Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 11/20/25
Topics include: Microsoft will not discriminate; Britain’s clergy coming from Anglicanism; Pessimism rising in cities; & Teachers need to ‘instill the very desire to think’
“The greatest thing since peanut butter & jelly”
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
Microsoft says it will not discriminate against religious groups
By Amira Abuzeid, November 20, 2025
After investor pushback, Microsoft has signed a statement agreeing not to discriminate against religious or conservative nonprofit groups seeking a discount the tech giant offers to other nonprofits. The company also said it would remove a categorical ban on pregnancy centers. On Oct. 10, Microsoft and Boyer Research, a group of shareholders represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian legal group, signed the agreement. News of the agreement was published on Nov. 14. The shareholders had planned to put forth a proposal at Microsoft's annual meeting on Dec. 5, asking the company for a report on its discounting practices, according to Bloomberg News. The shareholders agreed not to move forward with the proposal after Microsoft signed the agreement, which stated that nonprofits no longer needed to affirm a nondiscrimination attestation.
Crux
1/3 of Britain’s clergy, 1992-2024, came from Anglicanism
By Christopher R. Altieri, November 20, 2025
A new report launched Thursday in London, for the first time, outlines the scope and scale of former Anglicans contributing to the pastoral and sacramental life of the Catholic Church. 700 former clergy and religious of the Church of England, Church in Wales, or Episcopal Church of Scotland have been received into the Catholic Church since 1992, a number that includes 16 former Anglican bishops and two bishops from the breakaway Continuing Anglican movement (as of December 2024), while nearly 500 formerly Anglican clerics have received Holy Orders in the Catholic Church between 1992 to 2024 (5 Permanent Deacons, 486 priests). The number jumps to 35% in England and Wales when combined with men ordained for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham (created after Pope Benedict XVI’s 2009 Apostolic Constitution, Anglicanorum coetibus, for Anglicans seeking full communion with Rome).
UCA News
Eviction-facing Indian Catholics on edge over land in court battle
By UCA News reporter, November 19, 2025
600 families, mostly Catholics, in a coastal village in southern India’s Kerala state, are on edge after a Muslim group challenged a high court order that could have helped the villagers establish legal right to their land. Residents of Munambam village, mostly Latin-rite Catholics along with some Hindu families, have been contesting eviction efforts by the Kerala Waqf Board for three years. The board claims most of the village land is “waqf,” a term in Islamic Sharia law that denotes the permanent submission of a person’s wealth or property for charity that cannot be gifted, inherited, or otherwise alienated. Villagers say the land was not listed as waqf property when they purchased individual plots between 1988 and 1993, but was arbitrarily designated as waqf land by a government-appointed panel in 2008.
National Catholic Reporter
Subtle differences in faith at Catholic & non-Catholic campuses
By Patricia Zapor, November 20, 2025
Students at Catholic higher institutions place more of an emphasis on church activities — including going to Mass, receiving sacraments, participating in community service and following the church on social media — than students at non-Catholic colleges and universities, according to a new survey. A survey conducted for the National Catholic Reporter and the Wittcoff Foundation also said that a majority of U.S. Catholic college and university students are engaged with their Catholic beliefs and identity, with 8 in 10 Catholic students indicating they are currently involved with the church. In the overall group, 65% said they are very or somewhat familiar with Catholic social teaching and social justice. In comparison, 87% of those at Catholic institutions and 59% at non-Catholic schools answered yes.
CatholicVote
Pessimism rising in cities, optimism surging in rural areas
By Hannah Hiester, November 19, 2025
Rural, Trump-voting communities show strong and growing optimism about both the short- and long-term future of the U.S., the American Communities Project found. Urban areas and communities that voted for Harris report rising pessimism, though their shifts are smaller. Hispanics break from political/geographic trends: despite voting for Trump in 2024, they show the largest shift toward pessimism. Big optimism gains appear in farmlands, Native American communities, evangelical hubs, and rural America. Concerns like immigration, inflation, and climate change may drive pessimism in other groups. Hispanic communities, however, stand out as the only category that does not align itself with the political trends that other voters and geographical areas demonstrate. Hispanics voted for Trump by 10% in 2024, according to the report, but their views on America’s short and long-term future appear to have soured since he took office.
National Catholic Register
Experts warn big tech fuels global human trafficking
By Jonah McKeown, November 19, 2025
A Nov. 14 panel discussion at The Catholic University of America focused on how “Big Tech” — from social media to artificial intelligence (AI) — is facilitating the exploitation of people globally through business models that prioritize engagement and profit over user safety. AI is enabling new and escalating forms of forced labor — from psychologically damaging AI data-labeling farms where workers toil under poor conditions training machine learning models, to massive online scam compounds in Southeast Asia that generate tens of billions of dollars annually by forcing victims to defraud others. Burgeoning technologies such as AI chatbots and virtual reality present serious new challenges in the quest to keep young people safe online — all within an environment where Big Tech has the means to resist almost all forms of government regulation.
The Pillar
Survey finds Australian clergy flourishing
By Luke Coppen, November 18, 2025
The 150-page Australian report, “Thriving (and Surviving) in Ministry,” released Nov. 18, found that most priests and deacons had a positive sense of wellbeing, but also suggested ways the Church could further enhance their welfare. The vast majority of clergy (95%) said they appreciated the value of their work. Most (73%) felt they received adequate support from others, while a slightly lower proportion (64%) believed they were appropriately provided for financially. The results echo studies of priests recently published in France and the U.S., which also found high levels of happiness and personal flourishing. Of the clergy surveyed, 53% were born in Australia, 13% in India, 6% in the Philippines, and 4% in Vietnam. A large proportion of clergy also described as “good” or “extremely good” their relationship with God (79%) and ability to make time for prayer (63%). A minority (39%) reported having a spiritual director currently, while 53% reported having one in the past.
Aleteia
College kids cheer when priest invites them to Mass
By Theresa Civantos Barber, November 20, 2025
The New York Times isn’t usually the place we go to find feel-good stories about our Catholic faith. But a recent article was so incredibly heartwarming. What makes Notre Dame students go wild during home games? Father Pete’s call to Mass explores the warm affection between Rev. Peter M. McCormick, C.S.C., and the student body — an affection so great that the college kids cheer wildly when he appears on the Jumbotron, inviting everyone in the stadium to Mass after the game. The article reported McCormick saying, “Students on this campus are the greatest gift that I’ve ever received in my vocation, period, hard stop. And so I will spend the rest of my life trying to repay that great debt.” Perhaps part of the enthusiasm is not only for this beloved priest but also the growing love for the Catholic faith itself. Catholicism is enjoying a resurgence among Gen Z right now, and no doubt that includes students at Notre Dame.
CatholicVote, CNA & ChurchPOP for 11/20/25
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.”
ABP. GOMEZ PROPOSES A WAY FORWARD ON IMMIGRATION - Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles wrote that while he joins his fellow bishops in decrying the mistreatment of immigrants, he believes politicians, business leaders, and activist groups have long exploited the border issue for their own advantage by allowing a broken immigration system to continue. Under the Trump administration, the “border has been secured,” Archbishop Gomez wrote, allowing leaders to pursue a better way forward.
ALL FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS MUST REAPPLY FOR BENEFITS - The Trump administration is requiring all food stamp recipients to reapply for benefits as part of its effort to curb fraud. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that the requirement is meant to ensure aid only goes to those who “are vulnerable and... can’t survive without it.”
47% OF AMERICANS WORRY ABOUT PAYING FOR HEALTHCARE - Nearly half of Americans (47%) fear they won’t be able to afford needed health care in the next year, according to a recent West Health and Gallup report. Gallup reported that concern levels are the highest recorded since the group began tracking the issue in 2021, underscoring “widespread and worsening problems” across the country.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — November 20, 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.
Scorsese’s ‘The Saints’ spotlights extraordinary Catholic men and women - Nov 20, 2025 - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - The second season of Martin Scorsese’s docudrama series “The Saints” premiered on Fox Nation on Nov. 16.
Faith leaders file suit to distribute Communion at ICE facility - Nov 19, 2025 - By Steven Harras - Catholic faith leaders filed suit to gain access to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Illinois where clergy.
Pope Leo appoints Nigerian priest assessor for general affairs of the Secretariat of State - Nov 19, 2025 - By Kristina Millare - Father Anthony Onyemuche Ekpo, 44, succeeds Father Roberto Campisi, who was appointed permanent observer of the Holy See to UNESCO.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - November 20, 2025
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
Brazil’s Miss Universe Honors Virgin Mary in 2025 Costume Competition: ‘I Love You, My Mother!’ - Miss Universe Brazil 2025 Maria Gabriela Lacerda said that making this tribute to Our Lady and her Catholic faith “is the greatest accomplishment.”
From Harvard Atheist to Possible Saint: The Story of Ruth Pakaluk, Pro-Lifer & Mother of 7 - The Vatican has declared that the canonization cause of Ruth Pakaluk, a former atheist-turned-Catholic pro-life activist, can move forward. A mother of seven children, when her cancer returned and spread to her bones and liver, Ruth faced the suffering with supernatural serenity.
K-Pop? K-Drama? Now There’s K-Faith! Korean Seminarian Weaves Catholicism Into K-Culture - “K-culture is not contrary to God or our faith,” said seminarian Brother Andrew Sanggu Kang, age 29. During this year’s Jubilee of Youth, he was thrilled to meet fellow young Catholics from around the world. He was especially touched to witness more than 1,000 Korean pilgrims making their presence felt in Rome’s historic streets.
Nutshell reflections for 11/20/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - November 20, 2025
Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Church Life Journal
Suburbanization and the plight of black Catholics
By Stephen Koeth, November 20, 2023
Irish, Polish, or Italian Catholics in urban ethnic enclaves came increasingly to see themselves as Catholics. Parishes established to serve European immigrants shed their ethnic affiliations, and the names of new suburban parishes, the feasts and rituals they observed, and the lay associations that animated them were no longer defined by ethnicity. Because of suburbia’s deep racial segregation, newly suburbanized Catholics also increasingly identified themselves as white. Loyal support of the nation during wartime and suburban homeownership in the postwar period bestowed upon Italian Catholics in particular the status of white Americans. Despite the best efforts of Church leaders and lay activists to support civil rights and parish integration, others sought to maintain residential segregation and defined the boundaries of their parish through racial exclusivity. Suburbia’s comparatively small community of Black Catholics demanded that their Church live up to its teachings on race and racism, and address their unique needs.
Imaginative Conservative
Teachers must now ‘instill the very desire to think’
By Mike Schramm, November 19, 2025
In Pope Leo’s document on education and teaching, Drawing New Maps of Hope (2.2), a mere eight pages with footnotes, Leo seeks to pack tightly the Church’s expansive tradition in the field of education while moving it forward. The line that begins this reflection encapsulates both the ancient wisdom of the practice of teaching itself, plus the modern challenge for the teacher and the Church at large. While there is no shortage of information, all claiming to be the truth, and no shortage of instruction for the modern teacher on how to communicate this truth effectively to students, the desire itself in those very students to learn will commonly be seen as the most pervasive problem in school today. Teachers are well past the cliche of teaching students “not what to think, but how to think” and now must instill the very desire to think.
Crisis Magazine
American Christianity has not been hijacked by Nazis
By John Mac Ghlionn, November 20, 2025
Russell Moore’s latest panic about the “Nazification” of American Christianity is a sermon in search of a swastika. His argument—that scattered online trolls and a handful of fringe youth groups somehow signal the rise of a Fourth Reich in the pews—is comical. America’s churches aren’t breeding grounds for fascism. In truth, they’re barely holding on to parishioners. Carlson’s decision to speak with Nick Fuentes, a 27-year-old provocateur who thrives on outrage and retweets, wasn’t an endorsement but an acknowledgment of a reality. Fuentes is one of the most influential figures for young American men—an audience increasingly disconnected from faith, politics, and traditional media. To ignore it would have been a dereliction of journalism. Moore, however, treated the exchange as proof of an impending Christian Reich. What he offers as evidence amounts to suspicion, sarcasm, and his own anxiety dressed as insight.
Wild at Heart
Life is a series of dramatic scenes
By John Eldredge, November 20, 2025
Life is not a list of propositions; it is a series of dramatic scenes. As Eugene Peterson said, “We live in narrative, we live in story. Existence has a story shape to it. We have a beginning and an end, we have a plot, we have characters.” Story is the language of the heart. Our souls speak not in the naked facts of mathematics or the abstract propositions of systematic theology; they speak the images and emotions of story. Contrast your enthusiasm for studying a textbook with the offer to go to a movie, read a novel, or listen to the stories of someone else’s life. Elie Wiesel suggests that “God created man because he loves stories.” So if we’re going to find the answer to the riddle of the earth — and of our own existence — we’ll find it in story. The Enlightenment dismissed the idea that there is an Author but tried to hang on to the idea that we could still have a Larger Story, but our heart is made to live in a Larger Story.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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