Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 10/8/25
Topics include: Vatican congratulates Mullally; Employees not following the Church; Jubilee of Catechists challenged; & Supreme Court questions Colorado’s ban
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Today's sources are the CRUX, Catholic Culture, National Catholic Register, CatholicVote, The Pillar, Aleteia, and CNA. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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The Tablet
Vatican congratulates Mullally as world responds to new archbishop
By Patrick Hudson, October 7, 2025
The head of the Vatican’s ecumenism office congratulated the new Archbishop of Canterbury on her appointment. Cardinal Kurth Koch, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, wrote to Archbishop-elect Sarah Mullally “to express the good wishes of the Catholic Church to you as you prepare to undertake this important service to your Church.” Members of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon), a network of conservative Anglican churches, said they received the news of Mullally’s appointment “with sorrow.” Reflecting on the development of dialogue and understanding between the Catholic and Anglican Churches over the past 60 years despite “occasional tensions,” and the affection expressed after the death of Pope Francis, Cardinal Koch affirmed his “fervent hope that such closeness may continue in the years ahead as we continue to walk together on the way.”
Catholic News Agency
Catholic employer fires employee for not following the Church
By Daniel Payne, October 8, 2025
A New Jersey teacher’s dismissal from her Catholic school classroom over her role as a surrogate mother has raised the question of just when Catholic employers can dismiss workers for not adhering to the faith. The teacher, Jadira Bonilla, was put on paid administrative leave after school officials discovered that she had agreed to serve as a surrogate for another couple. Bonilla “is a valued teacher and one we hope will one day again teach in our school with the full knowledge of our faith, which guides our educational principles,” the school told the media in a statement. The school and other Catholic employers can cite multiple Supreme Court rulings in their defense, said L. Martin Nussbaum, an attorney who specializes in First Amendment and religious freedom protections and who serves as counsel for the Catholic Benefits Association
Catholic Culture
Cardinal Parolin raps Hamas massacre & Israeli conduct of war
By Vatican News, October 7, 2025
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, has renewed the Holy See’s condemnation of the October 7 attacks on Israel and the killing of civilians in Gaza, while also sharply criticizing Israel’s current military campaign in Gaza. In a wide-ranging interview with Vatican communications staff, Cardinal Parolin said that “those who are attacked have a right to defend themselves, but even legitimate defense must respect the principle of proportionality. Unfortunately, the resulting war has brought about disastrous and inhuman consequences.” Stating that, “it is unacceptable and unjustifiable to reduce human beings to mere ‘collateral damage,’’ Cardinal Parolin said that it now seems Israeli forces are “targeting a largely defenseless population, already pushed to the brink.” He called for prayer and action on behalf of peace.
CRUX
Vatican’s Jubilee of Catechists celebrated ‘only priests, religious’
By Stephan Uttom Rozario, October 7, 2025
Catholics in Bangladesh are criticizing the Vatican’s recent Jubilee of Catechists because they feel that lay members were not given importance, and that only priests, sisters, and other religious were highlighted. Hubert Sony Ratna criticized the September 26-28 event on Facebook, saying that although it was a Jubilee of Catechists, clerics were the only ones visible, saying the majority of catechists, who are laity, were ignored. “I don’t think a catechist from the Bangladesh church has been selected to participate in this Jubilee, because the catechists are poor and poorly educated. Their contribution to the Bangladesh church will not end even if written in gold letters, but there is no opportunity for them,” said Ratna. Church sources indicate that Bangladesh has approximately 300 catechists serving in eight dioceses, most of whom are lay Catholics.
The Pillar
135 Swiss guards protect the pope
By Edgar Beltrán, October 7, 2025
Twenty-seven new Swiss Guards were sworn in on Oct. 4 before Pope Leo XIV. The Swiss Guard is one of the most recognizable military forces in the world, due to its Renaissance-inspired red, blue, and yellow uniforms. While the colors may seem playful, the Swiss Guards are considered one of the most exclusive military forces in the world, with their numbers capped at just 135. Pope Leo XIV is the first pope to participate in the yearly ceremony since Saint Paul VI in 1968. In the late Middle Ages, Swiss mercenaries were considered the most effective in Europe. Major European powers often hired them. In 1505, Swiss Bishop Matthäus Schiner suggested that Pope Julius II hire Swiss mercenaries to protect Rome. After the Italian Wars ended in the 16th Century, the Swiss Guards ceased to be a military combat unit and became more of an honor guard.
Vatican News
Pope’s apostolic Journey to Türkiye is an ecumenical mission
By Delphine Allaire, October 8, 2025
Pope Leo XIV will make an Apostolic Journey to Türkiye on November 27-30 to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea with a pilgrimage to the city now known as İznik. After the announcement on October 7, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, who works closely with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, spoke to Vatican News about the Pope’s visit. Each year, the Patriarchate sends a delegation to Rome for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29, and the Pope reciprocates by sending a delegation to Istanbul for the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle on November 30. This year, Pope Leo himself will make the ecumenical visit that has become a yearly exchange to build unity and understanding between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
UCA News
Singapore executes second Malaysian amid questioned claims
By Joseph Masilamany, October 8, 2025
Singapore carried out a second execution in two weeks for a drug offense, as the family of a Malaysian man accused the government of ignoring “critical evidence” that could have saved him. Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, 38, was executed by hanging at Changi Prison on Oct. 8, according to family members. Pranthaman, an ethnic Tamil and son of a Christian pastor, had been sentenced to death for smuggling about 51.84 grams of diamorphine into Singapore on May 2, 2017. His execution comes just days after K. Datchinamurthy, 39, also a Malaysian citizen, was hanged for smuggling 44.96 grams of diamorphine into Singapore, on Sept. 25 in a separate case. Datchinamurthy, who converted to Catholicism while in prison, was buried at the Catholic cemetery in Ulu Tiram, near Johor Bahru, on Sept. 27, his family said. “The Singapore court itself recognized that Pannir was merely a courier — not a mastermind or trafficker,” said Pranthaman’s sister, Sangkari Pranthaman.
National Catholic Register
Supreme Court questions Colorado’s ban on ‘conversion therapy’
By Andrea M. Picciotti-Bayer, October 7, 2025
After Tuesday morning’s oral argument in Chiles v. Salazar, it is clear that a majority — if not all nine justices — agree that an exacting review known as “strict scrutiny” should apply to Colorado’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy,” given its profound impact on the First Amendment’s free speech guarantee. The case involves whether a state may forbid a licensed counselor from engaging in certain kinds of voluntary “talk therapy” with minors struggling with confusion related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor and devout Christian, brought a pre-enforcement challenge, arguing that the law violates her First Amendment rights. Represented by James Campbell of Alliance Defending Freedom, Chiles contends that the state cannot dictate what may be said in private, voluntary counseling conversations.
From Loop & Agency to Pillar Post for 10/8/25
CatholicVote: Daily LOOP
Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”
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FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES: GIVE TRUMP THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE - Families of hostages still held in Gaza are calling on the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award President Donald Trump this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, praising his efforts to free their loved ones and end the war.
POPE LEO RESPONDS AFTER ISRAELI EMBASSY ACCUSES VATICAN -Israel’s Vatican Embassy yesterday accused the Holy See of being overcritical of Israel and not focusing enough on Hamas’ crimes after Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin gave an interview in which he did in fact condemn Hamas and call for the release of hostages while denouncing antisemitism, but also decried Israel’s “ongoing massacre” in Gaza.
ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS HIT LOWEST RATE SINCE 1970 - Illegal crossings at the southern border hit the lowest annually recorded number since 1970 during the 2025 fiscal year, preliminary data from the Department of Homeland Security show. Federal agents stopped about 238,000 illegal border crossings in fiscal year 2025 (compared to 2.2 million under former President Joe Biden in 2022) — which is comparable to 1970, when approximately 202,000 apprehensions occurred at the southern border.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — October 8, 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.
Czech bishops welcome election results as anti-church coalition fails to enter Parliament - Oct 7, 2025 - By Bohumil Petrík - Czech Catholic bishops were happy that a far-left coalition, which bishops had warned had an explicitly anti-church platform, failed to enter Parliament.
Vatican approves beatification cause of priest who pioneered monastic life in Korea - Oct 7, 2025 - By Walter Sánchez Silva - The Archdiocese of Seoul announced Father Leo Bang Yu-ryong (1900–1986) will be recognized as a servant of God.
7 common myths and facts about the rosary - Oct 7, 2025 - By Edie Heipel - October is designated by the Catholic Church as the Month of the Rosary. Here are seven common myths and facts.
The Pillar
Pillar Post for Monday, 10/6/25
The Pillar offers a daily news summary, their capsule take on the Catholic News. Here’s J.D. Flynn’s analysis of the news from yesterday’s Pillar Post:
Pope Leo on Monday repealed a major financial regulation instituted by Pope Francis - He allowed Vatican curial departments to again make use of international banks and investment vehicles for managing Vatican assets.
In India, two priests were attacked last week when a mob of men stormed their church and beat them with batons - The attack was the latest in an escalating persecution of Indian Christians — houses destroyed and crops burned, religious sisters arrested and beaten, amid Hindu nationalism grows in the country.
The debate among bishops over Sen. Dick Durbin isn’t just about the senator, or his pro-abortion voting record - It’s about methodologies and theologies of evangelization in tension — a tension which animates a lot of Catholic life in the U.S., but is rarely addressed directly.
Nutshell reflections for 10/8/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection Audio - October 8, 2025
Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Aleteia
Pope Leo: Clare of Assisi ‘knew how to choose’
By I.Media , October 4, 2024
“Claire of Assisi reminds us that young people love the Gospel,” said Pope Leo XIV during a Jubilee audience on October 4, 2025. Before thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pontiff invited young people to follow the courageous example of the saint from Umbria by making a radical and consistent choice for the Gospel. Clare of Assisi “knew how to choose,” noted the pontiff, recalling the “scandal” that her choice to follow “as a woman” the radical evangelical poverty adopted by St. Francis and his brothers represented for her contemporaries. For Leo XIV, Clare had the “courage to live in the city differently,” for “even in a city that considers itself Christian, taking the Gospel seriously can seem like a revolution.” Young people love people who have made a choice and who accept the consequences of their choices, said the Pope, affirming that “this is how the Church is young and attracts young people.”
National Catholic Register
New apostolate: ‘Our Lady’s Messengers’
By Alyssa Murphy, October 7, 2025
The vision of Cardinal Raymond Burke, from more than 25 years ago, is growing — and on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Cardinal Burke has announced a new initiative called Our Lady’s Messengers, to help build a community of the faithful united in a great love and devotion to the Blessed Mother. “In every age of the Church, Our Lady has drawn her children back to her Son, who alone is their salvation, calling them to prayer, conversion, and reparation.” For more than 25 years, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse has “witnessed daily, and continues to witness, how hearts are healed and renewed when they encounter Christ through his Mother’s loving guidance and intercession.” Tens of thousands of pilgrims travel to the beautifully tended property and grounds every year. More than 160,000 Catholics joined a nine-month novena and consecration to Our Lady, culminating on her feast day, Dec. 12, 2024.
Catholic Exchange
Trying to keep up with everything required
By Suellen Brewster, October 8, 2025
Rather than taking an intentional perspective on their lives, many people are simply trying to keep up with everything required of them, and then, somewhat desperately, attempt to relax through entertainment and amusement via screens and other distractions. Jesus taught us not to follow the world and all its distractions, but to follow Him instead. In each gospel, Jesus literally says, “follow me.” Jesus isn’t the only one saying, “Follow me.” Social media influencers say, “Hit like, and subscribe.” “Follow me!” Doing so yields more of the same content that will mold how we think and what we believe, while closing our eyes to blind spots that only time in prayer with Jesus can reveal. Without intentionality, we will be swept into the current of the world’s algorithmic formation. If we desire to follow Jesus, we need the help of a Rule of Life which includes boundaries on our use of technology and time spent on other distractions.
Missio Dei
All petitions to the Father are summed up in one
By Andrew McGovern, October 8, 2025
“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.” The orientation that is characterized by this petition is the heart of prayer itself. So many times, we approach prayer with the mind that we are trying to change the mind of God. We ask for whatever it is that we are requesting, and we hope that we can shift God’s mind from not giving us the request to granting it to us. We are basically treating Him like a human who can be swayed by our arguments or our continuous requests. God does not change. God’s plan does not change. Whatever He has providentially ordered will come to pass. The reality is that prayer is a catalyst of change, just not the change that we initially are looking for. It is not to change the mind of God, but instead, to change our wills to conform to His. This is why, when Our Lord teaches us to pray, He inserts the petition asking for the will of God to be done. All the other petitions of the Our Father are summed up in this one.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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