Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 7/16/26
What Catholics should know: Monks have longer life expectancy; Diocese fights Fed's land grab; India ‘mob’ threatens Salesian Sisters; & Haiti violence - 1,200 killed by drones
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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
Becoming a monk, living in a monastery increases life expectancy
By Joachin Meisner Hertz, July 14, 2026
For decades, scientists have searched for the keys to a longer life in diets, exercise programs, supplements, and increasingly sophisticated medical interventions. Yet one of the most intriguing findings in longevity research comes not from laboratories or wellness clinics, but from monasteries. A major long-term research project known as the German-Austrian Monastery Study has found that men living in religious orders enjoy significantly longer life expectancy than men in the general population. Even more remarkably, the study suggests that the widely accepted gap between male and female longevity nearly disappears within monastic communities. Launched in 1997, the study is one of the most extensive investigations ever conducted on religious life and health. Researchers examined the lives of nearly 16,600 members of religious orders—9,569 nuns and 7,022 monks—from sixteen monasteries in Germany and Austria.
Our Sunday Visitor
Diocese demands jury trial, just compensation in feds’ land grab
By Josephine Peterson, July 15, 2026
The Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is demanding a jury trial as it fends off the Trump administration’s move to seize a long-revered pilgrimage site for a border wall as part of Trump’s hardline crackdown on immigration. The request comes days after a June 28 pilgrimage with Bishop Peter Baldacchino leading more than 500 faithful from the dioceses of Las Cruces and El Paso, Texas, along with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, in prayer to protect the shrine. The July 6 filing is the latest in a legal battle playing out in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, with the administration seeking to take control of a 14-acre parcel that includes Mount Cristo Rey, located in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The 4,675-foot peak, capped by a 29-foot limestone statue of Jesus Christ the King, has served as a shrine for Catholic faithful for close to a century.
Crux
Amnesty International UK regrets defamation of British bishops
By Fionn Shiner, July 15, 2026
Amnesty International UK has expressed regret for releasing a report that included the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) and many Christian and Catholic organizations on a list of “anti-rights” organizations. The report, titled A Growing Threat: The Anti-Rights Movement in the UK, was published last week and immediately caused a furor as it also listed a sexual violence support center set up by JK Rowling in Edinburgh as being “anti-rights.” The report listed 117 organizations it said were working to undermine the rights of women and LGBT+ people. This included the bishops’ conference, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), the Evangelical Alliance UK, the Christian Institute, Christian Concern, and the Catholic Herald. The report called for the charity status of many of the organizations to be reviewed.
The Pillar
India ‘mob’ threats against Salesian Sisters
By Luke Coppen, July 14, 2026
India’s largest lay Catholic organization condemned on Monday an incident in the state of West Bengal in which a mob reportedly threatened violence against religious sisters. The All India Catholic Union said that on July 12, a group of 60 people entered a house of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Barasat, West Bengal, and demanded that they immediately demolish a memorial chapel and cemetery or face violence. The AICU alleged that the individuals involved in the incident were linked to the Hindu Jagran Manch (Forum for Hindu Awakening), a Hindu nationalist group affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an influential umbrella body. Hindu nationalist groups often frame actions against Christian groups as arising from concerns about illegal conversions, land disputes, or local conflicts, rather than as religious persecution.
Aleteia
The ‘brown scapular’ is not a Catholic ‘lucky charm’
By Philip Kosloski, June 15, 2025
Is the brown scapular some sort of “lucky charm” that superstitious Catholics like to wear? Our Lady’s famous words seem to say so: “Take, beloved son, this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire.” The Brown Scapular, a piece of brown cloth, represents a miniature of the garment or “habit” of the Carmelite order. The scapular is categorized as a “sacramental” in the Catholic Church and functions differently from a “lucky charm.” The Catholic Catechism explains, “Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it." Sacramentals can dispose us to the graces God wants to give us, but we must respond to the invitation. The brown scapular is a conduit of grace that only works if our end isn’t capped shut.
National Catholic Register
France legalizes euthanasia: Forceful push through parliament
By Solène Tadié/EWTN News, July 15, 2026
The French National Assembly gave final approval on July 15 to a bill legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide, making France one of the few European countries to legalize the practice along with Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain. The 291-241 vote came three years after President Emmanuel Macron, who had made it one of his key campaign promises, first opened the question to national debate. The vote ended an unusual parliamentary stalemate between the National Assembly and the Senate. Members of the National Assembly passed the bill three times over the course of 14 months — most recently on June 30 by a vote of 295 to 232 — and senators rejected it just as many times. The end-of-life law covers both euthanasia, administered by a doctor or nurse, and assisted suicide. A person must be an adult, a resident of France, diagnosed with a serious and incurable condition, in an advanced or terminal phase, and suffering in a way that current treatment cannot relieve, while remaining able to express a free and informed decision.
Zeale News
Vance blasts Israeli influence campaign ‘attacking me obsessively’
By Mary Rose, July 15, 2026
Vice President JD Vance sat down with podcast host Joe Rogan in a July 15 interview. Vance pushed back against months of criticism over his handling of talks to end the Iran war, saying there's "this very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to try to derail the negotiation and try to derail the deal." Asked what form the attacks take, Vance said, "Oh, it's social media posts, they're leaking to reporters – they're attacking me obsessively, saying that we should not be negotiating with Iran, that we should just keep the military campaign going indefinitely, and that is their explicit position." He said he's also faced accusations that he's influenced by Qatar and by commentator Tucker Carlson. Vance said he doesn't object to Israeli officials disagreeing with the agreement or to foreign governments trying to influence U.S. policy in general. “Fundamentally, I think we are on the right trajectory. It's just going to be really messy, and there's going to be a lot of stops and starts," Vance said.
Related: JD Vance’s Pitch for a National Reversion - Jonathan Liedl, National Catholic Register, July 14, 2026
EWTN News
Haiti plunged into deepening violence: 1,200 killed by drones
By Madalaine Elhabbal, July 15, 2026
Escalating gang violence and a 120% increase in drone attacks have driven Haiti deeper into what aid officials describe as a rapidly deteriorating situation, placing the country among the top five on the International Rescue Committeeʼs 2026 emergency watch list. “Haiti is in the grip of an overwhelming humanitarian crisis,” Ciarán Donnelly, senior vice president for crisis response, recovery, and development at the International Rescue Committee, told “EWTN News Nightly” on July 15. According to Donnelly, more than 1,200 civilians are estimated to have been killed in drone attacks in Haiti this year, including 17 children. Donnelly described the drones as “small, cheap, easier-to-operate quadcopter-type drones which are fitted with explosives and then used essentially as improvised explosive devices, some of which have exploded in public areas with children around or people who are out shopping, leading to a number of fatalities.”
Keep informed - 7/16/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from OSV, EWTN News, & ChurchPOP
OSV News
OSV’s seasoned reporters - July 16, 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.
USCCB urges Trump administration to ‘advance real solutions’ instead of IVF - July 15, 2026 - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other Catholic groups submitted public comments in opposition to a proposed government regulation that would expand insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization.
Exhibit highlights St. John Paul II’s US visits, esteem for nation’s foundational documents - July 15, 2026 - The exhibit includes audio and video, photos, and artifacts from his visits, including the future pope’s trip to America for its bicentennial in 1976. The message, reaffirmed in several ways, was that Americans are blessed to have the freedoms they have. And this merged with the pontiff’s promotion of human rights.
Chicago priest and social activist under investigation for abuse allegation he denies - July 14, 2026 - St. Sabina senior pastor Father Michael L. Pfleger had been accused of the sexual abuse of a minor — a claim the priest has “strongly denied,” said the cardinal. “The abuse is alleged to have occurred at St. Sabina more than 30 years ago,” said Cardinal Cupich.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — July 16, 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.
Arkansas tops 2026 religious liberty index - Arkansas is the best state at protecting religious liberty, according to the 2026 edition of First Liberty Institute's annual Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) report. Conducted by the institute’s Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy (CRCD), the report focuses on select legal safeguards of religious exercise in laws and constitutions.
As migrant numbers in Mexico continue to fall, a priest reveals what the figures don’t tell - Official figures show a drastic drop in irregular migration in Mexico and in encounters between undocumented migrants and U.S. authorities at the U.S.-Mexican border. However, a priest who has been helping migrants for over a decade points to a reality that goes unrecorded: routes that are less visible, more expensive, and exposed to organized crime networks.
Kenya bishop suspends 7 priests, announces new clergy accountability measures - By ACI Africa - Bishop Hieronymus Emusugut Joya of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Maralal responded to the criticism that he had frequently appealed for financial support and failed to act against priests alleged to be living contrary to their vocation or possessing property whose acquisition could not be explained.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - July 16, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
“I Pray Every Day, Not for Results”: Spain’s Catholic Coach Leads Team into World Cup Final - “I pray every day, but not because I’m at a World Cup or because I’m trying to get a result,” he told reporters, according to ACI Prensa. For him, prayer is not a charm to win matches, but a habit of constant gratitude. “It would be unfair to ask Him to help me and not help our opponent,” he said.
Things to know about “House of David” Catholic actor Michael Iskander - On July 10, Prime Video announced the renewal of “House of David” for Season Three. Drawing over 40 million views in its first season, the David series is quickly becoming a household name. While on Broadway, Iskander was told about a series being made about King David. He immediately felt called to audition.
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the First Native American Saint - Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, also known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” was a remarkable Native American woman and is a canonized saint in the Catholic Church. She lived in the 17th century and is revered as a symbol of indigenous spirituality, resilience, and the transformative power of faith
July 16, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
National Catholic Register
‘Forming Intentional Disciples’ changed Catholic ministry
By Zelda Caldwell, July 15, 2026
When Sherry Weddell started working in evangelization, she made a shocking discovery: Hardly any Catholics she met even knew what it meant to be a disciple. It was the defining crisis facing the Catholic Church in the West, as Weddell, a convert to the Catholic faith who grew up as an evangelical Protestant, argued in her influential 2012 book, Forming Intentional Disciples. “It really hit me that it was possible that one of the reasons all the Catholics struggled to discern is that they didn’t have a relationship with God. They were engaged and often very active, but for all kinds of other reasons.” Weddell’s discovery would inspire her work in Catholic evangelization and become the central thesis of her book. To Weddell, being a disciple, first and foremost, requires a personal relationship with God. Even many of the most dedicated parish leaders, she found, had never developed such a relationship or even known it was possible. More than 200,000 copies have become required reading among pastoral leaders in dioceses across the world.
Related: Jesus Said, “Go and Make Disciples“ By Michel Therrien, STL, STD, What We Need Now, Jul 07, 2026
Our Sunday Visitor
Finding ‘heaven in your home’
By Kimberley Heatherington, June 17, 2026
The faithful of course expect to find heaven in their parish — but what about when Mass is over? Trinity House Community, a Catholic ministry founded and managed by husband-and-wife team Soren and Ever Johnson, can help with that, promising a taste of “Heaven in your home” through formation and fellowship designed to help parents both live and pass on the faith. That 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. Paragraph 2205 to be exact: ‘The Christian family is a communion of persons — a sign and image of the communion, of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.' 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.
Zeale
Lay household communities grow across Philadelphia area
By Elizabeth Ervin, July 15, 2026
A growing number of lay Catholics in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area are choosing to live in intentional household communities centered on shared prayer, faith, and daily life, according to a July 14 article from Catholic Philly. Residents said the communities help foster spiritual growth through communal living rooted in the Catholic faith. Patrick Hohenshilt, a CCYA resident, said the community exists to help young adults deepen their relationship with the Lord. “The purpose of the CCYA is to bring young adult Catholics closer to Jesus Christ,” he said, adding that it seeks to be “a witness of faith-filled Catholic community.” According to Catholic Philly, residents regularly gather for prayer, Bible studies, and Eucharistic adoration while supporting one another in both their spiritual lives and daily responsibilities. “Faith witness is contagious,” Hohenshilt said, “which means being intentional about the space you are cultivating and communicating to others allows for others to be in the presence of faith-filled conversations which breed Catholic joy.”
Wild at Heart
God granted humans and angels the dignity of causation
By John Eldredge, July 16, 2026
One of the most crippling convictions among believers today is the idea that everything that happens is God's will. It is a poisonous belief that will destroy your confidence in God; you will end up believing terrible things about him. The news report about a pack of teenage boys who repeatedly raped a little girl with Down syndrome. That is the will of God??? Listen very carefully. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that God never causes anyone to sin: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers” (James 1:13–16). Remember — we live in a world where God has granted to human beings and to angels the dignity of causation, the dignity of making things happen. You get to make things happen, just as God does.
Related: The theology of Causality in the Catholic Church, by Michael J. Dodds O.P., St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology, February 23, 2023
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