarly performed germ-line gene editing of embryos in 2018, Egli, unlike He, had no surviving embryos after his experiments ended. Human embryos are treated as intensely interesting entities available for every sort of deadly manipulation, but the one unforgivable sin of human embryonic research is to allow the subjects to live. He Jiankui used the much less precise CRISPR-Cas9 technique, which, in other experiments, unintentionally damaged or deleted entire chromosomes. His actions led to an international outcry, and consensus among scientists grew that CRISPR-based gene manipulation of embryos could not be done reliably or safely.
Related: Pro-life advocates defend unborn babies with Down syndrome after YouTuber goes public with abortion, By Kate Quiñones, EWTN News, June 13, 2026
EWTN News
Pope Leo XIV commends Becket Fund for ‘noble task’
By Ken Oliver-Méndez, June 12, 2026
Affirming that the right to religious freedom is “the cornerstone of any just society,” Pope Leo XIV praised the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty for more than 30 years of “great efforts to defend this right” in a message to the organization delivered on June 11. The Holy Father offered the commendation to participants at the 2026 Canterbury Medal Gala, an annual event held by the nonprofit law firm that represents clients defending their religious liberty in court. Leo noted that the defense of “religious liberty as an integral part of upholding dignity” acquires “particular significance as the United States of America prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its foundation.” Reflecting on the history of his American homeland, Leo said: “Indeed, we can recognize in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence an expression of the truth regarding the human person. Namely, the innate dignity of every man and woman, created by God in his own image and likeness, and the rights that stem therefrom.”
Aleteia
Journalist’s tale of the Pope’s plane problems
By Cyprien Viet, June 13, 2026
A mechanical problem prevented the papal plane from taking off as planned from Tenerife airport on Friday, June 12, to return to Rome. “Tenerife is no longer responding,” and this incident will go down in the history of papal travels. Flight IB 1477, chartered by the Spanish airline Iberia, was due to depart at 3.20 pm local time (4.20 pm Rome time) from Tenerife Airport in the Canary Islands, for a 4-hour, 40-minute flight to Rome's Fiumicino Airport, thus bringing to an end a seven-day trip to Spain. On board the aircraft were Pope Leo XIV, his delegation, and 80 journalists. The captain announced, in a matter-of-fact tone, that the flight is delayed due to a technical issue. At around 4.30 pm, the Pope returned to the airport tarmac and thus to Spanish soil. “Does this count as a second visit to Spain?” chuckled some seasoned Vatican correspondents. Never before had a technical fault led to the cancellation of a papal flight. Leo left on King Felipe’s royal aircraft at 6 p.m. The rest of the delegation and press flew on a later flight.
The Pillar
Catholics skeptical: Priest arrested in Mozambique bishop killing
By Filipe d’Avillez, June 12, 2026
Investigators in Mozambique arrested three people in connection with the June 6 killing of Bishop Osório Citara Afonso, leader of the Quelimane diocese. One of the arrested suspects is a Catholic priest. The others are a guard and a gardener who worked in the bishop’s residence. The prospect that the killing was perpetrated by insiders at the bishop’s residence is odd. On the day of Afonso’s killing, suspects reportedly scaled the walls of the building to disable the security system, and statements also said that Afonso had been shot in the chest with a modernized Kalashnikov (AK-M), an assault rifle widely used by government forces in the country. The arrest of the priest has been met with skepticism by local Catholics, according to a source close to the diocese, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the sake of safety. “The bishop had been restructuring the diocese, and that may have rubbed some people the wrong way, but to murder him? And in this way? According to initial reports, this was clearly the work of a death squad.”
Related: Pope Leo XIV Appoints Apostolic Administrators for Beira and Quelimane Dioceses Following Death of Bishop Afonso - Jun 13, 2026 - By Jude Atemanke, aciafrica
Related: Police arrest prime suspect in killing of Kenyan Catholic priest - By Sabrine Amboka, EWTN News, June 13, 2026
OSV News
‘Poignant reminder’ nation is guided by ‘loving hand of God’
By OSV News, June 12, 2026
President Donald Trump, on June 11, called the U.S. Catholic bishops’ consecration of the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for its 250th anniversary “a powerful moment in our national story and a poignant reminder that America has always been guided by the loving hand of God.” “(First lady) Melania and I join in prayer with Catholic Bishops gathered in Orlando, Florida,” he said in a statement issued as the bishops celebrated a Mass of consecration at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando. The Mass was celebrated after the bishops concluded the second of two days of public sessions during their June 10-12 spring plenary. “Even in the centuries before the United States was conceived in nationhood, America was a land of prayer, a place of miracles, and home to some of the most faithful and devoted Christians to ever live,” Trump said.
Related: Cardinal Burke consecrates U.S. to Sacred Heart of Jesus, calls on Catholics to consecrate their homes, By McKenna Snow, Zeale News, June 12, 2026
Zeale
USCCB concludes spring plenary assembly in Orlando
By Elise Winland, June 12, 2026
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) concluded its spring plenary assembly in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, after days of meetings that included votes on liturgical texts, updates to the bishops’ child protection charter, and a national consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. According to a USCCB recap, the bishops approved elements of a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass, voting 184-1 with no abstentions. They also voted 187-0 with no abstentions to approve the 2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement. The bishops also approved several updates to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the 2002 framework commonly known as the Dallas Charter, in a 179-22 vote with six abstentions. The updated charter explicitly recognizes an accused cleric’s right to the presumption of innocence while an allegation is under investigation, a right drawn from Book VI of the Code of Canon Law.
Related: FBI fires several analysts tied to disputed ‘Catholic ideology’ memo - By Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press, Jun 6, 2026
PME AsiaNews
Beijing’s new passion for science fiction (as propaganda)
By Andrea Ferrario, June 11, 2026
In the space of a few decades, Chinese science fiction has undergone a transformation that reflects the broader balance of culture and power in the People’s Republic. Until the late 1980s, the Chinese Communist Party classified it as “spiritual pollution”, like other cultural forms deemed incompatible with ideological orthodoxy, and it was therefore banned from both screens and bookstores. In the following decade, a shift allowed science fiction to develop as a literary genre and, eventually, extend to film, a transition completed three decades later, with the first Chinese science fiction film, The Wandering Earth, by Frant Gwo, released in cinemas in 2019. Since then, the rush has been dizzying, and by 2025, China’s science fiction industry generated revenues totaling 126 billion yuan (US$18 billion), up nearly 16% over the previous year. Science fiction is taking on increasing importance as a tool to compete with genres previously dominated by Western production.
CRUX
A burning cross in a Chicago park shocks residents
By Hallie Golden, AP, June 11, 2026
A historic symbol of hate and intimidation against Black Americans was discovered in a Chicago park where former President Barack Obama famously delivered his acceptance speech when he was elected the nation’s first Black president. Tuesday afternoon’s act sent shock waves through a city where more than one in four people are Black. Some people drove or walked by, staring, and a video of the cross-burning gained traction online. The video, taken by a motorist, shows the wooden cross engulfed in bright orange flames as it leans against a tree in Grant Park, located in the core of the city’s downtown and near Lake Michigan. Police said a person was seen “fleeing from the scene” where an object was constructed and burned in the park. The alert provided no update on the arson investigation. “The burning a cross in Grant Park, personally, does not instill terror,” said Gina Miranda Samuels from the University of Chicago. “If it was on my personal lawn, that would concern me. This doesn’t cause me to want to flee Chicago.”
Keep informed - 6/13/26 matters for Catholics:
Snippets: EWTN News, aciafrica, & Word on Fire
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 13, 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.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia opens new Sacred Heart adoration chapel to ‘bring people to the Lord’ - By Daniel Payne - The Archdiocese of Philadelphia this week opened a new perpetual adoration chapel, one that Archbishop Nelson Pérez said is meant to draw “Catholics and non-Catholics for prayer before Christ” 24 hours a day.
Irish bishops call for calm in Belfast following racially motivated civil unrest - By Madalaine Elhabbal - Bishops in Northern Ireland call for peace, abuse victims in Australia clash with diocese, anti-Catholic legislation in France fails, Zimbabwe, and more in this week’s Catholic world news roundup.
St. Anthony of Padua considered ‘all the world as his home’ - By EWTN News Staff - On June 13 the Church celebrates St. Anthony of Padua, whose widespread popularity can be traced to his efforts at reaching out as a neighbor to all.
aciafrica
aciafrica’s top headlines — June 13, 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.
“Truth must be sought with patience”: Mozambican Catholic Archbishop at Funeral Mass for Late Bishop Afonso - Jun 12, 2026 - By João Vissesse - The truth surrounding the death of Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of the Catholic Diocese of Quelimane must be pursued “with patience” and respect for the proper course of justice, Archbishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes.
“Called and given a mission”: Catholic Sisters in Africa Encouraged to Remain Faithful to their Charisms - Jun 12, 2026 - By Nicholas Waigwa - The Archbishop of Tanzania’s Catholic Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam has urged the women Religious in Africa to remain faithful to the charisms of their Congregations, describing them as essential.
Priest Cautions against “theatrics” in Liturgy as Young Catholics Take Singing to Kenyan Streets - Jun 12, 2026 - By Agnes Aineah - The trendy “Catholic Street Choir” in Kenya risks turning pew singers into theatrical performers out to provide entertainment to crowds of people, a Priest in the East African nation has said, warning that the trend may weaken the sacredness of liturgical music.
Word on Fire
Fresh insights from the Word on Fire Institute - for June 13, 2026
Word on Fire reaches millions every year by effectively sharing the Gospel via podcasts, videos, books, articles, Scripture studies, and Gospel meditations.
Teaching God to Gen Alpha - Sebastian Barros - June 13, 2026 - Synthetic intelligence is the new baseline for Generation Alpha. Their greatest spiritual challenge will be learning to disconnect from the machine and seek truth for themselves. They genuinely believe that our human limits and slowness, our capacity for boredom, our moral hesitation, and our need to dwell in uncertainty are errors better to be programmed out of existence.
‘I Was So Much Older Then, I’m Younger Than That Now’ - Dr. Tod Worner - June 12, 2026 - I tease my medical students that, one day, it dawns on you that the patient you have been seeing for twenty-five years has, inexplicably, become old. And then that unforgiving mirror smiles back at you and insists, “So have you.” Done properly, what accompanies age are memories, experience, wisdom, and insight.
‘Perfect Days’ and Beauty in the Ordinary - Christopher Hazell - June 12, 2026 - Wim Wenders’ 2023 film Perfect Days offers a beautiful, contemplative glimpse into a man’s ordinary and seemingly dull life. The film, which covers only a few days, features a Japanese man named Hirayama (played by Kōji Yakusho) living in Tokyo who cleans public toilets for a living.
June 13, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic Stand
Does eternal law admit subjectivity?
By Rev. Kenneth M. Dos Santos MIC, June 12, 2026
Eternal Law is defined in the Catholic Dictionary as: The plan of divine wisdom, insofar as it directs all the actions and events of the universe. It is, therefore, the unchangeable effective decree of God binding the whole of creation to the fulfillment of its purpose, and to the use of such means for attaining this purpose as are adapted to each nature. God has always existed, remains unchanging, and will never end. Eternal Law is the unchangeable, effective decree of God, which binds the whole of creation to the fulfillment of its purpose. The natural law expresses the original moral sense that enables man to discern, by reason, the good and the evil, the truth and the lie. However, through personal sin, the human intellect can become darkened, obscured, and unreliable in discerning the moral law with clarity. As a result, man has need not only of Divine Law, but of a Sacrament that restores one’s communion with God, illuminating with integrity one’s grasp of moral truth.
George Weigel
The Eucharist and modernity’s crisis of transcendence
By Johan Erlandsson-Diaz, June 5, 2026
The Czech-German poet Rainer Maria Rilke represents longing at its most refined and tragic, a life oriented toward the sacred yet unable to enter it. Maurice Blondel gives philosophical clarity to what Rilke poetically inhabits, the will’s inability to close upon itself. But Blondel’s strength introduces a risk. The crack may begin to look like a bridge, as if transcendence were simply the resolution of a structural lack. Erich Przywara then provides the necessary correction, insisting that the relation between God and creature remains asymmetrical and non-reciprocal even at the height of intimacy, in Deo semper maior, “in God, ever greater.” The Book of Hours (1905), written between 1899 and 1903, is Rilke’s most sustained meditation on the search for God. We have become experts at longing, curators of our own incompleteness.
First Things
Neither girlboss nor tradwife
By Emma Waters, June 12, 2025
I wasn’t supposed to like Yesteryear, which is why I was surprised, and a little embarrassed, to discover how much I enjoyed it—not as a satire of women of faith, but as a dark psychological thriller. By the time most readers cracked the spine, Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel was already on track to be a bestseller, with Amazon purchasing the movie rights and Anne Hathaway angling for the lead. It has been praised in progressive outlets as a reckoning with the performative, superficial, and ultimately “detrimental” nature of the tradwife movement. Burke’s primary audience—liberal, non-religious women—read it as a vindication: Women who choose traditional families, religious faith, and domestic life are either performing or going mad. I found her portrait genuinely convicting—not because she accurately reflects most tradwives or religiously active conservative Christian women, but because she shows in no uncertain terms the depravity of life apart from God
The Catholic Thing
Defeating modernism
By David Warren, June 13, 2026
Among the most distressing things about the Catholic Church is her (really, OUR) failure to take advantage of the many opportunities that the “modern world” accidentally offers us. We have made ourselves smaller and more inconsequential by choice, chiefly by assuming that the times are unpropitious. In fact, the times cry out to be rescued. And this, particularly, in an institutional way. There is a task, quite distinct from that of environmental lunacy, or economic lunacy, or any others of the fashionable lunacies that afflict the world. And this task only occasionally requires a bit of imagination or courage. Why do we run, when either of these qualities are asked for? For that matter, why do we run when any of the seven “lively virtues” — i.e. the seven holy remedies for the seven deadly sins – present themselves, and as more than novel possibilities?
Image of Coconut by Celio Nicoli from Pixabay
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