Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 12/24/25
Topics include: Pope disappointed with Pritzker; Notre Dame Cathedral’s new stained glass; Foreign-born priests in Western Pennsylvania; & NY Archdiocese drops out of top 5
“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
Pope on Pritzker’s suicide bill, ‘Very disappointed about that’
By CNA Staff, December 23, 2025
Pope Leo XIV appealed to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to veto a bill legalizing assisted suicide during a Vatican meeting last month. The pope, responding to a question from Rudolf Gehrig of EWTN News, said he made his opposition to the bill clear in the November conversation with the governor. Leo told Pritzker it was important to defend the value of life and that every life is sacred. The Vatican had not previously provided details of the meeting. Pritzker signed the assisted suicide measure, ardently opposed by Catholic leaders, into law Dec. 12. “I spoke very explicitly with Gov. Pritzker about that,” the pope said, noting that Cardinal Blase Cupich also expressed his views. “We were very clear about the necessity to respect the sacredness of life from the very beginning to the very end. And unfortunately, for different reasons, he decided to sign that bill. Very disappointed about that.”
Related: Pope Leo says he pleaded with Illinois Democratic Gov Pritzker not to sign suicide bill, CatholicVote News Feed on December 23, 2025
Related: Pope on home state’s euthanasia law: “we were very clear” - Aleteia, Kathleen N. Hattrup - published on 12/24/25
National Catholic Register
Notre Dame Cathedral’s new stained glass ignites firestorm
By Solène Tadié, December 23, 2025
One year after Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral solemnly reopened to the public following the devastating 2019 fire, an old feud between heritage defenders and the French state — this time centered around its famous stained-glass windows — has been reignited. It was hoped that the post-fire restoration, which also led to the decision to rebuild the spire and medieval wooden roof identically to the original, would bring this difficult chapter in the cathedral’s history to a close. Instead, it has reopened the debate between the preservation of traditional artistry in the Gothic architectural masterpiece versus the integration of contemporary art. The latest controversy was triggered by the designs selected for what are expected to become Notre Dame’s newest stained-glass windows, scheduled to be installed in 2026. The compositions are painted in a figurative style, populated by prominent, frontal figures, emphasizing bodily presence and emotional expression.
CatholicVote
Foreign-born priests keep Western Pennsylvania’s churches open
By Felix Miller, December 23, 2025
A Dec. 21 article draws attention to a diocese that might show the future of the American church: the Diocese of Greenburg, Pennsylvania, where more than a third of priests hail from countries other than the U.S. According to the article in TribLife by Quincey Reese, the diocese currently operates 78 parishes and has 71 priests in active ministry, with 24 of the priests being foreign-born. Bishop Larry Kulick indicated that international priests are a major reason many parishes continue to offer Mass and the sacraments regularly. You take away our international priests, I don’t know what I would do to staff parishes,” he said, according to TribLife. “Parish life would look a lot different.” The Diocese of Greenburg, like many dioceses in the nation, faces economic challenges and population decline, which the bishop indicated make it difficult to recruit American seminarians. The diocese began seeking international priests in 2010.
Pime Asia News
In first, Punjab government promotes Christmas celebrations
by Shafique Khokhar, December 23, 2025
For the first time in history, the Lahore government has promoted a large interfaith Christmas event. On Sunday, thousands of people took part in the Christmas Interfaith Harmony Rally, 7 km from the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart to the Liberty roundabout. Liberty Market and Canal Road are covered with Christmas celebrations. “At a time when intolerance and religious fanaticism are on the rise in Punjab province, initiatives of this kind are urgently needed to promote a message of brotherhood and equal citizenship for all Pakistanis,” said Aftab Alexander Mughal, director of Minority Concern UK. Fr Lazar Aslam OP, a Capuchin serving in Punjab, said: "I am witnessing a transformative change within a society often characterised by its complexity. The initiatives launched by the Punjab government for Christmas 2025 are significant both in their scope and their intentions.”
The Pillar
At the North Pole: ‘The Church gave the world Santa’
By Jack Figge, December 23, 2025
In the city of North Pole, Alaska – some 20 minutes from Fairbanks – along St. Nicholas Drive, sits the Santa Claus House. The famous attraction draws visitors from all over the world, eager to meet Santa and his reindeer, take a picture in the iconic red sleigh, and try the gift shop’s fudge and other treats. Less than a mile away, along the same street, stands St. Nicholas Church – a quiet, unassuming building, and a stark contrast to the sparkle and shimmer of the tourist site down the road. “If you come in here to the North Pole, it is all about Santa, Santa, Santa,” said Aiden, who is originally from Nigeria. “But you are not dealing with Santa here at St. Nicholas,” he told The Pillar. “You’re dealing with the Catholic Church and Jesus Christ.” Of the parish’s 400 families, many have 6 or more kids, and it has become a vibrant hub for young adult and youth ministry.
Vatican News
Pope Leo asks for 24 hours of peace worldwide at Christmas
By Vatican News, December 17, 2025
“I once again make this appeal to all people of goodwill: that, at least on the feast of the birth of the Saviour, one day of peace may be respected." This was the appeal launched by Pope Leo XIV in view of the Christmas holidays, on Tuesday, 23 December, from Castel Gandolfo. “Truly, among the things that cause me great sadness in these days is the fact that Russia has apparently refused the request for a Christmas truce.” The Bishop of Rome therefore renewed his appeal for a pause in fighting at Christmas: “Perhaps they will listen to us, and there will be 24 hours - one full day of peace throughout the world.” where Phase Two of the ceasefire is under discussion, the Pope recalled the “beautiful visit” in recent days to Gaza by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. “They are trying to celebrate the feast in the midst of a situation that remains very precarious.”
Catholic Culture
Phoenix surpasses NY & Chicago as nation’s 2nd-largest diocese
By Catholic World News, December 23, 2025
The Diocese of Phoenix surpassed the Archdiocese of New York and the Archdiocese of Chicago as the nation’s second-largest diocese, according to the 2025 edition of The Official Catholic Directory. In 2024 edition, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (3.82 million Catholics), New York (3.26 million), Chicago (2.08 million), Diocese of Phoenix (2.01 million), and Archdiocese of Boston (1.79 million) were the nation’s five largest dioceses. In the 2025 edition, the nation’s five largest dioceses are the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (3.79 million), Diocese of Phoenix (2.01 million), Archdiocese of Chicago (1.95 million), Archdiocese of Boston (1.79 million), and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (1.70 million). In the 2025 edition, the Archdiocese of New York reported only 1.57 million Catholics—a staggering decline of nearly 1.7 million Catholics in one year, suggesting that archdiocesan officials believed the previous numbers were vastly overinflated.
Crux
At gunpoint in Colombia, priest forced to speak for guerrillas
By Eduardo Campos Lima, December 24, 2025
During a 10-hour raid on the Colombian town of Buenos Aires, near Cali, guerrillas machine-gunned public buildings, attacked police and forced the local vicar to relay their messages through the church’s sound system on December 16. In one of the most dramatic moments of the assault waged by the Jaime Martínez Front, a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Father Winston Chávez was taken at gunpoint by the men and was forced to tell the police to surrender. The city, located 38 miles away from Cali, has around 36,000 residents and a rather small presence of the State. When the guerrillas arrived, there were only 17 members of the local police in charge of the whole area. Archbishop Omar Sánchez of the Diocese of Popayán told the local press that he was able to contact Chávez shortly after the incident, when communications were temporarily reestablished.
From Loop & Agency to Pillar Post for 12/24/25
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JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HALTS VA ABORTIONS - "The Department of Justice has reversed the Biden administration’s decision to allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to perform abortions on the taxpayers’ dime," The Daily Signal reports.
22 STATES BACK CATHOLIC PRESCHOOLS AT SUPREME COURT - Twenty-two states, along with numerous faith groups and legal organizations, urged the U.S. Supreme Court to protect Colorado Catholic preschools from religious exclusion from the state's universal preschool funding program. The case was brought by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty after the schools were denied access to funding for low-income families.
GOVERNMENT OFFERS 'CHRISTMAS STIPEND' TO SELF-DEPORT - The Department of Homeland Security Secretary this week announced it is tripling a stipend offered to illegal aliens if they opt to self-deport. For those who choose to leave the United States before the new year, the federal government promises to provide $3,000 and a free plane ticket.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — December 24, 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.
Pope Leo XIV revives tradition during first Christmas of his pontificate - Dec 24, 2025 - By Victoria Cardiel - Pope Leo XIV will celebrate his first Christmas at the Vatican by reviving the tradition of offering Christmas Mass on Dec. 25 in St. Peter’s Basilica, something no pope has done since 1994.
Where does the ‘Feast of the 7 Fishes’ Christmas Eve tradition come from? - Dec 24, 2025 - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - The Feast of the Seven Fishes stems from the southern part of Italy and spans generations.
‘Everybody’s had it’: Backlash to Charlotte bishop’s ban of altar rails, kneelers - Dec 23, 2025 - By Amira Abuzeid - In a Dec. 17 letter, Bishop Michael Martin said that by Jan. 16, 2026, altar rails and kneelers are banned for the reception of Communion in the diocese.
The Pillar
Pillar Post for Tuesday, 12/17/25
The Pillar offers a news summary and a capsule take on Catholic News. Here’s JD Flynn’s analysis of the news from yesterday in the Pillar Post:
The Vatican is facing a legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights over the suspension of pension payments to two former Vatican banking officials after a series of conflicting Vatican court rulings, and amid scrutiny of financial governance. The challenge comes from Paolo Cipriani and Massimo Tulli, two former managers of the Institute for the Works of Religion, both of whom were convicted by Vatican courts
From Knoxville, Tennessee, a former parish organist has dropped a lawsuit which accused a former seminarian of sexual assault, and accused former Knoxville Bishop Rick Stika of covering it up. The suit was initially filed in 2022, and then refiled in early 2023, after the diocese argued successfully in court that the former parish organist should not be permitted to file the lawsuit anonymously.
Retired Bishop Edward Scharfenberger filed for bankruptcy this month, shortly after a New York court assigned him personal liability for the failure of a shuttered Catholic hospital’s pension plan. The decision to hold the bishop personally liable while excusing the diocese would appear to break new legal ground in the U.S., and could trigger a revisiting of canonical arrangements across a range of Catholic institutions.
Nutshell reflections for 12/24/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection Audio - December 24, 2025
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
Hospes venit, Christus venit (A guest comes, Christ comes)
By James K. Hanna, December 19, 2025
Sharing a little something to contemplate as we approach Christmas— prompted by Dorothy Day (1897-1980). She challenges us yet today. Though Pittsburgh is referenced, hospitality— the centerpiece of the essay that follows—is universal, and was a hallmark of Dorothy’s spirituality. It’s available online at “No Room at the Inn” published on Christmas Day 2022 by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “It is no use to say that we are born two thousand years too late to give room to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too late. Christ is always with us, always asking for room in our hearts. But now it is with the voice of our contemporaries that he speaks, with the eyes of store clerks, factory workers and children that he gazes; with the hands of office workers, slum dwellers and suburban housewives that he gives … And giving shelter or food to anyone who asks for it, or needs it, is giving it to Christ.”
Aleteia
Christmas should remind us of God’s patience with us
By Philip Kosloski, December 24, 2025
Have you ever paused and wondered about the patience of God? He could, after all, be a very cruel and vindictive God, sending down lightning bolts upon every sinner whenever they turn away from him. Instead, God waits and gives us every opportunity to turn back to him and to lead a life of holiness. Christmas is one of those reminders that highlights the patience God has with us and with all of humanity. Prior to the Incarnation, the world was in a whole heap of trouble. Even many of God’s chosen people were disobedient and were leading lives of sin. This spiritual truth is highlighted in a letter to Diognetus that is featured in the Church's Office of Readings during Advent: “He was patient with us, bore with us, and in compassion took our sins upon himself.”
Our Sunday Visitor
Party like it’s 1399: No sugar, only food in season, yet full joy
By David Mills, December 17, 2025
Imagine another party, this one around A.D. 1399. In a large hall, tables are arranged in a U-shape with simple benches for seating. Guests fill all available spots, and food on platters is set out at regular intervals on the tables so everyone can reach it. The fare is simple: boiled meat, coarse bread, hard-boiled eggs, some cheese, and the season’s fruit. Before the trendy modern exhortations to “eat local,” eating local was simply the practical reality of life. Only what was in season is available, including for parties. Furthermore, without sugar, dessert as we know it today doesn’t exist. But, hard as it is to believe, even without cookies as we know them, joy abounds. The contrast between this scene and the gruesome corporate holiday party you just endured could not be more evident. Somehow, with all our modern American abundance, we have lost the art and simple joy of parties. Could the solution be as simple as going medieval?
Catholic Exchange
If Adam and Eve were perfect, why did they sin?
By Nate Guyear, December 17, 2025
This is a common question for those who contemplate the Faith. Satan exploited the truth that God is the highest good, goodness itself. Adam and Eve recognized that God made them in His image and likeness, and they knew that God was the highest good. So, they understood that becoming more like God was a good thing. But how did Satan’s temptation work? Adam and Eve had no inclinations to sin, no unruly passions, and there was no strife between them, between them and God, or between them and creation. In a very subtle and duplicitous way, which is why Genesis refers to him as a serpent, he could appeal to their pride. God created Adam and Eve with a healthy pride, a pride that was docile to God’s will and that did not try to dominate one another. They were humble and innocent.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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