Catholic Nutshell News: Saturday 9/27/25
Topics include: Hong Kong cardinal whitewashing China’s persecution; Shutdown could disrupt military Masses; Cancellation of Zimbabwe’s debt; & JD never understood Padre Pio
“We see through new tender verdant pecan leaves”
Today's news sources are Aleteia, CRUX, Catholic News Agency, National Catholic Register, Bishop Barron, First Things, & 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
Hong Kong cardinal is whitewashing China’s religious persecution
By Edward Pentin, September 26, 2025
Criticism is being leveled at Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan of Hong Kong after he reportedly insisted that the Chinese-administered territory is free of religious persecution, and that Beijing wants religious freedom in Hong Kong to remain “intact” — despite ample evidence proving the opposite. Speaking to an audience earlier this week in the Australian Diocese of Parramatta, as part of a series of talks hosted by controversial Bishop Vincent Long Văn Nguyễn, the cardinal invited those present to “come to Hong Kong and see for yourself” that persecution does not exist there. “Beijing wants to keep religious freedom intact in Hong Kong, because Hong Kong is important for China,” the cardinal contended. Chow’s comments contrast with reports that restrictions on the Church and civil liberties in Hong Kong are intensifying, curtailing religious activity and freedom of expression.
Catholic News Agency
U.S. Gov’t shutdown could disrupt military Masses
By Kathleen Murphy, September 27, 2025
A looming U.S. government shutdown could affect Roman Catholic churches and Catholic institutions that depend on government funding. The closure, which will come about if lawmakers cannot agree on a spending package to fund the federal government, could pause military members’ ability to attend Mass, interrupt subsidized meals for preschoolers in Catholic schools, and limit assistance with church security. Congress so far lacks agreement on funding federal agencies when the budget year begins on Oct. 1. A shutdown would mean housing, health and food programs for people in need could experience cascading delays, according to a Sept. 26 statement by Catholic Charities USA. “A government shutdown would result in more people falling into poverty, and the recovery from such a setback could take several months or even years.”
Agenzia Fides
Christian groups call for the cancellation of Zimbabwe’s debt
By Agenzia Fides, September 23, 2025
Zimbabwe’s main Christian denominations describe their country’s situation as a situation of “negative peace” in the declaration “Act Now for a Pacific World,” issued on the occasion of World Peace Day on September 21. The document, sent to Fides, is signed by the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), which includes the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, and the Union for the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe (UDACIZA). By “negative peace,” the authors of the text define a context in which there is no direct violence (”Zimbabwe is not directly involved in violence or open warfare”), but “presents underlying structural injustices and inequalities.”
Aleteia
The inspiration of St. Vincent de Paul led to thrift store ministries
By Philip Kosloski, September 27, 2015
St. Vincent de Paul is widely known as “The Apostle of Charity” and “Father of the Poor” for his incredible love and care for the poor. He established the Daughters of Charity, Confraternities of Charity, and Ladies of Charity in 17th-century France. A chief concern of his was the disorganization of services for people who wanted to assist the poor and needy. St. Vincent de Paul died in 1660, over 200 years before any St. Vincent de Paul thrift store was established. In 1833, another holy man, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, composed of lay people, after witnessing the appalling condition of the poor in Paris at the time. Around the same time period in the U.S., the Salvation Army opened a “salvage brigade” in 1897, and Goodwill opened its first store in Boston in 1902. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to operate hundreds of thrift stores.
CBCPNEWS
75 years later: Korean Catholics pray for reconciliation and unity
By Courtney Mares/CNA, June 25, 2025
Korean Catholics marked the 75th anniversary of the start of the Korean War with prayers and Masses offered for peace and reconciliation on the divided peninsula, where the war never formally ended. “The North and South have nurtured hatred and animosity amid constant tension and confrontation,” Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, the archbishop of Seoul, said in his homily. “Every single member of our Church must remember and pray for our brothers and sisters in North Korea and stop turning a blind eye to efforts for reconciliation and unity in God …” The Korean War claimed the lives of 3 million people, 10% of the population, between 1950 and 1953. The United States suffered more than 33,000 battle deaths and nearly 3,000 non-battle deaths. An armistice signed in 1953 ended active fighting but did not result in a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war.
CRUX
Cameroon’s Catholic youth seek to end reign of 92-year-old
By Ngala Killian Chimtom, September 27, 2025
Ahead of contentious presidential elections set for Oct. 12, many young Catholic voters say they’re seeking “generational change,” widely understood as a call to end the 43-year reign of 92-year-old President Paul Biya. “It defies logic for someone of such advanced age to lead a predominantly young population,” said Omar Yusinyu, a member of the Catholic Men Association at St. Anne’s Parish in Obili, encapsulating a core sentiment driving the youthful dissent. “In a normal society, aged people give way to young ones, especially their children, to manage most of their businesses,” he told Crux. Biya is seeking an unprecedented 8th term in office. Should he prevail, he would be almost 100 years old by the time his term ended. Catholic youth interviewed by Crux are increasingly vocal in their opposition to extending the tenure of the world’s oldest leader and Africa’s second-longest-serving president, after Equatorial Guinea’s Obiang Nguema.
The PILLAR
JD never understood Padre Pio, but a thank you is in order
By JD Flynn, September 23, 2025
In September 2016, my wife made a pilgrimage to Italy. She attended the canonization of Mother Teresa and visited the tomb of Padre Pio. She asked those saints to intervene for us, that God might give us the gift of another child through the gift of pregnancy. We had adopted two beautiful children. The communion of the Church is not a communion of vibes and feels. Ours is not a unity of mutual admiration, of doing favors for people we like because we like them, or asking favors of people we like. I think God did me a special favor by working this incredible gift through a saint I’m not especially excited about. We are connected through the Cross, and thus the altar. We are unified in the suffering of Jesus Christ and incorporated together into his resurrection. The Church is bigger than our preferences. If he interceded for us — and I think he did — Padre Pio did a spiritual solid for a guy with no affective preference for him at all, because we are both members of the one body. We need a lot more of that.
CatholicVote
Church in Ireland reports ‘small but steady’ growth in seminarians
By McKenna Snow, September 26, 2025
The Catholic Church in Ireland is reporting a slight uptick in seminarians as the new seminary formation year begins. There is still an urgent need for efforts to promote priestly vocations, according to a recent statement from the chair of the Bishops’ Council for Vocations. The fact that 13 more men have begun seminary this year “is really heartening,” and they bring the total number of seminarians in Ireland to 77, chair Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan said in a Sept. 25 statement. “We thank God for each of them. In recent years, there has been a small but steady number of men beginning their studies for [the] priesthood for Irish dioceses,” he continued. “While this is encouraging, in no way should this trend make us complacent.” The Church in Ireland needs more priests, he said, and there is a need for continuous efforts in the home and in parishes to promote priestly vocations. These efforts, however, must be carried out in a particular and intentional way, according to the bishop.
CNA, The LOOP, & Pillar Posts for 9/27/25
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — September 27, 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.
Pope Leo chooses theme for 34th World Day of the Sick: ‘The compassion of the Samaritan’ - Sep 27, 2025 - By Victoria Cardiel - The theme is meant to emphasize an essential aspect of love of neighbor, one requiring concrete gestures of closeness while being capable of assuming the fragility and suffering of others.
Pro-life Slovak politician Anna Záborská leaves cross-party legacy - Sep 27, 2025 - By Bohumil Petrík - Anna Záborská, 77, built a career spanning both Slovak and European Parliaments while championing traditional family values, religious freedom, and the rights of the unborn. She died on Aug. 20.
King Charles and Camilla to make state visit to Vatican in late October - Sep 26, 2025 - By Edward Pentin - The palace also said the visit would “celebrate the ecumenical work by the Church of England and the Catholic Church, reflecting the jubilee year’s theme of walking together as ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’”
CatholicVote: Daily LOOP
Daily news and political impact stories at the LOOP
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news, which 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.” Today’s Monday topics from the LOOP include:
NETANYAHU’S UN SPEECH DELIVERED LIVE INTO GAZA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday to demand the release of hostages, declare Israel would not accept a Palestinian state, and reject accusations of genocide in Gaza. He said the speech was carried into Gaza by loudspeakers and pushed onto residents’ cellphones.
WEIGEL: WHAT MIGHT ST AUGUSTINE SAY ABOUT CARDINAL CUPICH? -Catholic author George Weigel invoked Saint Augustine’s fiery warnings to negligent shepherds in blasting Cardinal Blase Cupich’s honoring of pro-abortion Sen. Dick Durbin and Cardinal Stephen Chow’s praise of Beijing’s religious policy.
MEET THE INDIAN SAINT NAMED PATRON OF THE COUNTRY’S LAITY - Saint Lazarus Devasahayam, an 18th-century convert to Catholicism and the first layman from India to be canonized, will be officially recognized as the patron saint of lay Catholics in the country.
The Pillar
Ed Condon’s Pillar Post for Friday, 9/26/25
The Pillar offers a daily news summary, their capsule take on the Catholic News. Here’s Ed Condon’s analysis of the news from yesterday’s Pillar Post:
Bishops in the United States have continued to criticize publicly the decision by Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich to honor a committed pro-abortion politician with a lifetime achievement award. Cupich has defended the decision to honor the politician — a choice which seems at odds with clear USCCB policy on the subject — as a kind of “dialogue.”
Armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have committed a string of deadly attacks against civilians, including Catholics, in recent weeks. The list of attacks, and of the dead, is long — and growing.
The 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon seemed destined for disaster. First, the COVID pandemic delayed it from 2022 to 2023. The invasion of Ukraine created economic uncertainty across Europe. The number of pilgrims far exceeded expectations. They not only covered their expenses but generated a profit of 35 million euros.
Nutshell reflections for 9/27/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - September 27, 2025
Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
First Things
Faith returns to the public square
By R. R. Reno, September 27, 2025
Pastors, pundits, and politicians gathered in Phoenix last Sunday to remember Charlie Kirk. Seventy thousand people filled every seat of State Farm Stadium. Thousands more overflowed into the streets nearby. It was described as one of the largest memorial services for a private citizen. But it was much more than that. The nearly five-hour-long service marked a milestone in America’s journey into the twenty-first century. As someone who lived through the later decades of the 20th century, the most shocking element was the frank, heartfelt, and powerful Christian witness expressed many times from the podium. In a certain way, that witness made sense. Charlie Kirk was a firmly convinced Christian who often talked about his faith at public events. It is to be expected that his friends—his colleagues at Turning Point and his pastor—would highlight Christ’s presence in his life.
The Catholic Thing
Rich, young saints for our time
By Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, September 27, 2025
How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! Is that true? Jesus said it (Mark 10:23) to His Apostles after the encounter with the rich young man, so it must be true. Christians are inclined to think that Jesus did not really mean it. Or that it is not really true, and that Jesus was employing the hyperbole (“cut it off”, “pluck it out”) that marked Biblical preaching. If it were true, and Jesus really meant it, it would follow that vast numbers of materially prosperous parishioners will not be counted when the saints go marching in. However, two of that number, their relics marching through St. Peter’s Square a few weeks ago, were rich. It must have struck Pope Leo XIV that both St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis were from rich families, since he held up in his homily other rich young men from history, too. He started with perhaps the wealthiest man in the history of Israel, King Solomon.
Bishop Barron
We need the light, however painful it is
By Bishop Robert Barron, September 27, 2025
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus predicts his being handed over to men—that is, his Crucifixion. We are meant to see on that cross our own ugliness. What brings Jesus to the cross? Stupidity, anger, mistrust, institutional injustice, betrayal, denial, unspeakable cruelty, fear. St. Peter puts it with disquieting laconicism: The Author of life came and you killed him. In the light of the cross, all of the vermin are revealed. This is why we speak of the cross as God’s judgment on the world. Dante and every other spiritual master know that the only way up is down. When we live unaware of our sins, we will never make spiritual progress. We need the light, however painful it is. Then we can begin to rise. Once Dante makes it all the way to the center of hell, he suddenly finds himself climbing out. On the cross of Jesus, we meet our own sin. But we also meet the divine mercy, which has taken that sin upon himself in order to swallow it up.
Exaudi
Has routine extinguished the flame?
By Laetare Analysis, September 26, 2025
Over time, it’s common for couples to fall into a rut, where daily responsibilities and a lack of excitement can diminish passion. However, there are practical and effective strategies to keep the spark alive in your relationship. Monotony can be the enemy of passion. Active listening and expressing feelings without judgment strengthen the emotional connection. Foreplay isn’t just limited to sex; it’s a way to reconnect emotionally. Taking time for caresses, kisses, and affectionate words outside the bedroom can increase intimacy and desire. Creating rituals, such as a weekly phone-free walk or a monthly date to explore something new together, can strengthen your relationship. Respecting differences and supporting individual interests contribute to a balanced and healthy relationship. Mutual trust and respect are essential to keeping the passion alive.
Image of Pecans by tseiu from Pixabay
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