“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”

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EWTN News

U.S. bishops question Census Bureau changes

By EWTN News Staff, October 27, 2026

U.S. bishops are opposing proposed Census Bureau rule changes that would determine who is counted for congressional apportionment in the 2030 census, arguing that excluding noncitizens without lawful permanent resident status would effectively deny them recognition as persons. The proposed rule changes, published Sept. 10 and open to public comment until Nov. 2, would count only citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for apportionment, with the bureau stating that “illegal aliens (among others) should not be included in the apportionment count, as they are not true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a ‘usual residence’ in the United States due to their lack of a sufficient tie and allegiance to the United States.” Every census since 1790 has counted noncitizens, including those without permanent legal status.

Zenit

Religion still shapes Europe despite secularisation

By Elizabeth Owens, October 25, 2026

Europe’s churches may be losing regular worshippers, but religion still influences the continent in less visible, potentially more consequential ways than Sunday attendance. From educational choices and family size to migration policy and economic behavior, religious traditions remain embedded in the social norms that shape public life, according to a review of economic research published by the Rockwool Foundation Berlin. The study, “Religion and Economic Growth: What We Know and Why It Matters”, brings together evidence from different periods and regions to examine how faith influences prosperity. “Anyone who considers religion a marginal factor overlooks a fundamental part of the structure of our societies,” said Sascha Becker, an economics professor at the University of Warwick. In England, approximately one-third of state-funded schools have a religious character. Their appeal extends beyond committed believers, who choose them for discipline, a clear moral framework, and high expectations.

National Catholic Register

Is AI teaching moms not to trust themselves?

By Alyssa Murphy, October 27, 2026

While national conversations around artificial intelligence predominantly center on tech guardrails for children, policy researcher and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Abby McCloskey argues that society is overlooking a quieter, equally profound shift: how AI is fundamentally rewiring modern motherhood. McCloskey examined how algorithmic tools — used by an estimated 80% of parents — are eroding maternal confidence, heightening perfectionism, and replacing vital human-support networks. At the heart of the issue is a phenomenon known as “cognitive offloading” — the practice of turning to generative AI for everyday decision-making rather than relying on internal judgment or community advice. Citing a study from Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, McCloskey noted that a third of parents now trust AI parenting advice over their own gut instincts.

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Zeale News

Newsom says DSA movement will dominate the Democratic Party

By Elise Winland, October 27, 2026

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, predicted in a hidden-camera video that the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) push for “bold change” will become a dominant force in the Democratic Party. In the video, which Townhall released Oct. 26, a person who described herself as a younger voter told Newsom that she and others wanted to see the Democratic Party “move forward.” “You know, we don’t want Kamala Harris,” she said. “We want, you know, more, I guess, democratic socialist policies. Where do you see the Democratic Party going?” Newsom replied, “No one is arguing to manage the status quo and fail more efficiently. So the DSA, the energy and the desire and demand for bold change — not incremental change — is very much going to be dominant,” he added. “I mean, that’s going to be a mainstream democratic movement. Absolutely. No question about that.”

The PIllar

Traditionalist Mass pilgrimage in Rome denied permission

By Edgar Beltrán, October 26, 2026

After the Vatican denied a traditionalist pilgrimage in Rome permission to hold a procession to St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, Vatican officials told The Pillar that organizers did not make specific enough requests for holding a liturgical event at the basilica. As controversy over the pilgrimage played out on social media, both sides offered differing accounts of how, when, and why Vatican officials denied the traditionalist pilgrimage permission to process into St. Peter’s Basilica last weekend. The Ad Petri Sedem Pilgrimage has been held every year since 2012 and is organized by Coetus Internationalis, a coalition of traditionalist associations worldwide. Christian Marquant, president of Coetus Internationalis, announced on Friday, Oct. 23, that the pilgrimage had not been given permission to process into the basilica the next day. He said Vatican officials offered no reason for the denial, nor did they offer the group alternative arrangements for the day; instead, the group had to find an alternative venue itself.

Pime Asia News

Forced repatriation of Russian fugitives by bordering nations

By Vladimir Rozanskij, October 28, 2026

The forced repatriation of Igor Odintsov, a surveyor from the town of Sovetsk in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad in Poland, who had opposed the war and eventually fell into the hands of the Russian authorities, has shocked many, including Lithuanians, due to its brutality. Only desperation could have driven a 68-year-old man to throw himself into an icy river to escape persecution. Reports of refusals and deportations are coming in from various countries, but attention is focused on Lithuania, as it was one of the first to respond to the plight of Ukraine, welcoming refugees from the war-torn country and volunteers from various nations. However, this willingness does not extend to Russians fleeing the country. Lithuania does not even accept essential specialists holding Russian passports (psychologists, doctors, teachers); it has a long history of understandable mistrust towards Russia. Lithuania was not happy under the USSR; it has a history of violence, and the aggressor and its emissaries are always told ‘no’.

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Graphs about Religion

‘Real’ Catholics as conservative as Evangelicals? Still no.

By Ryan Burge, October 26, 2026

Lots of people who believe that Catholics are just as conservative as evangelicals. Even if we compare all evangelicals to Catholics who attend weekly, the former group is about 20 points more Republican than the latter. That’s not a small difference. There has never been a time in the last fifty years in which a weekly attending Catholic was more opposed to abortion access than a weekly attending evangelical Protestant. In 2024, one third of Catholics who attend Mass nearly every week or more favored a woman’s right to obtain an abortion if she wants one for any reason. And the vast majority of evangelicals have always considered same-sex relations to be wrong. Among all weekly attending Catholics, 75% said same-sex relations were wrong back in 1973. Today, that number stands at just 37%. Around 2020, the lines crossed, and in just the last couple of years, “not wrong at all” responses rose above 50%.

Aleteia

What new horror movies say about us

By Tom Hoopes, October 25, 2026

Horror movies are huge right now, earning critical acclaim and box-office success, and I think I know why. Our stories help us process truths we can’t face directly: dramas help us process tension in relationships, science fiction helps us think about a changing world, and horror movies let us acknowledge the supernatural forces we fear. Horror has always helped us think about the dark parts of our own minds, from Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to The Shining. Our new horror movies build on that trend. A surprising number of horror movies are about psychological trauma. Smile (2022) is about a demon that enters through psychological trauma. It causes victims to smile until it destroys them. Next, many horror movies examine family brokenness. Movies acknowledge that sex has far more importance than we give it. A few movies that show the culture trying to process religious questions.

Keep informed - 10/28/26 news for Catholics

Snippets from Loop, Catholic World Report, & EWTN

Zeale’s LOOP

Read daily news and political impact stories at the “LOOP”

Elections and politics matter. The LOOP gives you daily news gems that seek “to renew our country and culture.”

CATHOLICVOTE URGES CARDINAL CUPICH TO RECONSIDER HONORING ABORTION DONOR - CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt urged Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago to reconsider his plan to honor businessman Michael J. Sacks at an Oct. 29 seminary fundraiser, citing reports that Sacks has given hundreds of thousands of dollars toward efforts to expand access to abortion in Illinois. “An award is not a photo op; it is a public statement about what the Church admires,” she said.
DOJ TO DEPLOY 1,000 ELECTION MONITORS FOR MIDTERMS - Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department plans to send about 1,000 monitors to polling places for the Nov. 3 midterm elections, describing the initiative as “the biggest DOJ election observer effort in history.”
VIRGINIA BISHOP SAYS TRUTH IS ‘ON OUR SIDE’ AHEAD OF KEY BALLOT VOTE - Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, spoke in his most recent podcast episode about the efforts the diocese has made to raise awareness on voting “no” on ballot questions that undermine the sanctity of life and true marriage. “We certainly know that we have the truth on our side, and I am not underestimating the prayer and the fasting that is taking place in our diocese,” he said, “what powerful forces they are.”

Catholic World Report

CWR, a free online magazine — October 28, 2026

CWR provides full coverage of news and events affecting the Church worldwide, offering in-depth analysis while exploring issues the mainstream media avoids. It features exclusive interviews, covers a wide range of relevant topics, and remains unwavering in its commitment to the truth in light of the Gospel.

When praying for a President becomes a scandal - Marcus Peter - We have reached such an extraordinary degree of political derangement within Catholic discourse in the U.S. that twelve bishops praying over the President of the United States now constitutes a scandal requiring public apologies and elaborate explanations from successors of the Apostles. The entire controversy is embarrassing.
Why seminaries need to teach political philosophy and study of statesmanship - Paul Seaton - The mandatory course on moral philosophy rightly talks up prudence, but rarely (if ever) considers its highest form according to the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition: the prudentia directiva of the statesman. Studying paradigmatic embodiments of the virtue brings the teaching to life, which is good, and shows what is involved in statesmanly thinking, decision, and action, which is even better.
On Christ the King and the idolatry of politics - Peter M.J. Stravinskas -
We seek a Kingdom which is yet to come, to be sure, all the while gaining glimpses of that coming Kingdom in and through our life in the Church–most especially when we gather to offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

EWTN News

EWTN’s top headlines — October 28, 2026

EWTN News provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, emphasizing the words of the Holy Father and the activities of the Holy See, and is available to anyone with internet access.

Pope Leo XIV: Live the faith without ‘hostility towards the world’ - By Victoria Cardiel - Leo XIV called on the faithful not to live their faith with a spirit of “opposition” or “hostility towards the world,” while underscoring that a mature and responsible synthesis between faith and culture constitutes “a necessary condition for persevering in the Christian vocation.”
Under the eyes of social media, Swiss Guards learn to handle threats with discretion - By Hannah Brockhaus - The pope’s personal security, the Pontifical Swiss Guard, has lengthened training for new recruits amid growing concerns about optics in an age when anyone can film everything with a cellphone. “For us it is very important to realize that the world is watching us.”
Survey: 39% of Catholics have faced racial discrimination, 10% within parish community - By Tyler Arnold - A survey of 2,401 Catholic adults found that 39% said they have faced racial discrimination at some point in their lives, and 10% said they have faced racial discrimination within their parish community.

October 28, 2026 - USCCB Daily Mass Readings

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Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Today’s Catholic commentary:

Crisis Magazine

Considerations on the cardinal’s considerations

By Msgr. Richard C. Antall, October 28, 2026

Venite ad me, subtitled “Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change,” is supposedly the Dicastery's response to appeals from both Pope Francis and Pope Leo about the decline of the Catholic Faith, especially in countries traditionally “Catholic.” The document contains some strange notes, which is unusual for an anthology of quotations from papal discourses and encyclicals. “Considerations are not marked by…terminological precision and systematic treatment.” It is as if the umpire chose to give batting tips without getting too “technical.” His job is to get technical. The Dicastery is supposed to referee, not play. The deliberate exclusion of terminological precision and systematic treatment is strange. Another problem concerns precision, but it is a precision I find dubious. Venite ad me says the Church finds new members by the power of “attraction.” This seems to discount evangelization. St. Paul didn’t bring Christ to people by his charm, but by his preaching.

The Catholic Weekly

What you think you know about Neanderthals is wrong

By Michael Cook, October 28, 2026

With their low foreheads, heavy brow ridges, weathered faces, jutting jaws, and sloping shoulders, Neanderthals are the poster boys for prehistoric violence. Early in the 20th century, many scientists believed physical fitness was the sole measure of value in primitive societies. The physically vulnerable would have been a drag upon bands of hunter-gatherers because they could neither hunt nor defend themselves. But this is quite wrong. Evidence is accumulating that our distant ancestors (about two per cent of the genes of most Australians are Neanderthal) cared a lot. The archaeological record offers many examples of ancient care. The instinct to look after the sick and dying was strong amongst these primitive peoples. In the famous archaeological site of Atapuerca, in Spain, archaeologists discovered the bones of a child with craniosynostosis who lived at least five years, and perhaps as many as 12, suggesting that her/his pathological condition did not prevent her/him from receiving the same attention as any other Middle Pleistocene Homo child.

The Jerusalem Post

Netanyahu bloc wins only 53 seats, Arab parties skyrocket

By Keshet Neev, October 28, 2026

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc is currently expected to enter the Knesset with 53 seats, the Central Elections Committee (CEC) announced on Wednesday morning after almost five million votes were counted. Netanyahu’s Likud is projected to enter with 26 seats, while United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Otzma Yehudit are expected to enter with seven seats, and the Religious Zionist Party is expected to enter with six seats, respectively. The opposition bloc, comprising Yashar, B’Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats, is expected to enter the Knesset with 48 seats, according to CEC data. The latest CEC results put 19 seats with the Arab parties, with the Joint List at 12 and Ra'am at 7 in the next Knesset. The prospect of a unity government involving Netanyahu and Eisenkot has appeared unlikely, as Eisenkot has rejected serving under Netanyahu, including in a rotation government. Other opposition leaders have also ruled out joining a coalition led by the prime minister.

Church Life Journal

The history of pitchfork populism

by Stephanie Slade, October 26, 2026

In August 2016, while accepting the Republican nomination for president in Cleveland, Ohio, Donald Trump uttered five words that many observers instantly recognized as a rupture from the past. The system is rigged, he declared—and “I alone can fix it.” The departure from a Reaganite political ethos was glaring. The fortieth president preached an upbeat, inclusive politics in which America stood as a beacon of freedom to the world, a city on a hill. He spoke of limiting the power of the state and trusting individuals to make decisions for themselves. Trumpism differs from old-school fusionism on at least three major dimensions: its attitude toward power, its views on economic policy, and its rhetorical emphases. Where fusionism calls for a small, decentralized government with a limited scope of action, Trump’s emergence on the political scene marked a shift toward a strongman approach to conservative politics—a sense that the lone way to combat what has gone wrong with America is by concentrating authority in the hands of someone with a willingness to wield it.

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Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 10/28/26