Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 12/10/25
Topics include: Religion holds steady in America; God became man in the womb; Campaign to bully pro-life donors; & Reconcile a past abortion later in life
“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
Pew study: Religion holds steady in America
By Tessa Gervasini, December 9, 2025
The number of American adults who identify with Christianity, another religion, or no religion has remained steady, according to the Pew Research Center's Religion Holds Steady in America. The numbers have slightly fluctuated, but there has been no clear rise or fall in religious affiliation since 2020. The research revealed that after Pew found a decline in Christianity in the country from 2007 to 2020, that decline has halted, and Christianity and religion now have a stable presence in the nation. However, it found that young men are now almost as religious as women in the same age group. The finding differs from past studies, which found that young women tended to be more religious than young men due to a decline in religiousness among American women, rather than an increase in the religiousness of men. The data found no evidence that any age group has become substantially more or less religious
National Catholic Register
Correction: God became man 9 months before Jesus was born
By The Editors, December 9, 2025
The White House marked the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception — the first of two major Marian feasts this week with a direct connection to the sanctity of unborn human life — with a presidential message celebrating the occasion. For the most part, President Trump’s message was extremely welcome, recognizing America’s Christian foundation and the contributions of individual Catholics and the Catholic faith to American public life. But the Dec. 8 message included an unfortunate error regarding the moment when the Son of God took on our humanity and began his earthly life as Jesus Christ. Celebrating the Virgin Mary’s own conception without any stain of original sin, it wrongly stated, “God became man when Mary gave birth to a son, Jesus, who would go on to offer his life on the Cross for the redemption of sins and the salvation of the world.” That’s not correct. The Son of God joined his divine nature with his human nature at the Incarnation — the moment of Jesus’ own conception in Mary’s womb at the Annunciation.
CatholicVote
Coordinated campaign to bully, intimidate, & ‘dox’ pro-life donors
By Kelsey Reinhardt, December 9, 2025
A landmark case for the defense of crisis pregnancy centers is before the Supreme Court right now, and CatholicVote wants to encourage everyone to pray for a just resolution. First Choice Women’s Resource Centers is an organization offering vital support to pregnant women who wish to avoid abortion. Their centers are among 3,000 pregnancy centers nationwide that help women turn an anxious, unplanned pregnancy into a path toward a precious life event. New Jersey’s attorney general, Matthew Platkin, issued a subpoena demanding that First Choice surrender a decade’s worth of private information, including donor names, addresses, phone numbers, and places of employment, to question the people found in that data. But, as Justice Clarence Thomas discovered in his questioning last week, First Choice has never had a complaint lodged against them. Not a single one.
Aleteia
New legal thriller has a moral heart
By Lucia Rodríguez, December 10, 2025
“The sacred charge of lawyers is to give themselves to those who need them.” This quote from the main character’s father, Thomas, is the principle that pulses at the heart of Gabriel Lock: Bound by Law. Co-authors D. and H. Cancio, a father-son duo who both specialize in law, bring an authenticity and personal depth to this compelling novel. Like so many decisions in life, there aren’t always easy answers and the “right thing” isn’t always straightforward. This story follows Gabriel Lock who dedicates himself to representing the working-class clients who live honest lives yet find themselves entangled in a complex legal system. Gabriel discovers that being “bound by law” isn’t just about interpreting and enforcing legal rules, but about giving yourself to the people who need you. The “sacred charge” is performing your long hours and hard conversations for the people you have the privilege to serve. The moral struggles Gabriel faces are the same ones we all deal with in our own lives.
The Pillar
Rite of reparation restores Annunciation church for worship
By Michelle La Rosa, December 9, 2025
Archbishop Bernard Hebda led a rite of reparation at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Saturday, restoring the church building for worship more than three months after a deadly shooting took place there. On Aug. 27, a shooter opened fire during an all-school Mass, killing two students and injuring 21 other people. Since Aug. 30, Mass has been held in the school auditorium. More than 20 priests and deacons attended. The priests sat in the spot where 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were killed, as a tribute to them. Under canon law, a church can be desecrated by “serious offenses against the dignity of the person and of society.” When this happens, a penitential liturgy must be held before sacraments or other rites are celebrated in the church building. The rite of reparation begins with a bare altar, without altar cloth, candles, flowers, or decorations.
Vatican News
European identity is closely tied to Judeo-Christian roots
By Devin Watkins, December 10, 2025
Pope Leo XIV met on Wednesday with a delegation of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) of the European Parliament, a centre-right political group within the European Union’s legislative body. As the group met in Rome, the Pope thanked the democratically elected politicians for their service to their constituents and the wider European community. The mark of any civilized society is the ability for differences to be debated openly and respectfully, saying this aspect “bears witness to our reverence for the God-given dignity of all men and women … I readily echo the appeal of my recent predecessors that European identity can only be understood and promoted in reference to its Judeo-Christian roots,” he said. The reason for upholding this religious legacy, he said, is not just to safeguard the rights of Christian communities or preserve passing social customs or traditions, but that Europe should never forget its Judeo-Christian roots. It is a “recognition of fact.”
Related: Pope criticizes US bid to ‘break apart’ US-Europe alliance, insists on Europe role in Ukraine peace, Crux, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, Dec 10, 2025
Pime Asia News
Nepali commission accuses a Chinese company of corruption
By Pime Asia Reporter, December 9, 2025
Nepal’s anti-corruption commission (CIAA) indicted 55 former politicians and officials and the state-owned China CAMC Engineering for inflating the costs of Pokhara International Airport, built with a Chinese loan as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, but still without regular international flights. The investigation is testing the new caretaker government, which does not want to jeopardise ties with Beijing. The accused include former ministers, cabinet secretaries, and other senior officials from all of the country’s major political parties. The cost of the project — estimated up to US$250 million — was inflated US$70 million through a revised estimate deemed unlawful. For this reason, it is seeking the recovery of 8.36 billion Nepalese rupees (US$63 million). Nepali authorities have hesitated including the project in the BRI precisely to avoid fuelling domestic controversy over the risk of financial dependence on Beijing.
Crux
Archaeologists uncover intact section of ancient Jerusalem wall
By Melanie Lidman, AP, December 10, 2025
Archaeologists have finished uncovering the longest continuous remains of an ancient wall that encircled Jerusalem, including possible evidence of a 2,100-year-old ceasefire between warring kingdoms. Last week, archaeologists discovered the foundations of the walls that surrounded Jerusalem during the Hasmonean Kingdom, when the story of Hanukkah took place. In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century B.C., after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces and established the Hasmonean Kingdom that followed. Jews celebrate the eight-day holiday, which this year begins on Dec. 14, with the ritual of lighting a nightly candle, in honor of the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the temple that lasted for eight nights instead of just one.
From Loop & Agency to Pillar Post for 12/10/25
CatholicVote: Daily LOOP
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INDIANA ONE STEP CLOSER TO NEW GOP-BACKED MAP - An Indiana Senate committee this week voted to advance a Republican-proposed redistricting plan that would redraw the state’s nine U.S. House districts and could give the GOP full control of the delegation in the 2026 midterms. President Donald Trump has long pressed for the new map’s approval and stated over the weekend that it would represent a “Victory for Republicans in the ‘Hoosier State,’ and across the Country.”
NFL FACES BACKLASH OVER AD PARODYING BAPTISM - A new NFL promotional spot shows Buffalo Bills fans “baptizing” babies in the name of the Bills’ head coach, quarterback, and another coach. Some Catholics are pushing back on the commercial, arguing it makes a foundational sacrament of the faith into a punchline.
CHARLIE KIRK’S LAST MESSAGE TO AMERICA - In the final years of his life, Charlie Kirk was writing a book on a topic he believed modern culture needs to reclaim: the sacred gift of rest and observing the Sabbath. That book was published posthumously yesterday — a call to slow down, reconnect with the Lord, and restore what matters most.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — December 10, 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.
Disability advocates sue Delaware over allegedly ‘discriminatory’ assisted suicide law - Dec 10, 2025 - By Kate Quiñones - The 74-page complaint alleges that the new law is unconstitutional under both Delaware and federal law and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, among other challenges.
Did angels really carry the Holy House of Mary to Loreto, Italy? - Dec 10, 2025 - By Courtney Mares - There is an often-repeated story that angels carried the Holy House from Palestine to Italy, and while modern listeners may doubt the legend’s veracity, historic documents have vindicated the beliefs of pious pilgrims over the centuries — with an ironic twist.
Vatican reverses several parish closures in Diocese of Buffalo, advocates say - Dec 9, 2025 - By Daniel Payne - Save Our Buffalo Churches, which advocated against church closure proposals in the diocese’s “Road to Renewal” plan, said in a Dec. 8 Facebook post that the Vatican has revoked the closures of three parishes since November, with a fourth parish receiving a temporary reprieve from the diocese itself.
The Pillar
Pillar Post for Tuesday, 12/10/25
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 Holy See announced two developments in Church affairs in China in recent days, both of which point to the still complicated implementation of the Vatican’s accord with Beijing on the appointment of bishops. The Leonine papacy hasn’t yet addressed the bilateral China-Vatican agreement, but Leo might not want to wait for too long before he gets started.
Pope Leo XIV visited Rome’s Spanish Steps Monday, continuing a nearly 70-year tradition of popes traveling there on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. 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.
Hong Kong’s appeals court heard a plea last week from Cardinal Joseph Zen, who has been convicted of a crime for failing to properly register a charity relief fund. A verdict on Zen’s appeal is expected within the next nine months. The cardinal is meanwhile prohibited from leaving Hong Kong, though exemptions have been granted.
Nutshell reflections for 12/10/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection Audio - December 10, 2025
Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
The Obscure, Forgotten, and Undiscovered
1950: Heinlein predicted Holovideostereophones - Zoom meetings
By James K. Hanna, December 9, 2025
Robert Heinlein (1907-1988), best known for his science fiction, made a few predictions in 1950, reviewed and commented on them in 1965, and again in 1980. One of his 1950 predictions was this: “Your personal telephone will be small enough to carry in your handbag. Your house telephone will record messages, answer simple inquiries, and transmit vision.” In 1965, he wrote, “No new comment.” But in 1980, he did: “This prediction is trivial and timid. Most of it has already come true, and the telephone system will hand you the rest on a custom basis if you’ll pay for it. In the year 2000, with modern telephones tied into home computers (as common then as flush toilets are today), you’ll be able to have 3-dimensional holovision along with stereo speech … with us monkey folk, there is no substitute for personal contact; we enjoy it, and it fills a spiritual need.”
EXCEL Leadership Network
How to test your Christmas traditions
By J.D. Pearring, December 1, 2025
National Pie Day happens this week. I thought it was March 14. This one adds the e. It is also National Secondhand Sunday time where celebrants purchase items at second-hand stores to promote their businesses. In addition, National eat a red apple day happens soon. Tomorrow is National fritters day. Those are harmless spirits, unless you eat a dozen fritters and throw a pie at a second-hand store. “Everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” — 1 Tim 4:4 Some traditions aren’t worth arguing about. What day you open presents, who hosts this year, whether to observe Boxing Day or not—harmless. Let’s not turn harmless traditions into days of obligation or a war of words. We can let it go. If you eat a red apple this week, fine. If not, no worries.
National Catholic Register
Daughter of Jimmy Lai believes only the ‘outside’ can help him
By EWTN News, December 9, 2025
‘The government has no case. All they’ve proven is that my father is a good man, a man who loves God, a man who loves freedom, who loves truth, and loves his family,’ said Claire Lai, the daughter of Jimmy Lai, a leading free-speech voice and Catholic who is currently imprisoned in Hong Kong on national security charges. She spoke on EWTN News Nightly Dec. 8. Claire highlighted the suffering and firm faith of Jimmy, as well as her brief visit with Pope Leo XIV. “We are coming to the end of his trial. While we’re still waiting for a verdict, five years after he was charged, he is turning 78. We have waited a very, very long time for his cases to be resolved. And we do not believe that they will be through the domestic system. And our only hope is outside.”
Catholic Exchange
Reconciling a past abortion later in life
By Kevin & Theresa Burke, December 10, 2025
The U.S. abortion ratio reached its peak in 1984, with 364 abortions for every 1,000 live births. This generation with the highest abortion rates in our nation’s history are entering their golden years. This provides an opportunity for the Church to share a message of reconciliation, hope, and healing. Eileen Kuhlmann has been a leader in an abortion healing ministry in the Dallas archdiocese for many years. Eileen shared the story of Joanne: “An 87-year-old woman reached out to me with a desire to heal of a past abortion. She simply said, ‘It is time.’” Eileen told her about Rachel’s Vineyard abortion healing retreats, and Joanne agreed to attend. Eileen arranged for a driver to pick her up and bring her to the retreat center, and Joanne brought her elderly friend Jane, who also wanted to heal from a past abortion. Both women shared stories that featured abandonment, abuse, pressure to abort, and violence.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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