Catholic Nutshell News: Thanksgiving 11/27/25
Topics include: Persecution of Turkish Christians; 24 Nigerian schoolgirls rescued; Indian court order brings relief to Catholics; & Vietnam’s ‘City of Tombs’
“Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow.” (Beecher)
Today's sources include Aleteia, CNA, National Catholic Register, The Pillar, CatholicVote, John Eldredge, and ChurchPOP. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Catholic News Agency
Persecution of Turkish Christians ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit
By Tyler Arnold, November 26, 2025
A Christian advocacy group’s report details “legal, institutional, and social hostility” toward Turkish Christians as Pope Leo XIV begins his six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon on Thursday. The report from The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), titled “The Persecution of Christians in Turkey,” explores government interference against clergy and Christian entities, restrictions on foreign Christians who visit the country, and widespread social animosity toward the faithful, which sometimes includes direct violence. “Communities that were once integral to the cultural, religious, and historical fabric of Anatolia have been reduced to a fragile remnant,” the authors state. “Their disappearance is not the product of a single event but the cumulative result of restrictive legislation, administrative obstruction, property confiscations, denial of legal personality, and — more recently — arbitrary expulsions of clergy, missionaries, and converts.”
Crux
24 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted from Catholic school rescued
By Tunde Omolehin, Ope Adetayo, AP, November 26, 2025
All 24 schoolgirls held by assailants following a mass abduction last week from a school in northwestern Nigeria have been rescued, the country’s president announced Tuesday. A total of 25 girls were abducted on Nov. 17 from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi state’s Maga town, but one of them was able to escape the same day, the school’s principal said. The remaining 24 were all rescued, according to a statement from President Bola Tinubu, though no details were released about the rescue. The attack in Kebbi was among a spate of recent mass abductions in Nigeria, including a raid on Friday on the Saint Mary’s School in north-central Niger state in which more than 300 students and staff from the Catholic school were abducted. Fifty students escaped over the weekend. Musa Rabi Magaji, the principal of the predominantly Muslim school in Kebbi, had no immediate details about their condition.
UCA News
Indian court order brings relief to eviction-facing Catholic villagers
By UCA News reporter, November 27, 2025
The top court in India’s southern Kerala state has directed revenue officials to resume accepting land tax payments from more than 600 families, mostly Catholics, after nearly four years of halted tax collections amid a dispute over ownership claims by a Muslim charitable body. The directive follows an Oct. 10 ruling by a division bench that dismissed the claims of Kerala Waqf Board, the body that manages lands donated for Muslim charitable activities, over large portions of the village land. “This court order is a major turning point in our fight for justice,” said Father Antony Xavier, parish priest of Valankanny Matha Church, which stands on the disputed land. Many of the affected families — mostly Catholics but also including Hindus — have been on an indefinite hunger strike for more than 400 days demanding restoration of their land and revenue rights.
National Catholic Reporter
Faith, family, and fortune in Vietnam’s ‘City of Tombs’
By Joachim Pham, November 27, 2025
Along a stretch of white coastal dunes outside the former imperial city of Hue, rows of ornate mausoleums rise against the horizon, their colorful facades glinting under the central Vietnamese sun. Locals call this 25-hectare burial ground with nearly 400 temple-like tombs the “City of Tombs.” About 35 km southeast of Hue lies An Bang Cemetery, where families — many with relatives in Canada and the United States — have transformed ancestral resting places. Temple-like structures range from modest 30-square-meter plots to sprawling 400-square-meter complexes, costing from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars. Many are funded by Vietnamese immigrants who resettled in North America after the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Many feature Catholic imagery — crosses, statues of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, angels, and saints — while others incorporate motifs from Buddhism, Taoism, and even Islamic or Tibetan traditions.
CatholicVote
Franciscan hospital fires two who turned away pregnant woman
By Mary Rose, November 26, 2025
Franciscan Health in Crown Point, Indiana, has fired a doctor and a nurse who discharged a pregnant woman in active labor, forcing her to deliver her baby in her family truck just eight minutes later. Mercedes Wells, a 38-year-old mother from Dolton, Illinois, arrived at the hospital with her husband, Leon, just after midnight on Nov. 16, believing she was ready to welcome her fourth child. According to Wells, she knew something was wrong when she went to the hospital to give birth, and they did not put her in a labor and delivery room. For nearly six hours, staff monitored her, but she says her pain grew stronger and contractions moved closer together. According to the Chicago Tribune, a nurse then told her she was “not far enough along,” citing orders from a doctor the couple never saw. After the videos became public, Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady issued a public apology, acknowledging the “difficult to watch” video.
National Catholic Register
Maronite Bishop calls for Christian unity, East & West
By Bishop Gregory Mansour, November 26, 2025
“If Nicaea united the Church in confessing Christ’s full divinity, later councils would see Christians estranged from one another — often not because they denied the Nicene faith, but because they expressed it differently, or because politics and empire placed insurmountable obstacles in their path,” wrote Bishop Gregory Mansour leads the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, New York, one of the two Maronite eparchies (dioceses) in the U.S. The Maronite Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the pope in Rome. The Church’s approximately 3.5 million members worldwide are primarily concentrated in Lebanon. Bishop Gregory Mansour leads the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, New York, one of the two Maronite eparchies (dioceses) in the U.S. “By the middle of the fifth century, virtually all non-Greek and non-Latin speaking Christians stood outside communion with the imperial Church. This was a catastrophic rupture in ecclesial life.”
The Pillar
Pope Leo reverses Francis reform in Roman diocese
By Edgar Beltrán, November 26, 2025
In a significant course adjustment for the Vicariate of Rome, Pope Leo XIV announced the reversal of a diocesan reorganization approved by Francis just one year later. Pope Leo’s motu proprio Immota manet orders that five prefectures – groups of parishes – in the Diocese of Rome be united — again — as the central sector of the diocese, which Francis had abolished in Oct. 2024 after a public divide between the priests of the sector and their vicar. The Diocese of Rome has historically been divided into five zones: north, south, east, west, and historic center, until Francis abolished the historic center zone last year. The move was received with dismay by sectors of the Roman clergy. The priests of the historic center only learned of the decision to abolish the sector at a meeting a few days before it was made public. Pope Leo wrote, “Today, it makes no sense to multiply affiliations to subcultures that, instead of strengthening diocesan unity, often foster conflict ... there can be no fiefdoms in the ecclesial division of territories.”
Aleteia
Little-known history of Catholic Native Americans
By Theresa Civantos Barber, November 27, 2025
We’ll celebrate 250 years of the United States this coming July, but not many people know that the Catholic faith was here hundreds of years before that. “The evangelization of Native Americans in the United States began in the 1500s — by the Spanish in the southwest, and by the French in the northeast,” said Father Maurice Sands, Executive Director of the Black and Indian Mission Office (BIMO). Tisquantum — often called Squanto — went down in history as the hero who saved the pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving. But one part of his story is rarely mentioned. This kindhearted man was actually Catholic, having been baptized while living with Franciscan monks in Spain — the same monks who freed him from his enslavers. BIMO just released two new original documentaries: Walking the Sacred Path: The Story of the Black and Indian Mission Office; and Trailblazers of Faith: The Legacy of African American Catholics. The documentaries will be available to watch on CatholicTV (no subscription required) and FORMED (subscription required).
CatholicVote, CNA & ChurchPOP for 11/27/25
CatholicVote - The 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.”
TRUMP LAUNCHES GOVERNMENT-WIDE AI EFFORT - President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Nov. 24 launching the “Genesis Mission,” a national initiative that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate scientific research and give the U.S. a competitive edge in specific fields of technology.
FOREIGN-BORN PRIESTS STILL IN LIMBO AS VISAS EXPIRE - Foreign-born Catholic priests serving parishes across western Kentucky are facing an increasingly uncertain future as their visas expire — caught between the Trump administration’s 2025 immigration crackdown and a stalled green-card pipeline that threatens parish life in both rural and immigrant-rich communities.
TRUTH VIDEO WITH CATHOLIC SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, CLARENCE THOMAS“ - I admit to being unapologetically Catholic, unapologetically patriotic.” — Justice Clarence Thomas WATCH & SHARE
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — November 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 activities of the Holy See, available to anyone with internet access.
Pope Leo praises ‘wonderful adventure’ of parenthood despite hardships - Nov 26, 2025 - By Victoria Cardiel - Pope Leo XIV praised “the wonderful adventure” of becoming parents that many families are choosing to embark on today, despite a time marked by economic and social difficulties.
9 historic religious sites Pope Leo XIV will visit in Turkey, Lebanon - Nov 26, 2025 - By Kristina Millare - Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon holds both spiritual and historical significance for the Catholic Church.
Catholic Charities gives Thanksgiving meals, winter coats to people in need - Nov 26, 2025 - By Tyler Arnold - Numerous Catholic Charities affiliates held events to provide food or resources to the needy during the Thanksgiving season.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - November 27, 2025
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
Why the Eucharist is the Ultimate Thanksgiving (Literally!) - The Greek word for Eucharist, εὐχαριστία, means “thanksgiving.”
‘The Magnificent Mischief of Tad Lincoln’: The Merciful Story Behind the First Turkey Pardon - In one of his latest books, EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo captures the story of Abe Lincoln’s merciful heart through his love for his son, Tad Lincoln.
How Our Lady Gave Us The Miraculous Medal: The Supernatural Vision of Saint Catherine Labouré - “Have a medal struck according to this model; all those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around their necks.”
Nutshell reflections for 11/27/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - November 27, 2025
Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time-Thanksgiving
Church Life Journal
Systemic racism and its legacy in urban Catholic life
By Tia Noelle Pratt, November 26, 2023
Systemic racism is woven into the fabric of almost all of society’s institutions, like individual strands of hair woven into a thick braid. The Catholic Church is not exempt. Systemic racism, while related, operates independently from the person-to-person racism that receives the lion’s share of attention in society. To contextualize later chapters on St. Peter Claver, Philadelphia’s first parish for Black Catholics, liturgy as a form of identity work, and how Black Catholics experience race and space within the church, we must delineate the sociological nuances of the long-standing oppression of African Americans in the Catholic Church and recognize racism’s impact on our liturgical expression, the closing of churches, and parish reorganizations. To fully understand the African American Catholic experience, including our long history within the church, we must realize, sociologically, the role the U.S. Catholic Church has played in systemic racism against African Americans, from its institutions to its parishes and its scholarship.
Imaginative Conservative
William F. Buckley Jr. at 100
By Daniel J. Flynn, November 23, 2025
In finding hundreds of William F. Buckley’s letters and memos in a warehouse during research for The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer, and reading thousands more in Yale’s Sterling Library and other archives, the aspect of his personality that surprised most pertained to his capacity to morph into Bill “the Brawler” Buckley when the situation called for it. Yes, Buckley spoke in a transatlantic accent of sorts and deployed “eristic,” “lapidary,” and other $2 words one encounters, if at all, on the SAT. But the gentleman could become a tough guy. And given his patrician demeanor, his roughness necessarily grabbed its recipients by the lapels in a way that the aggression of those who rely on it as their default mode simply cannot. This side of Buckley came out, tellingly, not with employees or servants but when dealing with some of the most formidable men of the 20th Century, when they came after underlings or abused his generosity.
Crisis Magazine
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny are leaving for France
By FSSPX News, November 24, 2025
The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny, established in Fribourg, Switzerland, in 1912, is closing its doors. The Fribourg community now numbers only three octogenarian nuns who will be moving to houses in France by the end of September. The buildings, purchased by the Diocese of Lausanne-Geneva-Fribourg in 2017, will be preserved. Founded in France in 1807 by Blessed Anne-Marie Javouhey, the Sisters arrived in Fribourg in 1912, working as nurses at a clinic. They later established a residence for female students and a boarding school for girls. Concerns are unfortunately shared throughout Switzerland, reflecting the inexorable decline in vocations observed since Vatican II. “In the last twenty years, some twenty congregations have disappeared, and among the 44 communities still present in the canton of Fribourg, others could follow,” Swiss Radio and Television (RTS) points out. “Most now consist of only a handful of religious brothers or sisters, the majority of whom are very elderly.”
Wild at Heart
Life is a series of dress rehearsals
By John Eldredge, November 27, 2025
“Life,” as a popular saying goes, “is not a dress rehearsal. Live it to the fullest.” What a setup for a loss of heart. No one gets all he desires; no one even comes close. If this is it, we are lost. But what if life is a dress rehearsal? What if the real production is about to begin? That is precisely what Jesus says; he tells us that we are being shaped, prepared, and groomed for a part in the grand drama that is coming. All the rest was rehearsal — not for just a few shining moments, but for an eternity of joy. Realizing this is immensely freeing. How many of your plans take an unending future into account? “Let’s see, I’m going to be alive forevermore, so ... if I don’t get this done now, I’ll get to it later.” This is so important, for no human life reaches its potential here.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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