Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 8/28/25
Topics include: Going to Mass matters more than ever; Litany of prayer after a school shooting; Africa’s debt crisis a ‘moral failure’; & Gaza is oppressed by Hamas
“The greatest thing since peanut butter & jelly”
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)
Please support the following Catholic (and Catholic friendly) news services and spiritual support sites. Today’s Catholic Nutshell News audio podcast is available on the Substack App.
Aleteia
After Minneapolis tragedy, going to Mass matters more than ever
By Cerith Gardiner, August 27, 2025
How could such violence strike in a place so sacred, where children are safest, where parents feel at peace, where everyone can turn their hearts to God without fear? That sense of security has been deeply shaken. Moments like this leave people unsettled, and not only in Minneapolis. It is natural to wonder: If even church is not safe, where can we go? News reports over the last several years have often brought us the horrifying accounts of congregations ambushed precisely while they were at prayer (just last month in DRC). The Church’s answer is clear — He is here, most fully in the Mass. In the Eucharist, Catholics find a unique consolation. At every Mass, the Church on earth is united with the saints and with those who have gone before us. To return to church after such violence requires immense courage. Fear whispers that it is safer to stay away, to keep worship private and hidden. But every gathering for the Eucharist quietly rejects that fear.
Catholic News Agency
Litany of prayer after a school shooting
By Zoe Romanowsky, August 27, 2025
Our Lady, Help of Christians, we turn to you, who watched your Son give his life for us, and stood strong at the foot of his cross, to ask for your consolation, your guidance, your motherly arms to embrace us. We stand in silence, praying beside you:
St. Joseph, great protector, pray for us.
Archangel Michael, defend us in every battle.
Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, parents who lost four children, pray for us.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, missionary to the United States, pray for us.
St. Emilia, mother of saints, pray for us.
St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, pray for us.
Servant of God Dorothy Day, defender of all who lack protection, pray for us.
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, mothers who left their infants to die for Christ, pray for us.
Read the rest of the litany here.
CatholicVote
Colorado bishops: Protect kids from trafficking & gender ideology
By Grace Porto, August 27, 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
Jesuit calls Africa’s debt crisis ‘moral failure’
By Ngala Killian Chimtom, August 26, 2025
As African countries reel from a crippling debt burden, Jesuit Father Rampeoane Hlobo, the head of the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network Africa (JENA), has sounded an alarm over debt conditionalities that are enslaving African nations. Africa owed a combined $685.5 billion to external creditors as of 2023 – the equivalent of 24.5 percent of the continent’s GDP, according to the World Bank. It is expected to pay $88.7 billion in external debt service in 2025. Hlobo argues that such debt constitutes an assault on Africa’s integral human development. “In some countries, debt servicing now exceeds spending on essentials like education or health. This is not just an economic issue—it is a moral failure,” he added. He accused lending institutions like the IMF and World Bank of transforming debt into a tool of neo-colonial control that “undermines sovereignty and restricts national policy choices.”
National Catholic Reporter
The people of Gaza are oppressed by Hamas
By Michael Sean Winters, August 27, 2025
The Israeli government needs to find a way to pour humanitarian aid into Gaza even while it continues its efforts to root out Hamas. These two realities are often confused and seen as intertwined, but they can and should be kept distinct. It is shocking that so many people express deep concern about the plight of the people in Gaza but do not apportion any responsibility for that suffering to Hamas. Hamas bears a moral responsibility for restarting the war, for putting civilians in harm's way, and for refusing to negotiate a peace with its neighbor. Hamas could end the suffering tomorrow by surrendering, which is how wars usually end, or even just by releasing the hostages, which would eliminate what support for continuing the war exists in Israel. The failure to recognize the fact that the people of Gaza are oppressed by Hamas, which even the Arab League recognizes must disarm, distorts the vision of many in the West.
National Catholic Register
Where does your state stand on abortion?
By Kate Quiñones/CNA, August 27, 2025
In nine states and in the nation’s capital, unborn life is not protected at any stage of life. Another 18 states do not protect unborn life until some point in the second trimester of pregnancy. But some states are leading the charge in defending unborn life, with a dozen states protecting life throughout pregnancy in most cases, and another seven states protecting unborn children at some point within the first trimester of life. CNA is unveiling three new interactive maps to show where each state in the U.S. stands on life issues — the protection of unborn life, the death penalty, and assisted suicide. The maps will be updated as new information on each issue becomes available. In 18 states, laws protect life after 18-24 weeks. Most of these states protect life only after “fetal viability,” the time when a baby can survive outside the womb with medical support.
The Pillar
The race to make St. John Henry Newman a Jubilee Year doctor
By Michelle La Rosa, August 25, 2025
Kenneth Parker learned that St. John Henry Newman was going to be declared a Doctor of the Church before most people did. The Vatican announced the decision last month — but Parker found out in May 2024, more than a year ago. “We expected it to happen at some point,” said Parker, who is editor of the Newman Studies Journal, a publication of the National Institute for Newman Studies in Pittsburgh. What was surprising to Parker, however, was the timeline. Vatican officials were eager to have the pronouncement take place during the 2025 Jubilee Year, dedicated to hope. That meant that officially required preparatory writings, which usually take five or six years to compile, would need to be assembled within a period of less than six months. The Newman Institute assembled a team of 20 scholars, both from within their team and outside of it, each specializing in different areas of Newman’s thought.
Our Sunday Visitor
The difference between ‘Declaration of Nullity’ and ‘Divorce’
By Jenna Marie Cooper, August 26, 2025
A “declaration of nullity” is based on common-sense examples: “unlawful” for close relatives to marry, or to force a person to marry under threat of violence. Similarly, a person who, for whatever reason, lacks the mental capacity to consent to marriage is unable to fulfill the legal standard for marrying. The Church’s nullity process aims to discern whether one of these “unlawful” elements was actually present and operative in a particular union. So when a declaration of nullity is granted, this is simply a formal acknowledgement that no valid marriage occurred in the first place. This differs from the concept of “divorce,” which implies that a valid marriage can be ended. In fact, this is why the church does not officially use the term “annulment,” which suggests actively rendering a valid union null, but rather “declaration of nullity,” which is simply announcing what is already independently the case.
CatholicVote, CNA & ChurchPOP for 8/28/25
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.”
UN ADVISOR CALLS FOR GLOBAL BAN OF SURROGACY - Reem Alsalem, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, has called for a global ban on surrogacy. In her report to the UN, Alsalem cited numerous examples of "exploitative" and "cruel" treatment of women in the context of surrogacy, arguing that UN laws already in place ought to compel governing bodies to halt the controversial practice.
'I DON'T HAVE TO PRAY ALONE TONIGHT' - For many residents, life in a nursing home might be a time of profound loneliness, confinement, and stress. A Colorado-based ministry is countering this by praying the Rosary with them every week, building community and hope in Christ along the way.
WOMEN SEEKING ABORTIONS NOW ENCOUNTERING NEW PRO-LIFE RESOURCE - The Sisters of Life have launched a new website offering support and resources for women considering abortions, women whose children have an adverse prenatal diagnosis, and women seeking healing after an abortion.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — August 28, 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.
Minnesota school shooting came after bishops’ pleas for security went unanswered - Aug 28, 2025 - By Jonathan Liedl - After a pair of out-of-state school shootings in 2022 and 2023, Minnesota’s bishops implored state lawmakers to provide security funding.
Minneapolis Catholic Church shooter mocked Christ in video before attack - Aug 27, 2025 - By Tyler Arnold - The man who killed two children and injured 17 other people in the Minneapolis Catholic church shooting posted a YouTube video before the attack, which showed an anti-Christian motivation for the murders and an affinity for mass shooters, Satanism, antisemitism, and racism.
Catholic priest forced to leave Texas amid visa backlog and residency denial - Aug 27, 2025 - By Tyler Arnold - Father Alan Sanchez, pastor of St. Joseph Church in La Pryor and St. Patrick Mission in Batesville, Texas, for nine years, must leave the United States because his application for residency was denied and his religious worker visa is expiring.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - August 28, 2025
We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.
5th-Grader Says Friend ‘Laid on Top of Me’ to Save His Life During Catholic School Shooting in Minnesota - “My friend was lying on top of me, making sure I was safe, and he got hit.”
11 Inspiring Quotes from the Magnificent Saint Augustine, Doctor of the Church - "To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him is the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement."
Praying for the Conversion of a Loved One? Turn to Saint Monica's Powerful Intercession - Do you have a loved one who has fallen away from the faith? Consider turning to the saintly intercession and holy testimony of Saint Monica!
Nutshell reflections for 8/28/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - August 28, 2025
Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
What We Need Now
The Catholic university stands or falls on Augustine
By What We Need Now, August 26, 2023
In his recent address to Catholic universities, Pope Leo XIV placed the figure of Christ at the heart of intellectual life: Christ “does not come as a stranger to rational discourse but rather as a keystone that gives meaning and harmony to all our thinking.” This phrase transports us directly into the world of St. Augustine, particularly as he recounts it in the seventh book of his Confessions. There, Augustine tells the story of a long and painstaking effort to find wisdom—an effort that succeeded, for a time, on the terms set by the Platonists, but which left him unable to live as he knew he ought. Wisdom without Christ proved insufficient. The heart of the Catholic university, then, is not only a love of wisdom, but a love of Wisdom incarnate. The Catholic university stands or falls on whether it takes Augustine’s lesson to heart.
Imaginative Conservative
Godly grief leads to conversion
By Br. Augustine Buckner, August 26, 2025
Grief is a weight that clings to us. It is like a soaked-through t-shirt or a dentist’s lead vest. It pulls and constricts. When Augustine turned away from Christ, his mother endured the loss and wept more bitterly than for her child’s bodily death (Confessions III.11). But for those seeking God, for whom all things work for good, even grief is a gift. When Saint Paul responds to the Corinthians’ conversion he shows us what it means to grieve. “Worldly grief,” he writes, “produces death” (2 Cor 7:10). Chasing after passing wisdom and reputation and honors has been their undoing. Paul’s biting words have only brought them greater grief. But with great Pauline paradox, he rejoices in the affliction of his spiritual children, for he sees in their sorrow a Godly grief that leads to conversion. “Godly grief,” Paul explains, “produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret.” The pain they felt at the loss of God only strengthened their faith.
Crisis Magazine
Madness expected in a society that openly condones madness
By Sean Fitzpatrick, August 28, 2025
It’s striking enough that the FBI has classified the shooting as a “hate crime against Catholics.” At the time of this writing, Robin Westman’s transgenderism is not a focal point of this horrific story—and it may never be. Maybe it shouldn’t be. But if these murders were a result of a sickness that had been coddled by family, friends, or popular or political culture, there is a reckoning to be had. We can expect the cry for gun control to sound soon, but will there ever be a cry to control the way the basic elements of reality are regarded or disregarded? Since transgenderism is passed off as a healthy and wholesome embrace of identity, rather than a denial of reality, what is stopping the sick from going to the extremes of their sicknesses? Can anything but madness be expected in a society that openly condones madness?
Wild at Heart
Jesus could be soft, but his fierce intentionality is riveting
By John Eldredge, August 28, 2025
Jesus is a fierce, intentional man to be sure. But his passions are neither reckless nor momentary. Could a small, unintimidating figure accomplish such a sustained riot? To pull off driving “all of them out of the temple” would require more than a few seconds and repeated blows. This is a sustained assault. If a frail man with a meek voice tried this, he’d be log-jammed by the sheer number and inertia of the traffic. Jesus is a locomotive, a juggernaut. For all practical purposes here, he is the bull in the china shop. But is this the Jesus of our worship songs? The religious fog sneaks in to obscure Jesus with lines comparing him to “a rose trampled on the ground.” Helpless, lovely Jesus. Vegetarian, pacifist, tranquil. Oh, wait — that was Gandhi. Not Jesus. Jesus could be soft, and he certainly was humble, but his fierce intentionality is riveting to watch.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
Catholic Nutshell News is a subscription service hosted by SubStack. Get up to a dozen recent articles Monday through Saturday to review regarding newsworthy issues. An easy way to browse top Catholic news and information services on the net. Edited by John Pearring.
Listen to an audio podcast of today’s Catholic Nutshell News on the Substack App!
At the top of your phone, while in the Substack app to read our post, you can press the ▶️ play button and have Catholic Nutshell News read to you daily …
