Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 8/30/25
Topics include: Reviving First Saturday Devotion to Mary; Every state and the death penalty; Pakistan flood toll worsens; & Brokered peace in Congo questioned
“We see through new tender verdant pecan leaves”
Today's news sources are Aleteia, CRUX, Catholic News Agency, National Catholic Register, First Things, and The Catholic Thing. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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National Catholic Register
Cardinals propose promotion of First Saturday Devotion to Mary
By Edward Pentin, August 30, 2025
Cardinals Raymond Burke and Robert Sarah are among senior prelates urging greater participation in the First Saturday Devotion. They support an initiative originated in France, aimed at encouraging the faithful to participate. The Marian devotion — centered on making reparation for offenses and blasphemies against Mary’s Immaculate Heart that include denying her perpetual virginity or the Immaculate Conception — promises two graces for those who participate with devotion and repentance: Our Lady’s assistance at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation, and peace on earth. The 100th anniversary of the devotion is Dec. 10. To mark its centenary, the “Alliance of the First Saturdays of Fatima” — a French-based federation of Catholics whose mission promotes and spreads the devotion — launched “First Saturdays of Fatima Jubilee 2025” on Jan. 4.
Catholic News Agency
Where does your state stand on the death penalty?
By Kate Quiñones, August 30, 2025
The United States is seeing the highest number of executions in more than a decade, with 30 executions so far in 2025. CNA has released three new interactive maps to show where each state in the U.S. stands on life issues — the protection of unborn life, assisted suicide, and the death penalty. The maps will be updated as new information on each issue becomes available. The United States is split on the death penalty, which is also known as capital punishment. Twenty-three states have the death penalty, while 23 states have abolished it. In the remaining four states, executions have been temporarily paused via executive action, but the death penalty has not been abolished. Five states (Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah) allow the death penalty via firing squad as an alternative to lethal injection. The federal death penalty can be implemented for certain federal crimes in all 50 states as well as U.S. territories.
Agenzia Fides
Flood toll worsens: 1.5 million displaced in Punjab province
By Agenzia Fides, August 29, 2025
"The situation is very serious. It is terrible. In Punjab alone, there are over one and a half million people who have been made homeless due to the floods. These people live on the streets, and it is an enormous effort to care for them. In my parish of Bhai Pheru, south of Lahore, today we helped 32 families who no longer have anything, neither homes nor fields, by giving them food so they can survive," said Father Qaiser Feroz OFM Cap regarding the emergency suffered by the population of the province in central Pakistan. The Punjab government launched one of the largest evacuation operations in recent years, after the rains and flooding of the rivers displaced 1.5 million people in the province. Flooding in the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers claimed 17 more lives in a few hours, its worst flooding in 40 years, with hundreds of villages destroyed and agricultural land completely submerged.
Aleteia
Social, physical connections can be the answer to parish recruiting
By Theresa Civantos Barber, August 30, 2015
If you follow Catholic news, you’ve heard dire statistics about Catholics leaving the Church. “We are losing nine out of 10 cradle Catholics,” Church Life Journal reported last week. However, in this modern landscape, parishes stand uniquely positioned to fill the gap and offer warm, friendly communities that many people desperately crave. ACS Technologies released data that examined the theological beliefs of 45,000 Americans, published in the American Beliefs Study: Religious Preferences and Practices. The difference between someone staying at or leaving a church can be as simple as a social connection. Terry Poplava, General Manager of ACST Catholic, said, “We’re surrounded by digital ‘connections,’ but we lack the real relationships that parish communities are uniquely able to nurture for well-being. It is the role of both church leaders and parishioners to let people know that they’re not ‘just missed,’ but that their presence matters.”
Our Sunday Visitor
‘Jesus is the man of the beatitudes’ cited in new book
By Lauretta Brown, August 29, 2025
After climbing the podcast charts with “Rosary in a Year,” Father Mark-Mary Ames of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal recently released “Eight Promises of God: Discovering Hope Through the Beatitudes,” a book that he hopes will encourage people to see “the beauty and the gift that the Lord offers us in the beatitudes.” Father Ames talked to OSV News about why he felt it was important for the faithful to explore the meaning behind the beatitudes. “Jesus is the man of the beatitudes, and our call is to have Jesus’ own life lived in us,” he said. “This is the blueprint, the game plan, the portrait of what it’s supposed to look like.” “The beatitudes are invitations to hope,” he emphasized, “which is why I think it’s so important for our times.” The beatitudes offer us “a way in which we can be seen … God wants to speak his comfort” to “those who are experiencing the mourning of loss.”
CRUX
Catholic leader questions claim of brokered peace in Congo
By Ngala Killian Chimtom, August 30, 2025
A claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that he has halted the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been dismissed by Johan Viljoen, Director of the Denis Hurley Peace Institute of the Southern African Bishops’ Conference. In June, the Trump administration brokered a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda designed to bring an end to decades of fighting in eastern DRC. Rwanda has long been accused of supporting the M23 rebels, one of the major armed groups fighting for control of minerals and territory in Eastern DRC. The rebel group rejected the U.S.-brokered peace deal, instead requesting direct negotiations with Kinshasa to address what it termed as unresolved political grievances. Viljoen says Trump was exaggerating, telling Crux that a peace deal couldn’t be negotiated in the absence of the rebel movements.
The PILLAR
After shooting in a Minnesota church, what happens next?
By The Pillar, August 28, 2025
In the wake of the first mass shooting inside a U.S. Catholic church, leaders of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will be occupied in weeks to come with funerals, hospital visits, prayer services, and coordinating counseling and pastoral care for the community impacted by the tragedy. At the same time, Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, where the shooting took place, will be the center of a federal investigation, as the FBI has said it will investigate the Aug. 27 shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime. But as the community moves forward, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will eventually address the church at Annunciation Parish itself — and that likely means making use of a rite aimed to address the spiritual harm of Wednesday’s shooting, including the desecration of the church building.
CatholicVote
Madison priest arrested, charged with sex-related crimes
By Mary Stroka, August 29, 2025
The arrest this week of a Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, priest followed an undercover operation in which a member of law enforcement posed as a 14-year-old girl, local media and the diocese’s bishop reported. Madison Bishop Donald Hying said in an Aug. 27 letter to the people of his diocese that the Waupaca County District Attorney charged Father Andrew Showers with attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, attempted child enticement, and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child in connection with the investigation. WMTV reported that the criminal complaint, filed on Aug. 27, states that a Clintonville Police Department sergeant created a post on Reddit on Aug. 10, identifying herself as a 14-year-old girl named Abby, sharing edited photos of another officer. The complaint said Fr. Showers and “Abby” agreed to meet at a hotel on August 24, and police department officials identified the driver via photos he had sent to the “teen.”
From CNA & Loop & ChurchPop for 8/30/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — August 30, 2025
The Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, and up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the happenings of the Holy See to anyone with internet access.
Taylor Swift engagement: Start of a promising cultural phenomenon? - Aug 29, 2025 - By Madalaine Elhabbal - “Expect a spike in marriage,” wrote marriage and family expert Brad Wilcox in a social media post.
Council of Nicaea aids Christian unity, Catholic and Orthodox leaders say - August 29, 2025 - By Simone Baroncia - Cardinal Kurt Koch and Bartholomew, the Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
How John the Baptist became linked to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus - Aug 29, 2025 - By Souhail Lawand - Four places are most often associated with the relic of John the Baptist’s head — one is the Umayyad Mosque.
CatholicVote: Daily LOOP
Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news that seek “to renew our country and culture.” CatholicVote’s advertised mission is “To inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.”
SERIOUSLY INJURED GIRL TREATED BY MOTHER AFTER SHOOTING - A pediatric critical care nurse rushed to work to help treat incoming patients after the deadly shooting at Annunciation Church this week. She did not realize that the shooting had taken place at her daughter’s school... or that her daughter was among the victims.
SACRED HEART SEMINARY PROF: FIRINGS VIOLATED SCHOOL POLICY - An anonymous member of Sacred Heart Seminary’s faculty has written an open letter to the seminary’s board of trustees arguing that Archbishop Edward Weisenburger’s sudden firings of three longtime professors violated the school’s faculty handbook.
LONELINESS AND TRANSHUMANISM - Transhumanism is experimenting with human nature through AI girlfriends, artificial wombs, afterlife avatars, and more. What is the fuel that drives this strange new industry? Human loneliness. But while transhumanism uses loneliness as fuel, it does nothing to alleviate it. Instead, transhumanism offers a simulation of closeness, which leads to more loneliness, which in turn expands the industry.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - August 30, 2025
The Mom Who Never Gave Up on Augustine: A Powerful Litany to Saint Monica - Do you love someone who has left the Church? Pray this powerful Litany of the Wayfaring Saint Monica!
Mother Angelica Accompanies the Dying as Priest Gives Last Rites: ‘She Helped Many on Their Journey to God’ - What a beautiful story! Mother Angelica has blessed so many people!
The Four Sins that Cry Out to Heaven for Vengeance - The “Four Sins that Cry Out to Heaven for Vengeance” are grave sins described in Scripture as “crying out” to God for justice.
Nutshell reflections for 8/30/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - August 30, 2025
Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
First Things
The end of natural parenthood
By Robert Aaron Wessman, August 21, 2025
Ten years ago, via judicial fiat, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage for the entire nation. But it did more than that. Obergefell v. Hodges not only redefined marriage. It redefined parenthood. For centuries, Anglo-American common law had operated on the assumption that children belong, by nature, to their mother and father. The state’s role was not to create these bonds but to recognize and protect them. The last decade has changed that. An increasing number of children are being intentionally deprived of their mother and father in the name of adult constitutional rights. Children conceived through donor contracts or surrogacy often struggle with identity and belonging, reporting higher levels of confusion about their origins. Studies confirm that children living with adults they’re not related to—the exact aim of same-sex parenting law—are exponentially more likely to be abused or neglected.
The Catholic Thing
Lives with faith, and without — what is different?
By David G Bonagura, Jr., August 29, 2025
Consider the parallel lives of John and Bill, who each have three children, reside in the suburbs, and commute to the city to work. John is agnostic and indifferent to things religious. Bill is a practicing Catholic; he attends Mass each Sunday and prays daily. The two do essentially the same things each day. Is there a substantive difference between their lives, given their faith – or lack of it? How is Bill’s life different? Is it “better” than John’s when they are doing the same things, living the same family life, enduring the same trials? The Catholic faith allows Bill to see realities that John cannot. Bill knows God is always present right next to him. He knows his blessings come from Him, and he gives thanks; he knows He sends trials to stretch him, and he tries to grow from them. His life is not easy, yet he realizes God has willed his existence for many ends, even when he does not understand what God intends in most situations.
Bishop Barron
Jesus often used business examples in his teaching
By Bishop Robert Barron, August 30, 2025
Friends, today’s Gospel gives us the challenging parable of the talents. A man goes on a journey, but before leaving, he entrusts his money to three of his servants. To one he gives five talents, to a second, two, and to a third, one. Jesus loved to use examples drawn from the world of business. And, he especially liked this dynamic of investment as a model of the spiritual life. The reason is clear: God exists in gift form. Therefore, if you want his life in you, you have to learn to give it away. Think of the talents as everything that we’ve received from God—life, breath, being, and powers. Because they come from God, they are meant to become gifts. If you cling to them, in the manner of the third servant, they don’t grow; in fact, they wither away.
Exaudi
In-laws can generate tension if not handled prudently
By José Miguel Ponce, August 29, 2025
Difficulties in marriages often arise from the intervention of in-laws or parents. For many couples, parental support is indispensable, and living together can be highly beneficial. However, in-laws can also generate tension if not handled prudently. Therefore, it is essential to act tactfully, know how to remain silent when necessary, and put vanity aside. When a woman is overly attached to her mother, it can create a strain on the marriage and provoke jealousy in her husband. Prudence and intelligence are essential to ensure that fathers do not get involved in the couple’s conflicts. In-laws who act with respect, understanding, and support strengthen marriages. Avoiding negative comments about their spouse or their family and adapting to the family dynamic ensures that children and grandchildren enjoy a healthy and happy environment. With tact and prudence, grandparents can become allies in maintaining unity and love within the home.
Image of Pecans by tseiu from Pixabay
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Very interesting! Thank you for the post. I’ve also written down some thoughts on this that I’d be glad to share here with you.
In Christo.
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