“The greatest thing since peanut butter & jelly”
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. Please support their ministries and apostolates. (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.
Zeale News
UK order denies ‘disabled’ man food, water until he dies
By Elizabeth Ervin, September 9, 2026
A UK court order denying nutrition and hydration until death to a 28-year-old man who sustained a brain injury in 2020 is drawing criticism from an organization that advocates for medically vulnerable patients. U.S.-based Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network identified the man as Fahim and called on UK authorities to reverse the ruling, according to a Sept. 8 press release published by Christian Newswire. “This case represents the tragic consequences of allowing courts or medical authorities to determine that a person’s cognitive disability makes his life no longer worth living,” Schindler said. “Fahim is not a diagnosis, a disability, or a medical condition. He is a human being whose life possesses God-given, inherent dignity and value.” Fahim’s mother, Farah, said in a video included in a Sept. 8 press release from the Christian Defense Coalition published by Standard Newswire that her son had been progressing under her care before he was removed from her home.
Our Sunday Visitor
Court declines woman’s religious exception to school vaccine
By Kate Scanlon, September 9, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 8 declined a case from a New York Catholic woman seeking to send her son to kindergarten without the vaccines the state requires for public school. In its rejection of the case, the high court did not offer an explanation for the decision, which is typical for rulings on the court’s emergency docket. All states require children to be vaccinated against certain diseases in order to attend public schools, although policies for religious or medical exemptions vary. Four states — California, Connecticut, Maine, and New York — only allow medical exemptions, according to KFF. In court filings, Jane Doe identified herself as “a lifelong practicing Roman Catholic” and argued her religious beliefs prevent her from undergoing vaccination herself or allowing her son to be vaccinated.
Related: Florida’s Catholic School Vaccine Fight Doesn’t Need a Winner and a Loser, Andrea M. Picciotti-Bayer, National Catholic Register, September 9, 2026
Crux
Holy Land situation ‘not positive,’ due to internal battles in Islam
By Fionn Shiner, September 10, 2026
The situation in the Holy Land is particularly grave, said António de-Almeida-Ribeiro, acting general secretary of the Lisbon-based King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), noting that the crisis also underscores the urgent need for more dialogue. “I think the situation is not positive for the region and in the whole area in particular,” he said, “but that’s one more reason for us to do more and to put people together around the same table.” The challenges present themselves not only in Europe but also in areas where Islam has been present for centuries, including the Arab world in which the religion was founded and from which it spread. “It’s not easy sometimes, but I think it’s possible,” he told Crux Now. We know that there is a big division between Muslims, Shias and Sunnis. But it’s important to try to find some common ground of understanding between them. That’s what we do in KAICIID.”
Related: Cardinal Pizzaballa launches an initiative for a Jerusalem open to all, ZENIT, ZENIT Staff, September 9, 2026
National Catholic Register
US bishops step into the ‘semiautomatic weapons’ debate
By Daniel Payne/EWTN News, September 1, 2026
The Supreme Court is set to consider whether or not Americans are permitted to possess AR-15 rifles and similar firearms. The case before the high court, Viramontes v. Cook County, concerns a regulation enacted by Cook County, Illinois, banning more than 100 types of semiautomatic weapons, including the popular AR-15 platform. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow local communities to regulate firearm ownership, weighing in on a high-profile federal case that could significantly reshape the nation’s gun laws. The “autonomy of local authority” is a significant part of “America’s historical tradition of federalism,” the bishops write, comparing it to the long-standing Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which holds that the authority closest to a local need is best suited to tackle the issue.
Aleteia
Don’t say ‘God’: New rule for Canada military chaplains
By Theresa Civantos Barber, September 10, 2025
Since 2019, Quebec has banned public sector employees in positions of authority — including teachers, police officers, judges, and Crown prosecutors — from wearing visible religious symbols, including hijabs, turbans, yarmulkes, and Christian crosses. Now, Canada has gone a step farther. Members of the military, particularly chaplains, throughout all of Canada are forbidden from mentioning the word “God” or other religious words at mandatory military public events, such as graduation parades, ribbon-cuttings, ship commissionings, and Remembrance Day ceremonies. In Canada, chaplains are now banned from publicly talking about God. The directive isn't limited just to chaplains: All Canadian Armed Forces members, including volunteers, students, casual workers, and contractors, may not use religious language in public remarks.
Vatican News
Thousands of West Africa’s young at first-ever youth gathering
By Gabriel Asempa Antwi, September 8, 2026
The first-ever West Africa Youth Days (WAYD) 2026, the meeting of thousands of young people in Accra, is a call for young people to become “actors and agents of peace and hope” in a region confronting profound social, political and security challenges. WAYD 2026 is taking place in Accra from 7 September to 11 September, with the main activities happening at Achimota School. Nearly 4,000 young Catholics from the countries represented by the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) are in attendance. West Africa is a region where millions of young people are growing up amid political uncertainty, violent extremism, communal tensions, economic hardship, unemployment, migration pressures and an increasingly contested information environment. For a young Catholic in Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo or any of the other countries represented at the gathering, peace is not an abstract theological concept. It can mean living alongside people of different ethnicities and political loyalties.
Zenit
Netherlands records its first case of child euthanasia
By ZENIT Staff, September 9, 2026
The Netherlands has recorded the first case of euthanasia performed on a child between the ages of one and twelve since the 2024 entry into force of regulations allowing the procedure for minors with incurable illnesses causing suffering deemed unbearable and with no possibility of improvement. The procedure requires parental consent and an assessment by at least one independent physician. This commission reviewed the child’s case file, heard from the attending physician, and submitted its findings to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which must determine whether the physician acted in accordance with current legislation. Neither the minor’s age nor the illness suffered has been made public. This is the first case file received in the Netherlands requesting euthanasia for children since the expansion of euthanasia legislation in 2024. Previously, euthanasia could already be requested for infants under one year of age and for children over the age of 12.
Related: Twice, they offered to end my son’s life, By David Closson, Christian Post, September 10, 2026
EWTN News
Spain: A doctor and a biologist embrace life as consecrated virgins
By Nicolás de Cárdenas, September 9, 2026
The bishop of Getafe in Spain, Ginés García Beltrán, performed the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity for Christ for two women: Ana Isabel García, a biologist, and Estefanía Ibáñez, a physician, for service to the Church and in a constant missionary spirit. “This is a wedding; it is a marriage in the fullest sense of the word. It is a betrothal to Christ, to whom you give yourselves in faithfulness, giving yourselves forever.” He explained that “the Bridegroom invites you to become beautiful, immaculate, and holy,” not only through personal commitment to Christ but also through a strong sense of mission: “You are born into the Church and born for the service of the Church,” specifically within the diocese and with the bishop as the virgin’s spiritual father in the consecrated life. In the days before her consecration, García said she hoped the event would serve “to make this vocation known,” while Ibáñez wished for “a moment in which God makes himself present to everyone there, revealing his presence and companionship in their lives.”
Keep informed - 9/10/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from OSV, EWTN News, & ChurchPOP
OSV News
OSV’s seasoned reporters - September 10, 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.
‘Etched in our minds’: Bishops offer Masses, reflections on landmark anniversary of 9/11 attacks - Gina Christian - Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a Sept. 9 statement that “faith lifted us up and sustained us” during the attack and its aftermath.
Illinois diocese puts brakes on eulogies and wakes in church before funeral Mass - An Illinois diocese has ended eulogies during funeral Masses and visitation of the deceased in the church immediately before the Mass. “The vigil by definition is the night before,” said Bishop Paprocki. “So the vigil prayers will be prayed then by the priest or deacon even if there is no public visitation.”
Peruvian city to unveil world’s tallest statue of Pope Leo for trip to South America - David Agren - The Peruvian city of Callao announced an unusual tribute to Pope Leo XIV ahead of his November visit to the South American country: the largest statue of the pontiff in the world. The 45.9-foot-tall statue of Pope Leo will grace a seafront park overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Callao, located in the northern suburbs of Lima, the national capital.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — September 10, 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.
New EWTN travel series takes viewers to the birthplace of Christianity - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - On Sept. 17, a new travel show by EWTN Studios will take viewers on a journey to key places where Christianity began. The series, “The Road Less Traveled,” is hosted by Dave Stotts, and its first season takes place in Turkey — Antioch, the birthplace of Christianity, the underground cities of Cappadocia, Ephesus, Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), and other key spots where the early Church was formed.
Love is not a feeling but a decision, Pope Leo XIV tells couples - By Nicolás de Cárdenas - Pope Leo XIV reflects on human love in the prologue to the new edition of “YouCat: Love Forever,” emphasizing that it is not a fleeting feeling but rather “a decision, a journey, and a lifelong covenant.” This version of the catechism, aimed at young people preparing for the vocation of marriage, is scheduled for release in November.
Why St. Nicholas of Tolentino is the patron of souls in purgatory - By Jonah McKeown - The Catholic Church’s teaching on purgatory — the “cleansing fire” that prepares the elect for heaven — can be difficult to understand. But for one saint, the Catholic imperative to pray for the dead was made very real to him when, according to the story, one of his deceased friends appeared to him asking for prayers.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - September 10, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
Triplets Go to Mass for the First Time—and Get the Sweetest Parish Welcome - The family shared a video on social media showing everything from getting ready at home to the moment the three little ones were introduced during the celebration at Our Lady Undoer of Knots Church.
Young Woman Enters Monastery to Discern Her Vocation—The Nuns’ Welcome Is Pure Joy - Her arrival was greeted with special joy by the nuns, and the moment quickly drew attention on social media. The video has surpassed 6,000 likes and 144,000 views, receiving numerous comments from people offering prayers for Ruth, that she may discover God’s calling for her life.
Her Faith Went Viral: Her Premature Twins Survived, and She Kept Her Promise to Bring Them to St. Francis - “I promised St. Francis that, if I was able to bring my children home alive, I would return to thank him and present them to him.” Antônia Keliane’s babies were born at just 28 weeks of pregnancy.
September 10, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE — or read HERE:
Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
National Catholic Register
Freemasons in France take aim at Catholic education
By Solène Tadié, September 9, 2026
Just days after the Catholic funeral of a prominent Freemason and former senator sparked controversy among French Catholics, the newly reelected head of France’s largest Masonic organization reignited a long-running fault line between French Freemasonry and Catholic education. Most of the non-contract schools targeted by Trichard are officially nondenominational, but many are founded by Catholic communities, often of a traditionalist bent, that choose not to register with the Church to avoid both diocesan and state scrutiny. “Everyone knows the role Freemasons played in the Jules Ferry laws [the 1881-1882 laws that made French primary education free, mandatory and secular], but I believe non-contract private schools have no place in the Republic,” Guillaume Trichard, reelected grand master of the Grand Orient de France (GODF), said. The reaction from Catholic commentators was swift, with several accusing the GODF of attempting to interfere in societal issues.
Christian Post
Pastor Lorenzo Sewell declares ‘enough is enough’
By Leonardo Blair, September 09, 2026
Lorenzo Sewell, senior pastor of 180 Church in Detroit, Michigan, spoke at the GOP party’s first-ever midterm convention with a quick sermon he called “Enough is Enough.” Sewell, whose appearance at the podium lasted about 2.5 minutes, rounded out his patriotic sermon encouraging Republicans to “fight, fight, fight for the soul of a nation.” “How many know that we are saying today, not today, Satan? You will not steal our country. You will not have our children. You will not have our families; enough is enough! I know I got somebody in this room that believes in the King of Glory, the one who is strong and mighty, the one who is mighty in battle,” he declared, alluding to Scriptures like Psalm 24 and Acts 4:12. “He’s got the only name given among men whereby we must be saved, and that’s the name of Jesus,” he said. “If you believe in that name, put your hands back on and give your great God great glory! … Look at somebody and say ‘enough is enough, enough is enough.’ Devil, you won’t have the land where my fathers died.”
Catholics for the Common Good
Rome advances Dorothy Day toward Sainthood: Some object
By Michael Fox, August 30, 2026
Cardinal John O’Connor petitioned Rome to open Day’s cause in February 2000, and the ruling of no objection came the following month, weeks before he died. Day became a Servant of God. She has held that first rank for twenty-six years. On July 15, 2026, Casey Mullaney wrote to the members of the Dorothy Day Guild, the New York organization that promotes her cause, with news from Rome. The Vatican office that handles every sainthood case in the world, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, has approved the first portion of the file assembled to make Dorothy Day a saint. Day wrote a column in The Catholic Worker for close to fifty years and kept a diary for most of her life. Theologians appointed to examine her writings must read every page, looking for anything contrary to Catholic faith and morals. The Church never asks the candidate for consent. The Dicastery asks whether she practiced the virtues to a heroic degree and whether the faithful venerate her.
Wild at Heart
Do we obligate God to grant us exemption from the arrows?
By John Eldredge, September 10, 2026
The Religious Man or Woman is a popular story option in which we try to reduce the wildness of life by constructing a system of promises and rewards, a contract that will obligate God to grant us exemption from the Arrows. It doesn't matter what the particular group bargain is—doctrinal adherence, moral living, or some sort of spiritual experience—the desire is the same: taming God to tame life. Never mind those deep yearnings of the soul; never mind the nagging awareness that God is not cooperating. If the system isn't working, it's because we're not doing it right. There's always something to work on, with the promise of abundant life just around the corner. Plenty of churches and leaders are ready to show you how to cut a deal. Our loss of confidence in a Larger Story is the reason we demand immediate gratification. We need to feel alive now, for now is all we have. Stories offer a taste of meaning, adventure, or connectedness. But none of them offer the real thing; they aren't large enough.
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 …
