Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 5/6/25
Topics include: New pope will have a full calendar, Law threatening confessional seal, China secretly ‘elected’ two bishops, & EU Parliament hails Francis' moral authority
“I’ll pray for thee from my pistachio tree”
Today's sources are the National Catholic Register, CNA, Aleteia, The CatholicVote, The Pillar, OSV, Big Pulpit, and Matt Fradd. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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Aleteia
The new pope, maybe by Thursday, already has a full calendar
By I.Media, May 5, 2025
If the cardinals agree as quickly as they did in the conclaves of 2005 and 2013, the Church will have a pope by Thursday. In the first weeks of his pontificate, the pope will take “possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome” during a Mass in his cathedral's Basilica of St. John Lateran. On Sunday, May 11, the pope may appear at the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The general audiences on Wednesdays in St. Peter's Square would resume on May 14 or 21. The new Bishop of Rome usually reserves his first audience for cardinals, both electors and non-electors. Two other vital audiences will be with representatives of Churches and different religions, and then the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. 184 states have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
The Pillar
‘Priests cannot comply’ with law threatening confessional seal
By Michelle La Rosa, May 6, 2025
Catholic priests cannot follow a new Washington state law that requires them to violate the seal of confession if abuse of minors is suspected, two bishops in the state reiterated this week. “While we remain committed to protecting minors and all vulnerable people from abuse, priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” said Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle in a May 4 statement. “Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession – or they will be excommunicated from the Church,” he stressed. In the Catholic Church, priests may not divulge anything revealed in the sacrament of confession, for any reason. Canon law states, “The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason …”
Related: DOJ opens investigation into Washington law targeting Catholic confession - CatholicVote - Elise DeGeeter on May 5, 2025
UCA News
China secretly ‘elected’ two Catholic bishops, not just one
By UCA News reporter, May 6, 2025
As the Catholic world awaits a conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor, the so-called official Church in China has organized priests in two dioceses to elect two bishops. On April 28, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), the state-controlled agency, organized priests in the Shanghai diocese to elect Father Wu Jianlin, their vicar general, as the new auxiliary bishop. The next day, priests in Xinxiang diocese elected Father Li Jianlin as their bishop, catholic news website Zenit.org reported. The CCPA presented only one candidate, which is typical in most elections in China. The Holy See cannot ratify the latest ‘election’ of bishops, as they occurred when the Apostolic See is vacant following Pope Francis’ death on April 21.
CatholicVote
US bishops meet in solidarity with Ukrainian religious leaders
By Hannah Hiester, May 5, 2025
Bishops from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) met with religious leaders from Ukraine on May 1 regarding the Ukraine-Russia war. According to a May 5 USCCB news release, USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio hosted representatives of the Ukrainian Council of the Churches of Religious Organizations (UCCRO) in Washington, D.C. The Ukrainians described the situation in their country at the moment, highlighting bombing of churches, illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, and religious persecution. The religious leaders asked for aid in sharing the truth about the war. Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr said, “We have felt the solidarity of the Church in the USA, and we never cease to pray for you.”
Vatican News
EU Parliament pays tribute to Pope Francis' moral authority
By Lisa Zengarini, May 6, 2025
The European Parliament gathered in Strasbourg on Monday. President Roberta Metsola noted Pope Francis’s enduring message of unity and compassion. He “will be remembered for his inspiring leadership, moral authority, and kindness, seizing every opportunity to speak in favour of a more humane, peaceful, and united world.” Manfred Weber of the centre European People’s Party (PPE) emphasized Francis’ vision of Europe, rooted in Christian identity and unity. European Social-Democrat Iratxe García Pérez said he was “the Pope of the poor and the marginalized,” lauding his advocacy for peace in Ukraine and the Holy Land. French Jordan Bardella of the far-right Patriots Parliamentary Group said he was “a man of dialogue” who cared deeply for society’s most fragile. Italian Nicola Procaccini, of the Conservatives parliamentary group, praised his commitment to a globally engaged Church.
Catholic News Agency
Cardinals witness destruction of Pope Francis’ ring, seal
By Hannah Brockhaus, May 6, 2025
The papal fisherman’s ring and lead seal were nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday. The ring and seal are destroyed or nulled after a pope’s death to prevent their future misuse to seal official documents. According to Universi Dominici Gregis, the apostolic constitution regulating the “sede vacante,” the College of Cardinals must “arrange for the destruction of the fisherman’s ring and of the lead seal with which apostolic letters are despatched” after the pope’s death. The fisherman’s ring is one of several rings typically worn by the Roman pontiff. The ring takes its name from its image of St. Peter as a fisherman, which became the standard design around the mid-15th century.
National Catholic Register
What name will the next pope choose?
By Matthew McDonald, May 5, 2025
One of the first things billions will learn about the new pope, even before he steps onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, is the name he has chosen. After Cardinal Dominique Mamberti proclaims “Habemus Papam!”, he will announce the supreme pontiff’s Christian name, then his surname. After it’s announced, most people will never call him anything else. It’s the first message a new pope sends — even before he speaks. A pope can keep his own name if he chooses. Most popes during the first 1,000 years of the Church did. But since 996, only two of the 170 popes have kept their birth names upon election. “When the new pope chooses his name, everyone will look for predecessors’ agendas and legacies, and whether their pontificates marked a change in the direction of the Church,” said Ralph Keen, dean of the Honors College at the University of Illinois Chicago.
CRUX
Relations with Israel at historic low as Holy See awaits next Pope
By Charles Collins, May 6, 2024
Vataican relations with the State of Israel are at their lowest level since diplomatic relations were established just over 30 years ago, a chill that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack by Gaza-based Hamas militants that left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 taken as hostages and subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza. Israel immediately launched a retaliatory offensive in Gaza to oust Hamas from leadership, with the subsequent conflict resulting in the deaths of over 60,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian estimates. Christian leaders in the Holy Land issued a statement calling “for the cessation of all violent and military activities that bring harm to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians.” The Israeli embassy to the Holy See accused that statement of reflecting “immoral linguistic ambiguity.”
From Pulpit & Agency to Satire for 5/6/25
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards Catholic blogger site: May 6, 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.
With Days to Go, Cardinals Set to Scrutinize ‘Front-Runners’ – J.D. Flynn at the Pillar
How Pope Francis Shaped the College of Cardinals – CNA via Catholic World Report
Conclave Insider Stuff & MSM Machinations – Fr. Z’s Blog
Exorcist Diary: Can Demons Pervert the Conclave? – Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti, D.Min., D.D., Ph.D.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — May 6, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See to anyone with access to the internet.
MAP: Key Vatican locations to know about as the conclave begins - May 6, 2025 - By Jonah McKeown - Several famous and well-visited locations within Vatican City have been transformed for the conclave. See a map of the key locations within Vatican City you should know about as the conclave begins.
Papal Foundation’s annual grant distribution to honor the legacy of Pope Francis - May 5, 2025 - By Madalaine Elhabbal - The Papal Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to serving the Holy Father’s wishes through donations to charitable initiatives of his choosing.
Middle Eastern Christians speak: What they want from the next pope - May 5, 2025 - By Romy Haber - Christians in the Middle East, rooted in lands marked by instability and loss, have not seen a pope from their region since the seventh century.
Babylon Bee - Satire News
Newly Discovered Mosaic Law Required Israelites To Separate Themselves From Android Users
By Scripture Staff, May 5, 2025
Scholars marveled at the revelation of what was described as a long-hidden passage of religious text, as a newly discovered portion of the Mosaic Law required Israelites to separate themselves from "unclean" Android users. The previously unseen segment of the Torah detailed the laws and regulations the Hebrews were ordered to observe whenever they encountered unfortunate people who had been stricken with using an Android device. "When a person touches an Android, he is unclean," the text reads. “He shall remain unclean as long as he uses the Android. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp." The ancient animosity bears a remarkable resemblance to the treatment Android users receive in our modern day.
Nutshell reflections for 5/6/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO & VIDEO - May 6, 2025
Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
Let the ‘chimney-watch’ begin
By James K. Hanna, May 6, 2025
John Paul II in 2013: “It has been my wish to give particular attention to the age-old institution of the Conclave, the rules and procedures of which have been established and defined by the solemn ordinances of a number of my Predecessors. A careful historical examination confirms both the appropriateness of this institution, given the circumstances in which it originated and gradually took definitive shape, and its continued usefulness for the orderly, expeditious and proper functioning of the election itself, especially in times of tension and upheaval.” That paragraph appears early in Universi Dominici Gregis's apostolic constitution—On the Vacancy of the Apostolic See and the Election of The Roman Pontiff—and can be found on the Vatican website here. Let the “chimney-watch” begin.
Our Sunday Visitor
Popemobile will be transformed into mobile clinic for children
By Judith Sudilovsky, May 6, 2025
With the declining situation in Gaza always in his heart, in his final months, Pope Francis bequeathed his popemobile to Caritas Jerusalem and directed the agency to turn it into a mobile health station for the children in Gaza. Preparation of the new health station is to be completed by mid-May, said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden, who together with Caritas Jerusalem’s Anton Asfar developed the idea in February. Upon Asfar’s suggestion, Brune visited Bethlehem in February to view the popemobile that had been stored in Bethlehem since it was used by Pope Francis on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2014. Pope Francis readily agreed to the idea after Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm, Sweden, approached him, Brune told OSV News in a phone interview.
Matt Fradd's Terrifying Ruminations
Terrible arguments in favor of atheism
By Matt Fradd, May 6, 2025
I’ve heard plenty of arguments for atheism over the years—some thoughtful, some clever, and some… well.
Who created God? - This question misunderstands what Christians (and classical theists) mean by “God.” God, by definition, is uncaused—the necessary, self-existent being who causes everything else.
I just believe in one less god than you - This is clever-sounding but logically shallow. The Christian claim is not that God is just one more being among many, but that God is Being Itself—the necessary, uncaused source of all reality.
Science has disproven God - Science is excellent at explaining how things happen—but not why they exist in the first place. It can describe natural processes in detail, but it can’t address the ultimate cause or purpose behind them.
The Catholic Weekly
We cannot be reticent: Our faith is compelling
By Sebastian Condon, May 6, 2025
The great English novelist EM Forster is not generally considered an author of high comedy, but a line from A Passage to India caused me to laugh out loud. In describing the attitude of a character toward questions of faith, Forster wrote, “Ronny approved of religion as long as it endorsed the national anthem, but he objected when it attempted to influence his life.” It is a sentiment widely shared today. A school of thought is willing to allow “religion” to carry on in the background of our society, so long as it does not manifest itself in any form that would have some bearing upon our lives. Yet our faith mandates public profession: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
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