Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 3/10/26
Topics include: ‘House of David,’ ‘The Chosen’ awarded; Africa’s youth shun Catholic Church; Cardinal of Tehran escapes to Rome; & Caution on waging war
“I’ll pray for thee from my pistachio tree”
Today's sources are OSV News, EWTN, First Things, CRUX, The Pillar, Big Pulpit, and CatholicVote. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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EWTN News
‘House of David,’ ‘The Chosen’ win big at the Movieguide Awards
By Francesca Pollio Fenton, March 9, 2026
“The Chosen” and “House of David” were among the many winners at the 33rd annual Movieguide Awards, which aired March 5. The annual Movieguide Awards celebrate TV shows and movies that, according to its website, “reflect Christian values, biblical truth, and messages of redemption, hope, and faith” and “stories that uplift families, strengthen believers, and point hearts toward Christ.” “House of David” and the star of the show, Michael Iskander, took two awards home. The new hit series won the Faith and Freedom Award for Television, which honors programs that “celebrate independence, faith in the midst of oppression, individual dignity, and freedom” — for its Season 2 episode titled “The Truth Revealed.” Jon Erwin, creator, writer, and producer of the series, said in his acceptance speech that being at the awards show reminded him of Psalm 34: “Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
ACI Africa
Worried about Africa’s future as youth shun Church
By ACI Africa Staff, March 6, 2026
At Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) Faculty of Theology’s 28th Interdisciplinary Session, Father Stephen Mbugua Ngari, Vice Chancellor (VC), said that without nurturing young people to assume leadership roles, the Church in Africa risks experiencing parish closures similar to those he said are occurring in parts of Europe, particularly amid rapid technological advancements. “The youth are no longer coming to Church, and therefore in 20 years or 30 years, when the current generations are old and cannot sustain the Church, who will sustain the Church?” said the Kenyan Catholic Priest. “We need to do quite a bit of research on how we sustain our Church. The Church, which was built on St. Peter, has existed and prospered for two millennia, addressing these needs without sacrificing doctrine,” Fr. Mbugua said.
The Pillar
Cardinal of Tehran, thought missing, evacuates to Rome
By Edgar Beltrán, March 9, 2026
Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, OFM Conv. of Tehran-Isfahan, announced on March 9 that he had fled to Rome, along with the staff of the Italian embassy to Iran, “not without regret and sorrow.” The archdiocese’s Cathedral of the Consolata and the archbishop’s residence are located within the territory of the Italian embassy. “I arrived in Rome yesterday, not without regret and sorrow for our brothers and sisters in Iran, as part of the complete evacuation of the Italian embassy, [where] the archdiocese [is located]. Until I return there, pray for the conversion of hearts to inner peace,” Mathieu said in a statement to Cathobel. Before the announcement, Catholics around the world had expressed concern for Mathieu, since he hadn’t been reached since before the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. Catholics in Iran represent a small minority. Conservative estimates identify 3,500 Catholics, of which 1,300 are Latin Catholics. There could be as many as 20,000 Catholics in the country. Vatican statistics count only three priests serving Iran in 2024.
Zenit
Pro-life & anti-LGBT+: Trump’s new Secretary of Homeland Security
By ZENIT Staff, March 6, 2026
A significant shift in the leadership of U.S. domestic security policy is underway after Donald Trump announced the nomination of Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, to serve as the next Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Trump framed the decision as part of a broader effort to intensify enforcement of immigration law and strengthen security along the southern border. Mullin, who must still be confirmed by the United States Senate before assuming the post, has spent more than a decade in federal politics. Mullin is widely known for his strong social conservative views. A father of six children—three of whom are adopted—he has frequently spoken about his Christian faith and its influence on his political convictions. Mullin said that protecting unborn life was a personal commitment shaped by both his religious beliefs and his experience as an adoptive father.
CatholicVote
Cardinal Zen on SSPX: Avoid schism ‘with every effort’
By McKenna Snow, March 2, 2026
Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, recently weighed in on the situation of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), which plans to consecrate new bishops without the permission of Pope Leo XIV this summer, risking excommunication and schism. The cardinal noted that the situation is complex, writing that “it seems that even traditionalists are divided.” Cardinal Zen said this is understandable and that two things need to be considered: First, that “a schism must be avoided with every effort, because it will cause serious and lasting damage to the Church.” “But on the other hand,” he continued, “a major issue of conscience must also be respected: ‘How can someone be forced to follow teachings that evidently deny the Holy Tradition of the Church?’” In reflecting on how the situation could be resolved, Cardinal Zen noted that “the SSPX have been sent to dialogue with the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, but is there even a glimmer of hope from this dialogue?”
Aleteia
Bosnia-Herzegovina leaders, Medjugorje’s nation, meet Pope
By I.Media, March 10, 2026
On March 9, 2026, Pope Leo XIV received in an audience the members of the tripartite presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Balkan country is a particular focus of the Holy See, which continues to encourage its stabilization and European integration. Papal diplomats frequently travel to the region. On June 6, 2015, Pope Francis visited Sarajevo, the capital of the combined nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The nation is home to the popular Marian site of Medjugorje. Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been experiencing a steady decline in population since the end of the war, remains marked by high levels of emigration among young people, particularly to Germany, Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia. Bosnian Catholics, whose numbers have halved since before the war, currently represent around 15% of the country's population. The system of executive power sharing has so far prevented the country from plunging back into war and violence.
First Things
Caution on waging war while losing our humanity
By Peter J. Leithart, March 9, 2026
Augustine tempered the Old Testament by applying Jesus' teaching to warfare. Can war be an act of love or, as Daniel Bell Jr. puts it, of Christian discipleship? Augustine said, “Yes.” Christians fight to protect the weak, but also to do good to their enemies, whose souls are endangered by their own pride, cruelty, and injustice. Even when it’s just to right with harsh charity, Augustine said, men should “grieve that they must fight at all—even in a just war,” and anyone who gushes over killing “has lost touch with his humanity.” “Even in waging war,” Augustine urged, “cherish the spirit of peace-maker; that, by conquering those whom you attack, you may lead them back to the advantages of peace.” he old liberal order, in both its realist and idealist forms, has frayed and needs to be demolished. But that leaves the world, especially the world’s military superpower, in moral peril. Winning cannot become the sole law of war. Jesus warned us: Nations and militaries, like individuals, can win the whole world and lose their souls.
OSV News
Policy where foster homes must affirm children’s LGBTQ+ identity
By Kate Scanlon, March 9, 2026
The Department of Health and Human Services March 6 proposed scrapping a Biden administration policy requiring foster homes to affirm a child’s gender transition or sexual orientation. HHS posted a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” in the Federal Register that would rescind the Biden administration rule, which was finalized in 2024. That policy requires that a “Designated Placement” (provider) for an LGBTQ+ child must satisfy three conditions: commit to “establishing an environment that supports the child’s LGBTQ+ status or identity”; undergo training for “appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression”; and commit to “facilitate the child’s access to age- or developmentally appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.”
Pulpit, EWTN, & Fides News for 3/10/26
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards Catholic blogger site: March 10, 2026
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.
SPope Leo XIV Meets Traditional Latin Mass Sociologists – The Catholic Herald
New Pro-Family Coalition Threatens the Future of the Obergefell Decision – Tradition, Family, & Property
What Is the Point of a Priest? – Thomas J. Nash, M.A., at Catholic Answers Magazine
The Ideal of Catholic Masculinity – Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, M.P.A., M.Phil., S.T.L., at Lepanto Institute
Could England Be Catholic Again? – Kevin T. DiCamillo at Crisis Magazine
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — March 10, 2026
EWTN News 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.
Church welcomes Nepal election landslide as new party sweeps out old guard - By Anto Akkara - The Rastriya Swatantra Party won 125 of 165 directly elected seats in the March 5 vote, ending decades of coalition instability in the Himalayan nation. “It is a mandate against all the misconduct of politicians and political parties,” Father Silas Bogati, apostolic administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, told EWTN News March 9.
Vatican to host conference on molecular biology and regenerative medicine - By Victoria Cardiel - The March 23–24 meeting in Vatican City will bring together scientists, physicians, and bioethicists to examine the ethical challenges of biotechnology from a Christian perspective. The event will explore links among fields, including biomedicine and molecular engineering.
Aid to the Church in Need warns escalating violence threatens survival of Middle East Christians - By ACI MENA - Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN, said she fears for the Christian presence in the Middle East amid rising tensions and violence. She said any new war would come at a heavy cost, one borne first and foremost by civilians, especially Christians, who are often among the weakest and least able to defend themselves.
Agenzia Fides
Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies - 3/10/26
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.
ASIA/LEBANON - After the death of Father al-Raï: Christians in the south caught between evacuation pressure and the desire to stay - Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – In peacetime, it was rightly included by tour operators in lists of the “most beautiful Lebanese villages.” This morning, Alma al Chaab saw families, all Christians, get into their cars and leave.
AFRICA/GHANA - Fr. René Yao and the St. Martin Deaf Ministry: “I do not want separate Masses for the deaf. We must pray together, as one body in Christ” - Accra (Agenzia Fides) – “At first, I did not have an office. I sat under a tree near the church. Later, parishioners pointed out that I could not work under a tree and helped me set up a small office.”
AFRICA/SUDAN - The impact of the war against Iran on the situation in Sudan - Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – Sudan has become another battleground in the struggle between the Israeli-American coalition and Iran. This follows the United States' designation of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a "terrorist” group.
Nutshell reflections for 3/10/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - March 10, 2026
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
George Weigel
George Weigel, 25 years ago, on the unification of Christianity
By George Weigel, July 5, 2001
The moral confusions evident in some mainline Protestant communities are a serious obstacle to Christian unity. When the General Assembly of the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland endorses the creation of cloned human embryos for the sole purpose of experimenting on them and then killing them, that is a serious obstacle to Christian unity. When some mainline Protestant leaders attempt moral justifications for abortion and euthanasia, that is a grave obstacle to Christian unity. Much of the Protestant world, in the five centuries since the Reformation, has lost a sacramental sense of reality: that intuition which takes seriously the “givenness” of things, in the conviction that the extraordinary and transcendent are revealed through the stuff of this world—water, oil, and salt; bread and wine; sexual love within the bond of marriage. When the Anglican Communion typically debates the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate in sociological rather than sacramental terms, that is a serious impediment to Christian unity—and it bespeaks a diminished sense of sacramentality.
Unique fairy tale tells biblical stories unknown by today’s kids
By Paul Senz, March 9, 2026
“I began to encounter young people who did not know the biblical stories or symbols, and their parents didn’t either. There was the moment I mentioned Noah and the Ark to illustrate the definition of ‘deluge’, and was met with the blank faces of high schoolers—they had no knowledge of the story,” said E.P. Cowley. Her novel, Tales from Wakken Wood, published by Ignatius Press, is inspired by the folklore and language of the Isle of Man, in the midst of the British Isles. It tells the story of a young boy with a mysterious family and strange abilities, and the odd creatures that inhabit the seemingly normal islands where he lives. He and his friend must join forces to unravel the mysteries and overcome evil. Joseph Pearce describes it as “somewhere as weird and wonderful as Middle-earth or Narnia,” and Cheri Blomquist says it is part “Middle-earth, part Narnia, and part contemporary whimsy rooted in Manx fairy lore…”
CRUX
Kenneth More: The Making of a Movie Legend
By Nicole Winfield, March 2, 2026
In his new book Kenneth More: The Making of a Movie Legend, biographer Nathan Morley reveals how the beloved star, who shot to fame playing wartime heroes in British cinema classics such as Reach for the Sky and Sink the Bismarck!, unexpectedly carved out a sideline as a crime‑solving Catholic priest. Morley charts how More, long celebrated for his stiff‑upper‑lip charm and heroic screen roles, suddenly swapped cockpits and command posts for cassocks and quiet deduction, stepping into the unlikely world of G.K. Chesterton’s 1974’s 13 episodes of Father Brown — a transformation that surprised fans and baffled critics, yet became one of the most intriguing chapters of his career. “Father Brown often embarrassed the police, and the role required Ken to suppress his own cheeky persona and become a likeable, slightly lumpy little priest,” said Morley. “I’m not opposed to the principles of Catholicism. No one has ever convinced me there is no God. I don’t think anyone who has seen active service, as I have, and been near to death, as I have, can entirely disbelieve,” said More on Catholicism.
Related: Remembering the Legacy of Mark Williams: The Actor behind the Father Brown BBC series (2013-24) Passes Away - By the Birmingham Journal, September 2, 2024
First Things
Politics does not equal government
By Daniel B. Gallagher, March 9, 2026
The 250th birthday of the United States is a good time to remember that 1776 was the year of a new nation, not a new government. It would take another eleven years for the Founders to formulate what the government would look like, and two more to elect the first president. This sequence of events reminds us that it is not a government that makes a nation, but a nation that makes a government. Even people who lack a sovereign territory, such as the Kurds or Basques, conceptualize themselves in some way as a nation before devising some sort of governing apparatus. You need something to govern before you can figure out how to govern it. The Vichy regime in France is an example of what can happen when one attempts to establish a government without a true nation behind it. Back in 1976, virtually no one hesitated to wave a flag, march in a parade, and join in singing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” Fifty years later, students no longer recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the elementary school I attended.
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