Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 1/8/26
Topics include: Cardinals not to be experts promoting agendas; The anxious diaspora of Venezuela; Indonesia’s first clerical abuse case; & Link between assisted suicide and organ donation
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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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OSV News
Pope to cardinals: You are not experts promoting agendas
By Paulina Guzik, January 8, 2026
Pope Leo XIV gathered cardinals present for the extraordinary consistory this week for an early morning Mass Jan. 8 in St. Peter’s Basilica, telling them they’re together not to promote “agendas,” but to take part in a “discernment” that “comes from the Lord.” Because of time constraints, they were limited to two of the four initially proposed topics, which meant setting aside liturgy — “the source and summit of the Christian life,” in the pontiff’s own words — and governance of the Roman Curia for this meeting. The cardinals chose two themes to discuss during the gathering — the missionary nature of the church based on Pope Francis’ “Evangelii Gaudium,” and synodality as a means of effective collaboration with the pope. “The other themes are not lost,” he said, as reported by Vatican News. “There are very concrete, specific issues that we still need to address.”
Related: Liturgy and the Roman Curia are left out as topics for Leo XIV’s first consistory - Zenit - January 8, 2026, Jorge Enrique Mújica
Crux
An anxious diaspora with Venezuela’s future in flux
By Luis Andres Henao, Giovanna Dell’Orto, AP, January 8, 2026
Faith leaders who minister to Christians in Venezuela and the Venezuelan diaspora in the United States are urging prayers for peace as they attend to congregations roiled by uncertainty and high emotions following the U.S. capture of deposed leader Nicolás Maduro. In Venezuela, initial statements from the Catholic bishops’ conference and the Evangelical Council of Venezuela were cautious, appealing for calm and patience, while many pastors in the diaspora welcomed Maduro’s ouster. The Catholic archbishop of Miami, who ministers to the largest Venezuelan community in the U.S., said there is an anxiousness about what is next, but he believes the church has a key role to play in helping the Catholic-majority country move forward. About 8 million people have fled Venezuela since 2014, settling first in neighboring countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Some have mixed feelings, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said. People are happy because Maduro is out, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty,” Wenski said.
UCA News
Indonesia’s first clerical abuse case forces hierarchy to act
By UCA News reporter, January 8, 2026
Indonesia’s first sexual assault case involving a Catholic priest continues to test the hierarchy’s ability to bridge the gap between the Vatican’s “zero tolerance” policy and its on-the-ground implementation. The case began to be discussed in the media in November, forcing the Catholic University of Saint Paul Ruteng on Flores Island to dismiss 63-year-old Father Ignasius Loy Semana from his teaching position. The dismissal comes eight months after a 21-year-old female student, whose name could not be revealed because of legal reasons, accused him of sexually assaulting her in his room. It assumes prominence as Indonesia’s first publicly reported case of sexual assault allegation against a Catholic priest, where the woman accused him of hugging, kissing, and groping her against her will. The woman said she sensed no movement on her case until late November, when she “let the local media report” the incident.
Zenit
Austria opens new path to the priesthood for midlife professionals
By Joachin Meisner Hertz, January 7, 2025
The Austrian Conference of Seminary Rectors has unveiled a significant reconfiguration of priestly formation for men who discern a vocation later in life, introducing a model that departs sharply from the traditional full-time seminary trajectory. Announced on January 5, the initiative reflects both demographic realities and a strategic effort to address the ongoing shortage of priests by tapping an underexplored segment of the Catholic population. The program, formally titled Zweiten Weg für Spätberufene — the Second Path for Late Vocations — is designed for men who have already established professional and personal lives. Rather than requiring candidates to abandon their careers immediately, the new framework allows theological studies to be pursued flexibly, including through distance learning, while participants continue their regular employment. The emphasis, according to the rectors, is on tailoring formation to the individual candidate rather than applying a uniform model.
CatholicVote
Musk’s Grok AI flooding X with nonconsensual sexualized images
By Mary Rose, January 8, 2026
A disturbing trend has begun to surface on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Users discovered that Grok, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot embedded into the platform, could be prompted to alter real photographs of women — digitally changing their clothing or poses in overtly sexualized ways, without the subject’s knowledge or consent. Elon Musk, who owns both X and xAI, stated that users who prompt Grok to generate illegal content would face the same consequences as those who upload such material directly. However, according to reporting by Rolling Stone and analysis from Copyleaks, problematic image generation continued in the days that followed, often through modified or indirect prompts designed to evade newly introduced safeguards. xAI has since acknowledged “lapses in safeguards” and said it is working to address them.
National Catholic Register
Dangers of linking assisted suicide to organ donation
By Andrew Likoudis, January 6, 2026
The combination of legalized assisted suicide and an acute shortage of transplantable organs could bring enormous pressure to bear on the sick and disabled to end their lives, some ethicists warn. That’s the scenario that’s taking shape in New York, which is set to become the 13th state (along with the District of Columbia) to sanction medically assisted suicide when Gov. Kathy Hochul signs the legislation, as she has promised to do, later this month. The law will take effect six months after it is signed. Adding to the ethical and moral concerns surrounding the law is the fact that New York has one of the longest waitlists for organ transplants in the U.S. — nearly 8,000 people, or 10% of the national total. Some ethicists see the linking of organ donation with assisted suicide and euthanasia — which is becoming more common in Canada and some countries in Europe — as a troubling sign of a utilitarian shift in medicine.
Aleteia
Return of violence to Aleppo
By Daniel Esparza, January 8, 2026
Renewed fighting in Aleppo has once again placed civilians at grave risk, prompting urgent appeals for prayer and international action from local Christian leaders and the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The escalation has forced the cancellation of Christmas and Epiphany celebrations for Aleppo’s Christian communities, underscoring the fragility of daily life in a city long scarred by war. Many Eastern Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. “Schools, universities, and public services are closed. Only hospitals remain functioning, and Christian families are trapped in their houses because they are on the front lines,” an ACN source on the ground said, requesting anonymity for security reasons. In response, the local Church has opened its buildings to families fleeing the violence, while authorities have temporarily opened passages allowing civilians to leave affected areas.
National Catholic Reporter
Greenland priest speaks out as US eyes takeover
By Gina Christian, January 8, 2026
The Trump administration’s stated plans to acquire Greenland for the U.S. — either through purchase from Denmark or by military means — are being met with concern, sometimes fear, and “a quiet strength” by residents, the Arctic island’s only Catholic parish priest told OSV News. “People talk about it in shops, at work, and even after Mass,” said Fr. Tomaž Majcen, a Conventual Franciscan and pastor of Christ the King Church in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. In a Jan. 6 email to OSV News, Majcen said, “Most Greenlanders feel strongly about who they are and about their right to decide their own future.” He added, “The fact that such a large majority does not want to become part of the United States says a lot.” He added, “Above all, we pray for wisdom for leaders, for peace between nations, and for the strength of our community. In tense times like these, the Church’s role as a home for everyone becomes even more important.”
Catholic Daily, CNA & ChurchPOP for 1/8/26
Catholic Daily
Messages of faith and hope throughout the world - January 8, 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.
Spain’s bishops agree to let government ombudsman oversee compensation of sexual abuse victims - Spain’s bishops agreed Thursday to let the Spanish government’s ombudsman have the final say in the church’s compensation of victims of sexual abuse by clergy members who have died or whose possible crimes are too old to be prosecuted - Joseph Wilson & Nicole Winfield, Associated Press
New Orleans archbishop apologizes to abuse survivors as settlement takes effect - The “extensive media outreach” — which includes some two dozen secular outlets in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas — is part of the archdiocese’s “commitment to the nonmonetary provisions laid out in its Chapter 11 settlement plan,” said the press release - by Gina Christian, OSV News
Archdiocese of St. Louis files to dismiss abuse charges, citing state law, case precedent - The Archdiocese of St. Louis filed a Dec. 23 motion seeking to have several counts dismissed in a lawsuit alleging "decades" of sexual abuse against minors by clergy, men and women religious, archdiocesan employees, and other affiliated persons - by Gina Christian, OSV News
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — January 8, 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.
Czech town may build world’s largest 3D-printed church in historic reversal - Jan 8, 2026 - By Bohumil Petrík - The church tower will be constructed using 3D printing technology. Buildings will be energy-efficient and covered with green roofs irrigated by rainwater retention tanks. A park with a pond and a children’s playground nearby is planned, too.
Federal appeals court affirms religious organizations can choose to hire only fellow believers - Jan 7, 2026 - By Daniel Payne - Union Gospel Mission of Yakima, Washington, will be permitted to hire only those employees who share the group’s religious beliefs about marriage and sexuality, according to a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Arizona bill would hit priests with felony if they fail to break confessional seal to report abuse - Jan 7, 2026 - By Daniel Payne - The bill would amend the state code to require priests to report abuse learned during confession if they have “reasonable suspicion to believe that the abuse is ongoing, will continue, or may be a threat to other minors.”
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - January 8, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
When Ronald Reagan’s Catholic Son Michael Revealed His Mother Was a Third Order Dominican - “My mother, Jane, was buried as a Dominican to the Third Order,” he revealed. “A lot of people don’t know that.”
A Carmelite Sister’s Beautiful Message for Every Mom: “Don’t Give Up! Thank You for Your ‘Yes’” - “Please, don’t give up, and thank you for claiming your spiritual motherhood and your authority as a daughter of the King.”
Lightning Illuminates the Sky After Little Girl Wishes God ‘Happy Birthday’ in Viral Video - Many social media users interpreted the moment as a “divine response” to her innocent prayer.
Nutshell reflections for 1/8/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection - VIDEO - January 8, 2026
Thursday after Epiphany
Church Life Journal
Systemic Racism likely the reason for low number of black Catholics
By Tia Noelle Pratt, November 26, 2025
The U.S. Census Bureau, which does not collect data on religion, reports that as of July 2019, there are 43.98 million Blacks in the United States. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University (CARA) states that as of 2020 there were 72.4 million self-identified Catholics in the United States. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, there are 3 million Black Catholics in the United States, including Black Americans whose ties to the United States go back centuries, as well as recent immigrants and their families. The Pew Research Center reports that only 5% of U.S.-born Blacks are Catholic. Given the number of Blacks and the number of Catholics, coupled with the scope and breadth of the U.S. Catholic Church, the number of Black Catholics is disproportionately low. Systemic racism is the reason the numbers do not add up.
The Pillar
Advice for a long, healthy marriage
By JD Flynn, January 6, 2026
Tomorrow, Mrs. Flynn and I celebrate 20 years of married life. Here’s my advice to married people. Everyone has advice about what marriage is supposed to be. Most of it is over-pious, over-spiritualized, over-optimistic bunk. Take your marriage as it comes, take your spouse as she is, and live the life God is calling you to live. I know that Ephesians says not to let the sun set on your anger. If it’s nighttime, though, let it go. Find something fun to do together. Consider that God brought you and your children together for some definitive service toward the Kingdom, and beyond yourselves. Then do it. This is really important. Don’t keep score. Give grace to your spouse. I think often there’s this idea that marriage should compete with the family for time. For us, at least, that’s not helpful at all. We’re parents, together, and we should take that as a gift. Put your phone away. Your phone is just waiting around to kill your marriage and have you all to itself. Mrs. Flynn’s advice? She laughed, and put it simply: Don’t take your husband too seriously.
LifeSite
Trump admin unveils new food pyramid to fight obesity, disease
By LifeSiteNews staff, January 8, 2026
During a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., flanked by other top health officials, including Dr. Mehmet Oz and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, unveiled the new “Eat Real Food” plan. Since being sworn in, Kennedy has taken what amounts to a flamethrower to Big Pharma and Big Agriculture. Thus far, he has taken steps to expose the causes of autism, cracked down on transgender surgeries of children, encouraged studies to show the dangers of chemical abortion pills, called on global health authorities to remove mercury from vaccines, and denounced the CDC for suggesting abortion is a “great” achievement. Kennedy has also taken steps to ensure artificial food dyes are eliminated and that food stamps will not be used on sugary drinks and unhealthy foods.
Wild at Heart
Church is not a building
By John Eldredge, January 8, 2026
Church is not a building. Church is not an event that takes place on Sundays. I know, it's how we think of it. "I go to First Baptist." "We are members of St. Luke's." "Is it time to go to church?" Much to our surprise, that is not how the Bible uses the term. Not at all. When the Scripture talks about church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, and go on quests together. They hang out together in each other's homes. When Peter is sprung from prison, "he went to the house of Mary the mother of John…where many people had gathered and were praying" (Acts 12:12). This is the wisdom of Brother Andrew, who smuggled Bibles into communist countries for decades. It's the model, frankly, of the church in nearly every country but the U.S.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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