Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 6/23/26
Catholics should know: Request for lay homilies denied; Bishop sued over anti-mining campaign; ‘Cultural Catholic’ likely next UK PM; & Church and online betting in Brazil & Argentina
“I’ll pray for thee from my pistachio tree”
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
Vatican rejects German bishops’ request for lay homilies
By Victoria Cardiel, June 23, 2026
The Vatican has rejected a request by the German Bishops’ Conference to allow lay faithful, in exceptional circumstances, to preach the homily during the celebration of the Eucharist. In the letter, the Vatican dicastery said it is “not possible to grant the indult requested,” which was made on March 30 and would have allowed a duly designated layperson to preach in place of the homily. Although the dicastery — which oversees most matters related to the Catholic Church’s liturgy and the rites of the sacraments — expressed appreciation for the pastoral motivations behind the request, it emphasized that current norms do not permit exceptions. “The reservation of the homily to a priest or deacon is not a merely disciplinary norm, but derives from the very nature of the liturgy,” the dicastery said. The letter noted that the homily “constitutes an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word,” is “intrinsically linked to the proclamation of the Gospel,” and “represents an exercise of the munus docendi entrusted to ordained ministers through the sacrament of holy orders.”
CBCP News
Bishop sued over anti-mining campaign
By CBCP News, June 22, 2026
Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalina, who sued over his involvement in an anti-mining campaign, said he will continue supporting communities defending their land, describing the Church’s environmental advocacy as a pastoral duty. Mangalinao, of Bayombong, Philippines, issued the statement after being named among several defendants in a civil case linked to opposition to a mining exploration project in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya. “As Bishop of this Diocese, I carry the responsibility … to stand with the poor, defend the vulnerable, and be a voice for those whose voices are often unheard,” Mangalinao said. “This is not a political duty. It is a pastoral one.” He said his visit to residents maintaining a vigil against the project was intended to celebrate Mass, offer prayers, and provide spiritual support. According to reports from diocesan radio news arm DWRV, the case also names Fr. Christian Dumangeng, the diocese’s former social action commission director, and several other individuals. Archbishop Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, also expressed solidarity with Mangalinao.
Related: Despite land transfer, Apache Stronghold continues effort to protect sacred Arizona site, OSV News, by Kate Scanlon, June 22, 2026
National Catholic Register
‘Cultural Catholic’ Andy Burnham likely next UK Prime Minister
By Edward Pentin, June 22, 2026
Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday as Britain’s prime minister, setting in motion a leadership contest that could elevate Andy Burnham, a lapsed Catholic and outgoing socialist mayor of Greater Manchester, to the highest office in the land. Burnham, a 56-year-old married father of three, is widely seen as waiting “in the wings” to take over and openly admitted in recent weeks that he would contest the Labour leadership. He formally threw his hat in the ring on Monday. If Burnham is elected Labour leader, he would inherit the premiership with a mandate to govern until the next general election, due by 2029, though he could call one earlier. Burnham says his politics have been deeply marked by a formative Catholic upbringing, even though he now describes himself as “not particularly religious” and rarely attends Mass. His children attend Catholic schools because he says he still believes in “the values and the grounding it gives you,” but he takes issue with the Church’s moral teaching in key areas, especially on sexual ethics.
Crux
Church concerned over online betting in Brazil and Argentina
By Eduardo Campos Lima, June 23, 2026
The World Cup has been drawing all the attention in Argentina and Brazil, both South American countries where soccer is a central part of national identity. But the Church is concerned about a collateral phenomenon: Online betting. In both nations, betting has become a widespread problem over the past few years, attracting millions of people – including the poorest segments of society – and leading them to spend far more money than they can afford. In both Argentina and Brazil, the bishops have called on the government to take action to protect young people and those who have fallen into debt, but the power of the companies behind these games of chance appears to be too great. In Argentina, the bishops’ conference has joined forces with several civic organizations that have been calling for state regulation of online betting. Father Munir Bracco of the Archdiocese of Córdoba, who addressed the Senate on online betting in late 2025, has warned Argentines that many people will end up more indebted than ever by the end of the current World Cup.
WoodTV.com
Bethany Christian Services changes foster family policies
By Matt Jaworowski, June 22, 2026
Grand Rapids-based Bethany Christian Services has introduced a new Statement of Faith and Belief that condemns abortion, same-sex marriage, and non-traditional gender identities. The social service agency, one of the largest in the US, has made headlines in the past for instituting a mandate to only hire Christians despite dealing with refugees of other faiths and employing people from around the world. The new statement mixes biblical scripture with its new rules, including the authority of scripture and a mandate to care for the vulnerable. But it also includes sections like “God’s reflection in humanity,” in which BCS states human beings should only be viewed as their biological sex, male and female. BCS says it only recognizes the “biblical design of marriage,” which it describes as a covenant between one man and one woman. Another section is titled “the sanctity of human life” and declares that “all human life is sacred from conception to natural death.”
Aleteia
Was John the Baptist born free of original sin?
By Philip Kosloski, June 22, 2026
Technically speaking, the Church has never proclaimed in an official document or statement that St. John the Baptist was born without original sin. On the other hand, the Church does not dismiss the idea either. The reason why the faithful entertain such a belief is because of the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Elizabeth. It is recorded by St. Luke, “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe [St. John the Baptist] leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41). Many theologians have argued over the centuries that this implies that while John was conceived with original sin, he was purified in the womb and born without it. The Catholic Encyclopedia summarizes this argument, “Now as the presence of any sin whatever is incompatible with the indwelling of the Holy [Spirit] in the soul, it follows that at this moment John was cleansed from the stain of original sin.”
The Pillar
What awaits the new nuncio to Germany?
By Luke Coppen, June 17, 2026
Archbishop Hubertus van Megen touched down in Berlin on Monday to begin his challenging new assignment as the apostolic nuncio to Germany. He succeeds the Croatian Archbishop Nikola Eterović, who was nuncio to Germany from September 2013 to April 2026, a turbulent period in relations between the German bishops and the Vatican. While the archbishop is culturally familiar with Germany, he recognizes that his knowledge of the country is nevertheless limited. “I have never lived in Germany. I have never experienced the Church from the inside out in that sense. This will be a new challenge,” he said in an interview with Vatican Radio. Van Megen appears to be the first Dutchman to serve as apostolic nuncio to Germany. If that is the case, it’s interesting to consider why the Holy See has chosen this option now. He has characterized the Church in Germany as being “old and gray” — adding, with a touch of self-deprecation, that he is old and gray too.
Zenit News
All cardinals will be in Rome on the last weekend of June
By Jorge Enrique Mújica, June 22, 2026
As wars, political polarization, and social fragmentation continue to reshape the global landscape, Pope Leo XIV is preparing for a consistory that could offer important clues about the governing style of his pontificate and the future direction of the Catholic Church. Scheduled for June 26 and 27, the meeting will bring cardinals from around the world to the Vatican for two days of prayer, reflection, and structured discussion. Participants will be divided into twenty working groups. Nine groups will consist primarily of diocesan cardinals, including papal nuncios and retired ordinaries, while eleven will bring together members of the Roman Curia and non-elector cardinals. Each group will be guided by a moderator and a secretary, who will synthesize the discussion into a final report. Rather than lengthy speeches, the process emphasizes concise interventions and attentive listening.
Keep informed - 6/23/26 news for Catholics
Snippets: Pulpit, EWTN, & Aleteia
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards’ Catholic blogger site: June 23, 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.
M.L.B. Commissioner: Players Will Never Be Fined or Disciplined Over Bible Verse Caps – Zeale
Four of America’s Holiest Men & Women Every U.S. Catholic Should Know About – Church Pop
Saint Dads: Holy Men Who Were Fathers – Amy Smith at National Catholic Register
Video: Powerful U.S. Cardinals Endorse & Celebrate James Martin’s Depravity – A.P. Stine, Ph.D.
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — June 23, 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.
Catholic religious community faces ‘inevitable’ end in Australia as it moves to settle abuse claims - By Daniel Payne - Christian Brothers Oceania Province said its “shameful and painful” history of abuse has led it to sell off its assets in order to settle with victims.
Mexico confronts its taboo history: Exhibit spotlights Cristero War against religious persecution - By David Ramos - A new exhibition in Puebla, Mexico, dramatizes the lives of those engaging in and affected by the armed popular uprising against religious persecution in Mexico that broke out in 1926.
International Widows’ Day: How Jesus and St. Augustine show the Church’s concern for widowed women - By Kristina Millare - According to biblical texts and the tradition of the Catholic Church, widows have a place of privilege and special care in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
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.
Barcelona marks 50 years of democracy with a helicopter full of poems - Daniel Esparza - 06/22/26 - Ten days after Pope Leo XIV told the city to lift its eyes, the sky over the Gothic Quarter rained 100,000 verses where bombs once fell.
Rome Diocese urges prayer after Eucharist is stolen - Matthew Green - 06/19/26 - Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, has asked all the Catholic communities of the diocese to participate in prayers and acts of reparation on Sunday, June 21, 2026, after a sacrilege against the Eucharist
Peru to get papal visit in November of this year - Matthew Green - 06/19/26 - After two decades of service in Peru, Pope Leo XIV plans a return visit this November, including stops in Lima and his former Diocese of Chiclayo.
June 23, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE - or read HERE:
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Aleteia
Leo XIV’s link to Leo XIII goes beyond social doctrine
By Camille Dalmas, June 23, 2026
Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical on artificial intelligence. He officially signed Magnifica Humanitas on Friday, May 15, exactly 135 years after the publication of Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, the foundational text of the Church’s social doctrine. By choosing his papal name, Robert Francis Prevost had already claimed Leo XIII’s social legacy. However, the connection uniting Pope Leo XIV with his distant predecessor goes far beyond Rerum Novarum. As a former prior general of the Order of St. Augustine (OSA), the new pontiff knows the essential role Leo XIII played in reviving his religious family. By the late 19th century, the order was dying out. Leo XIII also worked to restore several major shrines managed by the Augustinians, and financed renovations at the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro in Pavia, which houses the tomb of St. Augustine. Pope Leo XIV visited this basilica last Saturday, June 20. There is also an image of Our Lady of Good Counsel in the Pauline Chapel, there at the opening of the conclave in 2025. The name of Leo XIII, who had the image placed there, appears below it.
Missio Dei Catholic
Holy things require a receiving heart
By Deacon Michael Halbrook, June 23, 2026
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine.” Augustine, in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, draws out what is holy and what are the pearls: “The holy thing is all that it were impiety to corrupt... the pearls are all spiritual things that are to be highly esteemed.” The dogs, he says, are those who assault the truth; the swine are those who despise it. Origen adds that the pearls are the more mystical teachings of the faith — things that require a certain disposition to receive, a willingness to be changed by what one hears. This is not about contempt for outsiders. It is a recognition that holy things require a receiving heart, and that to press them on those who have made clear they will only trample them is not generosity but waste — and may result in being torn to pieces.
The Imaginative Conservative
The power of Caesar has its limits
By Brian Sudlow, June 22, 2026
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s: Caesar does have a proper sphere of power, and we honor God in honoring that power, for God is the source of all authority, as St Paul teaches. Sometimes Christians mistake this doctrine for a contempt for worldly power, but that is not so. And yet, that power has its limits in two ways. First, it does not extend to all the resources of human fulfillment. In the end, the powers of this world do not render us whole, even if good government and stable societies can be hugely valuable in bringing about our happiness. The second way that the power of Caesar has its limits lies in the boundaries that it ought to respect and often does not. Justice must be done insofar as it can be. Caesar, in this sense, must do two things: render to men the things that are men’s, and also render to God the things that are God’s.
First Things
Jonathan Swift’s savage indignation
By Algis Valiunas, June 23, 2026
The great themes of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, the masterpiece whose tricentenary this is, are an elaborate and pungent meditation on this exchange between Miranda and Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Wonder takes a sharp, well-aimed blow from a blunt object. Awe at the marvels the world holds, gratitude for the privilege of being human, this glorious being whom God has placed at the pinnacle of earthly life, and who can take pleasure in the whole spectacle before him—a closer look at this enchantment reveals how much of it is flimflam. Disappointment, disillusion, shame, disgust, and horror sum up the shrewder assessment. And this wised-up revulsion is Swift’s hallmark. The Latin epitaph for his memorial in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, where he served as dean for over thirty years, declares that he is now peacefully beyond the reach of his own saeva indignatio, the savage indignation that lacerated his heart.
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