Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 5/21/25
Topics include: Trump meets Leo's brother Louis Prevost, Becket awards Cardinal Dolan medal, Pope Leo remembered in Chiclayo, & Time to get foreign aid right
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Today's sources are the National Catholic Register, CNA, Aleteia, CatholicVote, The Pillar, OSV, The Abbey of Misrule, 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
President Trump extols Pope Leo, meets brother Louis Prevost
By Tyler Arnold, May 21, 2025
President Donald Trump met Louis Prevost, the oldest brother of Pope Leo XIV, at the White House on Tuesday, according to the president's special assistant, Margo Martin. While speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill earlier the same day, President Donald Trump said he likes Pope Leo XIV and was looking forward to meeting with the pope’s brother. Trump noted that the pope’s brother Louis “is a major MAGA fan,” alluding to the “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. After Leo was elected, becoming the first U.S.-born pope, Louis Prevost did several media interviews expressing his happiness for his brother and confidence in his leadership. “I had no idea that what was coming [Leo becoming pope] was coming this soon and I can tell you, since then, I’ve been very quiet, biting my tongue. I don’t need to create heat for [Leo]. He’s going to have enough to handle as it is without the press going ‘the pope’s brother says this.’ He doesn’t need that.”
CatholicVote
Becket awards Cardinal Dolan medal for religious liberty advocacy
By Grace Porto, May 20, 2025
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty will honor Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York with its Canterbury Medal, recognizing his commitment to protecting religious liberty, at its May 22 gala. “His Eminence has been a towering figure in the fight for religious liberty, not just for Catholics, but for people of all faiths,” said Mark Rienzi, Becket’s president and CEO. “Cardinal Dolan’s leadership in the public square has shaped the national conscience on religious freedom and strengthened the resolve of those who defend it.” Cardinal Dolan has served as the archbishop of New York since 2009 and was president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) from 2010 to 2013. He also served as chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty.
Aleteia
‘Joan of Arkansas’: A story of heroism and hope
By Fr. Michael Rennier, May 21, 2025
A modern-day Joan of Arc has to deal with the problems of today. Sarah Robsdottir’s new book Joan of Arkansas, geared to teen readers, takes up challenging topics in an inspiring way. And the novena to St. Joan starts today. The narrative includes heroin addicts, abortion clinics, poverty, and bullying. It’s a challenging read. That’s exactly what I like about it. I do not mean that it was an unpleasant read. I read the entire book in only two days because I kept picking it up in every spare moment I had. The characters are likable and the storylines are compelling. There was challenging material in there, to be sure, but overall the novel is a story of heroism, forgiveness, and hope.
CRUX
In his first general audience, Pope Leo prays for Gaza
By Elise Ann Allen, May 21, 2025
In his first public general audience address, Pope Leo XIV said he would continue his predecessor’s reflection on Jesus Christ as a source of hope during the ongoing Jubilee year. He prayed for peace in Gaza. During the May 21 audience, the pope received cheers when speaking in his native English and greeting pilgrims and faithful from his home country of the United States of America. Leo announced his decision to resume Pope Francis’s reflection on “Jesus Christ Our Hope” as his weekly catechesis topic during the 2025 Jubilee of Hope. He pointed to a parable he said was an introduction to all parables, the parable of the sower, which he said offers a clear image of Jesus’s communication style, and because of this, ought to be a point of reference for communicating the Gospel in the modern world.
The Pillar
Pope Leo remembered in Chiclayo: ‘Great charity and great clarity’
By Edgar Beltrán, May 20, 2025
Pope Leo XIV on Monday received an audience of priests, religious and laypeople from Chiclayo, Perú, where he served as bishop from 2014 to 2023. During the audience, Pope Leo said, "Peru is present in my life and heart… I give my thanks to Peru for all this solidarity, and for so many signs of affection and friendship… Long live Chiclayo!” The people of Chiclayo remember the man they still call “Monseñor Roberto” to be approachable and humble, an adept administrator with a sharp intellect, committed to orthodox Catholic teaching and tenderness in dialoguing openly with others. “From the beginning, we appreciated his closeness — and his Spanish,” Fr. Jorge Millán recalled with a laugh. “We’ve had American priests before, but they often don’t speak good Spanish. He did.”
Our Sunday Visitor
‘Perpetual pilgrims’ start across U.S., walking ‘with love and truth’
By Sean Gallagher, May 20, 2024
From St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis on a 36-day National Eucharistic Pilgrimage that will cross 10 states — Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, eight young adult Catholics were sent forth. It will go through 20 dioceses and four Eastern Catholic eparchies before concluding on June 22 in Los Angeles. “That’s the mission of the church, to walk with love, walk with truth, and to share the good news of the Gospel,” said Charlie McCullough, the team leader of the eight “perpetual pilgrims” taking part in the pilgrimage. “We’ll get to carry out that mission of the church here in the United States.” This year’s National Eucharistic Pilgrimage — on its St. Katharine Drexel Route from Indianapolis to Los Angeles — builds on the four pilgrimage routes last year that started on the feast of Corpus Christi and converged on Indianapolis.
UCA News
Cambodia’s Salesians send first lay missionary to PNG
By UCA News reporter, May 20, 2025
The Salesians of Don Bosco in Cambodia have dispatched their first lay missionary volunteer from the Buddhist majority nation to the predominantly Catholic Papua New Guinea (PNG). Volunteer Penh Sokkheng left for her missionary volunteer service on May 19, according to a report in Radio Veritas Asia (RVA). During a Mass linked to the send-off of the volunteer, Salesian priest Arun Michael Charles expressed hope that more young people from Cambodia would volunteer for missions. At least 80% of the 17 million people in Cambodia follow Buddhism, with Christians forming only one percent of the population. The rest of the people follow Islam, atheism, or animism. Salesian provinces worldwide launched missionary initiatives and prayer activities on Nov. 11, 2024.
CatholicVote
An opportunity, now, to get foreign aid right
By George Weigel, May 21, 2025
Rhetorical restraint is not prominent in Washington these days. Given the volatile personalities involved and the escalatory effects of social media, Elon Musk’s denunciation of the U.S. Agency for International Development as a “radical left political psy op” and a “criminal organization” did raise the bar to new heights, however. The Catholic University of America’s Jakub Grygiel was certainly on-target in arguing that “funding ‘net-zero emissions goals’ in Vietnam” made no sense; the “woke imperialism” of aid programs that “undermined the stability of states we are supposed to help, [through] DEI directives [and the promotion of] an ever-mutating spectacle of sexual preferences” was even worse. Nonetheless, there were good things that USAID did well. USAID made friends for the United States around the world. Food aid programs were, and are, one example.
From Loop & Agency to Satire for 5/21/25
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LAWMAKERS REQUEST THAT POPE LEO ADDRESS CONGRESS - Fourteen House Republicans sent a letter Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, urging him to invite Pope Leo XIV to address Congress—a historic first for a US-born pontiff. The late Pope Francis was the first pope ever to give a speech to Congress.
JERUSALEM PATRIARCH JOINS POPE IN APPEALING FOR GAZA - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has joined Pope Leo XIV in urging peace in the Holy Land, encouraging Christians around the world to take concrete action to assist those suffering in Gaza.
US AMBASSADOR RONALD JOHNSON’S FIRST VISIT WAS OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE BASILICA - “Upon arriving in Mexico, as people of faith, my wife Alina and I visited Our Lady of Guadalupe to ask for wisdom and strength in this responsibility for the benefit of both nations,” Johnson posted on his official X account, alongside photos from the visit.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — May 21, 2025
Catholic News Agency provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See to anyone with access to the internet.
Church in Korea keeps up quest for reconciliation between the peninsula’s two nations - May 21, 2025 - By Victoria Cardiel - Eight decades after the partition of the Korean peninsula, the Catholic Church in South Korea remains one of the few actors that, with perseverance and faith, keeps alive the hope for reconciliation between the two Koreas.
Denver ‘Called by Name’ vocations campaign looks to plant seeds for new seminarians - May 20, 2025 - By Kate Quiñones - The “Called By Name” campaign invites parishioners across the Archdiocese of Denver to nominate young men who they think may have a vocation to the priesthood.
The Catholic University of America cuts staff positions to address $30M budget deficit - May 20, 2025 - By Kate Quiñones - The Catholic University of America announced Monday that it has eliminated 7% of its workforce in its final step to balance its budget.
Babylon Bee - Satire News
Man Thanks God He Is Not Like These Sorry Churchgoers All Around Him Who Can't Sing A Harmony
By Church Staff, March 20, 2025
Sources close to Peter Wilfred report that the 30-year-old got down on his knees last Sunday to thank God that he wasn't like all the sorry churchgoers around him who can't sing a harmony. Wilfred allegedly sent up his prayer of thanksgiving midway through the hymn of the day at Bethlehem Lutheran Church's late service shortly after he realized that literally everyone else around him was just singing the basic melody line along with the organ. "I thank thee, my heavenly Father, that thou hast graciously allowed me to read music, not like these other sorry churchgoers whom thou hast surrounded me with," Wilfred reportedly prayed, his eyes gently shining as he gazed heavenward. God graciously flattened Wilfred's pride by allowing him to hear that he had been singing out of tune all this time.
Nutshell reflections for 5/21/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO & VIDEO - May 21, 2025
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
The Abbey of Misrule
Who was the man who lived in St. Govan’s Chapel?
By Paul Kingsnorth, May 18, 2025
St Govan’s Chapel is unlike any other holy place I’ve come across in Britain, yet it is entirely in keeping with the shrines of ascetic saints worldwide. A wild location; a cell in the rock; a holy well; plenty of stories attached to its pedigree and history; miraculous powers - these can all be found here, as they can be found in the locations of holy hermits the world over. What can’t be found here, though, is any solid indication of who St Govan actually was. Some believe he was a local disciple of St Eilfyw, who baptised Wales’s patron saint, David. Others identify him with an Irish monk, Gobhan. Best of all, though - as readers of last week’s story will already know - is the association of Govan with Gawain, knight of the Round Table and companion of the mythical King Arthur.
St. Anthony Messenger
Mary is mother and mystic
By Murray Bodo, OFM, May Issue
If the mystic experiences in an extraordinary way the intimacy with God offered to everyone, then Mary is the model and pattern of the mystical life. She carried God in her womb and gave birth to him. Spiritual impregnation, gestation, and giving birth are the initial stages of the mystical life. God invades our lives, usually when we are not expecting it; we embrace that gift. Even if we are tempted to hoard it as ours alone, God will be born from us; we will serve others due to God’s indwelling love. All mystics wonder what is happening to them when the Holy Spirit asks them to believe the seemingly impossible notion that God wants to enter their lives. They can, of course, refuse out of fear or doubt, and it is the glory of Mary that she does not refuse but says yes.
Religion News Service
Despite DEI cuts, religious inclusion up at Fortune 500 companies
By Kathryn Post, May 20, 2025
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs have been labeled discriminatory by the federal government, many such initiatives once championed by the corporate world have been terminated. But many efforts focusing on religious diversity have actually improved, according to a new report from the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation. The report, released Tuesday (May 20), suggests Fortune 500 companies globally are increasingly taking those efforts seriously. “That’s good business,” said Brian Grim, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation president. “You want people to stay. … If you can retain people by making them feel that you value who they are and what they bring from their spiritual side, that’s a business benefit.”
Missio Dei
Apart from Me you can do nothing
By Andrew McGovern, May 21, 2025
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The foundation of the spiritual life is found in this statement. Our Lord compares Himself to the vine, that source of life for all attached to it. Any fruit, branches, leaves, etc. that are found on the plant rely on the vine to give them their nutrients to survive. To be cut off from the vine means death for that which grows from it. In the same way, Christ is the vine for our lives. This is both in the sense of our actual existence and our spiritual life. He sustains us in existence, and we participate in His very being. To this end, He is the vine, and we are branches. Without the vine, we cannot hope to even BE.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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