Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 12/2/25
Topics include: Holy See surplus of $1.86 million; Teen rosary mission for children in Madagascar; How to criticize the Church; & Campus antisemitism spurs moving to Israel
“I’ll pray for thee from my pistachio tree”
Today's sources are the National Catholic Register, CNA, The Imaginative Conservative, CRUX, The Pillar, Big Pulpit, and MOM. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
Click here to view this email on the Catholic Nutshell News website. Today’s Catholic Nutshell News audio podcast is available on the Substack App.
Catholic News Agency
Holy See closed the 2024 fiscal year with a surplus of $1.86 million
By Victoria Cardiel, December 1, 2025
The Holy See closed the 2024 fiscal year with a surplus of 1.6 million euros ($1.86 million), according to the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy. This result represents a substantial change compared with the deficit of 51.2 million euros ($59.5 million) recorded in 2023, according to the Vatican. The last public report from the Holy See was from 2020 — published in 2021 — and showed a deficit of 66.3 million euros ($77 million). The current report indicates that the financial improvement is based on a reduction in the operating deficit, which decreased by almost 50%, from 83 million to 44 million euros, ($96.4 to $51.1 million) driven by a 79-million-euro ($91.8 million) increase in revenue, mainly from donations and hospital management, and by strict cost control that partially offset inflation and rising personnel costs.
Related: Vatican budget report: miracle or mirage? - The PILLAR, Ed. Condon, Dec 01, 2025
ACI Africa
American teen mission: Rosary devotion for children in Madagascar
By Agnes Aineah, December 1, 2025
In his regular reports about his experience in Africa, Asher Kaufman who is visiting several African countries to grow the Children’s Rosary movement on the continent wrote this about Madagascar, “My work here looks a little different from what I was doing in Kenya or Tanzania. This is because we have not previously had groups in Madagascar, and even the children’s familiarity with the Rosary is less here.” The 18-year-old from Connecticut USA arrived in Madagascar on November 8, after visiting Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya as part of his year-long trip to grow the Marian devotion globally. Asher said that unlike in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda where Rosary prayers were commonplace among children, Malagasy children’s familiarity with the Rosary was low. He therefore had to spend more time with the children in each school or parish he visited, starting prayer groups from scratch, before moving to the next destination.
The Pillar
How to criticize the Church so it helps, & you don’t go to hell
By Tim Glemkowski, November 27, 2025
Most practicing Catholics can admit they have struggled with particular decisions or statements coming from Church authorities, or with the perceived priorities of the hierarchy that might seem out-of-step with the life of the faithful “on the ground.” Loving the Church doesn’t mean being blind to the way she needs reform. Nor does it mean ignoring her. But loving the Church doesn’t mean a kind of destructive criticism either—feeding bitterness, resentment, or rebellion. Revisit a classic, Cardinal Yves Congar’s “True and False Reform in the Church.” Written in 1950 and influential for many Council Fathers, the book remains unusually relevant. Congar quoted Pope Pius XII, “The free expression of one’s opinion is the prerogative of every human society where people, responsible for their personal and social conduct, are intimately committed to the community to which they belong.” Congar even looked back with a touch of nostalgia at the Middle Ages as a period with a “healthy” capacity for internal criticism.
Times of Israel
Campus antisemitism spurs US college graduates to move to Israel
By Simone Saidmehr, December 2, 2025
For many American college students, a recent uptick in already high campus hostility to Israel and Jews is shaping a new wave of aliyah, Hebrew for immigration to Israel, turning an embattled student identity into a commitment to build a life in the Jewish state. According to Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that assists Diaspora Jews in making the move, 782 North Americans aged 20–25 made aliyah in 2024, a 24% increase from 2023. The organization also reports a notable increase in university graduates enlisting in the IDF after the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023. Masa Israel Journey — a nonprofit backed by the Israeli government that places Jewish young adults in immersive study, service, and internship programs in Israel — says early registrations for its programs are up roughly 32% from this time last year. Since October 7, the organization has welcomed nearly 2,000 fellows from the United States into post-graduate programs.
CatholicVote
16,499 people killed by Canada’s euthanasia program in 2024
By Joshua Mercer, December 1, 2025
The Canadian government released the annual report on its euthanasia program, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)—16,499 people were killed via the program in 2024 — a 6.9% increase from 2023. Nearly 75% of all requests for euthanasia were granted in 2024, according to the report. In total, 22,535 people requested MAID, 1,327 people were deemed “ineligible,” 4,017 died of another cause, and 692 people withdrew their request. The rest had their request granted and were killed. The 2024 report states, “While the total number of MAID provisions increased in 2024, the rate of growth decreased substantially,” noting that between 2019 and 2020 there was a 36.8% annual growth rate in MAID provisions. “While the Government is trying to assuage concerns by saying rates are ‘stabilizing,’” wrote Amanda Achtman, a Catholic Canadian anti-MAID activist, “MAID continues to represent a significant death toll and betrays a deeper cultural crisis of meaning and care.”
Aleteia
Pope ends 1st trip with advice for the powerless
By Kathleen N. Hattrup, December 2, 2025
After the suffering of the last years, especially symbolized by the mysterious explosion at the port that killed more than 200 people in August 2020, and where the Pope visited this morning, the way forward is difficult. At Mass this morning, his last public event, Pope Leo suggested that the key to building a better future is along the path of gratitude even when “paralyzed by powerlessness in the face of evil and oppressed by so many difficult situations” ... gratitude that will keep hope alive and strengthen courage. “Sometimes, weighed down by the struggles of life, worried about the many problems around us, paralyzed by powerlessness in the face of evil, and oppressed by so many difficult situations, we are more inclined to resignation and lamentation than to wonder and gratitude. Dear people of Lebanon, I invite you to cultivate always an attitude of praise and gratitude.”
CRUX
Controversial infant Jesus stolen from a Belgian Nativity scene
By Sylvain Plazy, AP, December 2, 2025
Belgian authorities are mystified over a brazen theft over the weekend from a Christmas Nativity scene of an icon of infant Jesus Christ that had been widely scorned online. Snatched from his crib on the Grand Place in historic old Brussels between late Friday night or early Saturday morning, this specific version of infant Jesus is part of a nativity scene which has been at the center of a maelstrom on social media because the faces of the characters lack eyes, noses and mouths. Artist Victoria-Maria Geyer crafted the nativity figure out of cloth in hopes the faithful from Japan to Namibia would see themselves in the soft fabrics lacking any identifying features, so that “every Catholic, regardless of their background or origins can identify themselves” in the biblical story of the birth of Christ, she said. Early reports that the infant Jesus had been beheaded are false, but Romanus said that in the past other baby Jesus figurines have been broken or stolen.
National Catholic Register
Religious sister confronting mental health crisis in California
By Jim Graves, December 1, 2025
When Sister Theres Hong Phuoc Tran teaches mental health workshops at Catholic parishes, schools and religious congregations, she uses this Scripture quote — “You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30)” — to illustrate that wellness consists of four components: heart (connection with others, being loved and loving others), soul (intimacy with God, finding purpose in one’s life), mind (feeding the intellect with good thoughts, seeking counsel when uncertain), and strength (living a physically healthy lifestyle). Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Sister Theres immigrated to the United States at age 11. In 2003, she joined the Lovers of the Holy Cross, a predominantly Vietnamese community whose motherhouse is in Los Angeles. Sister Theres added that Catholics can adopt various practices to improve their mental health, and specifically pointed to fasting.
From Pulpit & CNA to Fides for 12/2/25
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards Catholic blogger site: December 2, 2025
The Big Pulpit website is an intelligent news aggregator offering quality insight & analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide. Here are Chief Editor Tito Edward’s top recommendations for today.
Rome’s Failure to Correct German Bishops has Emboldened Their Pro-Gay Agenda – Ed Pentin
Reactions Mount In Canada To Undercover Video Exposing Late-term Abortions – The CWR
Will Cross-continental Bishops Become Pope Leo XIV’s Signature? – Luke Coppen at The Pillar
Pope Leo XIV: Moving the Pieces – Andrea Gagliarducci
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — December 2, 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 activities of the Holy See, available to anyone with internet access.
CNA explains: When is a deportation policy ‘intrinsically evil’ and when is it not? - Dec 2, 2025 - By Tyler Arnold - Caring for immigrants is a clear command in Scripture. Catholic teaching on the matter of mass deportations is somewhat nuanced. In his 1991 encyclical Centesimus Annus, the Holy Father spoke about deportations within the context of the forced removal of people during World War II.
Pope Leo prays at Beirut blast site, meets families seeking justice - Dec 2, 2025 - By Elias Turk - Pope Leo XIV paused on the final morning of his trip to Lebanon before the ruins of the Beirut port. And, the Pope urged Lebanon to place the sick at the center of society, By Elias Turk
Pope Leo appoints Mexican-born Oratorian as bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas - Dec 1, 2025 - By Courtney Mares - Pope Leo XIV on Monday appointed Bishop Mario Avilés as the new bishop of Corpus Christi, selecting the Mexican-born Oratorian. In 20212, he was elected procurator general of the confederation, a Rome-based role representing Oratorian communities to the Holy See. He speaks Spanish, English, and Italian.
Agenzia Fides
Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies - 12/2/25
Fides News Agency (Fides) was established in 1927, at the direction of the Council Superior General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, as the first Missionary Agency of the Church and among the first agencies in the world.
EUROPE/ITALY - “Changing Africa and changing the way we perceive it”: presentation of “The Metamorphosis of West Africa - Not only migration” - Rome (Agenzia Fides) “What is Africa?” This question was the focus of the presentation of the book “The Metamorphosis of West Africa – Not only migration” (Rubbettino, 2025), edited by Archbishop Samuele Sangal
ASIA/SRI LANKA - State of emergency due to Cyclone Ditwah: Catholic churches open to displaced people and committed to providing aid - Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – “The country is under water, and the situation is serious even in the cities. The entire nation has been hit by torrential rains and flooding. We are seeing much suffering and people who have lost their homes.
AFRICA/NIGERIA - Prayer chain for those abducted from Catholic schools in Papiri: the Superior General of the SMA Fathers in a sign of missionary unity with the OLA Sisters - Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – “We stand with them, we grieve with them, we pray with them,” is the call to prayer from the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostle for the 265 hostages of St. Mary’s Catholic School.
Nutshell reflections for 12/2/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - December 2, 2025
Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Catholic365
Our spiritual battle is the war within
By Eileen Renders, December 2, 2025
Father Gabriele Amorth told us in 2023 that many of the angels fell because they rebelled against God. We recall that before admitting the angels to paradise, God subjected them to a trial of obedience and humility, of which we know the nature but not the specifics. The sin of the fallen angels was one of pride and disobedience. Satan, the most beautiful of all the angels, being aware of his extreme intelligence, rebelled at the idea of being subjected to someone. He forgot that he was a creature made by God. Many angels followed him in his folly. Only God – who is omniscient, who intimately possesses the secrets of created reality, which is His own essence – knows the depth of the thoughts of each man. The last passage from the first letter of St Peter: “Brothers and sisters, be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, remain firm in your faith” (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8-9).
Imaginative Conservative
Our contemporary headlong development of artificial intelligence
By Glenn Arbery, November 30, 2025
Like Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus (not a great play), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (not a great novel) gave us one of the most enduring myths of the modern age. In fact, Shelley’s Victor Frankenstein might be considered a Romantic, post-Enlightenment version of Faustus. Instead of selling his soul to the devil for 24 years of power, he sacrifices his mortal happiness to his own unholy but immortal creation. I have been thinking about the Frankenstein myth recently because of Guillermo del Toro’s new version for Netflix, which continues the tradition of its predecessors: it is not a great film. Yet watching del Toro’s visually overwhelming rendition evoked a trace of my childhood terror when I saw Boris Karloff as the monster. What’s unnerving about del Toro’s Frankenstein is that it embraces and glorifies the creature in ways that remind me, on one hand, of the Romantic valorization of Milton’s Satan, and on the other, of our contemporary headlong development of artificial intelligence.
Catholic Mom
The tug-of-war within motherhood
By MaryBeth Eberhard, December 2, 2025
I’m often struck by the push-and-pull relationship I have with God. This tug of war is often instigated by me as I wrestle between the mother I want to be in the moment, and the mother God is shaping within me. In my heart, I want to be the mother God created me to be in all seasons, but even at age forty-nine, I wrestle with my interior self — that part that, in the moment, still longs to be fun, appreciated, and praised. Don’t get me wrong; I know my family loves me. But the reality is that in this season of their lives, my children don’t need a fun mom as much as they need one who speaks truth, models what is right, and remains steadfast and present — even when it costs something of me. I wonder if they can see how much they mean to me, if I’m doing enough, or when I fear I’m messing it all up. There is no dust on that file.
Catholic Stand
Consider ‘What’s my line?’ as your pathway to God
By Gabriel Garnica, December 2, 2025
“What’s My Line?” was quite a popular TV show that ran for 17 years. The premise of the show was simple. A celebrity panel tried to guess the occupations of mostly unknown guests by asking questions that could only be answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ Many occupations were eventually guessed, but many others remained a mystery. Given that the world seems intent on forgetting its God, I think we should consider how we would do in the ‘eternal version’ of this once popular game show. We all have a line of work, be it in education, business, communication, and the like. People proficient in math may pursue a career in accounting, engineering, science, or teaching math. But the bottom line is that God gives each of us talents, aptitudes, personalities, and preferences. There is, however, a difference between one’s occupation, profession, and vocation. How far and in what direction that most important of lines will take us will largely depend on how much we care about and discern, develop, pursue, and embrace that eternal line for God.
Catholic Nutshell News is a subscription service hosted by SubStack. Get up to a dozen recent articles from Monday to Saturday to review 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 …
