Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 5/12/26
Topics include: Haiti gets new Vatican embassy; Nigeria faces deepening crisis; Vatican Bank's 55.5% increase in profits; & Do guardian angels know our secret thoughts?
“I’ll pray for thee from my pistachio tree”
Today's sources are OSV News, EWTN, First Things, Big Pulpit, Zenit, 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
Haitian prime minister inaugurates new Vatican embassy
By Bohumil Petrík, May 11, 2026
Haiti is experiencing a multidimensional crisis. The country was struck by a devastating earthquake in 2010 and a subsequent cholera outbreak. In 2021, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, and the security and political situation deteriorated. Armed gangs control large parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and there have not been general elections for a decade. The next general elections are scheduled for Aug. 30. “We want to organize elections, ensure security, and move from receiving humanitarian aid to entering the commerce and market,” the prime minister said after the Mass for peace in Haiti, presided over by Parolin in the Basilica of St. Mary Major following the audience at the Vatican. On Sunday, May 10, the prime minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs, Raina Forbin, inaugurated the new seat of the embassy of Haiti to the Holy See, located just off the Vatican walls.
ACI Africa
‘Silent violence of poverty’: Nigeria faces deepening crisis
By Abah Anthony John, May 12, 2026
John Cardinal Onaiyekan has warned that worsening poverty, insecurity, and governance failures in Nigeria are fueling a deepening social crisis that threatens national unity, peaceful coexistence, and the country’s long-term stability. “We also face another form of violence that many people fail to recognize immediately — the silent violence of poverty, exclusion, and bad governance,” Cardinal Onaiyekan said. The Nigerian Cardinal warned that the country is confronting multiple and interconnected forms of violence, including terrorism, communal conflicts, unemployment, hunger, displacement, and growing hopelessness among citizens. Cardinal Onaiyekan emphasized that government policies directly affect citizens’ ability to access food, healthcare, education, and security, insisting that leaders must be held accountable. “We cannot continue pretending that economic hardship is disconnected from governance.”
National Catholic Register
Walking the Camino made praying come as naturally as breathing
By Zelda Caldwell, May 12, 2026
To follow the path of medieval pilgrims traveling to the tomb of St. James the Apostle, to spend my days with nothing to do but walk and sort out what I then thought was “the meaning of life” in the company of others doing much the same thing, sounded very much like something I wanted to do. The pilgrimage would be along the Camino Ingles — translated the “English Way” — which is the shortest complete route to Santiago, originally traveled by pilgrims who had sailed to Galicia from the British Isles during the Middle Ages. Over the course of five days, we would walk the 117-km route (just shy of 73 miles), which was just enough to earn a Compostela, the Latin-inscribed certificate awarded by the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to pilgrims traveling the Camino for religious reasons. It might be possible to bring that same more prayerful and more social spirit to my life at home.
Zenit
The Vatican Bank shows a 55.5% increase in profits over 2024
By ZENIT Staff, May 11, 2026
The Istituto per le Opere di Religione (IOR) published the fourteenth edition of its Annual Report, containing the 2025 Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with IAS-IFRS, and the disclosure corresponding to the Third Pillar of the Basel framework (Pillar III).
51 million Euro net income, up 55.5% vs. 2024, thanks to an increase in volumes of client assets.
32.3 million Euro interest margin, up from 29.4 million Euro in 2024; 26.2 million Euro commission margin, in line with the previous year of 26.5 million Euro; 66.3 million Euro intermediation margin, up from 51.5 million Euro in 2024.
5.9 billion Euro in total deposits (client deposits, assets under management, assets under custody) managed by the Institute vs. 5.7 billion Euro in 2024.
Related: IOR posts best returns in a decade, The PILLAR, May 11, 2026
CatholicVote
Colorado bishops oppose bill that threatens parents & sanctity of life
By Elise Winland, May 11, 2026
Colorado’s Catholic bishops issued a strong statement opposing HB26-1309, warning that the bill’s broad definitions of domestic abuse could undermine parental authority and a father’s role in protecting unborn life. The bill, titled “Abuses in Cases of Separation,” is intended to strengthen protections in domestic violence cases involving separation and custody disputes. But in a statement emailed to Zeale News, the bishops said the measure’s definitions of “coercive control” and “health-related abuse” could be used against parents who do not affirm a child’s “transgender” identity and against fathers who oppose abortion. “Parents who attempt to offer compassionate care for their children suffering from gender dysphoria could have their parental custody rights revoked under HB26-1309, and their children removed from their homes,” wrote the Archbishop of Denver James Golka, Bishop of Pueblo Stephen Berg, Auxiliary Bishop of Denver Jorge Rodríguez, Archbishop Emeritus of Denver Samuel Aquila, and Kyle Ingels, diocesan administrator of Colorado Springs.
Aleteia
Do guardian angels know our secret thoughts?
By Philip Kosloski, May 11, 2026
Catholics and many Christians believe in the existence of guardian angels, whom God has appointed to protect and guide us during our earthly journey. One question that comes with this belief concerns the angels' ability to know our thoughts. The short answer is no. They have not been given special access to our thoughts, whereby they force themselves into our minds. Only God is able to know exactly what is going on in our mind, as he is the creator and sustainer of us all. St. Thomas Aquinas states this clearly in his Summa Theologiae, "What is proper to God does not belong to the angels" (I, 57, 4). Philosopher Peter Kreeft writes in his book, Angels and Demons, that you can “will to reveal your thoughts and your secrets to your Guardian Angel by talking to him, as you would talk (pray) to a human saint in heaven or a friend on earth.” In most cases, we need to be the one who reveals our thoughts to our guardian angel. At the same time, our guardian angels have very intelligent minds and are experts at the art of observation, much better than us.
The Pillar
The cash received by Bishop Shaleta signals embezzlement
By The Pillar, May 11, 2026
While a search warrant remains sealed by court order, a recently unsealed arrest warrant details the extent of financial crimes alleged against Chaldean Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta, whose resignation from ecclesiastical office was accepted by Pope Leo XIV in early March. Shaleta, who previously led the Chaldean Catholic eparchy covering the western half of the U.S., was arrested at San Diego’s airport March 5, as he attempted to leave the United States with more than $9,000 in cash. A redacted arrest warrant — omitting the names of key witnesses in the case — was ordered unsealed April 12 in the criminal case against Shaleta, who is facing money laundering and embezzlement charges. The arrest warrant confirms reporting on the case from The Pillar, which in February broke the news that Shaleta had been accused of embezzlement and personal misconduct, amid a Vatican investigation that ended when both Shaleta and former Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Rafeal Sako saw their resignations from office accepted March 10.
OSV News
Trump to raise Jimmy Lai's imprisonment during China visit
By Kate Scanlon, May 11, 2026
President Donald Trump said on May 11 that he plans to discuss the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai during his upcoming visit to China; however, he suggested the prominent Catholic and pro-democracy campaigner “caused a lot of bedlam.” Lai, Hong Kong’s prominent Catholic media tycoon, was convicted of national security offenses under the city’s controversial national security law. U.S. officials, including Trump, have cast the charges leading to Lai’s conviction as fabricated, arguing that they were evidence that the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to silence dissent. “I’ll bring them both up,” Trump told reporters, also in reference to the arrest of Ezra Jin Mingri, founder and pastor of Zion Church, another political prisoner whose case has provoked grave religious freedom concerns from U.S. officials. “He tried to do the right thing. He wasn’t successful. Went to jail, and people would like him out.”
Pulpit, EWTN, & Fides News for 5/12/26
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards’ Catholic blogger site: May 12, 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.
Amid Priest Shortage, Catholic Ministry Aims to Reshape Views of Priesthood – Ma. Rose at Zeale
Vestment Instruction from The World’s Best Sacristan™ – Fr. Z’s Blog
Pope Names U.S. Bishop Lopes to Lead Australia’s Anglican Ordinariate – NC Register
Breaking: Pope Leo Is Catholic – Kathryn Jean Lopez at National Review
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — May 12, 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.
Illustrator of new stamp of Pope Leo XIV reflects on limits of AI in sacred art - By Andrés Henríquez - Spanish painter Raúl Berzosa, who has been commissioned for a number of philatelic works by the Vatican, said that while AI can be a useful tool for ideas or composition, it is a soulless creation.
U.S. bishops object to Trump administration tightening asylum and federal housing assistance rules - By Tyler Arnold - The bishops warned that proposed rules could have moral consequences, with people losing housing assistance and others being denied the opportunity to work.
Supreme Court temporarily extends access to mail-order mifepristone - By Tessa Gervasini - The drug will continue to be available at pharmacies or through mail, and it can be obtained without an in-person visit to a doctor. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered a review of the abortion drug mifepristone in May 2025.
Agenzia Fides
Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies - 5/12/26
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.
AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - Violence and attacks continue in Cabo Delgado province: Bishop of Quelimane calls for prayer - Quelimane (Fides News Agency) – The Islamist insurgency (ISM) continues in Cabo Delgado province. Recent attacks in districts such as Nangade, Mocímboa da Praia, and the southern areas have targeted civilians.
ASIA/CHINA - New Church in the Diocese of Wenzhou dedicated to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux - Wenzhou (Fides News Agency) – The consecration and opening of a new church dedicated to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Patron Saint of missions, marks a new beginning for the faith and commitment of the Catholic community.
AFRICA/GHANA - Elevation to diocese of the apostolic vicariate of Donkorkrom, Ghana, and appointment of first bishop - Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - The Holy Father has elevated the apostolic vicariate of Donkorkrom, Ghana, to a diocese, with the same name and territorial configuration, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan see.
Nutshell reflections for 5/12/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - May 12, 2026
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
The Imaginative Conservative
Why God made you
By Ronald Knox, May 9 2026
For his own glory. I expect you think that sounds very selfish of him. But, you see, there isn’t any higher motive for which anything can be done, and in the long run, there isn’t any other reason for which anything can happen than the greater glory of Almighty God. He couldn’t create you for the sake of any other created things, because all other created things only existed for his glory. He couldn’t create you for your own sake, because, you see, there wasn’t any you. For his own glory, not that his eternal Blessedness could be increased in any way by the existence of any created thing. Your existence, if you don’t mind my saying so, isn’t in the least necessary. No, as the artist loves to create beautiful things, so God, whose goodness loves to diffuse itself everywhere, created you for himself.
Missio Dei Catholic
The cost of faith
By Ana Luque, May 11, 2026
In today’s Gospel, Jesus prepares His disciples for what lies ahead. They have walked with Him, listened to Him, witnessed His miracles — but they are about to enter a world that will reject them, just as it did Him. Most importantly, Christ makes them no promises of earthly comfort, or even success. Instead, He reminds them that following Him will always come at a cost. “They will expel you from the synagogues,” He warns, and for the Apostles, this is no small thing. To be cast out of the temple means isolation, exclusion, suffering. But Jesus tells them all this precisely so they “may not fall away” when the time comes. After all, Christ knows how easily fear can silence a faithful heart. He knows how tempting it is to stay quiet and keep our mouths shut. And while it is true we may not be facing the same trials the Apostles once did, we do live in a world that frequently misunderstands Christ and His Church. Our faith is belittled, disrespected, and insulted. The parallels are there.
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
The education of a poet—Corso in stripes
By James K. Hanna, May 4, 2026
Baptized Nuncio Corso at birth, he later changed his name to Gregory. When abandoned by his mother and father at age one, he was given over to the care of Catholic charities. Gregory Corso lived to age 70, dying of prostate cancer in Minneapolis on January 18, 2001. His death drew international headlines. The banner in The Vancouver Sun read, “Poet was Last Literary Hero of Beat Generation.” The San Francisco Chronicle called Corso the “Last of the Beat Triumvirate,” linking him to Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. In a 1974 interview he told Robert King, “From “One to 10, I had eight mothers, because I didn’t have my mother; they sent me to all these orphanages and foster homes. Ten to 17 were funny years because 16 and a half—prison, 13—bad boy’s home, so from 10 to 17—institutional; out on the streets when I was 20 years old.” Corso, free, digging himself, educated and transformed by three years of reading masterpieces and a dictionary, made his way back to New York and Greenwich Village.
First Things
Thomophobia: It’s a real thing
By Mary Harrington, May 12, 2026
Every year, the American Library Association marks “Banned Books Week,” a celebration devoted mostly to books that aren’t banned at all, such as The Handmaid’s Tale. It does not usually include actually banned books, such as the terrorism manuals that may attract the attention of law enforcement. There is, however, a third category of banned books. This the kind that’s banned not in the sense of being impossible to acquire, but in the sense that if you quote the ideas, or imply that you think the author should be treated as a thinker of note, your views will be dismissed as unserious, worryingly ideological, and even morally suspect. The most obvious title on this list is Mein Kampf. There are many more. One of the less obvious is the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas. Outside the bubble of Catholic circles, the moment you cite Aquinas, people stop listening. Game over.
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