Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 7/8/26
Catholics should know: Catholic schools and tax-credit cuts; Little Sisters argue contraception mandate; Smithsonian accused of ‘ideological capture’; & American Catholics are rewriting the rules
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Your 5-minute Catholic briefing for busy faithful. Today's sources are the Zeale News, National Catholic Register, EWTN News, The Pillar, Zenit, and OSV News. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
Click here to view this email on the Catholic Nutshell News website. Today’s Catholic Nutshell News audio podcast is available on the Substack App.
EWTN News
Pennsylvania Catholic schools brace for possible tax-credit cuts
By Madalaine Elhabbal, July 7, 2026
Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania Catholic school students could lose scholarship funding if a bill passed by the state House eliminating a key tax-credit program is signed into law. “The recent passage of House Bill 2632 by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives poses a serious threat to school children and families throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia said in a June 23 statement. If passed, the bill would eliminate the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, a change he described as “devastating for school children and their families.” State Rep. Nikki Rivera, D-Lancaster, introduced the bill, which the Pennsylvania House passed on June 22. Senate consideration is next.
OSV News
France’s traditionalist Catholics rally behind Pope Leo XIV
By Caroline de Sury, July 7, 2026
French Catholics attached to the traditional Latin Mass but loyal to Rome are expressing deep sadness after the Society of St. Pius X consecrated four bishops without papal approval, prompting the Vatican to declare the group in schism and excommunicate six SSPX bishops. The events occurred just as French traditionalist Catholics were actively mobilizing to welcome Pope Leo XIV to France, Sept. 25 to 28. In the meantime, the SSPX consecrations in Écône, Switzerland, and the subsequent excommunications have caused distress among those striving to maintain a delicate balance between tradition and respect for the hierarchy. “This line is sometimes difficult to follow,” said the chaplain of Notre-Dame de Chrétienté, Father Jean de Massia of the Fraternity of St. Peter (FFSP). “We therefore hope for great goodwill toward us on the part of the bishops.”
National Catholic Register
Little Sisters argue contraception mandate case before 3rd Circuit
By Tyler Arnold/EWTN News, July 8, 2026
Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the Little Sisters, delivered oral arguments to a federal appellate court on July 7 as the Catholic religious society continued its 15-year legal battle over contraception mandates. The dispute goes back to a 2011 federal regulation imposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which requires employers to include contraceptive coverage in healthcare plans offered to employees as part of rules implementing the Affordable Care Act. Although the Little Sisters of the Poor already won two Supreme Court cases — which found the federal government must protect the religious freedom of those who object to contraception and that the federal government has the authority to create exemptions — the attorneys general of Pennsylvania and New Jersey are challenging federal exemptions on grounds that the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on.
Zeale News
White House accuses Smithsonian of ‘ideological capture’
By Elise Winland, July 7, 2026
The White House released a 162-page report July 4 accusing the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History of ideological capture, saying the taxpayer-funded museum has abandoned its founding purpose of fostering national pride and historical understanding in favor of “extreme political activism.” The report, titled “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage,” comes as part of President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order directing a review of federally funded cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, which receives more than $1 billion a year from taxpayers. “As this report shows, the Museum purposely presents America as a problematic country irredeemably conceived, founded by deeply flawed men, and still operating today as an instrument of systemic racism and oppression,” the executive summary stated.
The PIllar
German ‘church tax miracle’ continues with revenues up
By Luke Coppen, July 7, 2026
Germany’s 27 dioceses saw a year-on-year increase in church tax revenue in 2025, despite losing more than 300,000 registered Catholics that year. The German bishops’ conference announced on July 7 that dioceses received 6.751 billion euros (around $7.72 billion) via the church tax system in 2025, up from 6.628 billion ($7.58 billion) in 2024 and 6.515 billion ($7.45 billion) in 2023. German commentators have dubbed the counterintuitive phenomenon in which church tax revenue rises while the number of German Catholics shrinks the “church tax miracle” (Kirchensteuerwunder). The German bishops’ conference did not provide a detailed explanation for why revenue increased again in 2025. It limited itself to presenting the latest figure in a table showing how church tax revenue has developed since German reunification in 1990.
Vatican News
Haiti: 1.5 million displaced & 1,600 people killed in three months
By Vatican News, July 8, 2026
Haiti's humanitarian and security crisis continues unabated. According to the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Haiti, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, about 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of gang violence. In addition, at least 1,600 people have been killed over the past three months. UN said that criminal groups, whose membership is estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000, exert influence or control over roughly 70 to 75% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Ruiz Massieu reiterated that, despite the UN Security Council's backing for the international security support mission, coordinated action on security, justice, and development will be needed to restore stability to the country. According to the World Bank, Haiti's economy contracted for the seventh consecutive year in 2025, with real GDP falling by 2.7% and average inflation rising to 28.3%. Nearly half of the population lives in extreme poverty
Graphs about Religion
American Catholics are rewriting the rules
By Ryan Burge, July 2, 2026
In his book American Evangelicalism: Embattled and Thriving, Christian Smith argues that religious groups are most successful when they actively engage with the larger culture while also maintaining clear boundaries between “us” and “them.” Catholicism is an interesting case study in subcultural identity theory because of how the Church is structured. Catholics believe that the Magisterium — the Pope, Cardinals, and Bishops — holds the God-given authority to interpret scripture. Beyond that, they also believe Church teaching can develop over time through Divine revelation, a process guided by that same hierarchical leadership. However, the average American Catholic disagrees with the teachings of the Church on all kinds of issues. 53% of Catholics seldom/never attend Mass, a doubling of low-attending Catholics in just thirty years. While Mass attendance has declined sharply, that doesn’t indicate that Catholics are going to unaffiliate with the Church.
The Jerusalem Post
‘Strictly forbidden to mourn’: Family speaks after murder by IRGC
By Alma Delia Recinas, June 30, 2026
Taha Naderi, 18, was fatally shot by Iranian security forces outside an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters in Shahreza, according to testimony his family gave on the six-month anniversary of the January 8-9 massacre. Relatives attempted on Monday, January 12, to arrange Naderi’s burial at Bagh-e Rezvan, Isfahan’s main cemetery. Officials told them that overcrowding and administrative procedures would delay the release of his body by two or three days. Two relatives were required to sign a declaration in Shahreza stating that Naderi had not participated in the demonstrations. The family also said his medical records falsely attributed his injuries to “street fighting and a knife wound,” rather than a gunshot. “We were also required to sign two or three more declarations stating that no more than 20 people could attend the funeral,” the relative said, adding that the family was “strictly forbidden from holding any mourning ceremonies.”
Keep informed - 7/8/26 news for Catholics
Snippets from Loop, Fides, & The Pillar
Zeale’s 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 BACKS OMB GRANT REFORMS - CatholicVote joined a coalition of leaders in praising proposed OMB grant reforms that would curb taxpayer funding for DEI programs, gender ideology, and pro-abortion spending. CatholicVote’s Tom McClusky gave Zeale News insights into the reforms, which readers can support by submitting comments to the government before the July 13 deadline.
EXCLUSIVE: PRIEST SEES HOPE AFTER STORM-SPLIT ROOF ILLUMINATES CRUCIFIX - In an awe-inspiring scene photographed by locals after a violent storm, sunlight illuminated the main crucifix through the weather-damaged roof of St. Mary’s in Highmore, South Dakota. Reached by Zeale News, St. Mary’s pastor, Father John Short, explained how the incredible sight became a reminder that God gives hope amid life’s storms.
CHRIS SMITH CONDEMNS CHINA’S ‘ETHNIC UNITY’ LAW - Rep. Chris Smith introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning China’s new “ethnic unity” law, warning that it gives Beijing legal cover for forced assimilation and religious repression at home and abroad.
Fides News Agency
Fide’s headlines — July 8, 2026
Fides was created on 5 June, 1927, by order of the Council Superior General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, as the first Missionary Agency of the Church and among the first agencies in the world, serving to inform and promote missionary activity.
ASIA/PAKISTAN - Catholic community at the forefront in the fight against child abuse, "to promote the dignity and protection of children," says Archbishop Arshad - Islamabad (Fides News Agency) – A "Year of Children," marked by meetings, celebrations, public events and prayer initiatives dedicated to protecting children, promoting their well-being and placing them at the center of social and pastoral attention.
AFRICA/SOUTH SUDAN - New inter-communal violence in Warrap State: 19 killed and 14 injured - Juba (Fides News Agency) – At least 19 people have been killed, 14 others injured in clashes that broke out Tonj South County, about 200 kilometers from the capital Juba. According to local press, the violence is part of growing inter-communal tensions, exacerbated by the political climate ahead of the general elections scheduled for December 2026
AFRICA/NIGERIA - The Archdiocese of Kaduna confirms catechist Victor Paul, who was abducted in February, died in captivity after enduring prolonged torture, abuse, and severe deprivation - Kaduna (Fides News Agency) – Attacks, kidnappings, and killings continue unabated across Nigeria, with Christian communities remaining among those most severely affected. Victor Paul is the latest victim.
The Pillar
Pillar Stories from the May calendar, 7/8/26
The Pillar offers a news summary and a capsule take on Catholic News. Here are news stories from the past few weeks in the Pillar Post:
Just seven days ago, Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic, had a private audience with Pope Leo. Cardinal Nzapalainga’s situation is unusual: He is just 59 years old, not sick, and was given a coadjutor bishop — a man appointed to eventually replace him — just two months ago. The reason is not entirely clear. But in the CAR, his nation, there have been rumors of a wide-ranging ecclesial fiscal management crisis and reports that the pontiff has requested Cardinal Nzapalainga's resignation.
The Holy See published topics and a preparatory document for an October meeting of presidents of bishops’ conferences and heads of Eastern Churches. The meeting — which will also involve several families sharing their experiences — has been widely taken as a sign of Pope Leo’s ongoing intention to consult broadly among bishops on topics that have been controversial in the Church in recent years.
But how many people do the excommunications at the Society of St. Pius X actually impact? The story has gotten a lot of ink — and deservedly so, it represents a true schism in the body of Christ, and a major flex on Pope Leo’s part to address it. And a lot, it turns out, depends on who’s doing the counting. Here’s why.
July 8, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings
You can listen HERE or read HERE:
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Catholic commentary:
Crisis Magazine
Kneeling before the world, 60 years On
By Darrick Taylor, July 8, 2026
Thomist philosopher and writer Jacques Maritain was one of the intellectual architects of Vatican II. Maritain did as much as any figure to urge the Church to embrace “modernity,” actively urging the Church to abandon its longstanding teaching that the state must uphold the true religion and instead embrace modern religious liberty and liberal democracy. Maritain was one of the prime movers behind the United Nations Declaration on Universal Human Rights, issued as a response to the horrors of World War II. He was harshly critical of many aspects of the Church in the 19th and early 20th centuries and, therefore, enthusiastically welcomed the Second Vatican Council as a monumental step in that direction, an enthusiasm he never abandoned. By 1966, however, Maritain had become alarmed at what actually transpired as a result of the council and took up his pen to denounce it in his book of that year, The Peasant of the Garonne.
The Catholic Weekly
Sydney’s dioceses come together to combat modern slavery
By Tara Kennedy, July 8, 2026
Anti-modern slavery advocate Jessa-Joy Royupa delivered a powerful address condemning modern slavery in Australia at the annual tri-diocesan social justice dinner, hosted jointly by the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Justice and Peace Office and the Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network (ACAN). Royupa’s brother, Jerwin Royupa, died in mysterious circumstances in regional New South Wales in 2019, just over a month after arriving in Australia to work at a winery. He entered Australia on a subclass 407 training visa, which allows entry for workplace training. Although entitled to receive $134.92 a month while working 10 hours a day, six days a week under the visa arrangement, Royupa said her brother was actually working much longer hours in harsh conditions. “His sponsor took Jerwin’s passport and said he wouldn’t be paid for six months to offset the cost of bringing him to Australia,” she said. “Five weeks later, he exited a car traveling at more than 100 kilometers an hour and died in hospital the next day.”
Zenit
Vatican newspaper suggests the devil does not exist
By Valentina Di Georgio, July 7, 2026
A theological debate has erupted following the publication of the latest issue of Donne Chiesa Mondo, the monthly supplement of L’Osservatore Romano, after several contributors examined the nature of evil in ways that critics say blur the Catholic Church’s longstanding teaching on the personal existence of Satan. The controversy centers on Issue No. 157, released on July 1 under the theme “The Devil Within Us.” While the edition explores evil through biblical, psychological, cultural, and social perspectives, its overall approach has prompted questions about whether it adequately reflects Catholic doctrine on one of Christianity’s most fundamental spiritual realities. One author traces the development of Jewish demonology to later historical periods influenced by the religious cultures of the ancient Near East and the Hellenistic world. Critics argue that the edition gives considerable attention to symbolic and psychological interpretations while offering little reference to the Church’s authoritative teaching on Satan as a real personal being.
Catholic 365
Pray we don’t have grubs inside of us
By Chelsey Kennedy, July 8, 2025
When I was a child, I opened an acorn and found a pair of “maggots.” I have since learned that what I saw were not maggots, but the larvae of acorn weevil grubs. “The acorns of various oak trees are often infested by acorn weevil grubs, Curculio glandium.” (Baker 2024) I thought acorns were secure. But that’s not the case. “The larvae can eat out the entire nut inside an acorn or hickory nut, making it worthless…” (Iowa State University Extension) I didn’t know that acorns could be so easily corrupted. I didn’t know about the grubs. Or even worse—spiritual dangers that cause interior damage. In fourth grade at my public school, I had a school-issued agenda. I remember the tiny motivational quotes on the corners of the pages. I remember, “The mighty oak was once a little nut that stood its ground … May we put our trust in God so that we can stand our ground against the corruption of sin and grow strong under God’s sunshine.”
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