Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 6/18/26
What Catholics should know: Decline in support for same-sex marriage; Army operates profitable slot-machine dens; Response to COVID needed for abortion; & OK to pursue seizure of diocesan land
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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
New 2026 Gallup study on decline in support for same-sex marriage
By Jorge Enrique Mújica, June 17, 2026
According to Gallup’s 2026 Values and Beliefs survey, support for legal same-sex marriage remains the majority position in the United States, but it has declined noticeably from its recent peak. Today, 65% of Americans favor legal recognition of same-sex marriage, down from 71% in 2022 and 2023. While still dramatically higher than the 27% recorded in 1996, the trend points to a modest but sustained retreat over the past several years. A similar pattern emerges regarding moral evaluations. Sixty-two percent of Americans now describe same-sex relationships as morally acceptable, the lowest figure recorded since 2016. Even more striking is the shift in gender transition issues. When Gallup first asked Americans about the moral acceptability of changing one’s gender in 2021, 46% considered it acceptable. That figure has now fallen to 38%, while 57% regard it as morally wrong.
Our Sunday Visitor
Small faith community program grows in Virginia
By Kimberley Heatherington, June 17, 2026
Trinity House Community, a Catholic ministry founded and managed by husband-and-wife team Soren and Ever Johnson, brings a taste of “Heaven in your home” through formation and fellowship designed to help parents both live and pass on the faith. “Evangelization begins in the home,” Soren Johnson told OSV News. “We really felt the Lord leading us to invite families into a renewed vision for their marriage and family, their domestic church.” Their inspiration — which followed a seminar in Poland where the couple met, and almost six years of offering the John Paul II Fellowship to young adult Catholics in the Washington area — came from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In 2013, the Johnsons opened the cozy Trinity House Café in Leesburg, Virginia, less than an hour’s drive outside the District of Columbia. But they weren’t done — they next wanted to take the cheerful community of the café beyond its walls. The gatherings include dinner and fellowship, Virtus-trained childcare, a short video explored through small-group discussion, and dessert.
Crux
Vance: ‘A hoax’ that Republicans caused affordability problem
By Ngala Killian Chimtom, June 17, 2026
Vice President JD Vance, appearing Tuesday on ABC’s “The View” to promote his newly released memoir on faith, was put on the spot from the first question, peppered for nearly an hour on Jeffrey Epstein, the economy, immigration and other issues facing the Trump administration. The appearance was notable because it marked a rare foray for a Trump administration official into what they would consider hostile media territory, and it raised eyebrows since the Federal Communications Commission under the Trump administration has launched an investigation into the show over possible violations of the requirement that broadcast stations give equal time to political candidates when they appear on-air. Vance himself acknowledged the uncomfortable terrain, joking with the hosts at the start of the hour: “This is a show of MAGA Republicans, right? That’s what my media team told me.”
The Pillar
The army operates profitable slot-machine dens on U.S. bases
By JD Flynn, June 16, 2026
It’s surprising to learn recently that a small-but-significant player among America’s gambling moguls is the U.S. Department of Defense. The army, it turns out, operates a profitable network of slot-machine dens on U.S. bases abroad around the globe. Those slots can’t be operated on American soil, but the U.S. Army Recreation Machine Program manages almost 2,000 slot machines in 79 foreign locations. The machines brought in more than $70 million in the 2024 fiscal year, according to Wired. The profit is growing, year over year. And much of the proceeds come straight from the pockets of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Few of them, it should be obvious, have a lot of extra cash — most of them are young, deployed to places far from home, earning their very first paychecks, and over-leveraged already on big pickup trucks. Soldiers are adults, that’s true. And if they want to gamble, they will. But the United States government doesn’t have to make it easier for them, or profit from their foolishness.
Aleteia
Irish bishops compare COVID response and abortion
By Joanne McPortland, June 16, 2025
Irish Catholic bishops noted the sixth anniversary of the country’s legalization of abortion with a June 14 statement, “Offering Hope in Crisis,” affirming the dignity of all human life. The bishops noted the coincidence of the legalization vote with the then-current COVID crisis, while reflecting on the very different paths those two events took. The COVID pandemic, the bishops wrote, was both a “horrible” time and a time of growth. The legalization of abortion, by contrast, divided people and left those in crisis pregnancies without support. "Why," the bishops ask, "has this not provoked anything like the same kind of crisis response in the form of solidarity or outreach?" One answer, the bishops suggest, is that crisis pregnancies take place mostly in private. Little has been done to find out why Irish women choose abortion, they said.
National Catholic Register
Leo, unlike Francis, travels to places with a solid Catholic history
By Andrea Gagliarducci, June 18, 2026
Although it may be an exaggeration to say that Leo XIV’s papacy began on the Iberian Peninsula, his recent six-day sojourn in Spain was a clear indicator of the kind of pontificate we can expect from him. Leo’s pontificate will be one that looks to the peripheries of the faith, as he did throughout his own. The difference lies in how we understand these peripheries. During his 12-year reign, Pope Francis carefully avoided countries with the most ancient Christian traditions. He never made an apostolic visit to France, preferring to go to Strasbourg in 2014 without even stopping by the cathedral, which was celebrating its thousandth anniversary, and then making a last-ditch effort to visit Corsica without passing through Paris. Spain, too, had not been a favorite destination for Pope Francis. Leo XIV has turned that on its head. The first countries he has chosen to visit in Europe on his international travels are those with a solid Catholic history.
Zeale News
Cleveland Clinic to halt ‘transgender’ related services for minors
By Elizabeth Ervin, June 17, 2026
The Cleveland Clinic recently agreed to halt “transgender”-related medical procedures for minors under a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Under the settlement, the Ohio-based health system is prohibited from providing patients under the age of 18 with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, surgeries, and other “transgender”-related medical procedures, according to a June 16 article from Breitbart. The agreement also bars Cleveland Clinic from referring minors for such procedures, coordinating the procedures through third parties, or operating facilities that provide them. The restrictions will remain in effect for 20 years. Breitbart reported that the settlement resolves allegations that the Cleveland Clinic submitted false diagnosis codes to Ohio Medicaid for transgender-related services provided to minors. Cleveland Clinic will also pay $308,000 and provide up to $2 million in detransition-related care for individuals who underwent related procedures before age 19.
EWTN News
Federal judge: Government OK to pursue seizure of diocesan land
By Daniel Payne, June 18, 2026
Amid a legal dispute, the federal government will be permitted to post a six-figure deposit as it moves to acquire a large parcel of land from the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, to install fencing and other security measures along the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Gonzales said in a June 15 ruling that the government could deposit the $183,071, which he said would “allow for the safekeeping of funds pending resolution” of the dispute. The order represents a blow to the Las Cruces Diocese, which has since May been fending off the government’s attempt to seize the land by eminent domain. The government wants the land northwest of El Paso, Texas, “to construct, install, operate, and maintain roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors, and related structures designed to help secure the United States/Mexico border within the state of New Mexico.”
Keep informed - 6/18/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from OSV, EWTN News, & ChurchPOP
OSV News
OSV’s seasoned reporters - June 18, 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.
Mother Tallon’s care for under-catechized and lapsed Catholics persists in religious community - by Katie Yoder, June 18, 2026 - Today, Mother Maria Catherine not only serves as general superior of the Parish Visitors, Mother Tallon’s contemplative-missionary congregation of religious sisters, but also as vice postulator of Mother Tallon’s cause for sainthood.
For Father’s Day, many saints who were fathers - June 18, 2026 - St. Joseph rightfully holds pride of place as the most significant fatherly saint in the Church’s canon for his essential role as Jesus’ foster father. While he is the supreme model for Christian fathers, there are many saints who were also fathers from whom men leading families can learn and seek prayerful intercession. Here are seven to get to know better.
‘Faith in action’: Over 5,000 volunteers in San Diego pack 2 million meals for those in need - by Aida Bustos | The Southern Cross, June 17, 2026 - At the inaugural event, volunteers packed 1 million nutritious meals to distribute to impoverished families across the border in Tijuana and in Africa. The deacons held the fifth edition of the Million Meal Event over the June 13-14 weekend.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 18, 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.
Catholic priests in Democratic Republic of Congo decry rising insecurity targeting parishes - By Jude Atemanke - Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo have raised alarm over what they describe as a worsening wave of insecurity targeting ecclesial institutions.
‘Fidelity Month’ event explores what binds Americans together ahead of 250th anniversary - By Madalaine Elhabbal - Fidelity to God, family, and country are the founding principles that bind American society together, according to Princeton University professor Robert P. George.
Fate of St. Teresa of Ávila’s left hand to be determined in the coming months - By Nicolás de Cárdenas - The relic needs to be relocated because the convent where it is kept is scheduled to close due to a lack of vocations.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - June 18, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
Yes, You Should Get Your Rosary Blessed—Here’s How It Happens! - “(The Rosary) is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” - Pope Leo XIII.
Scotland Wins Hearts Worldwide— Meet the Young Catholic Player Behind Historic Victory - It’s been 36 years since Scotland won a World Cup game. While thousands of Scots have taken over Boston and are making headlines.
‘This Land Belongs to Christ!’: 5,000 Catholics Fill Portland’s Streets in Massive Eucharistic Procession - “I told the ancient enemy, Satan, that this land does not belong to him. It belongs to Christ.”
June 18, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Vatican News
‘Thank God, there is at least this Memorandum,’ says Leo
By Vatican News, June 17, 2026
Speaking to journalists outside the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo reflected on the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran, his recent trip to Spain, the topic of ‘remigration’, and the SSPX’s impending episcopal consecrations. Asked about the recent agreement between the United States and Iran, Pope Leo said: “Thank God, there is at least this Memorandum that they will officially sign on Friday.” “There will still be several points to be established,” the Pope added, “but it is always better to do so through dialogue, through negotiation, rather than returning to war.” The Holy Father expressed his hope that the Memorandum might be “truly a solution to the war, that the war is really over, and that we can move forward for the good of all. Eliminate nuclear weapons, yes, seek the good of all peoples, seek how to solve the problems also at the economic and social level that have been created in this time.”
Updated: Deal ending Iran conflict signed - U.S. President Donald Trump signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran aimed at ending the conflict - Vatican News, By Nathan Morley, June 18, 2026
National Catholic Register
Pope Leo has a chance to clarify ‘synodality’
By Larry Chapp, June 18, 2026
The Pope’s treatment of synodality suggests a shift away from vague appeals to a ‘listening Church’ and toward the Church’s traditional structures of governance. And with his recent successful visit to Spain and the release of his first encyclical, he is establishing his own vision for the Catholic Church and the world. Every pope faces a delicate balancing act between continuity with previous pontificates and the need, perhaps, to “correct,” or at least modify and nuance, his predecessors' decisions. One such issue that Pope Leo has inherited from Pope Francis, and that seems to need nuance and modification, is the much-discussed but rarely defined concept of “synodality.” observers have noticed that quite often, when speaking of synodality, Pope Leo links it to the concept of episcopal collegiality more than the notion of a “listening Church” grounded in the “concrete experiences” of some vaguely defined abstraction called the “people of God.” ope Leo seems to be making an important modification of synodality
The Catholic Thing
Faith in space, ‘The future is going to be great!’
By Michael Pakaluk, June 18, 2026
During the high point of investment clubs – back in the dark ages, long ago, in 1998! – mom and pop investors would gather and use a tool such as the NAIC’s “Stock Selection Guide” to pick stocks based on a ten-year record of sales, earnings, and profitability. A newly launched company was simply too speculative. Surely, a “Catholic ethics of investing” begins with sobriety. Does a prospectus perhaps deserve greater weight when demand for a company’s stock seems absurdly high, given the fundamentals, as in the case of Elon Musk’s SpaceX? It’s trading at more than 100x its trailing sales (sales, mind you, not earnings, since it is not profitable yet), and its leverage is high. The whole spectacle looks so bizarre to me that I want to ask what religious belief, what faith, is inspiring it. Faith in a “paradigm shift,” not surprisingly, because the prospectus in many places reads like a religious tract. “You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great,” Elon Musk is quoted as saying, in the very first line of the prospectus.
Wild at Heart
Abused concepts of hell don’t mean it doesn’t exist
By John Eldredge, June 18, 2026
Many awful things have been done with the doctrine of hell. “You’ll go to hell for that” has been used to condemn all sorts of things that God does not condemn. You know… “Don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t go with girls who do.” Furthermore, those who have swung the idea of hell around like a club give you the impression that they’ll be glad to see you sent there. But not our God, who “is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Lover of our souls, the One who has pursued us down through space and time, who gave his own life to rescue us from the Kingdom of Darkness, has made it clear: He does not want to lose us. He longs for us to be with him forever. Nonetheless, simply because certain people have abused the concept of hell doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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