Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 5/28/26
What Catholics should know: Leo XIV receives Spain’s atheist president; Priest says big tech is open to Vatican on AI; Excommunication of SSPX laity; & Political & social issues from the pulpit
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Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources include Aleteia, EWTN News, National Catholic Register, The Pillar, Zeale News, 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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Zenit
Leo XIV receives Spain’s atheist president amid a political crisis
By Valentina di Giorgio, May 27, 2026
As Spain enters one of its most politically charged moments in recent years, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived at the Vatican. He came amid judicial controversy at home, growing political pressure, and only days before Pope Leo XIV began what is expected to become a closely watched apostolic journey across Spain. The approximately 45-minute private audience between Sánchez and the Pope unfolded against a turbulent domestic backdrop. On the same day, the Spanish political debate was dominated by developments involving investigations into the Socialist Party and the legal scrutiny of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Yet inside the Apostolic Palace, the conversation appears to have moved onto different terrain: peace, migration, international law, and the relationship between public institutions and civil society.
Religion News Service
Amid protests at Delaney Hall, a Catholic nun’s ‘radical hospitality’
By Fiona Murphy, May 27, 2026
For five days, Delaney Hall, an immigrant detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, has been in the news for large and loud protests over conditions inside the facility. After some 300 detainees began a hunger and labor strike over what they said were inhumane conditions, the protests have grown to include members of Congress, such as Sen. Andy Kim and Rep. Robert Menendez, both Democrats from New Jersey. But for the last year, one woman, Sister Susan Francois, has overseen a “Radical Hospitality” tent outside Delaney Hall, bearing witness and ministering to families and friends visiting detainees. She started coming in May 2025, when there was a major protest over conditions in front of Delaney Hall, and a New Jersey gubernatorial candidate and a member of Congress were arrested. Soon after, Francois started visiting about twice a week and documenting her work on TikTok, hoping to inspire other people to take action and spread hope.
Crux
Silicon Valley priest says big tech is open to Vatican on AI
By Elise Ann Allen, May 27, 2026
A pastor serving in the heart of Silicon Valley has said the Vatican’s efforts to build bridges with major tech giants, while slow-going, are not being ignored, and sees this engagement as key to the future of the artificial intelligence industry. Following the May 25 presentation of Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas on humanity in the era of AI, Father Brendan McGuire said major tech organizations are heeding Vatican warnings in AI, particularly the need to proceed with caution. “I have met with them consistently over many years, and then intensely over this last year, and I will tell you I have seen men and women — and not just Anthropic, of other companies, of AI companies — of genuine goodwill who are trying to do the right thing,” he said. Many involved in developing AI technologies, “see something in what they’re developing that is concerning them. Maybe even frightening them. Maybe even making them in awe because of something brilliant that you have discovered.”
The Pillar
What about the potential excommunication of SSPX laity?
By JD Flynn, May 27, 2026
The most likely scenario for the Switzerland-based Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) over the course of the summer is that its bishops will do what its superior general, Fr. Davide Pagliarani, has said they will do — consecrate bishops despite a papal admonition against the plan. The result will be that the consecrated and consecrators will incur the canonical penalty of excommunication, which Leo has indicated that the Vatican is likely to formally declare — a rare step for the Vatican, but one intended to convey the seriousness of the SSPX’s disobedience, and to call its leadership to return to communion with the successor of St. Peter. In recent weeks, Vatican doctrinal prefect Cardinal Victor Fernandez has suggested the possibility that ordinary priests and even laity could incur and see declared the excommunication likely to be incurred by SSPX leadership. The prospect of declaring that penalty for laity seems unlikely.
Aleteia
Firefighter finds faith thanks to man he saved
By Anna Ashkova, May 28, 2025
In Lourdes, 532 military personnel received the sacrament of confirmation on Saturday, May 23, during the 66th International Military Pilgrimage (PMI). Among them was Florian, a Paris firefighter. He came to receive the sacrament accompanied by his sponsor, Grégoire. Florian resuscitated Grégoire in the nick of time in 2023 at the Luxembourg Gardens. He had been strolling through the park with his family and friends when he came upon the emergency in progress. “I saved his life, but Grégoire saved me spiritually. In a way, we saved each other.” Three years later, sitting in the Basilica of Saint Pius X in Lourdes, surrounded by thousands of French military personnel attending the pilgrimage, Florian still finds it hard to grasp how far he has come. Two years earlier, this 39-year-old firefighter crossed paths with 43-year-old Grégoire under tragic circumstances. Today, the man he brought back to life is his confirmation sponsor.
National Catholic Register
Churchgoers do hear political & social issues from the pulpit
By Tessa Gervasini/EWTN News, May 27, 2026
A Pew Research Center report found that most Americans who regularly attend religious services hear about political or social issues from their clergy. The May 27 report, “What Political Issues Do Americans Hear About in Church?” found that two-thirds of U.S. adults who regularly attend religious services have heard their clergy speak about at least one political or social issue in the past few months. The data were based on Catholic, white evangelical Protestant, white non-evangelical Protestant, and Black Protestant U.S. adults who reported attending religious services at least once or twice a month. There were not enough respondents from other religious groups, such as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, or Hindus, who regularly attend religious services. Of the topics Pew asked about, abortion was the most commonly cited issue with 35% reporting they have heard about it in the past few months.
Zeale News
Archaeologists in Turkey find preserved traces of early Christianity
By McKenna Snow, May 27, 2026
Archeologists have discovered the “best-preserved early image of Christ,” ancient Christian messages, and at least a dozen ancient churches in Turkey in recent years, offering a more robust image of the early Church, the Independent reported May 26. A 2025 excavation in Iznik, which is in western Turkey, revealed an image on the wall of an underground family tomb that depicts Christ carrying a sheep while surrounded by several sheep. According to correspondent and historian David Keys, the image, which dates between the early and mid-third century, “is among the five oldest proper images of Christ, as an adult, ever found anywhere in the world.” The image remains of such high quality because the sealed tomb kept oxygen at bay, preventing the paint from deteriorating, Keys explained. “The newly discovered painting gives historians a detailed understanding of how early Christians perceived Jesus — beardless, short-cropped hair and dressed in posh upper-class Roman clothes,” he writes.
EWTN News
Commission set to tackle $290 million debt at Padre Pio’s hospital
By Andrea Gagliarducci, May 27, 2026
Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday created a commission to identify solutions for long-term sustainability at the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, a major hospital complex founded by St. Pio of Pietrelcina and directly overseen by the Vatican Secretariat of State. The Catholic hospital — which is located in the southern Italian region of Puglia — is facing a debt crisis from which “we will emerge together,” Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said during a May 5 visit to the facility. The hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, where the saint known as Padre Pio lived for most of his life, has debts estimated to run between 250 million and 300 million euros ($290 million to $350 million). The hospital is currently in a dispute with officials from the Puglia region over reimbursements — the regional authority claims it is owed 32 million euros ($37 million) — and is also involved in a conflict over new labor contracts.
Keep informed - 5/28/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from OSV, EWTN News, & ChurchPOP
OSV News
OSV’s seasoned reporters - May 28, 2026
OSV News — information service and evangelization partner that enables dioceses to connect and boost engagement with the faithful by sharing timely, trustworthy, and accurate content about what is happening in the Church and the world.
Facing soaring fuel and fertilizer prices, Catholic farmers lean on faith - by Kimberley Heatherington - May 27, 2026 - Farming is a precarious vocation. It’s dangerous work, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration; it’s economically volatile due to high production costs and market price fluctuations; and there are climate risks from droughts, floods, and pests.
Why Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a Catholic journey - by Leonard J. DeLorenzo - May 27, 2026 - J.R.R. Tolkien was a serious Catholic; one might assume that religion would be evident in his literary masterpiece. Yet, there is no religion in “The Lord of the Rings,” as Tolkien himself confessed to a (priest-)friend in a letter from 1953. “For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.”
Catholicism in the Lower South: Thriving communities built on French and Spanish foundations - by Father Anthony D. Andreassi - May 5, 2026 - In a continuing series on the origins of Catholicism in the 50 states, the story now turns to the lower South and the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. What began as a fragile missionary presence with the Spanish and French would only gradually develop into a more established Church.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — May 28, 2026
EWTN provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See, and is available to anyone with internet access.
Antoni Gaudí: A model of holiness and dialogue for Spain - By Ishmael Adibuah and Victoria Cardiel - Before Pope Leo’s visit to Barcelona, an architect and a priest discuss Antoni Gaudíʼs holiness and skill, which enabled him to envision Sagrada Família Basilica and transcend deep divisions in Spain.
Cubans are coming to parishes saying they haven’t eaten in days, bishop laments - By Eduardo Berdejo - In a country where deprivation is the norm, the situation is exacerbated by deteriorating infrastructure and the U.S. fuel embargo. People are hungry, and the Church is striving to meet their needs.
Young Catholics drive record crowds for Chartres Pilgrimage in France - By Solène Tadié - Nearly 20,000 people from 22 countries took part in the three-day walk. An internal study of this year's pilgrims examined their faith, practices, and motivations.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - May 28, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
3 Things Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas Is Asking Every Parent to Do Right Now - In his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo XIV turned directly to parents, and what he said is something every family needs to do, including “Don’t Give Your Child a Phone Too Early.”
Dying Woman Has Vision of Jesus After Man Prays One Hail Mary: ‘You Saved My Life’ - “Jesus said, ‘You were going to die, but because of the prayer of this man, you’re going to live.’”
5 Ways to Celebrate America’s 250th Like a Catholic (Beyond Fireworks and BBQ) - Instead of fireworks and barbecues alone, we can thank God for His blessings, ask forgiveness for our sins as a nation, and pray for a future rooted in Christ.
May 28, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic Culture
Atheist comedians: Oh dear …
By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, May 4, 2026
Reality is often a bitter pill to swallow. A good comedian is very intelligent and has a keen sense of irony. Irony requires the ability to contrast the way things are with the way things should be. Religion has similar qualities. Intelligent irony without faith may be amusing, but often cynical, even vicious. Some comedians challenge the existence of God and His benevolence because of the various difficulties they encounter, particularly in the Old Testament. The brilliant and appropriately censored quips of George Carlin are insightful and hilarious. But he hated the Catholic Church, and his comedic attacks are legendary. Although we continue to encounter many mysterious guardrails of the faith, we have many opportunities to deepen our understanding of the human condition beyond the cynicism of atheist comedians. God rescues us from despair. After the Resurrection, it’s hard for comedians to ridicule the tender words of Jesus that forgive sins and promise everlasting life.
National Catholic Register
After Pakistan mob lynching, Christian Family still seeks justice
By Kamran Chaudhry/EWTN News, May 27, 2026
As Pakistan marks Eid al-Adha, the son of a Christian man killed by a mob over blasphemy allegations says his family has received no compensation and no one has been punished. Nearly 2,000 people attacked Gillʼs family in Sargodha, in northern Punjab province, on May 25, 2024, after allegations emerged that his father, Nazir (Lazar) Masih, had desecrated pages of the Quran. EWTN News covered the attack at the time. The mob ransacked the familyʼs home and shoe factory in Mujahid Colony and later set the business on fire after a mosque announcement reportedly amplified the accusations. Police managed to evacuate nine members of the family, but Masih was caught by the crowd and beaten with stones, bricks, and sticks. The 74-year-old succumbed to his injuries on the night of June 2–3, 2024.
Caeli
A delightful option for early childhood learning
By Maria Mellis, May 28, 2026
I was delighted when I was introduced to a new curriculum, written and illustrated by two Catholic moms, for children ages 3-6: “Consider the Wildflowers: Little Lessons in Language, Nature, and Virtue.” I had to share! This curriculum is a beautiful and intuitive guide to introduce order, intentionality, and learning into life with a little one at home while also allowing for flexibility, whimsy, and space to meet the many other demands of your family’s life. “Consider the Wildflowers” can be used as a homeschool guide for preschool and kindergarten, or by moms sending their children to school who want to add a bit of structured learning to the days at home before official schooling begins. The book is structured into 26 week-long units, with material for four days each week. The content for each week revolves around one letter of the alphabet and includes the following components: an animated alphabet character, the letter-of-the-week in traceable and sign language form, a nursery rhyme, a Scripture verse, a virtue of the week with an accompanying virtue story, and more …
Wild at Heart
Missing the most important thing
By John Eldredge, May 28, 2026
We take folks through a discipleship program whereby they master any number of Christian precepts and miss the most important thing of all, the very thing for which we were created: intimacy with God. There are, after all, those troubling words Jesus spoke to those who were doing all the “right” things: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you’” (Matthew 7:23). Knowing God. That’s the point. You might recall the old proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The same holds true here. Teach a man a rule and you help him solve a problem; teach a man to walk with God and you help him solve the rest of his life. Only by walking with God can we hope to find the path that leads to life. That is what it means to be a disciple. After all—aren’t we “followers of Christ”? Then by all means, let’s actually follow him. Not ideas about him. Not just his principles. Him.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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