Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 9/11/25
Topics include: How we can mourn the victims; Vatican shuffles dioceses in China; Latin Mass coming to St. Peter’s; & Charlie Kirk said ‘Mary is the Solution’
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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
How can we mourn the victims of tragedy?
By Philip Kosloski, September 10, 2021
The Catholic Church encourages us to pray for the deceased, recognizing that these souls may be in Purgatory, a place of waiting in the afterlife before entering into Heaven. The Church teaches that it is a Spiritual Work of Mercy to pray for the souls of the faithful departed, imploring God to purify the souls of the dead “by the fire of His charity” and to bring them at last to their Heavenly Home. For deceased relative, friend, or victim of a tragedy, contact your local parish to inquire about offering a Mass for someone. Composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori, the nine days of prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory are a more prolonged way to pray for the deceased. One of the most popular prayers for the Souls in Purgatory is that of St. Gertrude the Great. The Eternal Rest prayer is as follows: Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Catholic News Agency
Christian Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah Valley University
By Tyler Arnold, September 10, 2025
Charlie Kirk — founder of the conservative campus activist organization Turning Point USA and outspoken evangelical Christian — was shot dead in an apparent assassination during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 10. Vice President JD Vance posted on X that Kirk’s campus events “are one of the few places with open and honest dialogue between left and right,” noting that Kirk “would answer any question and talk to everyone.” “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,” Vance said in a follow-up post. Kirk was a close ally of President Donald Trump, who expressed sadness about his death in a Truth Social post and referred to Kirk as “great, and even legendary.” “No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” he wrote. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Related: Trump addresses nation on assassination of Charlie Kirk: ‘This is a dark moment for America’, McKenna Snow, CatholicVote, September 10, 2025
Related: Officials call for prayer after conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed, by Kate Scanlon, Our Sunday Visitor, September 10, 2025
CatholicVote
Vatican announces suppression of 2 historic dioceses in China
By Rachel Quackenbush, September 10, 2025
The first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Zhangjiakou in northern China was ordained to the episcopate Sept. 10, the Vatican has announced. The Holy See also announced that Pope Leo XIV had decided to erect the new diocese July 8, simultaneously suppressing the historic dioceses of Xiwanzi and Xuanhua. Bishop Giuseppe Wang Zhengui, 62, will lead the new diocese. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1990 after seminary studies in Hebei. He served as a parish priest and later in diocesan ministry in both Xianxian and Xuanhua before being appointed as bishop of the Diocese of Zhangjiakou. The Zhangjiakou diocese was established by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1980; however, it has not been recognized by the Holy See. Instead, the Holy See has maintained the recently suppressed dioceses of Xiwanzi and Xuanhua as the legitimate dioceses for the territory, according to International Christian Concern.
Crux
Top US cardinal allowed to celebrate old Latin Mass at St. Peter’s
By Nicole Winfield, September 9, 2025
Traditionalist Catholics celebrated news Monday that the Vatican under Pope Leo XIV had permitted them to celebrate the old Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica during their upcoming pilgrimage. U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, a figurehead of the conservative and traditionalist wing of the Church, will celebrate Mass on October 25. The development was significant, given Pope Francis had alienated many traditionalists and conservatives with his years-long crackdown on the ancient liturgy. His reform greatly restricted its celebration globally and at the Vatican, and fueled conservative opposition to his pontificate. Burke, who became a high-profile critic of Francis, has met at least twice with Leo in formal audiences, most recently on Aug. 22. Burke was believed to be a key behind-the-scenes player rallying conservative votes in the May conclave that elected the former Cardinal Robert Prevost pope.
National Catholic Reporter
Peyton Manning invites Pope Leo to join NFL Monday Night podcast
By Jay Sorgi, September 10, 2025
Pope Leo XIV has received an invitation to hold what would be his first live interview with an American television network since being chosen as the holy father in May. No, the invitation does not come from a top news journalist or talk show host at ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC or NBC News. It's from Peyton Manning, his ESPN2 NFL co-host and brother Eli Manning, and the Monday Night Football "Manningcast." Midway through the third quarter of Sept. 8's Minnesota Vikings-Chicago Bears game held in Pope Leo XIV's hometown of Chicago, Peyton showcased his penmanship as he drafted and sent letters to the Catholic Church's first-ever American pope, the first-ever papal White Sox fan, and purportedly its first Bears fan. (The Vikings won, 27-24.) "If you're watching, your holiness, this is an open invitation. Come on the show anytime," Peyton said.
National Catholic Register
Mental illnesses missed behind the mask of gender dysphoria?
By Zelda Caldwell, September 10, 2025
An increasing number of parents are now coming forward to share their stories of the harm done to their children by specialists in gender-affirming care. The shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis — carried out by a biological male who identified as female — raises serious questions, according to experts, about whether struggling young people are being given “gender-affirming care” while their real psychological needs remain unaddressed. The shooter, Robin Westman, reportedly expressed regret about his gender transition shortly before killing two children and injuring 21 others before shooting himself. Mary Rice Hasson, a scholar with the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), told the Register that mental illness is often left untreated with gender-affirming care. “Once an adolescent is on the sex-rejecting or ‘gender-transition’ pathway, ‘gender-affirming’ mental health professionals stop exploring any other underlying psychological issues.”
The Pillar
After Minneapolis, Catholic school leaders bolster security
By Jack Figge, September 10, 2025
When news broke Aug. 27 that a man had shot through the windows of Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing two and injuring 18 others, pastors, principals, and superintendents across the country jumped into action to respond to concerns about the safety of their Catholic schools. The shooting appears to be the first mass shooting at a Catholic school in the United States, shocking administrators and pastors. But Wendell Hissrich, director of security for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, said he had long expected that the country’s spate of mass shootings would eventually impact a Catholic school directly. “We haven’t seen a tragedy occur in a Catholic school until Annunciation, but I think we all knew sooner or later it was going to happen,” Hissrich told The Pillar. Administrators scrambled to assess the situation. Diocesan and school officials aimed to strengthen safety protocols and to convey their plans to anxious families.
Our Sunday Visitor
Do past mortal sins follow converts to Catholicism until confession?
By Jenna Marie Cooper, September 10, 2025
Does a person’s mortal sin before becoming Catholic follow him or her until confession and absolution? It depends on whether or not the person becoming Catholic was a true convert, in the sense of turning to Jesus from a non-Christian religion, or whether they had been a non-Catholic Christian who “entered into full communion” with the Catholic Church. If a person were unbaptized before becoming Catholic, then all their sins would have been forgiven by their baptism. As we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins” (CCC, No. 1263). Already-baptized Christians would need to confess and receive absolution for any mortal sins they committed after baptism but prior to becoming Catholic, since it is baptism that has the power to forgive sins, and not reception into the Catholic Church, per se, on its own.
CatholicVote, CNA & ChurchPOP for 9/11/25
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.”
SCHOOL SHOOTING IN COLORADO - A student at Evergreen High School opened fire Wednesday, shooting two classmates before turning the gun on himself. One victim remains in critical condition, while the second suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition.
POPE SAYS TO HAVE HOPE IN THE DARKEST HOUR - During his general audience yesterday, Pope Leo XIV meditated on Christ’s final cry from the Cross, instructing the faithful to see it not as despair, but as a prayer of hope. “Jesus did not cry out against the Father, but to him,” Pope Leo said. "And in this way, he showed us that our hope can cry out, even when all seems lost.”
LIVING IN ROME AS THE CHURCH CHOSE A NEW POPE - Imagine studying in Rome during a papal conclave. One Christendom student experienced this once-in-a-lifetime moment firsthand and shares her reflections on living and studying in the heart of the Church with her classmates during the election of Pope Leo XIV. Read her incredible story from Christendom’s Rome Semester.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — September 11, 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.
Pope Leo XIV: Israeli attack in Qatar a ‘very serious’ development - Sep 10, 2025 - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - Referring to the growing tension in the Middle East conflict, Pope Leo XIV stated: “We must pray a lot and keep working, searching, insisting on peace.”
Cardinal Hollerich: ‘I would not define Church sexual morality so narrowly’ - Sep 10, 2025 - By CNA Deutsch - Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, explained ‘assembly’ as “somewhat more flexible than a synod. Canon law dictates who may participate in a synod. I attended an ecclesial assembly in Latin America where participation was split as follows: 20% bishops, 20% priests and deacons, 20% religious, and 40% laypeople. That’s a good mix.”
Students detail faith-based discrimination at Religious Liberty Commission hearing - Sep 9, 2025 - By Tyler Arnold - The Sept. 8 hearing was the Religious Liberty Commission’s second meeting since President Donald Trump created it earlier this year.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - September 11, 2025
We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.
Charlie Kirk Said ‘Mary is the Solution’ to Toxic Feminism in America: ‘We Don’t Talk About Mary Enough’ - In a July episode of his show, the late Charlie Kirk said, "Mary is a phenomenal example," and "a counter to so much of the toxicity of feminism.”
'He Felt a Nudge': How the Power of the Rosary Saved a Missing Man's Life - "The man pulled over. Got out of the car. And saved his life...Prayer works. Pray the rosary. The world needs it."
‘Christ Is Worth Life!’: 24-Year-Old Carmelite Nun Urges Young People to Be Fearless in Their Vocation - "Christ is worth life! When you feel that freedom within you, that ‘yes, this is the moment, I feel this in my heart,’ do it. Go for it."
Nutshell reflections for 9/11/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection - AUDIO - September 11, 2025
Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
What We Need Now
St. John Henry Newman: The doctor of friendship
By Fr. Olek Stirrat, September 9, 2023
In this age of social media, a new type of persona has arisen, namely that of the influencer. Influencers are “well-connected, create an impact, have active minds, and are trendsetters.” This form of communication, however, is problematic in that it is impersonal. A more apt form of influence is personal, and it was both advocated and lived out by none other than St. John Henry Newman, for whom friendship is the most authentic form of influence. In fact, it has been suggested that the epithet for John Henry Newman should be the Doctor of Friendship (Doctor Amicitiae). Newman’s prolific correspondence included 21,000 letters to friends and family. Friendship was not only the context that shaped his life and ministry, but the reality. He did not see friendship through a utilitarian lens but sought it for its own sake as an expression of his fidelity to God (see John 15:15).
Imaginative Conservative
Acceptable goals: Honor and fame
By Glenn Arbery, September 9, 2025
Robert Faulkner’s book, The Case for Greatness: Honorable Ambition and Its Critics, is welcome because the whole question is what kind of ambition is honorable. What kind of ambition is honorable? What should students who graduate from Wyoming Catholic College be ambitious for? Money and power, understood in the proper sense, can be worthy aims, but they require some justification. Honor, on the other hand, seems to need no defense as the object of ambition. Should honor and fame no longer be ends of ambition in our world? John Milton writes in “Lycidas” that “Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise/ … To scorn delights and live laborious days.” Similarly, Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 72 describes the love of fame as “the ruling passion of the noblest minds, which would prompt a man to plan and undertake extensive and arduous enterprises for the public benefit”—a sentiment very much like those he himself undertook in the early days of our republic.
Crisis Magazine
Charlie Kirk’s murder is a Turning Point for America
By Eric Sammons, September 11, 2025
Charlie Kirk’s job was to talk. He was far better at that skill than most people, and thousands upon thousands of people found what he said compelling. He talked mostly about controversial topics—although everything he advocated was mainstream opinion just two decades ago—always in a spirit of charity and constructive debate. He never advocated violence, nor did he ever demean those with whom he disagreed. Charlie Kirk was shot and killed for that job. This feels like a watershed moment, a turning point, to use the phrase with which Kirk named his organization. Christians must look beyond the here and now and beyond our desire for revenge. Our Lord told us to pray for our enemies, and so even while we strive for justice, we must not forget mercy. We cannot become that which we oppose. We must go back to basics; we must go back to Christ.
Wild at Heart
You cannot neglect the heart and get away with it
By John Eldredge, September 11, 2025
So let’s think about identity and the heart for a moment. God gave us the mind to protect the heart, not usurp it. As Walker Percy said, “You can get all A’s and still flunk life.” All men, young or old, have within them a famished craving for validation. It will not be denied. We will chase validation wherever we can, and we learn pretty quickly what our world rewards, what it shames, and what it cares nothing about. So the athletes seek validation by being fast, strong, and winning, while the valedictorians throw themselves into papers, exams, and maintaining their GPAs. The “spiritual leader” latches on to the praise coming from their giftings, and they give their hearts and souls over to that dance, while the “cool” kids go barefoot and wear dreadlocks. We are all looking for the same thing. You cannot neglect the heart and get away with it.
Image of peanuts by Nicole Köhler, from Pixabay
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