Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 6/16/26
Catholics should know: Russia bombs Ukraine Cathedral; Mass tree cutting for mining projects; Right to hire in line with pro-life beliefs; & Think twice about donating an organ
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Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources are OSV News, EWTN, First Things, Big Pulpit, Aleteia, and The Pillars. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise their Catholic News Muscle)
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EWTN News
Russia bombs Ukraine Cathedral: ‘This is certainly deliberate’
By Madalaine Elhabbal, June 16, 2026
Russia’s “true goal” is “a war on Christianity in Ukraine,” Steven Moore, founder of the Ukraine Freedom Project, told “EWTN News Nightly” after the bombing of the 11th-century Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. “This is certainly deliberate,” Moore said, noting that Russia has destroyed 750 churches in Ukraine and killed as many as 80 pastors and priests. The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, caught fire on June 14 after Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones into several Ukrainian cities, which killed four people and injured 28 others, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “This is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Ukraine’s leader said about the damage to the Eastern Orthodox cathedral, historically tied to the monastic life of the Lavra.
CBCP News
Palawan bishop flags mass tree cutting for mining projects
By CBCP News, June 5, 2026
In a pastoral letter, Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa expressed alarm over special tree-cutting and earth-balling permits issued for mining-related activities in several parts of the province. Citing publicly available records and consolidated data, he said the permits cover at least 218,854 trees in areas including the towns of Aborlan, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, and locations linked to Mt. Bulanjao. “It is troubling that agencies tasked with protecting the environment are perceived as strict with ordinary citizens, yet seem lenient and accommodating toward large mining companies and powerful people,” Mesiona said in Filipino. He also stressed that environmental degradation often harms poor and marginalized populations first, making ecological protection both a social and moral responsibility. Palawan, often described as the country’s last ecological frontier, is home to some of the Philippines’ richest forests, watersheds, and biodiversity hotspots.
National Catholic Register
Priesthood enters the world through the Diaconate
By Deacon Dominic Cerrato Co, June 15, 2026
One of the great dangers facing seminarians is the temptation to see the diaconate merely as a transitional step, a brief stop along the way to “real ministry.” Even when no one says this openly, the mentality can quietly take root. The dalmatic is a vestment worn temporarily until the chasuble arrives. The servant becomes merely a preparation for the priest. Speaking to the priest, “The Church does not first ordain you to the priesthood. The Church first ordains you to Christ the Servant. That is not accidental. It is theological. It reveals something essential about Jesus himself and about the inner nature of the priesthood you are preparing to receive.” The same Lord who wrapped the towel around his waist in the Upper Room is the same Lord who took bread into his hands. His priesthood is revealed precisely through his service. This is why the diaconate matters so profoundly.
Related: Deacons say encouragement from family, clergy plays decisive role in answering vocational call - by Kurt Jensen, OSV News, June 15, 2026
Our Sunday Visitor
Appeal for the right to hire in line with pro-life beliefs
By Simone Orendain, June 15, 2026
A Catholic diocese and an Illinois pregnancy center have turned to a federal appeals court in challenging an Illinois nondiscrimination law that they said would force them to hire workers who do not share their pro-life mission. “We must have the freedom to follow and express our convictions without government interference,” Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield said in a statement announcing the appeal. “Our employees represent the diocese and are expected to uphold our standards of conduct to ensure they align with the doctrine and moral teaching of the Catholic Church,” he said. “However, under the state law, we cannot hire or retain employees based on our deeply held religious beliefs on pro-life teachings without being subject to disciplinary action.” Alliance Defending Freedom, on June 2, filed the opening brief with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, appealing a federal judge’s dismissal of the case on March 31.
Religion News Service (RNS)
Supreme Court stops execution of inmate
By Chloe Landen, June 12, 2026
The Supreme Court on Thursday (June 11) prevented Alabama from executing a man who became a Christian ministry leader during his 26 years on death row, deciding that killing him using nitrogen gas was unconstitutional. Jeffery Lee, who is imprisoned for the murder of two people, was elected in 2018 to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia over lethal injection. But following the method’s first use in 2024, he was among several Alabama inmates to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of nitrogen suffocation. After two lower court rulings blocked the method this week, deeming it cruel and unusual punishment, NBC News reported that the Supreme Court denied the state’s request to execute Lee yesterday evening. Lee was convicted of fatally shooting Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson during a pawn shop robbery outside Selma, Alabama, in 1998. Lee’s trial lasted two days, and in a 7-5 vote, the jury chose a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Yet, in a move that has defined Alabama criminal court proceedings, the presiding judge sentenced Lee to death.
Creative Minority Report
Think twice before signing on to being an Organ Donor
By Matthew Archbold, June 11, 2026
If you sign the organ donor card on your license, your loved ones have virtually no say in what happens to you. The doctors make the decision. We’ve too often seen doctors a little too eager to bring death for the greater good to others. The Catholic Church has no problem with organ donation per se. The problem is that certain organs have to be cut out of living people, affecting a homicide for “good reasons.” Although a liver or a cornea could be harvested from a cadaver for organ donation from a dead body, a heart is always cut out of a living body in First World countries. The term “Brain Death” was invented by a team of Harvard physicians to redefine death for this very purpose. So-called “brain-death” essentially means that a patient has an active cardio-vascular system, but with reduced activity on the electroencephalogram (EEG). If you put “Yes” on your Driver’s License to organ donation, and if you were to sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury with no damage to your cardiovascular system, you would certainly be a prime candidate to have your heart cut out of your own living body (deemed brain dead because of a reduced EEG).
The Pillar
The Chicago archdiocese can countersue against fake victims
By The Pillar, June 15, 2026
The Archdiocese of Chicago won a court ruling last week that will allow it to proceed with a lawsuit against participants in a scheme to make false claims of clerical sexual abuse. But the archdiocese has also warned that it expects to see an increase in historical abuse claims following a “change in the legal environment.” Cardinal Blase Cupich said, “We are determined to press ahead with our defense against these false claims and the affront they represent to true survivors,” said the cardinal. “These individuals sought to take advantage of the archdiocese’s pastoral response to claims, which is to trust claimants, settle cases with compassion, and support survivors of abuse in their healing.” According to the archdiocese, a group of more than two dozen men, including incarcerated convicts, known gang members, and murderers, conspired for more than a decade to make false accusations of sexual abuse, including recruiting and coaching prospective fake victims.
Zenit News
The Orthodox Schism in the Baltic Region
By ZENIT Staff, June 15, 2026
In recent days, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew (Archontonis), visited Lithuania, whilst the Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill (Gundjaev), visited neighboring Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave on the Polish shores of the Baltic Sea, and in Estonia, a law threatening the structures of the Russian Orthodox Church has come into force. The visit to Vilnius by the highest-ranking hierarch of global Orthodoxy completed the canonical process of restoring the territory of Lithuania – part of the ancient Metropolis of Kyiv, annexed by the Patriarchate of Moscow at the end of the 17th century – to its jurisdiction. In a message, Denis Kučinskij, personal representative of the head of the Belarusian transitional cabinet, recalled Belarus’s historic closeness to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, a declaration of intent stating that the Belarusian Orthodox Church, following the country’s liberation, would follow the path of independence from Moscow, following the example of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Keep informed - 6/16/26 news for Catholics
Snippets: Pulpit, EWTN, & Aleteia
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards’ Catholic blogger site: June 16, 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.
Video: Historic! New Writings of St. Augustine Discovered! – Anthony P. Stine, Ph.D.
Major Canadian Newspaper Acknowledges Falsehood of Mass Graves – Zenit
Message for World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly – Pope Leo XIV via The Catholic Thing
New D.N.A. Results Confirm Shroud of Turin’s Passage Through the Middle East – Gary Isbell at TFP
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 16, 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.
Pope Leo XIV says care for creation is a requirement of faith - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - In a video message to the Austrian World Summit, the pope urged believers, wealthy nations, and religious communities to help build a “culture of care” for the environment.
Church leaders welcome first Catholic Indigenous woman in Bangladesh’s Parliament - By Stephan Uttom Rozario - Anna Minj, nominated to a reserved seat by the governing party, used her first budget session address to urge that new funds actually reach Bangladeshʼs poorest ethnic communities.
Church in the European Union calls for preserving outer space as the common heritage of humanity - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - A conference organized by the Catholic Church emphasized the need to address issues of growing concern as nations and private actors are increasingly involved in space exploration and activities.
Aleteia
Aleteia’s global network of experts, journalists, & contributors
Aleteia (aleteia.org) is an online publication distributed in six languages (English, French, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, and Slovenian). Launched in 2013, it is one of the world’s leading news websites. Aleteia offers a Christian vision of the world by providing both general and religious content free from ideological influences.
Graduate carries gas cylinder to honor his dad’s sacrifices - Cibele Battistini - 06/16/26 - Two years after it first went viral, a young Brazilian student’s tribute to his father’s hard work continues to move millions around the world. He said, “Dad, there are no words to express how grateful I am for everything you do for me. This cylinder represents your dedication.”
Irish bishops compare COVID response and abortion - Joanne McPortland - 06/16/26 - Irish Catholic bishops noted the sixth anniversary of the country's legalization of abortion with a June 14 statement, "Offering Hope in Crisis," to “encourage Irish people to once again choose life,” support women in crisis.
First woman known to have the stigmata - Philip Kosloski - 06/16/26 - St. Lutgarde of Aywières received the stigmata around the same time as St. Francis of Assisi, and is the first woman known to have borne the wounds of Christ.
June 16, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE - or read HERE:
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Aleteia
When did sacrifice become such an unpopular idea?
By Cerith Gardiner, June 16, 2026
Many people speak about sacrifice as though it were automatically a bad thing, rather like root canal treatment or an unexpected visit from the tax office. And that made me wonder whether sacrifice has developed something of an image problem. The word itself seems to have fallen spectacularly out of fashion. Mention sacrifice and many people immediately picture hair shirts, joyless self-denial, and individuals grimly refusing to enjoy themselves on principle. It sounds faintly medieval, slightly suspicious, and about as appealing as voluntarily spending a weekend assembling flat-pack furniture. Modern culture, by contrast, is much more comfortable talking about self-care. We are encouraged to protect our time, preserve our energy, prioritize our needs, and establish healthy boundaries. Much of that is sensible. Somewhere along the way, we have come to view sacrifice and happiness as natural enemies. Which is rather strange when you think about it, because most of the things we value most in life require sacrifice of one kind or another.
Missio Dei Catholic
A kingdom of priests
By Kaleb Hammond, June 14, 2026
Among other things, the readings for this Sunday focus on one shared theme: the distinction between the ministerial and common or universal priesthood. The same distinction existed in the Mosaic covenant as it does in the new covenant established by Christ. This is why, in the first reading, God calls the Israelites in general “a kingdom of priests”, even though only the Levites have a priestly ministry in the Tabernacle. In the new covenant of the Church, the same structure exists: Christ is our true Shepherd and High Priest, the new Moses; St. Peter is His vicar on Earth, the new Aaron; the bishops and priests of the Church carry on the role of Aaron’s descendants, those who ministered as priests in the Temple; and deacons assist in the Levitical ministry of service to the clergy and laity, acting as a kind of bridge between the two priesthoods.
The Imaginative Conservative
The new creation is a neglected aspect of the Christian faith
By Michael De Sapio, June 14, 2026
New creation is one of the key themes of the Bible as a whole and an often-neglected aspect of the Christian faith. The Bible’s God is the Creator, of course, but his creation is not a finished product; it is an ongoing project. Old Testament prophesies forecast God taking over, confounding the powers of the world, and renewing the created order. In the beginning, the Bible’s image for humanity’s origin and its divine vocation of stewardship is a garden. The climax of the history of redemption also takes place in a garden. And at the end of the story, the final goal for the cosmos and human beings is not simply “heaven,” but a “new heavens and new earth.” Jesus’ teaching was in continuity with the prophesies and expectations of Israel, which foresaw the return of exiles to a new, abundant land. Early church fathers like St. Irenaeus also taught the eventual redemption and restoration of the created order, even plant and animal life.
First Things
The steady, sad, secularization of Sicily
By Jacob Akey, June 16, 2026
According to reports, Italy is secularizing; twenty years ago, 36% of Italians said they attended Mass weekly. Now, it’s 18%. And yet, Italy remains among the most religious countries in western Europe, though it doesn’t take much to be considered very religious these days, and even in Sicily—a land of saints and churches—religious practice is deteriorating. Many churches in heavily touristed areas or historical cores did not offer daily Masses. Within the Punic walls of Erice, the “City of a Hundred Churches” with its dozens of religious buildings, there are some days when no Mass is held at all. Other churches have been so heavily modified as performance or exhibition spaces that I hope they have been deconsecrated. And others still had clearly been deconsecrated, the wound from where their tabernacles were pulled out gaping. Sicilian culture is a Catholic culture. But for all of this enthusiasm and devotion, Sicily is still secularizing.
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