Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 12/31/25
Topics include: Catholics who passed away in 2025; Is Christian unity stalled?; 3 million attend papal events in 2025; & Martyrs who died in 2025
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Today's sources are the CRUX, Pime Asia News, National Catholic Register, Vatican News, 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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Catholic News Agency
Looking back at notable Catholics who passed away in 2025
By Daniel Payne, December 31, 2025
Prominent Catholics around the world who left us in 2025 include Pope Francis (Dec. 17, 1936 — April 21, 2025), who passed away at 7:35 a.m. on Easter Monday, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years. Mabel Landry Staton, a trailblazing athlete who briefly set an Olympic record at the 1952 Summer Olympics, died on Feb. 20 at age 92. Alasdair MacIntyre, a towering figure in moral philosophy and a Catholic convert credited with reviving the discipline of virtue ethics, died on May 21 at age 96. James Hitchcock — a noted historian of the Catholic Church, popular author, and longtime college professor — died on July 14 at age 87. Frank Caprio, who served as a Providence, Rhode Island, municipal court judge for nearly 40 years and came to be known as “America’s nicest judge,” passed away on Aug. 20 from pancreatic cancer.
National Catholic Register
As 2025 comes to a close, is Christian unity stalled?
By Father Raymond J. de Souza, December 30, 2025
The modern ecumenical movement began in 1925. In 2025, while the prayers for Christian unity continue, there is more pretending now than actual progress. Year-end reviews for 2025 will include heartening photographs of Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III, supreme moderator of the Church of England, praying together in the Sistine Chapel. There will also be images of the Holy Father with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople at Nicaea. Yet the photos betray the reality — the worldwide Anglican Communion effectively ceased to exist in 2025, and Leo’s visit to Turkey only highlighted the fragile state of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Orthodox Church's titular head. Catholic representatives did not participate in Stockholm 1925; it is regarded as the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement for its wide array of representatives. And, the active lesbian Archbishop-elect Mullaly’s “unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality” means, in the association of Anglican primates’ view, that “she cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion.”
CatholicVote
Faithful flock to the Vatican: 3 million attend papal events in 2025
By Annie Ferguson, December 30, 2025
A remarkable spiritual pilgrimage unfolded in 2025 as nearly 3.2 million Catholics journeyed to the heart of the Church to participate in a variety of papal liturgies and prayers during a Jubilee year that also included the election of a new pope. According to the Prefecture of the Papal Household, 3,176,620 faithful took part in official events at the Vatican during the year. These included Masses, Jubilee celebrations, papal audiences, and Sunday Angelus prayers, according to Vatican News. On May 7, a record-breaking crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square on the first evening of the papal conclave, with more than 45,000 faithful present to witness the first fumata nera, or black smoke, indicating that no pope had been elected. October stood out as a peak moment of devotion: Nearly 200,000 participated in liturgies, and close to 300,000 gathered for General and Jubilee Audiences.
Pime Asia News
Myanmar priest & Philippine layman: Martyrs in 2025
by Shafique Khokhar, December 23, 2025
In 2024, the annual report of Agenzia Fides, the news agency of the Pontifical Mission Societies, reported no violent deaths among missionaries in Asia, despite incessant threats against pastoral workers in various countries. This year’s edition, released today, reports the violent death of a priest and a layperson who were involved in apostolic work: Father Donald Martin, 44, from Mandalay, Myanmar, and Mark Christian Malaca, 39, from Laur, Philippines. For them, as for all 17 victims recorded worldwide, up from 13 in 2024, the news agency prefers the term missionary to that of martyr, noting that it will be up to the Church to recognise their eventual martyrdom. The study, published per tradition at the end of the year, begins with a quotation from Pope Leo XIV, who spoke on 14 September, on the occasion of the Commemoration of the Martyrs and Witnesses to the Faith of the 21st Century. “The hope these people held was “full of immortality”, as well as “unarmed,” said Pope Leo. “No one can silence their voice or erase the love they have shown.”
The Pillar
The quiet, yet courageous, influence of St. Joseph
By Luke Coppen, December 24, 2025
Despite his critical role in Christ’s Nativity, St. Joseph is usually a background character — a gentle, watchful presence on the margins. But what was that first Christmas like from St. Joseph’s point of view? According to Bishop Erik Varden, the Trappist monk and spiritual author who has led Norway’s Territorial Prelature of Trondheim since 2020, said “The exhortation to be fearless, which runs right through the New Testament, is present from the outset — in the annunciation to Mary, then in the angelic reassurance of Joseph.” We can imagine the sort of things the devil would have whispered in Joseph’s ear: “You don’t seriously believe that nonsense of a dream? Do you think God intervenes like this? Get away while you can!” St. Joseph did not let devilish suggestions sway his mind, staying instead steadfast in loyalty. ‘He himself had to battle to persevere in faith; therefore, he is well equipped to sustain us in our battles.’
Vatican News
Pope Leo: Examine our consciences honestly
By Vatican News, December 31, 2025
Pope Leo XIV recalled that the months just lived had been marked by events of contrasting significance. “Some of them joyful,” he said, “such as the pilgrimage of so many of the faithful on the occasion of the Holy Year; others painful, such as the passing of the late Pope Francis, and the scenarios of war that continue to convulse the planet.” Precisely for this reason, he added, the Church calls believers to gather everything—joys and sufferings alike—before God, asking Him “to renew, in us and around us, in the coming days, the wonders of his grace and mercy.” In a spirit of thanksgiving, Pope Leo calls for truthfulness of heart. “With these attitudes,” he said, “we are called upon to reflect on what the Lord has done for us over the past year,” and also “to examine our consciences honestly,” asking forgiveness “for all the times we have failed to treasure his inspirations and invest the talents he has entrusted to us in the best possible way.”
Catholic Culture
‘Women priests do not perform their duties in Catholic churches’
By Phil Lawler, December 30, 2025
“Tina Thompson found a different way to be Catholic,” reads the lede of a sympathetic story in the Kansas City Reflector. The heroine of the story had strayed from her Catholic faith, but now announces that she has returned as a priest. And the reporter takes her seriously, adding that “she is one of hundreds of women Catholic priests around the world.” Which is odd, because Pope John Paul II taught definitively that the Catholic Church cannot ordain women as priests. Thompson was ordained at Lawrence’s Unity Church, a religious movement founded in Kansas City, Missouri, that blends Christianity with spiritualism, emphasizing inclusivity, a loose approach to worship, and embracing personal transformation. She won’t do what the Catholic Church expects priests to do. Which is OK, because whatever she does, it won’t be in a Catholic church. Yet, this is most important to her—that she is not merely a female minister of some tiny Protestant sect, but a Catholic priest.
Crux
Arrests made after Christmas harassment incident in India
By Nirmala Carvalho, December 27, 2025
Police in the Indian state of Assam arrested four people in connection with the violent disruption of Christmas celebrations at St. Mary’s School, Panigaon, in Assam’s Nalbari district, on December 24. The persons arrested were allegedly associated with the radical Hindu nationalist group Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the VHP youth wing, known as Bajrang Dal – the “Brigade of Bajrangbali” – devoted to a Hindu deity revered as a companion to Rama, a central figure in foundational Hindu cosmology. The arrests came after 20 men stormed the St. Mary’s School campus, vandalized decorations, and set festive items ablaze while shouting religious slogans. St. Mary’s is a prominent Catholic school in the area, serving pupils from pre-K through 10th grade. Witnesses said the men removed signs, pulled down LED lights, and shouted slogans. Videos circulated on social media.
From Loop & Agency to Pillar Post for 12/31/25
CatholicVote: Daily LOOP
Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”
Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily gems on the news that seek “to renew our country and culture.” CatholicVote’s advertised mission is “To inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.”
CATHOLICS CALLED TO ATTEND MASS EVERY 2026 FIRST FRIDAY - CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt is calling on Catholics to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus by attending Mass on the First Friday of every month in 2026 – all to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary year.
CATHOLIC RESEARCH FORUM: INDIA MUST STOP PERSECUTION - A Catholic research body is calling on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take urgent action to stop what it describes as a sustained rise in attacks against Christians across India, particularly during the Christmas season.
7 IN 10 ARRESTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE RECORDS - The vast majority of illegal immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have criminal histories, according to new data provided by ICE to the Washington Examiner. Here are the numbers.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — December 31, 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 activities of the Holy See, available to anyone with internet access.
Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, Catholic school alumna, dies at 80 - Dec 30, 2025 - By Sumon Corraya - Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and alumna of Catholic-run St. Joseph’s School, died at 80 after a lifelong bond with the Catholic community.
‘Faith must be lived within a community,’ bishop tells historic parish in Kenya - Dec 30, 2025 - By Agnes Aineah - In a recent homily to parishioners, Kenya Bishop David Kamau Ng’ang’a said faith is best experienced as a community.
Pope Leo XIV warns against gambling, which ‘ruins many families’ - Dec 30, 2025 - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - Speaking to the National Association of Italian Municipalities, Pope Leo XIV warned of the dangers of gambling as well as that “social cohesion and civic harmony require, first and foremost, listening to the least among us and the poor.”
The Pillar
Pillar Stories for Tuesday, 12/31/25
The Pillar offers a news summary and a capsule take on Catholic News. Here are news stories from the past week in the Pillar Post:
How Catholics are caught in the Cambodia-Thailand conflict - Despite its small size, the local Church is offering substantial help to the displaced. Neither Cambodia nor its neighbor, Thailand, is strongly associated with the Catholic Church.
Why is Cardinal Parolin visiting an insurgency hotspot? - Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived Monday in one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians. The chief purpose of Cardinal Parolin’s trip to Pemba was to convey the Vatican’s solidarity with Cabo Delgado’s Catholics.
According to a Vatican News report, Parolin said that “the Holy Father does not forget Cabo Delgado.”
The Immaculate Conception: History, a miracle, and the Spanish Steps - Though the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was defined only in 1854, the feast enjoys a rich and long history in the Church, intertwined with many historical events. References to it appear in Irish works from the late 8th century, and the Winchester calendars and episcopal pontificals record it in the 11th century.
Nutshell reflections for 12/31/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection Audio - December 31, 2025
The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
More low tech, please
By James K. Hanna, December 26, 2025
“Low technology is more than a sentimental pleasure—though God knows it’s that. It’s a kind of salvation for people. We live in a time when most of us, in our work, are servants of machines (and a handful, of course, are masters). In terms of the gross national product, that has worked out very nicely. In terms of the process of daily living, it has been a good deal less satisfactory. The more places there are where simple, easily understood techniques can compete in the marketplace with automation, the more sense of ourselves as valuable and needed beings we will be able to keep. And that’s a sense every human being ought to have.” That’s from the essay titled “Low Technology in the Sugarbush” by Noel Perrin (1927-2004) published thirty years ago in 1996 in Late Harvest: Rural American Writing (ed. David Pichaske, pub. by Smithmark).
Aleteia
Sir Gawain and the New Year’s challenge
By Fr. Michael Rennier, December 31, 2025
The point remains that, year after year, New Year’s Resolutions persist, indicating that, collectively, we sense our need for self-improvement. We’re nothing if not persistent. No matter what happened last year, we’ll try again. The trick is actually how to make the change stick. How can we take up the challenge in such a way as to not abandon it before winter is over. Recently, I re-read the great medieval poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” which can be read as the story of one man’s acceptance of a New Year’s Resolution. His subsequent struggle to achieve it makes for fascinating reading. The lesson here is clear. We cannot change without accepting at least a little bit of suffering. Like Gawain, we have to fight through the wilderness, learn to overcome the temptation of the easy life, be willing to suffer with Our Lord.
Catholic Exchange
Faith in God and His plan for our families
By Fr. Kevin Drew, December 31, 2025
Bishop Sheen wrote, “These Innocents died for the King Whom they had never known. Like little lambs, they died for the sake of the Lamb…Innocent lambs in the Passover bled for Him in centuries past; now innocent children without spot, little human lambs, bled for Him.” Modern-day King Herod tyrants destroy those who are tiny in body because fear has destroyed their hearts. And what do they say to justify their actions? “There are too many people. There’s not enough food. There’s not enough energy to sustain us.” Arguments like these were made before Christ. What has been the result of the foisting of contraception on the world? Everywhere it has been introduced, there is now an epidemic of sexual disease, sexual violence, abortion, pornography, and all manner of sexual degeneracy. Whole populations of people have been decimated. The King Herods of this world have no interest in the infinite beyond. But we do. We have faith in God and His plan for our families.
Catholic Exchange
Is assisted suicide more merciful than God?
By Patti Armstrong, December 31, 2025
There is supernatural power in suffering beyond our understanding. But the fear of suffering has become a weapon in the devil’s toolbox to increasingly drive state-abetted suicide as an improvement on God’s plan. New York Governor Hochul described the physician-assisted suicide measure now passed as law as simply speeding up the inevitable, since they will only accept terminal patients with no more than six months to live. She calls it “a merciful option, for those in pain,” ignoring that there are measures for pain relief and compassionate care. Hochul is confused. She refers to God as merciful and claims we must be merciful as well, but she extrapolates that to mean we should play God and define mercy in our own terms. Saying that for us to be merciful, we must help people to die is to claim that God’s mercy is insufficient and, thus, we should take matters into our own hands.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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