Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 12/11/25
Topics include: Pro-life advocates and the FDA; Pope criticizes US; Indian Church supports 30% legal seats for women; & Rome and the US Church
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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
Pro-life advocates say FDA delayed abortion pill safety review
By Kate Cavanaugh, December 10, 2025
Pro-life advocates are calling for action as top federal health officials deny reports that they are delaying a promised safety review of the abortion pill. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “has delayed a promised review of safety data” until after midterm elections at Commissioner Marty Makary’s request, a Tuesday report by Bloomberg Law claimed, citing unnamed sources. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has denied the claim, saying it is “baseless.” “Assertions that the FDA is slow walking this review for political purposes are baseless,” an HHS spokesperson told CNA. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri — an outspoken advocate for reviewing abortion pill safety regulations — called the FDA’s actions “unacceptable.” “It is unclear whether you are conducting an independent safety review at all,” Hawley said in the Dec. 10 letter. “I cannot emphasize enough the danger of playing politics with women’s health.”
Crux
Pope criticizes US bid to ‘break apart’ US-Europe alliance
By Nicole Winfield, AP, December 10, 2025
Pope Leo XIV insisted Tuesday that Europe must have a role in any Ukraine peace deal and criticized what he said was the Trump administration’s effort to “break apart” the long-standing U.S.-European alliance. Leo spoke to reporters after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is on another tour to rally European support for Kyiv. Seeking a peace agreement without including Europe in the talks is unrealistic, given the war is in Europe,” he said. “Guarantees are also being sought for security today and in the future. Europe must be part of this, and unfortunately, not everyone understands this, but I think there is a great opportunity for European leaders to unite and seek a solution together.”
Related: Pope Leo encourages conservative politicians to defend Christian heritage, CatholicVote, CV News Feed on December 10, 2025
UCA News
Indian Church supports allocating seats for women on legal bodies
By UCA News reporter, December 11, 2025
Church leaders in India have welcomed a Supreme Court order to reserve 30% of seats on state bar councils for women, calling the directive a significant step toward gender equality in the legal profession. In a ruling issued on Dec. 8, the Supreme Court said the measure aims to enhance women’s representation in bar council governing bodies, where they remain largely absent. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, said that where elected representation fails to meet the 30% threshold, councils must fill 20% of the quota through elections and the remaining 10 percent through co-option of qualified candidates. “This is a wonderful order. It shows the positive changes happening in our society,” said Father Robinson Rodrigues, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Council of India (CBCI).
Zenit
‘Holy See will not be a silent bystander to grave disparities’
By ZENIT Staff, December 6, 2025
On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV received 13 new ambassadors accredited to the Holy See from their respective countries. The audience took place in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. The ambassadors were from Uzbekistan, Moldova, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Liberia, Thailand, Lesotho, South Africa, Fiji, Micronesia, Latvia, and Finland. “I wish to reaffirm that the Holy See will not be a silent bystander to the grave disparities, injustices, and fundamental human rights violations in our human and global community, which is increasingly more fractured and conflict-prone. Indeed, the Holy See’s diplomacy, shaped by the values of the Gospel, is consistently directed toward serving the good of humanity, especially by appealing to consciences and by remaining attentive to the voices of those who are poor, in vulnerable situations or pushed to the margins of society.”
CatholicVote
‘Non-binary’ teacher refuses to teach conservative boy
By Hannah Hiester, December 10, 2025
A Washington teacher who identifies as “non-binary” is reportedly objecting to teaching the 10-year-old child of a school board director who has supported protecting girls’ sports from “transgender” participation and is citing personal safety concerns as the reason for the refusal to have the student in class. In a Substack article, Alesha Perkins, a writer who focuses on public education, reported that TJ Thornton reportedly went to the principal of a school in the Tumwater School District earlier this year and raised concerns over Director Casey Taylor’s son being present in the class. The reluctance to teach Taylor’s son appeared to stem from a February school board resolution stating that only genuine females should play on girls’ sports teams — a motion that Taylor had voted for. Taylor reportedly filed a new formal complaint Nov. 30 with the school district’s human resources department and the district superintendent, alleging discrimination and retaliation.
National Catholic Register
Rome and the Church in the United States
By George Weigel, December 10, 2025
Roman authorities have often had difficulties grasping the distinctive character and achievements of the Church in the U.S. Yet few Churches of the size and significance of American Catholicism have been as doggedly loyal (and generous) to “Rome.” That is not a brag; it is a historical and empirical fact. In recent years, the notion that the U.S. bishops are a divided and contentious bunch has spread throughout the world Church, to the point where I’ve been asked by senior churchmen from Africa and Asia, “Isn’t it true that the U.S. bishops are deeply divided?” How did this canard spread? It has been spread through the Anglosphere by the London-based Tablet, the Francophone Catholic world by La Croix International, both absorbed by the fictitious (and in some cases malicious) storyline from the National Catholic Reporter and from Commonweal’s Massimo Faggioli. Fairy tales that the U.S. bishops intensely disliked Pope Francis, and are joined at the hip to the Republican Party. The truth of the matter is quite the opposite.
The Pillar
Signs of a confession revival in France
By Luke Coppen, December 10, 2025
A survey conducted by the Ifop polling firm for Bayard-La Croix concludes that 50% of the country’s weekly Massgoers attend confession (the Sacrament of Reconciliation). Those who go to Mass less than once a month but are still engaged with the faith, 7% attend confession, compared with 12% among those who attend Mass mainly on special occasions. Anecdotal evidence suggested confession was “making a comeback” among French Catholics. Canon Jean-Marc Pimpaneau, pastor of the Church of Saint-Louis d’Antin in Paris, said he was convinced more Catholics were attending confession. “It’s in the air,” he said. “The return of traditional practices, prayer vigils, pilgrimages... and a certain awareness of sin.” The results of the Ifop poll appear to challenge the widespread perception that confession is in terminal decline among Catholics in Western nations. France has also seen a rapid rise in adult baptisms, particularly among young people, a boom in Bible sales, and record-high participation in annual pilgrimages.
Aleteia
There is a ‘mini-Lent’ before Christmas
By Philip Kosloski, December 10, 2025
In general, Advent does not have the same penitential fervor as Lent, but the Roman Catholic Church did commemorate an ancient discipline of fasting in the days immediately before Christmas. This tradition of fasting was a pared-down version of what many Eastern Christians continue to observe to the present day. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Ember Days were established “to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy.” During Advent, these Ember Days focus our attention on the coming of the Messiah. While no longer a part of the general calendar, many Christians today try to observe these final days of Advent as best they can, preparing their hearts for the arrival of Jesus on Christmas Day, giving Christians a last spiritual boost before Christmas aimed at turning their hearts to God.
CatholicVote, CNA & ChurchPOP for 12/11/25
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.”
DOJ SUES LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOLS OVER LGBT RULE - The Justice Department this week launched a lawsuit against the Loudoun County School Board in Virginia, accusing the district of violating the constitutional rights of two Christian high school boys who were suspended after objecting to a female student using the boys’ locker room. The lawsuit goes after a pro-LGBT rule the district adopted, which allows students to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their so-called “gender identity” rather than their true sex.
PROVIDENCE & EDUCATION FROM NEBRASKA TO ROME - A flight cancellation in the Holy Land gave Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, the opportunity to go to Rome in November during the Jubilee of Education — and to shake hands with Pope Leo. Bishop Conley, a longtime promoter of classical education, recently reflected on the whole experience in a column for his diocesan website.
PARISH WITH ANTI-ICE NATIVITY REJECTS ARCHDIOCESAN REBUKE - Bucking an official denunciation from the Archdiocese of Boston, Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, has issued a statement defending its controversial Nativity scene in which the Holy Family is replaced by a sign reading “ICE WAS HERE.” The parish’s statement claims the nativity scene is “a prophetic reflection that challenges the faithful to find new paths to bring the Good News announced that first Christmas to all of God’s people.”
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — December 11, 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.
U.S. House passes defense bill stripped of IVF provision - Dec 10, 2025 - By Madalaine Elhabbal - Pro-life groups cheered the provision’s removal from the bill to “ensure that fertility-related care for a member of the uniformed services on active duty (or a dependent of such a member) shall be covered under TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select.” Tricare does not cover IVF.
Venezuelan authorities prevent Cardinal Porras from traveling, cancel passport - Dec 10, 2025 - By Andrés Henríquez - On Dec. 10, Venezuelan immigration police confiscated and invalidated the passport of Cardinal Baltazar Porras, the archbishop emeritus of Caracas.
Federal U.S. Department of Homeland Security cuts off aid to Texas Catholic Charities - Dec 10, 2025 - By Tessa Gervasini - The migrant shelter is run by Sister Norma Pimentel, known popularly as “the immigrants’ nun.” Pimentel and the center offer immigrants awaiting court hearings shelter and food before they travel to meet relatives in other cities and states.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - December 11, 2025
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
If 2025 Had a Catholic Soundtrack: 10 Unforgettable Songs and Sounds - Here’s the totally unofficial, absolutely joyful playlist of the moments that made the Church in 2025 sing, cry, and hit “share.”
When Juan Diego’s Marian Visions Converted 10 Million Souls: The Story of the Saint of Guadalupe - “10 million conversions in 10 years. The largest mass conversion in all of human history.”
Why So Few Nuns? Sister Miriam Exposes the Possible Cause Behind the Vocation Collapse - Is there a definitive reason for the collapse in religious vocations? Sister Miriam Heidland, SOLT, explains what she believes is the potential cause.
Nutshell reflections for 12/11/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - December 11, 2025
Thursday of the Second Week of Advent
Church Life Journal
An Advent Pater Noster (Our Father)
By Leonie Caldecott, November 11, 2023
I am approaching the part of my life when the past and the future collide in a keening east wind. How did I lose so much time? How much time is left to me? As the dark hours of the darkest days unfold, I struggle to hold my mind in a place of light. I struggle to pray. I can see that there is color in the world, still. But a cataract is slowly spreading across my right eye, a slow dimming to match the tinnitus. Wars and rumors of war. All I hear is the impersonal whine of weaponized humanity. The faces of my grandchildren, my daughters, the pleasure of spinning words. Through these, I know the “unfelt joy” that Saint Therese of Lisieux spoke about with her sister Celine, at a time when their father was losing his mind. Pope Leo, on his way back from Lebanon, suggested the journalists read Brother Lawrence. What would the world be like if everyone actually practiced the Presence of God? Presence, not presents. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Catholic Culture
Is Vatican ‘satisfied’ with China’s contempt for diplomatic accord?
By Phil Lawler, December 9, 2025
From China comes the report—not by some extremist group but by AsiaNews service, run by the Pontifical Mission Society—that “Bishop Zhang Weizhu [who, as a leader of the “underground” Church, was not recognized by Beijing] is still under strict surveillance, deprived of freedom; his family cannot even see him or receive a sign of his safety...” Bishop Zhang was not present at his successor’s ordination, nor was his name mentioned during the ceremony, when other Chinese prelates were given public acknowledgment. According to AsiaNews sources—priests active in the “underground” Church—the bishop was prevented from attending. Yet according to the government-backed Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the former bishop gave a speech. AsiaNews informants scoff: “It is highly unlikely that Bishop Zhang is the author of those words.” The Vatican continues to assure us that the agreement with Beijing—which for some reason must be kept secret—is working well. The available evidence overwhelmingly suggests otherwise.
Crisis Magazine
The lost boys and the failure of our institutions
By Scott Ventureyra, December 11, 2025
Modern Western culture speaks often of inclusion, compassion, and solidarity, yet there is one group it feels remarkably free to shame and ignore: its own sons. Teenage boys and young men in the West have been told for years that they are a problem to be solved rather than a people to be formed. Schools, universities, HR departments, the media, political institutions, and even some of the Church treat them as bearers of inherited guilt, beneficiaries of privilege they cannot see, and potential threats merely because they exist as white, straight, able-bodied, Christian (even if nominally) males, all the worse if they are Catholics. The absence of fathers and mentors has only exacerbated the situation. The Church’s silence in assisting them has been deafening. One wonders what kind of culture acts shocked when young men and teenage boys who are continuously labeled as “toxic” begin to rebel.
Wild at Heart
The breath of God creates, and recreates us
By John Eldredge, December 11, 2025
Then the Lord God fashioned the human, humus from the soil, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living creature – Genesis 2:7 (John Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary). The Breath of God, the Breath of Life. This is how we came to be, how life was imparted to us by our Creator—he gave us his own breath. This essential relationship between Creator and created, the gift of breath given and received, is repeated throughout the Scriptures. When the tragic human story plunged all humanity into death, God had a plan for our re-creation. He showed his friend Ezekiel, prophet and mystic, a vision about the coming re-creation of humankind, the new life that God would impart to those who come to Christ, who are indeed born again. The breath of God creates us, and it re-creates us.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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