Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 8/21/25
Topics include: Dominican Republic defends unborn; Caution over reset on marijuana; US ‘Wrongfully detained’ foreign-born priest; & Why not excommunicate politicians?
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Today's sources include Aleteia, OSV, 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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Aleteia
Dominican Republic defends unborn in new penal code
By Daniel Esparza, August 19, 2025
On July 31, 2025, the Dominican Republic’s Chamber of Deputies voted overwhelmingly— 159 to 4 — in favor of a sweeping new Penal Code that introduces provisions to address crimes such as femicide, cybercrime, and economic violence. Yet one clause remained untouched: the nation’s absolute ban on abortion. The following day, the Senate gave its near-unanimous approval. President Luis Abinader signed the reform into law on August 3, with implementation set for August 2026. The Dominican Constitution, in Article 37, states that “the right to life is inviolable from conception until death.” “This fight [for the unborn] has lasted decades,” explained attorney Loren Montalvo of Alliance Defending Freedom in Santo Domingo, quoted by Zenit News and cited in The Catholic Herald.
Catholic News Agency
Catholic scholars urge caution over reset on marijuana
By Tyler Arnold, August 20, 2025
President Donald Trump announced he might loosen the federal restrictions on marijuana, but moral and legal scholars who spoke with CNA this week expressed concern about the drug and its impact on American society. The federal government considers marijuana — also referred to as cannabis, the name of the plant that contains psychoactive compounds called cannabinoids — a Schedule I substance. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), this is reserved for drugs with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Trump said in a news conference Aug. 11 that he is considering rescheduling it to Schedule III, which is a drug “with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence” and has abuse potential “less than Schedule I,” according to the DEA.
CatholicVote
Miami: Border officials ‘wrongfully detained’ foreign-born priest
By CV News Feed, August 21, 2025
Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami intervened with a federal judge Tuesday after Father Gustavo Santos in a statement that called Santos, “a priest of the Archdiocese of Miami in good standing and with a valid R-1 religious worker visa through November 2025.” He “was unexpectedly and wrongfully denied admission into the United States upon his return from an overseas trip via London” Aug. 19. Archbishop Thomas Wenski and the efforts of immigration counsel from Catholic Legal Services, Pro bono counsel Mary Kramer, and Jose W. Alvarez, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reconsidered the case. Father Santos has since been released and allowed to reenter the country.” As CatholicVote reported in May: “In 2023, the US government changed the way it processes green card petitions for religious workers, merging them with applications from vulnerable immigrant children without raising the annual visa cap.”
Crux
Catholic television stations create Latin American network
By Eduardo Campos Lima, August 21, 2025
Heads of Catholic TV stations from different parts of Latin America gathered in Brazil last week and founded the Latin American and Caribbean Audiovisual Media Alliance. The Alliance is known by the Spanish acronym ALMA, which also means “soul.” The idea is not only to allow the exchange of contents and to promote partnerships and co-productions, but also to strengthen the relationship between those TVs, which are autonomous, and the national bishops’ conferences in a time of political polarization all over the region. The encounter was organized by the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) as part of the restructuring process it has been facing since 2019. Sixty TV directors and chief producers coming from 12 countries gathered in Aparecida between Aug. 11-14. “Countries like Venezuela couldn’t take part in the meeting for domestic reasons. But our goal is to gradually expand the alliance,” Elizalde explained.
National Catholic Reporter
Ukrainian Catholics in New York find hope in solidarity
By George Cassidy Payne, August 20, 2025
The whispered prayers for help from mothers clutching children in Ukraine amid the boom of Russian artillery are echoed here in the United States, thousands of miles from the war-torn region, by those who still feel deeply for their homeland. In Rochester, a large Ukrainian Catholic community finds expression in the incense-laden liturgies where prayers are joined to those said in bomb shelters and basements back home. These prayers have had greater poignancy this week, as world leaders gathered in Washington to debate security guarantees and the possibility of a trilateral summit with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Ukrainians in New York embrace a new mission: to be spiritual and humanitarian bridges, connecting the suffering of Ukraine with the solidarity of their adopted America.
National Catholic Register
‘One of the greatest things you can do to contribute to the future’
By Emily Zanotti, August 19, 2025
I am “having it all,” says The Wall Street Journal, which interviewed me for a piece about how conservative women are “juggling work and family on their own terms.” A few weeks ago, I was interviewed for the piece, which seemed like it would be comparative: Why are women who tend to self-identify as being “on the right” more successful at balancing marriage and motherhood with work, as compared to women who might self-identify as being on the left? My answer was pretty simple: When you lean on your faith or a more traditional ideology — and you have more traditional beliefs — family comes first, no matter what. “The public message you hear in the culture is ‘Your life is over if you have a baby and you’ll never accomplish anything,’” I told the WSJ. “But what I always heard from fellow conservatives was to pursue a vocation and have a family, because that’s one of the greatest things you can do to contribute to the future.”
The Pillar
The priest helping Americans get lawyers
By Jack Figge, August 20, 2025
Father Pius Pietrzyk, OP, is used to turning heads when he walks onto Capitol Hill. After all, it’s not every day that a habited Dominican priest walks through the halls of the U.S. Capitol. For 15 years, he has served on the board of Legal Services Corporation, a publicly funded nonprofit founded by Congress, which works to provide low-income people with legal services across the country. The U.S. president appoints board members of the Legal Services Corporation. “When I first arrived, they hadn't really dealt with a priest or religious before, and especially because I wear the habit, I got questions like ‘Who are you? Why are you wearing this? What are you doing?’” Pietrzyk said. In this role, he has had to balance his priestly ministry and civic responsibilities. “I do realize that I walk a thin line,” he said.
Our Sunday Visitor
Why not excommunicate politicians who support abortion?
By Jenna Marie Cooper, August 20, 2025
Excommunication is specifically a punishment for canonical crimes. Although political support for pro-choice policies is morally problematic, it is not a canonical crime in and of itself. Usually when we speak of pro-choice politicians being denied Holy Communion, the relevant citation is Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law. Canon 915 tells us that those who are “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.” Canon 915 gives ministers of Holy Communion and pastoral authority figures (namely, bishops and pastors of parishes) some objective criteria to deny a particular Catholic Holy Communion. The sin must also be “manifest,” or readily known to the public or otherwise outwardly observable. Finally, the person must be “obstinately persevering” in their sin. Canon 915, though, is not meant as a direct punishment for canonical crimes but a matter of person-to-person pastoral dialogue and admonishment.
CatholicVote, CNA & ChurchPOP for 8/21/25
CatholicVote - The Loop
Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news that seek “to renew our country and culture.” CatholicVote’s advertised mission is “To inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.”
BED BATH & BEYOND LEAVES CALIFORNIA DUE TO 'OVERREGULATION' - Bed Bath & Beyond's executive chairman announced yesterday that the retail giant will no longer operate in California due to its “endless regulations that strangle growth." The deep-blue state "has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America."
REPORT: MUSK DROPPING 3rd PARTY PLAN TO BACK VANCE - Elon Musk is reportedly backing out of his threat to found a third party in protest against both Democrats and President Donald Trump's GOP, signaling that he would instead support Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028.
BISHOP BARRON CONFRONTS FAKE AI VIDS OF HIMSELF - Bishop Robert Barron called out bizarre AI deepfakes impersonating him yesterday, warning followers not to be fooled by them. The videos in question range from imaginary restaurant brawls to papal scoldings and even a video of "Bishop Barron" advising people on how to remove demons from their toilets.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — August 21, 2025
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 happenings of the Holy See to anyone with internet access.
Nigeria, Iran, China top priority countries for new religious freedom commission chair - Aug 21, 2025 - By Chris Casquejo - Nigeria is the deadliest country in the world for Christians, according to the new chair of the U.S. Commission on International Freedom (USCIRF).
Bolivian bishops after elections: ‘A new chapter in the country’s political history opens’ - Aug 20, 2025 - By Julieta Villar - The Bolivian Bishops’ Conference expressed hope after Bolivia’s recent general election, which marked a change in the country’s political direction.
Pope Leo XIV looks to Ukraine with hope: ‘We must work hard, pray hard’ - Aug 20, 2025 - By Nicolás de Cárdenas - On Aug. 19, Pope Leo XIV expressed hope for an end to the war in Ukraine, noting that hard work and prayer are needed so that the peace negotiations bear fruit.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - August 21, 2025
We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.
Need a Budget-Friendly Travel Hack? Stay in a Convent or Monastery - Here's How to Do It! - Have you ever stayed at a convent or monastery while traveling? Here's how to do it!
'We Walk With Mary': More than 1 Million Catholics Flood the Streets for Marian Procession in Brazil - The event drew more than one million faithful in a public act of devotion to Our Lady of the Assumption, patron saint of the capital of Ceará.
My Providential Encounter with a Native American Visionary on His Way to Sainthood: Nicholas Black Elk - "... there were a ton of signs similar to his story that caused me to realize he was calling me from Heaven to draw closer to him."
Nutshell reflections for 8/21/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - August 21, 2025
Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope
What We Need Now
Iranaeus’ notion about the two hands of God
By What We Need Now, August 19, 2023
In his hugely influential work, Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses), St. Irenaeus of Lyons employs a striking image. Irenaeus speaks of the Trinity’s action in creating and redeeming as the Father employing his “two hands: the Son and the Spirit.” This active engagement of the whole Trinity in the “economy” of salvation—the oikonomia that is God’s loving “management of his household”—has as its goal theosis, the divinization of God’s beloved creatures whereby many may be brought to glory. Though written around the year 180, as a refutation of a Gnosticism whose disdain for the flesh perverts the gospel of Incarnation, the book has continued to inspire Catholic and Orthodox theologians to the present. Indeed, in the face of a contemporary drive toward “excarnation” (well documented by Charles Taylor in A Secular Age), Irenaeus’s theological vision has a renewed relevance and importance.
Imaginative Conservative
Only the God hypothesis makes sense
By Regis Martin, August 15, 2025
A deist, it may fairly be said, is someone who hasn’t yet found the time to become an atheist. But he will, make no mistake, and along the way he will almost certainly fall into agnosticism. It is the easiest and most obvious default position for the intellectually indolent. I mean, if nobody really knows what God is, maybe we shouldn’t even say that there is a God. Sound reasonable? Not if you consider the cumulative wisdom of countless ancestors, Augustine included, who could not even imagine a world without God. Only the God hypothesis makes sense, he and numberless others would unhesitatingly say, in the absence of which we are no better than poor Macbeth, for whom life has become “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Catholic Gentlemen
Friendship love in a marriage relationship
By Peter C. Kleponis, August 20, 2025
Once a couple has developed a deep level of romantic love, they usually move on to friendship love, which is very important for a long and happy marriage. “I married my best friend.” While romance is important, you can’t always be romantic in a successful relationship. You won’t feel romantic when you’re paying bills, disciplining children, or fixing that leaky faucet. It’s that close friendship that helps you get through the challenging times. You know each other thoroughly. You can talk about anything. You support each other through thick and thin. You have each other’s backs. You can joke and have fun together. You don’t keep secrets from each other. You share secrets with each other. Most of all, your best friend is the person you want to be with the most. When something good happens, he/she’s the person you tell first. When something bad happens, he/she is the person you turn to first for help/comfort. This is the kind of relationship a husband and wife should have.
Wild at Heart
Joy is meant to be ours
By John Eldredge, August 21, 2025
To have joy in the midst of sorrow — or the current news feed — can seem impossible. And all on our own, it is impossible. But just as the angel Gabriel said after making his outlandish proclamation to Mary that she, a virgin, would give birth to the Savior of the world, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37 nasb). Joy is meant to be ours, a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world. Our hearts are to echo the heartbeat of our joyous God. Now, this isn’t about skipping around in the garden singing, “I’m so happy in Jesus every day.” This is about being present to whatever may be coming our way and, in the midst of both the goodness and the grief, knowing joy. Believing that sorrow and loss do not have the final word takes defiance. It requires a strength of spirit that must be nurtured.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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