Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 5/28/25
Topics include: Vatican refreshes official website, Eucharistic Pilgrimage follows St. Junípero Serra, Feast of the Ascension a holy day of obligation, & Denying burial space to Christians
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Today's sources are the CRUX, Aleteia, CatholicVote, The Pillar, OSV, Church Life Journal, 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
Vatican refreshes official website for first time in 30 years
By Kristina Millare, May 27, 2025
The official website of the Vatican, vatican.va, has been refreshed for the first time since created in the 1990s, prominently featuring multimedia content and online links to other Vatican offices and ministries. A banner image of a waving Pope Leo XIV against a simple light blue background can now be found spread across the top half of the revamped Holy See website’s homepage. Replacing the outdated dropdown mega menus, the Holy See’s homepage features a large, clickable “Magisterium” button, which also includes a small icon of the pontiff’s new coat of arms to help online visitors locate the pope’s prepared homilies, speeches, and additional information about the Vatican. The Papal Household — one of four Vatican offices featured on — has launched its new website, which includes digital registration forms for individuals and pilgrim groups wishing to see the pope.
CatholicVote
Eucharistic Pilgrimage follows St. Junípero Serra in California
By Rachel Quackenbush, May 27, 2025
Starting June 6, Catholics begin a 17-day pilgrimage across California, retracing the missionary path of Saint Junípero Serra by visiting all 21 historic missions from Sonoma to Los Angeles. Called the Camino de California, the pilgrimage is part of the US bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival, which concludes on the Feast of Corpus Christi at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, according to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Participants are invited to walk for a few hours or the full two weeks, with no registration required. The Camino de California will join the final leg of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began in Indianapolis and is making its way to Los Angeles for the Corpus Christi celebration. Pope Francis granted a plenary indulgence to those in the pilgrimage under the usual conditions: Confession, Holy Communion, and prayer intentions for the Holy Father.
Aleteia
Is the Feast of the Ascension a holy day of obligation?
By Philip Kosloski, May 26, 2025
Yes, the solemnity of the Ascension is a holy day of obligation, but the exact day of its celebration depends on your local bishop. One of the principal feasts of the liturgical year is the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, commemorating when Jesus ascended into Heaven. The Catholic Church celebrates the Ascension 40 days after Easter Sunday, and that day normally falls on a Thursday. This correlates with St. Luke's account in the Acts of the Apostles, where he states, “To [the apostles, Jesus] presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Individual bishops’ conferences are responsible for assigning the date for the celebration of the Ascension and can transfer it to the nearest Sunday.
CRUX
Ghana bishops raise the alarm over illegal mining
By Ngala Killian Chimtom, May 28, 2025
Catholic bishops in Ghana have again raised alarm over the scale of illegal mining in the country, saying that what should have been a national blessing has turned out to be a curse of national proportions. Ghana leads gold production in Africa, yielding roughly 130 tons every year. Gold accounted for over 93% of its 2019 mineral revenue, with other minerals contributing the remaining amount. Illegal mining, known as “Galamsey,” is a significant issue, employing one million Ghanaians and supporting 4.5 million more. The Ghana Chamber of Mines reported that illegal mining cost the state $2.3 billion in smuggled gold in 2016. Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi said illegal mining undermines all efforts at environmental protection.
The Pillar
Belgium Mass attendance rises almost 4% in a year
By Luke Coppen & Brendan Hodge, May 27, 2025
New annual statistics, usually released in November but compiled earlier than scheduled this year, indicated that 173,335 people attended Mass on an average Sunday in 2024, 3.6% more than in 2023, when the average attendance was 167,360. The Belgian bishops’ conference said May 27 that “it is still too early to speak of a real change in trend, which may or may not continue.” “The growth in attendance appears to be a phenomenon concentrated mainly in urban areas, where vibrant religious communities exert additional attraction,” it commented. The number of adults seeking baptism in Belgium has almost doubled in a decade, from 186 in 2014 to 362 in 2024. The number of adult baptisms is expected to rise again to 536 this year, an almost 50% increase from 2024.
Our Sunday Visitor
Springs of Love: Ministry for Catholic foster & adoptive families
By Katie Yoder, May 27, 2024
When Kimberly Henkel and her husband, Greg, first welcomed a baby boy into their home through fostering, they realized in a new way that children are a gift. “He wasn’t ours, but what we realized is that no child is truly ours,” she told OSV News. “Whether we give birth to this child, whether we foster this child, whether we adopt this child, we get the privilege of taking care of this child and loving this child … but ultimately, these children — all of them — belong to God.” Today, the Henkels are the founders of Springs of Love, a ministry dedicated to raising up more Catholic foster and adoptive families and to supporting those involved through educational programming, small groups and parish care teams. Kimberly, who also serves as executive director, said their nonprofit began in 2022 following the Dobbs decision.
UCA News
Denying burial space to Christians a new trend in India
By Bijay Kumar Minj, May 28, 2025
Refusing burial space to Christians has become a new trend in villages in central and eastern India to pressure Christians into abandoning their faith and to discourage others from associating with missionaries, say Christian leaders. “Christians, irrespective of any denomination, are aware of repeated cases of denial of burial space to tribal Christians in their own villages. It has become a trend now and a serious concern,” Archbishop Victor Thakur of Raipur told UCA News on May 22. The latest reported case was that of Ankalu Ram Potai, who died on May 13 in the village of Havechur, in Chhattisgarh state’s Kanker district. Reports said villagers opposed his burial in the local graveyard because he was a Christian. “It is part of a clear plan and strategy by radical Hindu forces to isolate and threaten Christians socially and keep villagers from even considering associating with Christians and missionaries,” said Christian activist Arun Pannalal.
CatholicVote
Planned Parenthood to close 8 facilities across Minnesota & Iowa
By McKenna Snow, May 27, 2025
Citing budget challenges and impending federal funding cuts, the abortion giant Planned Parenthood is going to close eight facilities located across Minnesota and Iowa, Off the Press reported May 24. Planned Parenthood North Central States, which operates 23 abortion facilities, announced the closures on May 23. In Minnesota, four of its facilities will close, 66 employees will be laid off, 37 will be reassigned, and 35 more positions will be cut, according to MPR News. The outlet reported that Planned Parenthood North Central States’ President and CEO Ruth Richardson said the affiliate company has “been fighting to hold together an unsustainable infrastructure” amid shifting landscapes and challenges against them.
From Loop & Agency to Satire for 5/28/25
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.”
APPLE CEO PUSHES TEXAS GUV TO VETO CHILD SAFETY BILL - Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly made a personal appeal to Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in a behind-the-scenes effort to derail a child safety bill that would protect kids by requiring apps to verify users' ages.
VANDAL DEFACES PRO-LIFE SIGNS AT UCLA IN BROAD DAYLIGHT - A vandal who appeared to be a UCLA student recently spraypainted several pro-life signs set up on campus by pro-life organization Justice For All. Justice For All published a video of a young man wearing a “UCLA Law” baseball cap using black spraypaint to cover images of unborn babies and pro-life messages.
PRO-FAMILY RALLIERS CLASH WITH LGBT COUNTERPROTESTERS - A Seattle rally in support of both life in the womb and the reality of unchangeable genders escalated into violence May 24, leading to numerous arrests after clashes with LGBT activists.
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — May 28, 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 happenings of the Holy See to anyone with internet access.
A practical guide to obtaining an apostolic blessing from Pope Leo XIV - May 28, 2025 - By Victoria Cardiel - Pope Leo XIV is now granting apostolic blessings to the faithful around the world, a spiritual gesture that can be officially requested through the Vatican’s Apostolic Almoner’s Office.
Pope Leo XIV taps Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro for presidency of Pontifical Academy for Life - May 27, 2025 - By Edward Pentin - Dr. Thomas Ward, founder of the U.K.’s National Association of Catholic Families, expressed concern about the appointment, saying he never recalled Pegoraro “disassociating himself from any of the egregious positions and comments of Archbishop Paglia.”
Season 2 of EWTN’s hit series ‘James the Less’ to be released June 9 - May 27, 2025 - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - Second season of the award-winning online EWTN series “James the Less” will be released on Monday, June 9.
Babylon Bee - Satire News
Theology Update: Bible Scholars Now Believe The 'P' in 'Psalms' Not Supposed To Be Silent
By Theology Staff, March 27, 2025
A new theological discovery shook modern Christianity this week, as Bible scholars revealed evidence that led them to believe the "P" in "Psalms" was not intended to be silent. According to ancient Hebrew texts, the title of the Bible's cherished songbook should be pronounced more properly as "Psalms." "It gives a whole new reading to the 23rd Puh-salm," said Professor Bryan Purtle, theologian and lead researcher at the Institute for Knowing Biblical Knowledge at the University of Cambridge. The scholars also began a new study into evidence that the title of the book of Philemon should have been pronounced "Pee-hi-lemon" this entire time.
Nutshell reflections for 5/28/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection AUDIO & VIDEO - May 28, 2025
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
National Eucharistic Congress
Catholic Church’s teachings seem like logical rules
By Tanner Kalina, May 18, 2025
In the Eucharistic encounter, Jesus went from being an idea that I knew about to a person whom I intimately knew—a person who intimately and infinitely knew me in return. As I sat in silence before the Eucharist day after day, Jesus became a friend to me. He became a mentor, a brother, a father, a lover, a coach, etc. I became a mentee, a brother, a son, a lover, a student, etc. I transformed. Before sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament every day, Jesus was someone I knew I should follow, and the Catholic Church’s teachings seemed like logical rules. As I sat in front of the Blessed Sacrament, however, Jesus became someone I desired to follow, and his Church’s teachings became emancipations. It seems subtle, but my lens on life completely changed. A conviction and clarity set in.
St. Anthony Messenger
Forgive everyone who sins against us
By Mark P. Shea, June Issue
Me: Forgive me for offending you. Reader: Ask Jesus for forgiveness. You’ll get nothing from me.
It’s a novel form of Christianity that uses Jesus as a human shield for refusing to forgive people. Some, of a more progressive bent, respond to those like my reader with revulsion and, in turn, find it easy to want to cast such people out of all decent society and withhold forgiveness from them. Both reactions illustrate something that I have come to deeply believe: Our culture has it all wrong in focusing on the pelvic issues as the big bugaboo of Catholic moral teaching. It’s easy to buy the idea that the great barrier to Christian moral teaching is all the stuff about contraception, divorce, abortion, and LGBTQ issues. But in my experience, if you really want to tap into deep subterranean magma wells of rage, remind people that Jesus commands us to forgive everyone who sins against us.
Church Life Journal
Notre Dame ranked first for Theology, Divinity, & Religious Studies
By John C. Cavadini, May 19, 2025
Seek truth, not rankings. A Catholic theology department cannot abandon the idea of truth. Still less can a Catholic university afford to do so. Certainly, truth-claims can reflect bias and the hidden interests of the powerful. However, it is self-defeating for any intellectual project to abandon the idea of truth, because then all that remains is power. The pursuit of truth for its own sake is an ennobling endeavor. People are attracted to it if it is executed with all due humility, without being sanctimonious about it. And rankings at their best ultimately reflect an admiration for a set of ideals and their evident execution. Stay true to the discipline of theology as a discipline. Theology is “faith seeking understanding.” Its formal object is revelation, the Word of God, as that is authoritatively proclaimed in Scripture and Tradition and served by the magisterium of the Church (see Dei Verbum §10).
Missio Dei
The Church’s trinitarian theology beautifully confirmed
By Andrew McGovern, May 28, 2025
When today’s Gospel is taken with yesterday’s, the Church’s Trinitarian Theology is beautifully confirmed. “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason, I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-15). Our Blessed Lord confirms His equality with the Father in saying that everything that the Father has is mine. This is also extended to the Holy Spirit, who will take from what is mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit also possesses the same divine nature as the Father and the Son.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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