Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 6/4/26
What Catholics should know: Texas priest gets life in prison; Exorcist removed for linking UFOs and demons; Catholic prayer warriors now online; & Gaza in need of ‘miracles'
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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
180 Christian families in India denied water, economic rights
By ZENIT Staff, June 2, 2026
More than 180 Christian families in 32 villages across Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district in India have reportedly been denied access to communal water sources and livelihood opportunities for the past three weeks as punishment for refusing to leave their Christian faith. Many Christian families in the Antagarh region of the district have been barred from using community rivers, ponds, taps, and hand pumps. At the same time, individuals have been denied work under a government employment scheme, and families have been prevented from collecting and selling forest produce. The Kanker district of central India’s Chhattisgarh state is tribal dominated with vast areas of deciduous forests. The primary sources of livelihood for such tribal communities, also known as Adivasis, are subsistence agriculture and the collection of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs).
Our Sunday Visitor
Priest gets life in prison in Texas for sexual abuse of women
By Gina Christian, June 4, 2026
Father Anthony Odiong, a priest of the Diocese of Uyo, Nigeria, who had once served in the Diocese of Austin and other dioceses in the U.S., has been sentenced in a Texas court to life in prison, as well as to two 20-year prison terms plus $30,000 in fines, for sexually abusing several women under his spiritual care — a felony crime in that state. After listening to graphic testimony from several witnesses, the jury found the 57-year-old priest guilty of one charge of sexual assault in the first degree and two in the second degree, in a May 29 verdict delivered at the 19th State District Court in Waco, Texas. The priest had also fathered at least one child with another woman in Louisiana who had been under his spiritual direction. After deliberating for 90 minutes on June 1, the jury recommended its sentence to presiding Judge Thomas West. Father Odiong — who had pleaded not guilty on May 27 — will serve the two 20-year prison terms concurrently. He cannot seek parole until he has been credited with at least 30 years of his sentence.
Crux
Exorcist priest removed after comments on UFOs and demons
By David Crary, June 4, 2026
The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese after he made public comments suggesting that UFO sightings were the work of demons. McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti. The archbishop said Rossetti’s statements “linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.” “There’s a danger here,” Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page, addressing UFO sightings and the existence of aliens. “As an exorcist, I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide. … They don’t want us to know what they’re doing because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it.”
The Pillar
Abortion to be decriminalized in Catholic Andorra
By Edgar Beltrán, June 4, 2026
An Andorran minister said Monday that the decriminalization of abortion in the country will be approved before parliamentary elections are held next year, amid negotiations with the Catholic Church in the principality. The Andorran minister of institutional relations, Ladislau Baró, said in a Jun. 1 interview that the proposal to decriminalize abortion in the country is finished, but “thorny negotiations with the Holy See” might delay the bill. Andorra has an unusual political arrangement, with two co-princes serving as heads of state: the president of France and the Bishop of Urgell. As a result, legalizing any measure contrary to Catholic teaching can involve delicate political and ecclesial tensions, as a change in the law could theoretically involve the bishop. By law only one of the country’s two co-princes must sign legislation for it to become law, a step usually left to the French president — the other Andorran co-prince — on contentious matters.
Aleteia
Catholic prayer warriors assemble in a new online platform
By Theresa Civantos Barber, June 4, 2025
PleasePray is the new intercessory prayer and charitable giving platform for Catholics. Calling themselves “The Communion of the Saints activated in prayer,” PleasePray makes it easy to share an intention and then invite others to accompany you in prayer, while offering a place for almsgiving to lighten financial burdens with dignity and care when needed. The platform offers a 3-step plan to assemble the prayer warriors in your community around an intention: Create a prayer page for any need — healing, discernment, a loved one, a community cause; Invite friends, family, and your parish to join in prayer; and, When a situation also requires material help, the same page can include fundraising so prayer and charity stay connected in one place. Husband and wife Carlos Espinoza Banegas and Carolyn Madigan Espinoza, cofounders of PleasePray, reported that the platform has logged more than 15,000 prayers so far, along with 1,600 users, since it opened four months ago
National Catholic Register
Are women left out of the AI conversation?
By Solène Tadié, June 4, 2026
Women are significantly underrepresented in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), as official figures have consistently demonstrated over the past decade. The Catholic world, typically less concerned with gender parity and more focused on creative complementarity, has so far shown little interest in this absence. Yet the stakes extend far beyond questions of mere representation. The principles now embedded in the DNA of emerging AI technologies will help shape tomorrow's civilization, with technological development driven predominantly by men. If contributions from the “feminine genius” remain underrepresented, what could this mean for the future of humanity? The legitimization of the human in the age of AI depends in part on who is present when fundamental choices are made — and on whether the voices that have historically most often championed human connection, receptiveness, and empathy are truly heard.
Zeale News
Supreme Court to rule on 2 cases regarding women’s sports
By Elise Winland, June 3, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue decisions by late June or early July in two major women’s sports cases that could determine whether dozens of states may enforce laws that bar male athletes from competing against women and girls. Both Little v. Hecox (Idaho) and West Virginia v. B.P.J. ask whether such laws violate the Equal Protection Clause, and the West Virginia case also questions the application of Title IX. The court heard oral arguments in January on the set. As Zeale News previously reported, several justices said during the hearing that biological differences between men and women can affect competition, and reports released at the time suggested the court appeared likely to side with the states. Courts have blocked Idaho from enforcing the law since August 2020, shortly after it passed. West Virginia has also been unable to fully enforce its law amid the legal battle.
EWTN News
Gaza in need of ‘miracles,’ papal agency says
By Tessa Gervasini, June 3, 2026
“With nothing to do, nowhere to go, no schooling, no commerce,” Gaza is “a very still quiet and dark place,” said Michael La Civita, director of communications at the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA). CNEWA is working with numerous Church entities in Gaza, as it is in a “permanent state of waiting,” La Civita told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 2. Pope Pius XI founded CNEWA in 1926 to give pastoral and humanitarian support to northeast Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and India. CNEWA has a worldwide network of people committed to helping those most in need, regardless of where they are. As the conflict in Gaza continues, there are “upwards of 2 million people, most of whom are displaced,” and “their homes have been destroyed,” La Civita said. In Gaza, there is “no school, no shelter,” and “very little … access to food,” he said.
Keep informed - 6/4/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from OSV, EWTN News, & ChurchPOP
OSV News
OSV’s seasoned reporters - June 4, 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.
DHS chief pushes for more immigration enforcement funds, as US bishops urge key reforms - by Kate Scanlon - June 2, 2026 - DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified before a Senate appropriations subcommittee as the U.S. bishops called for changes to an immigration enforcement bill. Mullin’s testimony came as the Senate prepares to again consider the package, which would provide an additional $72 billion for immigration enforcement.
Rosary service brings ‘prayerful, peaceful presence’ to NJ immigrant detention facility - by John Touhey & Shania Mosquera | Jersey Catholic - June 2, 2026 - “As we saw the violence escalate at Delaney Hall since Memorial Day, the archdiocese wanted to have a prayerful, peaceful presence there.” Delaney Hall, a privately run, 1,000-bed facility, opened in May 2025. It is the largest immigrant detention facility on the East Coast and is operated by the GEO Group under contract for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Pope’s slavery apology ‘proper and just,’ says bishop who heads National Black Catholic Congress - by Gina Christian - June 2, 2026 - The mission is to “treat others the way we want to be treated … because quite honestly, we’re all one in Christ,” Bishop Campbell said. Leo warned against AI’s potential to cause “new forms of slavery” — especially by facilitating human trafficking and exploiting laborers, including children, in mining minerals for the technology.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 4, 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.
June consistory of cardinals will address synod, war, artificial intelligence - By Andrea Gagliarducci - From reflection on the international situation to a possible “updating” of the doctrine of just war, to discussion of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, to the steps of the synodal process, the cardinals are called upon for broad discussions in multiple sessions. The plans were reported on Thursday by Vatican News.
Mexican bishop: Lack of mature faith leads Catholics to fall into esotericism - By David Ramos - “Unfortunately, many of our parishioners who are baptized do not live out their faith in an orthodox manner,” and end up seeking a “solution to their difficulties in other areas,” said Bishop José Trinidad Zapata Ortiz.
Institute on Religion and Democracy launches ecumenical ‘Christians for Capitalism’ project - By Tyler Arnold - “There was concern among a number of Christians in D.C. in the field of economics that there was no ongoing institutional voice in Washington, D.C., for pro-free market Christians, and there are obviously many Christians in D.C. who are pro-free market,” IRD President Mark Tooley told EWTN News.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - June 4, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
Catholic Business Owner Consecrates Major Corporation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - “The company was transformed from that established foundation,” said Alfonso González Arocha, Chairman of the Board of Qualfon Corporation in the Philippines.
A Catholic Contest, ‘Shark Tank’ Style: David Henrie Invites Influencers to Win $100K & an EWTN Premiere - hundreds of Catholic artists, entertainers, and content creators will come to Napa Valley this summer at the Napa Institute’s Arts Festival from July 20-21, 2026. It’s a one-of-a-kind forum where faithful Catholics can collaborate and build community to take back the arts.
Pope Leo just picked the first millennial ever to run a Vatican department - For the first time ever, a millennial is set to lead a Vatican department—Maria Montserrat Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News, as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, with her role beginning November 1.
June 4, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Catholic Culture
The Honeymoon Symphony
By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, June 1, 2026
The Blessed Trinity, as expressed in the Creed, is the foundation of the Catholic faith. The perfect love within the Godhead is an impenetrable mystery. Yet love between a man and a woman and within a family provides us with one of the clearest images of God’s interpersonal love. Jesus, the Divine Psychologist, brings out the best in human love, just as He challenges us to love with the sacrificial love that reflects the life of the Blessed Trinity. We send newlywed lovebirds off to their glorious honeymoons, and before long, they begin building a nest of their own. Moms and dads love their babies. The Church loves babies, too. We need babies. By placing the honeymoon in its proper place after the wedding, the boy and girl grow in self-control and virtue. As they grow in self-control, they learn how—after the wedding—they can give themselves in their entirety during the honeymoon. They do not put the honeymoon before the wedding day. Sometimes a good Confession helps restore the proper order of things.
National Catholic Register
The Theology of Presence
By Andrea M. Picciotti-Bayer, June 4, 2026
I am in my mid-50s, with more days behind me than ahead and a growing conviction that hard-won wisdom is not mine to keep. The trouble is that it has fewer obvious places to go. My older children are grown and scattered. Young parents, meanwhile, are raising families far from their own parents and the aunts and uncles who once filled the gap. Somewhere between those two facts, there is an opportunity. There is a word for this kind of generous, sustained presence in another’s life: accompaniment. Its model is Mary, who, upon learning that her elderly cousin Elizabeth was expecting, did not send congratulations and move on. She went “in haste” to the hill country and stayed three months. What she brought was not a casserole or a gift card. It was herself — her presence, her prayer, her joy. The child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped at her arrival. Something that simple, that ancient, is still available to us.
The Catholic Thing
The absence of repentance, forgiveness, and reform
By Brad Miner, June 2, 2026
If we were to travel to the distant past, say, way back to 1976, I’m pretty sure we’d find nobody advocating for adults having sex with children. Then came the revolution of 1978. What revolution, you ask? I refer to the founding of the homosexual pedophile group, the National Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). All good reasons to praise the Incarnation, Christ’s ministry, and the birth of the Church. Still, these things – these sins – have gone on, but without the passive toleration, let alone the approbation of society. This is part of what makes the recent clergy sex-abuse crisis so sickening (and costly), even if the majority of those cases involved hebephilia (boys 11-14), ephebophilia (15-19), and just plain old homosexual liaisons with other adult males. Do we say that this last is as sinful as the others? I don’t think that matters, since each is mortally sinful and, therefore, in the absence of repentance, forgiveness, and reform, soul-killing.
Wild at Heart
Truly relish the story of our lives
By John Eldredge, June 4, 2026
Few of us remember the taste of our first ice cream (what flavor was it?), the first book we read ourselves, or our first kiss. We can barely recall that vacation we planned for so many years; it was over in mere weeks. I name this loss because it is loss—tragic, sweeping, and expansive. Your entire life, every dear moment, is currently being swept downstream from you even as you read this sentence. It does such harm to the soul and our life with God. All good things come to an end. I hate that phrase, hate it like the sound of sirens, the sound of dirt falling on a casket. Lest we despair, God has given us “a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT), and to be quite specific, it includes the restoration of every precious day of our lives. Heaven is not a memory wipe. It is the time and capacity to truly relish the story of our lives.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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