Catholic Nutshell News: Tuesday 7/15/25
Topics include: The Philippine Church and ‘stole’ fees; Young permanent deacons are a rarity; Pope: 'Evil cannot prevail'; & Italian priest who died by suicide
“I’ll pray for thee from my pistachio tree”
Today's sources are the National Catholic Register, CNA, Aleteia, The CatholicVote, CRUX, The Pillar, OSV, Big Pulpit, and George Weigel. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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UCA News
The Philippine Church struggles to abolish ‘stole’ fees
By UCA News reporter, July 8, 2021
In a recent homily, Bishop Patrick Daniel Parcon of Talibon Diocese shared an experience where he saw a coffin being blessed without a funeral Mass. When he asked the widow why there wasn't a Mass, she replied, “We don’t have money to pay for the Mass.” Many parishioners cohabitate instead of receiving the sacrament of marriage due to a lack of funds to pay for church services. An unintended consequence of the arancel system’s “stole” fees, which financially support most parishes, is that the poor are unable to access the church's spiritual services, to which their baptism rightfully entitles them. The Philippine National Synodal Report 2024 said, “Despite our vision of becoming a Church of the Poor, the people continue to see it as a Church of the Privileged.” Since 1991, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) has called on the local church to become a Church of the Poor. It has yet to abolish a system that disadvantages the poor.
The Pillar
Young permanent deacons are a rarity in the U.S.
By Jack Figge, July 14, 2025
The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate found that of 13,864 permanent deacons in active ministry in the United States, fewer than 4% are under the age of 49, and fewer than 1% (138 deacons) are in their 30s. Byron Newton, a 39-year-old permanent deacon in the Diocese of Little Rock, is a rare phenomenon in the Church in the U.S. — he is one of the relatively few permanent deacons under the age of 40. There are two kinds of deacons in the Catholic Church. Both assist priests in carrying out duties related to liturgy, sacraments, formation, and works of charity. Transitional deacons are men in the process of preparing for the priesthood, usually in their final year of formation before their priestly ordination. Permanent deacons, in contrast, are ordained deacons for life. They can marry, have families, and work in other jobs in addition to their ministry as deacons.
Vatican News Service
‘Never believe that evil can prevail, even amid injustices’
By Devin Watkins, July 15, 2025
“In the face of injustices that wound the social order, do not yield to the temptation to think that evil can prevail,” Pope Leo XIV said. “Especially in this time of wars and violence, remain faithful to your oath: as servants of the State, answer crime with the force of law and honesty.” Leo was speaking to Italy’s Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and the General Commander of the Carabinieri, hailing their “noble and demanding service” to the Italian people and for protecting the millions of pilgrims visiting Rome. The Carabinieri recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the Faithful Virgin (Virgo Fidelis) as Patroness of the Carabinieri Corps.
CatholicVote
Largest US child ‘transgender’ clinic shutting down
By Susan Berry, Ph.D., July 14, 2025
The Center for Transyouth Health and Development at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is scheduled to close its doors on July 22. The announcement, initially released in June, marks the end of the center’s reign as the largest facility in the United States that promotes subjecting children to the often irreversible impact of drugs and surgeries by luring them with the claim that they can undergo “gender transitions” in order to become their “authentic selves.” “For more than 30 years, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has provided high-quality, evidence-based, medically essential care for transgender and gender-diverse youth, young adults, and their families,” the center stated in its notice. “… The hospital has been left with no viable path forward except to close the Center for Transyouth Health and Development, effective July 22, 2025.”
National Catholic Register
America’s oldest seminary: New approach to training priests
By Luke Larson, July 15, 2025
St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore — founded in 1791 — may be the oldest seminary in the country, but its approach to helping its seminarians become the best priests they can be is very new. Its academic programs were strong, but they concluded that an overemphasis on study was causing other vital aspects of the seminarians’ training to fall by the wayside. C.J. Wild is a seminarian for the Archdiocese for the Military Services. “We’re supposed to be approachable. We’re supposed to be able to relate to others the way that Christ related to all people.” Academic Dean Matthew Dugandzic stresses the importance of prioritizing prayer from the men’s very first days as seminarians. The seminarians devote a significant amount of time to hands-on ministry, spending every weekend during their four years at St. Mary’s in parish and hospital settings.
Catholic News Agency
Eulogy for the Italian priest who died by suicide
By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú, July 14, 2025
The funeral of Matteo Balzano, a young Italian priest who recently took his own life at the age of 35, was held July 8 in the presence of the faithful — especially young people — he served at the parish in Cannobio in the Piedmont region. The bishop of Novara, Franco Giulio Brambilla, who offered the funeral Mass, gave an impromptu homily marked by hope but with considerable effort since he was, as he put it, “devastated by grief.” Brambilla affirmed with hope that “the Lord will be close to us through the affectionate memory of Don Matteo, which each of us holds in our hearts and which will come to our aid in life’s critical moments.” When difficulties arise, “there is something greater that drives us forward, and that is the Lord Jesus who dies with us, accompanies us, and makes us rise with him.” Thus, he encouraged priests to “never lose” the sense of this reality.
Catholic Observer
While Churches close in the Northeast, not so in South/Southwest
By Gary Gately, April 23, 2024
Northeast and Rust Belt cities have historically had high numbers of Catholics. Mass attendance has plummeted, resulting in the closure of more than 2,000 parishes in the past two decades alone. Some city parishes have shrunk from thousands of members to fewer than 100. However, in much of the South and Southwest, dioceses struggle to build churches fast enough or large enough — many with more than 1,000 seats, some with more than 3,000 — to keep pace with the booming Catholic population, due to internal migration within the country and an influx of Catholic immigrants. Predictably, news of the impending closings brought shock, outrage, heartbreak, and vows to fight to save parishes slated for possible closing. The Vatican weighed in with guidelines on conversions of Catholic churches in its 2018 international conference, “Doesn’t God Dwell Here Anymore?”
Catholic Culture
The new Superman movie is not perfect, but it’s very good
By Peter Wolfgang, July 15, 2025
I liked the new Superman movie. It’s not perfect, but it’s very good. And the pre-opening controversy about the film being Woke was silly. As recounted by Variety: “I mean, ‘Superman’ is the story of America,” James Gunn [DC Studios co-CEO and Superman director] said. “… it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.” This was a controversy DC Studios didn’t need. The “Snyderverse”—the previous 12 years of DC movies—were a bust. They needn’t have worried. Superman generated $122 million domestically in its opening weekend, or $217 million including global ticket sales. When liberal defenders of today’s comic book superheroes say the comics have always been ‘Woke,’ they mean comics have always been liberal. But Woke is a whole different level.
From Pulpit & Agency to Satire for 7/15/25
BIG PULPIT
Tito Edwards Catholic blogger site: July 15, 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.
What If Constantine Had a Phone at the Milvian Bridge? – Joe McLane at A Catholic Take
Cardinal Burke: Fatima Message Warns Of ‘Practical Apostasy Of Our Time’ – Complicit Clergy
Summer Camp With a Mission: The Amazing Growth of Damascus – Theresa C. Barber at Aleteia
Lord in the Ring? Catholicism & Bullfighting in Portugal – Filipe d’Avillez at The Pillar
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — July 15, 2025
The Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, and up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the happenings of the Holy See to anyone with internet access.
Outgoing Custos of the Holy Land proposes a path to peace - Jul 15, 2025 - By Walter Sánchez Silva - Friar Francesco Patton, the outgoing Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land, reflects on his nine years in office.
Notre-Dame Cathedral has welcomed more than 6 million visitors since reopening - Jul 14, 2025 - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - According to a recent report, the total number of visitors exceeded 6 million as of June 30, with a daily average of approximately 35,000.
As conditions worsen in Gaza, novena for peace set to start - Jul 14, 2025 - By Madalaine Elhabbal - The Philos Project’s “Nine-Day Novena to Pray for Peace in the Holy Land” comes as Israel has intensified its bombardment.
Babylon Bee - Satire News
Scientist At 7th Jurassic Park Asks If Maybe They Should Just Make Papier-Mâché Dinosaurs This Time
By Science Staff, July 12, 2025
A scientist working on the seventh iteration of Jurassic Park asked her bosses today if perhaps they should consider making the dinosaurs out of papier-mâché this time. With the last six Jurassic Parks all closing in disaster after several people were mauled and eaten by actual dinosaurs, Dr. Shleby Lewis began to question the wisdom of making the exact same park a seventh time. "I'm not trying to be a 'Negative Nancy' here, but there seems to be a pattern with these Jurassic Parks," said Dr. Lewis. "After six straight times of people dying gruesome deaths getting eaten alive, I'm just having second thoughts." The other scientists have ignored Dr. Lewis and ruthlessly mocked her for being a big baby. "What a scaredy-cat," said fellow scientist Dr. Ray McAdams.
Nutshell reflections for 7/15/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO - July 15, 2025
Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Our Sunday Visitor
Stop worrying about new technology
By Megan Ulrich, July 14, 2025
A few months ago, I explored ChatGPT. As a writer, I was intrigued by this new form of AI and its implications for my freelance work. I typed in a prompt, a suggested tone, and a word count for an article I had already written (but had not yet published). And wouldn’t you know, AI made a shockingly similar article to the one I was about to submit. This doesn’t bode well for the future of my work as a freelancer, but it’s incredible to think that a computer program can replicate (in seconds) something that took me weeks of thoughtful prayer to write. I left the experience knowing a little bit more about AI but more or less unperturbed by a future I can’t predict, let alone control. I don’t know exactly what the future of my writing career will look like, but it doesn’t seem like a productive use of my time to worry about something that hasn’t even happened yet.
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
Henry Ford II converted to Catholicism: Credit to Fulton Sheen
By James K. Hanna, July 7, 2025
Henry Ford II (1917-1987), son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford, 23, fresh out of Yale without graduating and a Methodist, converted to Catholicism. The year was 1940 and “Hank the Deuce” as he was known in the motoring world was engaged to Anne McDonell, 20, of Southampton, Long Island. Anne was a graduate of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1881, the oldest private girls’ school in the US, and still open today. In America’s Bishop, the biography of Fulton Sheen by Thomas Reeves, we learn that Sheen, then 45 and host of the popular radio program “The Catholic Hour” (begun in 1930) was instrumental in Ford’s conversion and presided at their wedding. “My inspiration was certainly Anne McDonell,” Sheen told an interviewer, “But Henry was a religious man himself.”
Catholic Mom
'In Plain Sight': Ideal reading for teens
By Carolyn Astfalk, July 15, 2025
My teenage daughters (ages 13 and 17) and I each read Leslea Wahl’s In Plain Sight this winter, shortly after its release. I spotted my daughters tucked into corners of the couch with finger-knit blankets on their laps, a cup of tea or mug of hot cocoa with them as they read. They both loved this story — as did I! It was a quick and easy read that satisfied all our mid-winter cravings for coziness, but also included an intriguing story, a little mystery, and just enough romance to keep us all enraptured. I use “romance” here in the broadest sense. Yes, there is a sweet and clean teen romance here with a young Catholic man of good character who gives young women a model of an imperfect but considerate and right-minded (cute) guy. However, the story also embodies all the hallmarks of classic romance — a remote setting, heroism, adventure, and mystery.
GeorgeWeigel.com
Ascension can only be understood as a transhistorical reality
By George Weigel, July 9, 2025
The Ascension means that humanity—the human nature assumed by the second Person of the Trinity at the Incarnation—has been incorporated into the life of God himself. The Incarnation, celebrated on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, teaches us that our humanity is a worthy vessel for God’s action in history. The Ascension teaches us that human nature—glorified in what Pope Benedict XVI called the “evolutionary leap” of the Resurrection—is now fitted into the eternal communion of self-giving love and receptivity that is the triune God. And if, as the Collect for the Ascension notes, the Ascension of Christ is also “our exaltation,” that is because “where the Head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope.” The Ascension can only be understood as a transhistorical reality: an event in history that transcends history by opening a window into humanity’s true destiny, which is life beyond history in that eternity Jesus called the Kingdom of God.
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