Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 3/24/26
Topics include: Where does the pope vote or pay taxes?; Chinese Children barred from Church; Shia culture of martyrdom a key issue; & The gift of Down Syndrome
“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)
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.
EWTN News
Does the pope vote in Peru or pay U.S. taxes?
By Madalaine Elhabbal, March 17, 2026
Questions about whether Pope Leo XIV must vote in Peru or pay taxes in the United States remain unresolved, with one canon law expert arguing that the pope’s unique status as a sovereign head of state likely exempts him in practice — even if the legal picture is not entirely settled. The debate has gained attention following Leo XIV’s election, given that he holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship. In Peru, voting is mandatory, with elections scheduled for April 13. In the United States, citizens — including those living abroad — are generally required to file tax returns, including disclosures of foreign income. The Holy See Press Office did not immediately respond to questions about whether the pope will vote in Peru or in the United States or file U.S. income tax returns. referring to canon law, Vatican law, and the laws of the countries from which popes originate. “None of these systems establishes uniform rules,” said Professor Antonio G. Chizzoniti, a canon law scholar, noting that the pope’s legal status is the result of a “complex layering of norms” that has led to different outcomes in modern history.
ACI Africa
Media in Nigeria worry violence victims are ‘mere statistics’
By Abah Anthony John, March 23, 2026
The National President of the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN), Chimdi Onuoha, has cautioned journalists and media professionals covering violence in the West African country against reducing victims to mere statistics. “The issue of violence is not just about numbers. The human person must always be at the center of our reports. We must report with professional dignity and with humanity so that those affected are not stripped of their identity and value,” Onuoha said. Mr. Onuoha encouraged journalists to adopt investigative and solution-oriented approaches by examining the root causes of conflicts. “Conflicts do not just arise; they are the result of processes that build up over time. As journalists, we must go beyond reporting incidents to uncover the causes and help society address them at the root,” he explained.
The Pillar
Vatican opens beatification cause for priest who served the poor
By Edgar Beltrán, March 23, 2026
The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has approved the opening of the cause of beatification of Fr. Roberto Malgesini, an Italian priest known for his work with the poor in the city of Como, until his murder in 2020. Malgesini was stabbed to death by a homeless man with mental health issues as he loaded his car with breakfast items to distribute to the poor near the Church of Saint Rocco, where he served. A statement from the diocese announcing the open cause did not specify if Malgesini is being considered under a 2017 category by which a candidate for beatification can be considered for making an “offer of life,” losing their lives in the service of charity. Shortly after his killing, Pope Francis praised the priest, calling his death a “martyrdom of this witness of charity toward the poorest.” His killer was later sentenced to 25 years in prison. Speaking on Saturday, Cardinal Cantoni called Malgesini “a man of prayer, a man of hope, a man of meekness.”
Zenit
China: Children are barred from Church doors
ZENIT Staff, March 23, 2026
Under the updated Regulations on Religious Affairs, United Front Work Departments and Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureaus in several Chinese provinces—including Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Henan—have issued rules enforcing a strict separation between religion and minors. These rules clearly ban anyone under 18 from entering religious venues to attend Mass or worship services. They also prohibit churches and religious groups from organizing youth training programs, summer camps, or winter camps. Community centers are not allowed to let children participate in any religious ceremonies or discussions. Believers who attend church gatherings must arrange childcare beforehand. Many Three-Self Patriotic Churches prominently display signs at their entrances that read “No entry for those under 18.” While similar rules existed before, the new regulations are now strictly enforced.
CatholicVote
Virginia Latin Mass Society to run free shuttle to ancient liturgy
By Grace Porto, March 23, 2026
The Arlington Latin Mass Society will provide a free shuttle to bring faithful from their diocese to the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified, a more ancient form of the Good Friday liturgy, at the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Baltimore. According to the March 22 announcement, the Diocese of Arlington will not have Tridentine celebrations of the Good Friday liturgy because the motu proprio Traditiones custodes limited which parishes may celebrate the TLM. The Mass of the Pre-Sanctified is not a Mass, since it does not include the Consecration of the Eucharist. Instead, it was the Good Friday Liturgy that Roman Catholics observed until 1955. Catholic Straight Answers explains that in this liturgy, only the priest receives Holy Communion. The Mass of the Pre-Sanctified also more closely resembles a Mass than the modern Good Friday liturgy.
Aleteia
Popes speaking on politics: A duty, not a choice
By Daniel Esparza, March 24, 2026
It is a familiar criticism: the pope should “stay in his lane” and “keep out of politics.” The claim sounds reasonable in an age wary of power and ideology, marked by the separation of Church and state. Yet it rests on a misunderstanding of what politics actually is. It forgets that when it comes to what affects the human person, the Church is the foremost expert. In its classical sense, politics is not primarily about parties, campaigns, or elections. For thinkers like Aristotle, it concerns life in the polis — the shared space where human beings live “among others” (inter homines esse). Politics, in this deeper sense, is about how we order our common life: how we protect the vulnerable, pursue justice, and seek the good together. Understood this way, the pope cannot avoid politics — because the Church cannot avoid the human person. The mission of the papacy is spiritual, not governmental. Yet it is precisely this mission that brings popes into the public square.
National Catholic Register
Shia culture of martyrdom key to understanding Iran
By Edward Pentin, March 23, 2026
Western governments misread Iran if they assume its theocratic regime will quickly capitulate under military pressure, because the country’s leaders are sustained by a Shia religious worldview that exalts suffering and martyrdom as supreme virtues. This is the view of Msgr. Michael Nazir-Ali, a member of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, is a former Anglican bishop and an expert in Islamic history. Writing in the UK’s Daily Telegraph on March 17, Msgr. Nazir-Ali argued that Tehran’s defiance is not simply political brinkmanship, but flows from a centuries-old theology in which dying for the faith is a privilege believed to advance God’s purposes and hasten the coming of a just order. Western policymakers, he warned, must factor this “martyr complex” into their strategic calculations if they are to avoid repeating the mistakes of earlier Middle Eastern interventions.
OSV News
r/AskAPriest: The internet’s holiest forum is on Reddit.com
By Andrew Foster / Northwest Catholic, March 24, 2026
Reddit.com is not typically a place most people think of venturing to when they need to ask a priest a question. But thanks to the work of several priests at the site, some people are receiving Catholic answers they’ve been looking for on an online discussion forum. The subreddit r/AskAPriest was created around five years ago. Father Jacob Maurer, one of its founders, said it stemmed from a need he and fellow priests who posted on r/Catholicism identified. “We realized people were seeking out Catholic priests to ask us questions,” Father Maurer said. “And we were quickly becoming like, ‘This kind of online ministry that we hadn’t really thought about.’” One of the priests suggested that they create a sister subreddit to r/Catholicism specifically to address questions people had for priests. Ten priests ended up creating r/AskAPriest. Father Maurer said that there continues to be a core of around five or six priests who are active on the subreddit and around 20 others, including one bishop, who are on and off.
Pulpit, EWTN, & Fides News for 3/24/26
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards Catholic blogger site: March 24, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is an intelligent news aggregator offering insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide. Here are Chief Editor Tito Edward’s top recommendations for today.
Relic of Christ on Brief Display at St. Peter’s Each Year: The Veil of St. Veronica – Rome Reports
How to Fix the Bugnini Mass (Novus Ordo) – Fr. Allan J. McDonald at Southern Orders
What’s in the Hidden Crypt Near the Vatican? – Rome Reports
Why the Family is the Human Habitat: The Need for a Place Where Life Can Grow – Fr. Giordano
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — March 24, 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.
Exorcists urge pope to appoint trained practitioners in every diocese - By Victoria Cardiel - Representatives of the International Association of Exorcists (AIE) have asked Pope Leo XIV to ensure that every Catholic diocese worldwide has “one or more” trained exorcists, citing what they describe as a rise in cases linked to occult practices and spiritual distress.
On World Tuberculosis Day, Catholic sisters tend to Bangladesh’s sick and forgotten - By Stephan Uttom Rozario - “Bangladesh is an underdeveloped country and due to financial reasons, many people in this country do not go to the doctor at the primary stage of any health issue, only when the problem becomes big — and this is the case with tuberculosis patients.”
In pro-life victory, Mexican state establishes ‘Day of the Unborn Child’ - By Diego López Colín - The state of Aguascalientes in Mexico marked a milestone in the defense of life by becoming the first state to establish a specific date as the “Day of the Unborn Girl and Boy,” an initiative aimed at promoting public policies in support of maternal health and child development.
Agenzia Fides
Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies - 3/24/26
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 - The testimony of Father Elias from the Christian villages of southern Lebanon, under attack by the Israeli army: "We are resisting with our living flesh" - by Gianni Valente Rmeish (Agenzia Fides) – "We are practically cut off from the outside world. Only an old road can still be used and keeps us connected to Tyre. Yesterday, we managed to send a convoy with essential items.”
AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Bishops: The proposed constitutional amendment challenges the very foundation of our shared life together” - Harare (Agenzia Fides) – “The proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, 2026, challenges the very foundation of our shared life together,” reads a statement from the Zimbabwean Bishops' Conference.
War in the Middle East: Holy Sepulchre inaccessible in Jerusalem and traditional Holy Week rites canceled - Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – No Palm Sunday procession from the Garden of Olives. No Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday. The war unleashed by the United States and Israel against Iran is now leading to the official cancellation of all events.
Nutshell reflections for 3/24/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - March 24, 2026
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
A fresh look at Catholic writer John Fante (1909–1983)
By James K. Hanna, March 20, 2026
If you’re not familiar with the late writer John Fante (1909–1983), his novels, short stories, and screenplays are similar to those of Jack Kerouac. I’ve just finished with the “Bandini Quartet”—it’s not a band (though a great band name), but rather four books—autobiographical fiction or semi-autobiographical novels written by Fante and featuring his fictional alter ego, Arturo Bandini, and sometimes referred to as The Saga of Arturo Bandini. I first read Ask the Dust (his best known), followed by Wait Until Spring, Bandini, then Dreams from Bunker Hill, and lastly The Road to Los Angeles. It is the often-quixotic tale of an impoverished young Italian American who, equipped with a Jesuit high school education and inspired with the desire to write novels, escapes his stifling Colorado home life to seek fame and fortune in a Depression-era Los Angeles. Here’s one: When Fante died in 1983, Martin Sheen attended the funeral Mass, “rising and kneeling and responding in Latin to all the antiphonal prayers.”
Catholic World Report
The gift of Down Syndrome
By Monica Seeley, March 21, 2026
Today is the best of all times to be born with Down Syndrome, and the worst of all times. In the United States, some 76% of children diagnosed with the genetic disorder in utero are aborted—and elsewhere around the world, that number spikes to almost 100%. Those who survive have opportunities like never before. Today, individuals with Down syndrome are excelling and advocating for themselves as never before. As triathlete Gabe Cobb told the United Nations in 2023: “I have Down syndrome and I have no limitations.” It’s not as rare as a lightning bolt—about 6,000 of the 3.6 million babies born in the United States each year have Down syndrome. But to parents hearing the diagnosis, it can feel like one, searing through expectations and dreams. Down syndrome comes with a lifetime of challenges and a host of health issues, including heart defects, respiratory and hearing problems, and cognitive issues. Most people with Down syndrome have Trisomy 21, an extra copy of chromosome 21 that affects every cell of their bodies and every aspect of their development.
CRUX
US sends drones to Nigeria to join troops
By Monika Pronczuk, March 24, 2026
The United States has deployed drones to Nigeria, a U.S. defense official said Monday, as the West African country’s military faces a multifaceted security crisis. The MQ-9 drones, also known as Reapers, were deployed after 200 U.S. troops arrived in Nigeria last month to provide training and intelligence. The drones, which can fly at altitudes over 40,000 feet and can loiter for more than 30 hours, have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA over the Middle East for years. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the country's northern regions. Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups active in Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and is known as Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP. More than 40,000 people in Nigeria have been killed since Boko Haram’s insurgency began, according to data from the United Nations. Analysts say the government is not doing enough to protect its citizens.
Related: In its 2026 World Watch List, Open Doors ranks Nigeria as 7th among the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians, and the deadliest - Religion Unplugged, Diana Chandler, January 21, 2026
First Things
The beginnings of a religious renaissance in America
By Alan Schmidt, March 23, 2026
In recent decades, a quiet renaissance has taken hold in the Church. Congregations, though often smaller than they were, are animated by the desire for a vibrant faith. Though the scope of this revival is unclear, there’s little doubt that an unexpected trend is underway. Some polling indicates that the younger generations are becoming more religious, and not just more religious, but more likely than their elders to adhere to historical orthodoxy. Even the secular press has taken note. The growing popularity of the Catholic Tridentine Mass is well known. But the yearning for tradition is also evident in Orthodox churches, which are seeing a surge in converts, largely young men. The New York Post reports, “A survey of Orthodox churches around the country found that parishes saw a 78% increase in converts in 2022, compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019.” Whether the trend cheers or appalls, the descent into secularism seems to be stalling. We may be witnessing the beginnings of a religious renaissance in America.
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 …
