Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 1/1/26
Topics include: 'Future is in God’s hands'; Suicide bombing in Syria's Christian area; Puerto Rico's unborn children are natural persons; & Decline of the Catholic Church in Germany
“There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” — C.S. Lewis
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
Pope Leo XIV: The future is in God’s hands
By Hannah Brockhaus, December 31, 2025
Pope Leo XIV, at a New Year’s Eve prayer service, reflected on God’s divine plan of salvation for the world — and the hope of ordinary people. “The world moves forward in this way, propelled by the hope of so many simple people — unknown to the world but not to God — who, despite everything, believe in a better tomorrow, because they know that the future is in the hands of the One who offers them the greatest hope,” the pope said in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 31. Leo presided over first vespers (evening prayer) in anticipation of the Jan. 1 solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. In our own time we feel the need for a wise, benevolent, merciful plan — one that is free and liberating, peaceful and faithful, like the plan that the Virgin Mary proclaimed in her canticle of praise: ‘From generation to generation his mercy is upon those who fear him’ (Lk 1:50).”
Crux
Syrian police officer killed in suicide bombing in Christian area
By AP, December January 1, 2026
One Syrian police officer was killed and others wounded in a suicide bombing late Wednesday in the northern city of Aleppo, Syrian state media reported. A patrol of the Internal Security Forces was attempting to detain the bomber in the neighborhood near the Bab al-Faraj archaeological site when he detonated himself, according to state news agency SANA. Aleppo governor Azzam al-Gharib said in a statement that the police patrol was on duty securing the New Year celebrations in the city when they spotted the bomber and chased after him. One of the police officers “managed to physically restrain him” when the man detonated an explosive belt, he said. A little-known group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for an attack last week that killed 18 people. It indicated that it intended to target members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam whom hard-line Islamists consider to be apostates. No group immediately claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s bombing.
UCA News
Puerto Rico: Unborn children are natural persons from conception
By Marietha Góngora V., OSV News, December 31, 2025
On Dec. 21, Puerto Rico’s Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón approved Law 183-2025, which amends the Civil Code of Puerto Rico and recognizes the unborn child or “nasciturus” — a Latin legal term referring to “conceived but not born” -- as a natural person from conception. Father Carlos Pérez Toro, pastor of Santa Rosa de Lima Church in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a civil lawyer graduate of Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law, explained to OSV News the implications of this new law, which marks a milestone in the history of pro-life advocacy in the U.S. territory. Father Pérez Toro served as a legal advisor to the drafting of the new Civil Code of Puerto Rico, which came into force at the end of 2020, and has advised on legislative debates on issues such as the dignity of the human being during pregnancy and religious freedom. A renowned pro-life advocate on the island, he has presented bills to the Senate of Puerto Rico and participated in numerous academic conferences.
Zenit
New data shows the decline of the Catholic Church in Germany
By Joachin Meisner Hertz, December 30, 2025
Across Germany, the removal of sacred space has become an increasingly familiar sign of a deeper ecclesial contraction. During 2025, at least 46 Catholic churches and chapels were formally desacralized, according to figures cited by the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung from the German Bishops’ Conference. Although the total marks a decline from the 66 recorded the previous year, it confirms that the conversion of once-sacred buildings to secular use is no temporary phenomenon, but part of a sustained structural retreat. Church officials acknowledge that the real number may be higher. Not all acts of desacralization are consistently published in diocesan bulletins, the primary source used for nationwide statistics. What is visible, however, is a pattern that mirrors the dramatic erosion of German Catholicism itself. In 2024, only 29 diocesan priests were ordained nationwide, and eleven of the country’s 27 dioceses recorded no ordinations at all. The historical contrast is stark.
CatholicVote
Heisman winner Mendoza brings trophy to Indiana Newman center
By Mary Rose, December 31, 2025
Two weeks after accepting college football’s highest individual honor on stage in New York City, Fernando Mendoza, the school’s star quarterback, arrived at the St. Paul Catholic Center carrying a cardboard box that looked like an ordinary Amazon package. Inside it was the Heisman Trophy. The St. Paul building, which serves as the university’s Newman Center, sustained Mendoza during the season. “He came over and we walked outside,” said Father Patrick Hyde, O.P., the Dominican friar who serves as pastor of St. Paul. “And there, in an Amazon box, there was the Heisman Trophy. It was just so surreal — because it was so normal. Just sharing in the joy and the glory of an accomplishment of one of our people.” Father Hyde said that during the visit, Mendoza said, “This Church and you all are a major reason why this happened.”
Zenit
2026 will be the year of Leo
By Jonathan Liedl, December 31, 2025
ope Leo XIV’s impact on the Church and the world is expected to come into fuller focus in 2026, his first full calendar year as pontiff. Underneath it all lies a current of potential spiritual renewal, headlined by a special consecration of the United States on a pivotal anniversary and the possibility of new American saints, all under the gaze of the first pope to hail from the Land of the Free. For the first several months of his pontificate, Leo followed through on initiatives his predecessor had already begun, from the recent trip to Turkey to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea to the publication of an exhortation on love of the poor, Dilexi Te. But in 2026, it will be all Leo, all the time, as there will be no more inherited events or appointments on the agenda. To mark this transition, the Pope has called an extraordinary consistory of cardinals to meet with him in Rome Jan. 7-8, just after the 2025 Jubilee ends. The purpose won’t be to create new cardinals, but to discuss important issues facing the Church.
The Pillar
Bishop Richard Moth is named the next Archbishop of Westminster
By Luke Coppen, December 19, 2025
At 67, Bishop Richard Moth is the same age as Murphy-O’Connor when he became Archbishop of Westminster. Murphy-O’Connor held the post for nine years, which suggests Moth’s tenure could last around a decade. As Archbishop of Westminster, Moth will be the most prominent Catholic leader in the U.K. and is likely to succeed Nichols as chairman of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Moth’s name began to emerge shortly before the Murphy-O’Connor’s 80th birthday on Nov. 8, likely drawn to the bishop because of his reputation as an efficient manager, extensive ecclesiastical experience, strong U.K. establishment ties, and engagement with social issues. In June 2025, Moth was drawn into a dispute when a politician who voted in favor of an assisted suicide bill said he was barred from Communion by a priest of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. Moth, who strongly opposed the bill, invited the politician to meet with him in person to discuss the situation. The Archdiocese of Westminster is one of England’s smallest dioceses in geographical terms, but has one of the largest Catholic populations.
Related: New archbishop for London’s Catholic archdiocese, Aleteia, by Kathleen N. Hattrup - 12/19/25
Aleteia
Miracle: Baby born after developing outside the uterus
By Christine Rousselle, December 31, 2025
When Suze Lopez went to the doctor back in August, the last thing the 41-year-old woman from Bakersfield, California, thought was pregnancy. She assumed that another ovarian cyst, one doctors had been monitoring for nearly two decades, was the reason why her stomach had swelled and why she was feeling increased pressure in her abdomen. Before she could get a CT scan, Lopez had to take a pregnancy test. There was no baby in her uterus. Instead, doctors found what they thought was impossible: a nearly full-term baby in an amniotic sac located near her liver. The large ovarian cyst, roughly the size of a basketball, had hidden her baby throughout the pregnancy. Dr. John Ozimek, medical director at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, told the Associated Press. "I mean, this is really insane.” Lopez delivered an 8-pound Ryu in a surgery under full anesthesia. She lost "nearly all" of her blood, said the Associated Press, but was able to be saved by blood transfusions.
CatholicVote, CNA & ChurchPOP for 1/1/26
CatholicDaily.com
Messages of faith and hope throughout the world - January 1, 2026
CatholicDaily.com is an online news website that features faith-based news and Catholic inspiration from around the world. Catholic Daily is operated by Queen of Peace Productions, with support from CatholicShop.com.
From Schubert to Staubach: The Hail Mary Through History - National Catholic Register - As the old year gives way to the new, it is timely to recall two important anniversaries of the venerable Marian prayer - the Hail Mary is 2,025 years old, more or less.
Mary Is the Antidote - Crisis Magazine - Amid so much toxicity, we find ourselves in desperate need of an antidote. Today, on this Feast of Mary, Mother of God, I submit that it is she, our Queen, who is the antidote.
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - Catholic News Agency - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Feast date: Jan 01 The title “Mother of God” goes back to the third or fourth century, but the Greek term Theotokos (“The God-bearer”)
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — January 1, 2026
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.
How to obtain a plenary indulgence for the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 - Dec 31, 2025 - By Diego López Marina - The Catholic Church offers special graces at both the close of a year and the beginning of a new year.
Christians in the Middle East in 2025: Signs of hope and the struggle to remain - Dec 31, 2025 - By Souhail Lawand - 2025 was a complex and multifaceted year for Christians across six pivotal Middle Eastern countries. The contours of this reality reveal an uneven trajectory that is nevertheless unified in essence: a steadfast attachment to land and faith amid harsh circumstances and ongoing challenges.
Appeals court allows White House cuts to Planned Parenthood in multiple states - Dec 31, 2025 - By Daniel Payne - A federal appeals court will allow federal funding cuts to Planned Parenthood that provide abortion, permitting a key Trump policy to go forward after a lower court blocked it.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - January 1, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
How the Bible Almost Got ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas ‘ Cancelled - Did you know the Bible almost got “A Charlie Brown Christmas” cancelled?! Linus famously recites Luke 2.8-14, part of the biblical Christmas story. It’s just seven verses. Read by the innocent voice of a real child (rather than an adult voice actor), it’s the highlight of the show for many people.
Thor, Saint Boniface, and the Origin of the Christmas Tree - The Apostle of Germany and his flock gave us what we now know as the Christmas tree. Born around 680 in England, Saint Boniface entered a Benedictine monastery before being commissioned by the pope to evangelize modern-day Germany
The Beautiful Christmas Letter Pope Benedict XVI Wrote to Baby Jesus as a Child - Did you know Pope Benedict XVI wrote a beautiful letter to the Christ Child at seven years of age? “You will bring joy to children. You'll bring joy to me, too. I would like the "Volks-Schott", a green chasuble for mass, and a Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
Nutshell reflections for 1/1/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection - VIDEO - January 1, 2026
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God - The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord
Church Life Journal
Bolesław Chrobry, in 1025: An anniversary celebrated last year
By Paweł Figurski, December 12, 2025
What value does discussing medieval coronations and the traditions of the Polish crown have in the twenty-first century? In common opinion, monarchical theory and the practice of medieval power are far too remote for us to identify with today; too distant to see ourselves reflected in those past centuries as in a mirror, or to seek in the depths of history answers to the problems that trouble people now. The discussion of medieval monarchy is also complicated by the fact that, in popular opinion, especially among those who consider themselves educated, the monarchical system does not conform to criteria now regarded as rational or just. Coronation rites were most often the result of agreements between the candidates and their political backing, composed of the aristocracy and the Church hierarchy. Medieval power bore, at least in the early and high Middle Ages, a sacramental character. The ruler was, in a sense, God’s icon (imago), a sign of faith in the eternal kingship of Christ.
Catholic Culture
Virginity and celibacy in the Holy Family
By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, December 29, 2025
Catholics are accustomed to viewing the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the model for every family. Yet because all three were celibate—understood in a broad and proper sense—this connection requires clarification. Mary was perpetually a virgin. Joseph was her “most chaste spouse.” The celibacy of Jesus was integral to His sacred mission. Far from undermining family life, virginity and celibacy buttress and strengthen every holy family because they signify obedience, unity, and love ordered toward God. The Holy Family reveals that obedience to God, rather than biological generation alone, is the most profound bond of family life. Chastity is the virtue that governs our reproductive urges. Distorted by the sinful inclinations of Original Sin, these urges must be ordered according to one’s state of life. Celibacy is not merely the absence of marriage but a disciplined form of chastity that requires self-mastery and respect for the dignity of self and others.
LifeSite
A truth that will never fail to shock and inspire mankind
By Frank Wright, December 25, 2025
When in Rome, you get used to swanning in and out of impressive doors – such as the Holy Door of the Apostolic Palace – and so I drifted over the threshold with an eye on the signs saying, “No photos.” An attendant shushed us as we shuffled toward the wooden steps, which had been laid over the stone staircase removed from Jerusalem. Christ walked up this staircase to Pontius Pilate. Blood spots revealed by glass portholes show the route he took back down. As you edge closer, something shifts. It is time and the Presence – in the present. Of course, God is always here – everywhere – but it can be quite discomfiting to be suddenly aware of Him. The stage and the scenery vanish in that instant. Here I was following the footsteps of Christ Himself. You go up the Holy Stairs on your knees, which is not only a sign of reverence but the best way to deal with the weight that hits you.
Wild at Heart
We are fooled by the impostors
By John Eldredge, January 1, 2026
Having abandoned desire, we have lost hope. C. S. Lewis summed it up: "We can only hope for what we desire." No desire, no hope. Now, desire doesn't always translate into hope. There are many things I desire that I have little hope for. I desire to have lots more money than I do, but I see little reason to think it will come. But there isn't one thing I hope for that I don't also desire. This is Lewis's point. Bland assurances of the sweet by-and-by don't inflame the soul. Our hopes are deeply tied to our real desires, and so killing desire has meant a hopeless life for too many. It's as if we've already entered Dante's Inferno, where the sign over hell reads, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." The effect has been disastrous, not only for individual Christians, but also for the message of the gospel as a whole. We are unable to distinguish real life from a tempting imitation. We are fooled by the impostors. Eventually, we find some means of procuring a taste of the life we were meant for.
Fireworks Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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