Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 1/22/26
Topics include: Church’s ministry to migrants, refugees; Anti-ICE agitators disrupt service; Persian Gulf just got its first basilica; & Trump invites Pope Leo to Gaza Board
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Today's sources include Aleteia, EWTN News, 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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OSV News
New project for Church’s ministry to migrants, refugees
By Kate Scanlon, January 21, 2026
A group including Catholic organizations announced Jan. 21 a new partnership — The Catholic Immigrant Prophetic Action Project — that aims to assist the Catholic Church in the U.S. in organizing a robust response on behalf of migrants and refugees in the country, including those with legal status, who are affected by mass deportation efforts. The project — a partnership between the Hope Border Institute, a group that works to apply the perspective of Catholic social teaching in policy and practice to the U.S.-Mexico border region, and the Center for Migration Studies of New York — aims to assist the Catholic Church in the U.S. in offering a robust response on behalf of migrants and refugees through research, communications and other support. A statement said the project, “showed the unity of the bishops on the dignity, God-given, of every human person, and our almost unanimous desire to take that public. We oppose indiscriminate mass deportation, as the bishops are united in our statement.”
Related: Catholics Express Mixed Views On First Year of Trump’s Second Term, Trump secured his electoral victory in 2024 with the help of Catholics, who supported him by a double-digit margin, Tyler Arnold/CNA, January 20, 2026
CatholicVote
Minnesota Church speaks about anti-ICE agitators disrupt service
By Grace Porto, January 21, 2026
Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, issued a statement Jan. 20 responding to anti-ICE agitators who the church said “jarringly disrupted” its Sunday service on Jan. 18. The church said in a statement on X that invading a church during an act of worship is both unlawful and un-biblical. “[The protestors] accosted members of our congregation, frightened children, and created a scene marked by intimidation and threat,” it stated. “Such conduct is shameful, unlawful, and will not be tolerated.” The protestors entered the church, chanting and disrupting prayer. They alleged that one of the pastors of the church had ties to ICE, and former CNN anchor Don Lemon livestreamed the event. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into the protest and placed Lemon “on notice.” Cities Church said they welcome respectful dialogue about current issues and difficulties, and how Christ provides the ultimate answers to the problems of the world.
Crux
Former priest is convicted of raping a 3-year-old in Brazil
By Eduardo Campos Lima, January 21, 2026
A former priest, who was accused of sexual abuse by dozens of women in Brazil, was sentenced last week to 24 years and nine months in prison for raping a three-year-old child in 2016. The court also ruled that Bernardino Batista dos Santos, 78, will have to compensate the victim – who was not identified, given that the case is being handled under seal – at 30,000 Brazilian reais (about US$ 5,580). The crime occurred during a visit to a country property that was owned by the former priest in the city of Tiros, Minas Gerais State. The girl told her mother what happened and a number of witnesses confirmed that they could hear the victim crying. Mother and daughter currently live outside Brazil. They were reluctant to file a complaint against the priest, but did so after they were informed of another abuse case involving a young child.
UCA News
Bishop slams ‘excessive’ military presence in Indonesia’s Papua
By Jacobus E. Lato, January 20, 2026
Church leaders in Indonesia’s Christian-majority Papua have criticized the ‘excessive military’ presence in the region, calling it a flawed state policy to counter insurgency in the conflict-scarred easternmost territory. Such a security system “intrudes into people’s personal matters, [and] could be subtly killing the community,” Bishop Bernardus Bofitwos Baru lamented. The Augustinian Bishop of Timika said that the military presence has instilled fear and insecurity in the local community, whose life and activities are disrupted at regular intervals. According to government data, approximately 12,300 military personnel are stationed in Papua, the Indonesian part of Papua New Guinea, which is now divided into six provinces. A Catholic priest and activist serving Bilogai and Sugapa in Central Papua, who did not want to be named, fearing repercussions, said the military occupied a Catholic school compound last September. It has disrupted the learning environment. “The community is now in trauma. From there, the soldiers spread out to the surrounding villages. And to this day, they have not returned to their posts.”
Aleteia
The Persian Gulf just got its first basilica
By Tim Daniels, January 13, 2025
The Arabian Peninsula finally has a basilica, months after Pope Leo XIV announced that Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi, Kuwait, would be given the status. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, traveled to Kuwait a week ago, to officially confer the status of "minor basilica" on the church in a Mass on Friday, January 16. Kuwait is a small country along the Persian Gulf, and borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The vast majority of Kuwaitis are Muslim, and Islam is the country’s official state religion. While Kuwait’s native Christian population is about 300, there are a significant number of non-citizen Christians who live in Kuwait. Those non-citizen Christians were the ones who, in 1948, built what would become the Basilica of Our Lady of America. The then-chapel was constructed by people who had moved to Kuwait to work in the oil industry.
CatholicVote
Trump invites Pope Leo to Gaza Board of Peace
By Mary Rose, January 21, 2026
Pope Leo has been invited to join the Board of Peace established by President Donald Trump to oversee the second phase of his Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, a Vatican official confirmed Jan. 21. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, announced the invitation while speaking with reporters in Rome, saying the Pope has not yet decided how to respond, according to The European Conservative. “I believe it is a question that requires some time for reflection before giving a response.” The Trump administration said the Board of Peace will provide strategic oversight for postwar governance, security, and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. Pope Leo has repeatedly expressed concern over the Gaza conflict since his election, focusing on Palestinian humanitarian suffering and urging peace. While the Holy See participates in international bodies like the United Nations, the Pope himself does not personally serve on these bodies.
National Catholic Register
There is not one set of moral principles for wartime
By John Clark, January 22, 2026
The foundational and objective point of ethics: the intentional taking of innocent life is gravely wrong. It is true that innocent people can perish in the course of fighting just wars, but even within a just war, the intentional taking of an innocent person is a grave matter. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chosen, in part, because they had sizeable civilian populations. We live in an age of consequentialism — the position that the end justifies the means. Consequentialism exists in a uniquely hubristic enclave of nihilism. That is, it not only repudiates the foundational principle of human ethics (the intentional taking of an innocent life is always wrong), but it also pridefully asserts with insistent certainty. Dr. Steven L. Danver assembled a three-volume encyclopedia titled Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History. Danver illustrates that Americans — from Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 to modern immigration protests — have rarely been shy about protesting or even rioting over what they perceived as governmental malfeasance.
EWTN News
Health spending bill would keep ban on tax-funded abortion
By Tyler Arnold, January 21, 2026
A federal health spending bill would impose a long-enforced ban on using taxpayer funds for elective abortion, known as the Hyde Amendment. The U.S. House is set to consider the bill this week, which would fund the departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. Lawmakers would need to pass spending bills in both chambers and send them to the White House by Jan. 30 or the government could face another partial shutdown. President Donald Trump had asked his party to be “flexible” in its approach to the provision in a separate funding bill. According to a Jan. 19 news release from the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee, the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill includes the provision “protecting the lives of unborn children” known as the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment, which is not permanent law, was first included as a rider in federal spending bills in 1976.
Related: EWTN launches unified Catholic news brand: CNA and ACI Group become EWTN News, By Daniel Payne January 16, 2026
Catholic Daily, EWTN & ChurchPOP for 1/22/26
Catholic Daily
Messages of faith and hope throughout the world - January 22, 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.
Thousands Expected at San Francisco’s Walk for Life West Coast - January 22, 2026 - The Walk for Life West Coast is in its 22nd year and previously has drawn crowds as large as 50,000. Major features of the Jan. 24 event include a rally.
First meeting with Pope Leo XIV marks new chapter for Church in Africa - January 22, 2026 - By Jude Atemanke Jan 22, 2026 / 08:00 am The president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has described the first official audience between Pope
Top Islamist leader promises Christians no Sharia ahead of Bangladesh election - January 22, 2026 - By Sumon Corraya Jan 22, 2026 / 07:00 am As Bangladesh heads toward a crucial general election on Feb. 12, the country’s largest Islamist party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has offered an unusual assurance to religious minorities, pledging that it would not impose Islamic Sharia law if it comes to power.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — January 22, 2026
Formerly called Catholic News Agency, EWTN 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.
Fact check: Are there more Gen Z Catholics than Protestants? - Jan 14, 2026 - By Eduardo Berdejo - There are likely still more Protestant young adults than Catholics, although available quantitative and anecdotal data on the question is not decisive. The Religion and Public Life research team at Pew Research Center told EWTN News that Pew surveys “find that among the youngest adults in the U.S., there are more Protestants than Catholics.”
Nigerian government urged to secure release of 167 worshippers abducted from churches - By Jude Atemanke - January 21, 2026 - A U.K.-based human rights group has called on Nigerian authorities to “secure the release” of 167 worshippers reportedly abducted during coordinated attacks on three churches.
New York backs off trying to force religious groups to pay for abortion after Supreme Court order - By Daniel Payne - The concession came months after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the state court of appeals to review the long-running case in light of a major religious liberty victory at the high court in June 2025.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - January 22, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
Choir of Young Adults With Down Syndrome to Sing National Anthem at March for Life in D.C. - Have you heard of this young adult choir? They’re singing at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. this year!
Indiana & Miami Football Stars Drop to Their Knees in Prayer Before CFP Championship - In a video with more than five million views, college football stars Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck drop to their knees in prayer on the field before the game.
The Forgotten Faith of Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Preacher Who Put Christianity First - “Before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the Gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains my greatest commitment.”
Nutshell reflections for 1/22/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection - VIDEO - January 22, 2026
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Church Life Journal
Myth, reason, and the search for the good life
By James Ungureanu, January 22, 2026
Human beings live by stories. This is the oldest human truth, yet the one modern culture most quickly forgets. This is not a poetic metaphor but an anthropological fact. Long before the rise of modern philosophy or scientific rationalism, cultures understood that narrative is the architecture of consciousness—that stories give form to desire, identity, and moral imagination. Even today, in an age saturated with data and algorithms, we remain, as cognitive scientist Justin Barrett (author of Science, Religion, and the Protestant Tradition: Retracing the Origins of Conflict) argues, “born believers,” naturally attuned to agents, teleology, and purpose. We are not “blank slates.” Our minds instinctively detect agency in the world, seek patterns and purposes in nature, and imagine powers beyond the visible. Barrett’s point is not that children are born Christians, Muslims, or Buddhists. Rather, we are born with a god-shaped receptivity—a conceptual longing for agency, purpose, and teleology that culture later fills with particular forms.
The Pillar
Bishops may reshape ‘Faithful Citizenship’ around Trump II
By Ed. Condon and JD Flynn, January 21, 2026
Three U.S. cardinals drew attention this week when they issued a statement highly critical of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, especially the president’s overtures toward acquiring Greenland. And while they came shortly after the USCCB’s current president praised a congenial meeting with President Donald Trump last week, they signify growing impatience among the American episcopate with the presidential administration, and — by extension — the Republican party. After several decades in which the U.S. bishops’ conference has been perceived to be broadly aligned with the Republican Party, a growing consensus about a shift seems to be underway. That all comes as the U.S. bishops are, in principle, committed to revising their guide for Catholics in the voting booth. And a growing impatience with the Republican party could lead a very different iteration of their customary guidance on public life.
LifeSite
Homosexual atheist Yuval Harari says AI will ‘take over religion’
By Doug Mainwaring, January 21, 2026
Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari couched a chilling prediction within a warning at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland: Artificial Intelligence (AI) will soon control not only most of the world’s legal, education, and healthcare systems. “AI will take over religion… This is particularly true of religions based on books, like Islam, Christianity, and Judaism,” the homosexual atheist claimed. “Anything made of words will be taken over by AI,” said Harari, so, “What happens to a religion of the book when the greatest expert on the holy book is an AI?” Harari said there are three important things to know about AI: First, it is not a “tool” but an “agent.” It can learn and change by itself and make decisions by itself. Second, AI “can be a very creative agent.” Third, and most alarmingly, he warned, “AI can lie and manipulate.” “Four billion years of evolution have demonstrated that anything that wants to survive learns to lie and manipulate,” he noted.
Wild at Heart
We were meant to be the kings and queens of the earth
By John Eldredge, January 22, 2026
Some people love what they do. They are the fortunate souls who have found a way to link what they are truly gifted at (and therefore what brings them joy) with a way to pay the bills. But most of the world merely toils to survive, and no one gets to use their gifts all the time. On top of that, there is the curse of thorns and thistles, the futility that tinges all human efforts at the moment. As a result, we've come to think of work as a result of the Fall. You can see our cynicism in our choice of the cartoon character Dilbert as the icon of our working days. His is a hopeless life of futility and anonymity in the bowels of some large corporation. We don't even know what he does-only that it's meaningless. We identify with him, feeling at some deep level the apparent futility of our lives. Even if we are loved, it is not enough. We yearn to be fruitful, to do something of meaning and value that flows naturally out of the gifts and capacities of our own souls. But of course — we were meant to be the kings and queens of the earth.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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Really useful curation. The breadth here saves a ton of time - getting updates from OSV, CatholicVote, Aleteia, and The Pillar all in one spot is efficent. The piece on Yuval Harari's AI comments was especially timely given how fast things are accelerating. I dunno if most readers realize how much labor goes into compiling digestts like this daily.