Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 4/22/26
Topics include: Peace is major theme of pope's trip; Autopsies on the great Saints; Do psychedelics prioritize health?; & Colombian President harasses Catholic priest
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Today's sources are the CRUX, National Catholic Register, Vatican News, The Pillar, Aleteia, and EWTN News. (Catholic Nutshell is a subscription service for faithful, hopeful, & curious Catholics willing to exercise the Catholic News Muscle)
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The Pillar
Peace the major theme in all of pope’s Africa destinations
By Michelle La Rosa, April 20, 2026
Pope Leo is still in Africa, on an 11-day voyage that spans the nations of Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. Peace has been a major theme so far in all of the destinations on the pope’s April 13-23 voyage. While each country on his trip faces unique challenges, the pope has reiterated in each stop calls for peace, as well as condemnations of corruption, violence, and exploitation. Pope Leo offered Christ as a remedy of hope for those suffering from injustice, inequality, and exploitation. “Christ hears the cry of the people and renews our history by lifting us up from every fall, comforting us in every suffering, and encouraging us in our mission,” he said during Mass in Saurimo. Excerpts from Pope Leo’s speeches in Africa have been tweeted out from his Twitter account during the trip, prompting some online speculation that his words were aimed at the United States. Many of the Pope’s speeches in Africa were prepared before the exchange between Leo and Trump, which attests to a mistaken connection.
OSV News
Use of ‘one nation under God’ is about ‘spiritual renewal’
By Gina Christian, April 21, 2026
Amid what it called “a moment of heightened tension” in the U.S. and the world, the National Eucharistic Congress said its use of the phrase “one nation under God” is “not about political statements, but about spiritual renewal.” The phrase forms the theme of the 2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which will take place May 24 through July 5, traveling through most of the nation’s 13 original colonies as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary. The organization did not specifically reference the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, throughout which President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Speaker Mike Johnson have openly challenged Pope Leo XIV’s repeated calls for peace, while invoking Christian symbolism and Scripture in support of the administration’s initiation of the conflict. The NEC observed that the Knights of Columbus had “first lobbied for this phrase to be placed in our pledge of allegiance.”
National Catholic Register
Pathologist is performing autopsies on the great Saints
By Solène Tadié, April 21, 2026
As he moves through museums, churches, shrines, and display cases, forensic pathologist and archaeologist Philippe Charlier cannot help cataloging the great figures of history before him: “He is my patient … she is too; he is too.” The image is striking and captures a career that is among the most unconventional in the West today. Over the past two decades, Dr. Charlier has built a reputation internationally for applying the tools of modern forensic medicine to some of the most symbolically charged remains in Christian and European history — from King St. Louis and Mary Magdalene to Thérèse of Lisieux, Francis of Assisi, Joan of Arc, Richard the Lionheart, René Descartes, and even Adolf Hitler. He also served for five years as scientific director of the Quai Branly Museum in Paris. His latest book, L’Histoire au scalpel: Autopsie des morts célèbres (“History Under the Scalpel: Autopsies of Famous People”), reads like a guided tour through a laboratory and a crypt, with the pace and tone of an investigation.
CatholicVote/Zeale
Is Trump’s order on psychedelics prioritizing health?
By Hannah Hiester, April 21, 2026
President Donald Trump’s recent executive order authorizing research on psychedelic drugs as mental health treatments has drawn praise for creating increased access to the drugs and pursuing alternative methods of combating America’s mental health crisis. Some, however, are raising concerns that the order isn’t actually putting Americans’ health first. Tom McClusky, director of government affairs at CatholicVote, said one of the main issues surrounding the order is that it sidesteps research showing psychedelics to be dangerous recreational drugs that carry serious health risks. He compared the order with the push for legalizing marijuana, saying that both movements don’t prioritize health as they promise. “Wrapping psychedelics up in medical terms, just like they do with marijuana, is a farce,” he said. “In the case of marijuana, it was all being pushed by people who were going to financially profit. I’d bet it is the same here.” McClusky added that proponents of legalizing the drugs in states are now using the same tactics on the national level.
EWTN News
Catholic Charities launches ad campaign to recruit volunteers
By Tyler Arnold, April 21, 2026
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) launched an advertising campaign encouraging Catholics to love and serve their neighbors through volunteer work with local CCUSA agencies. “Often we think of a neighbor as just someone who lives nearby, but itʼs more than simple geography,” a new 30-second video advertisement states. “Being a neighbor is how you show up in moments of need, when things are unsure, when small acts can be huge, and youʼre a light in someoneʼs darkest moment, showing up again and again to faithfully serve,” the advertisement adds. “Thatʼs a neighbor. Be the hope around the corner in your neighborhood nationwide.” According to a news release, CCUSA has 169 affiliates in the country and serves more than 16 million people every year. “There’s always more need, and so it is a priority for us at [CCUSA] and for agencies across the country to encourage people to volunteer,” he said.
The Pillar
16th-century pillar in Goa is causing historical controversy
By Nirmala Carvalho, April 22, 2026
There is a controversy over the 16th-century Pelourinho Novo (“New Pillory”) pillar in Old Goa after the Goa government recently referred to it as “Haath Katro Khambo” (Hand-Cutting Pillar). It was a site where prisoners were punished during Portugal’s rule of the Goa region of India. The European country ruled the area from 1505 until 1961. The move has reignited long-standing disagreements over its history, the available evidence, and political interpretations. Today, some groups commonly refer to this structure as the “Hath Katro Khamb” or “Inquisition pillar,” and it has become part of a broader controversy over whether it should be officially recognized and renamed to symbolize alleged atrocities during the Goa Inquisition. Some Hindu organizations, including the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), have previously held public events at the site, calling for its recognition as a memorial to victims of religious persecution.
Aleteia
Song and dance a big part of Leo’s Africa trip
By Anna Kurian, April 22, 2026
Singing, dancing, laughter, and streets alive with the sound of percussion — on Monday, the city of Saurimo opened its arms to Pope Leo XIV with immense jubilation. Just as he has in the first stages of this long trip — in Algeria, in Angola, and in Cameroon — the Pope is welcomed with festive joy across an African continent that breathes music. When he arrived at a home for the elderly in Angola on Monday, April 20, in Saurimo, a guard of honor was waiting for the Pope. But there was no comparison to strict military protocol. On both sides of the aisle, joyful and proud women in colorful traditional dresses danced while waving white scarves. Similarly, when the Pope stepped into the residence's garden, the crowd greeted his arrival in freshly ironed shirts, golden tunics, shining shoes, and shimmering scarves. It's a scene that repeats itself everywhere the Pope goes. In large gatherings where the powerful voices of hundreds of choir members shake the earth, the entire crowd communes with the music, swaying to traditional tunes.
Zenit News
Colombian President harasses Catholic priest live on air
By ZENIT Staff, April 21, 2026
A controversy unfolding in Colombia has brought into sharp focus a recurring fault line in Latin America: the uneasy relationship between political authority and religious expression. What began as a local dispute involving a parish priest in Bogotá has escalated into a national debate about the limits of free speech, the role of the Church in public life, and the protection of religious liberty in a polarized electoral climate. At the center of the storm is President Gustavo Petro, who, during a recent cabinet meeting, publicly rebuked a priest from the Parish of the Holy Family in Bogotá. According to the president’s own account, the priest had used his homilies to warn against communism, prompting Petro to react with unusual bluntness: “If you don’t like it, be quiet,” he said, before instructing the national police chief to “look into what they are doing.”
From Loop & EWTN to Pillar Post for 4/22/26
CatholicVote: Zeale’s LOOP
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TRUMP EXTENDS CEASEFIRE AFTER IRANIANS SNUB TALKS - President Donald Trump announced just hours before the U.S.-Iran ceasefire expired that he would extend the agreement in order to give the “seriously fractured” Iranian government more time to present a unified proposal. Trump said he was making the concession at the request of Pakistani mediators. READ
SPLC INDICTED ON FOR ALLEGEDLY FUNDING WHITE SUPREMACISTS - A grand jury delivered indictments against the Southern Poverty Law Center yesterday on federal fraud charges. The DOJ probed the controversial left-wing advocacy group for allegedly using donor money to improperly fund white nationalist extremist groups on the pretext of cultivating informants. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche accused the SPLC of “manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.” READ
ISRAELI MILITARY REPLACES CRUCIFIX DESTROYED BY SOLDIER - The Israeli military said it has replaced the damaged crucifix in a southern Lebanese village, days after a uniformed soldier was photographed taking a sledgehammer to the head of a statue of the crucified Jesus Christ. An internal military investigation found that several Israeli soldiers were involved in the incident. READ
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — April 22, 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.
New film depicts the powerful role St. Joseph can play in marriages, families - By Francesca Pollio Fenton - “Saint Joseph: Guardian of the Family” tells the story of a married couple facing a serious marital crisis. After the husband — a journalist — is assigned to investigate testimonies of people who claim to have experienced the intercession of St. Joseph
Vatican automates its telescope in Arizona for remote use -
By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - Thanks to donations, the telescope is now operable remotely by students at Jesuit universities and has already been used by astronomers at the Vatican’s observatory in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
U.S. dioceses observe Child Abuse Prevention Month - By Madalaine Elhabbal - Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, urged vigilance in child protection, and Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago posted a video message about the monthʼs observance on behalf of U.S. bishops.
The Pillar
Pillar Stories for Tuesday, 4/22/26
The Pillar offers a news summary and a capsule take on Catholic News. Here are news stories from the past week in the Pillar Post:
The Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, announced this month the clustering of its 160 parishes into 24 “pastorates,” each of which will share a common pastor assisted by one or more assistant priests. It’s a big and ambitious project — one likely recommended by consultants — but it raises lots of questions about what comes next.
Edgar Beltran has had some important conversations about the pontiff’s liturgical plans — and why his view on big liturgical questions, for the moment, might reflect a distinctly Latin American worldview. Is this a moment of papally encouraged: “Se acata pero no se cumple?” (It complies, but is it not complied with?) Edgar thinks that might be the case.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday accepted a case that will decide whether families can use the state of Colorado’s universal preschool allowance to send their children to religious — and specifically Catholic — preschools.
Nutshell reflections for 4/22/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection Audio - April 22, 2026
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter
Crisis Magazine
Why are so many afraid of the Catholic Revival?
By Scott Ventureyra, April 22, 2026
As the number of adult baptisms grows, many Catholics rejoice in the prospect of what is being called a quiet revival. It is a cause of great hope to see so many young people eager to learn more about the Faith. It is also a cause of great mystery. The bishops have announced that they are confounded and “stymied” by the flood of new converts entering their churches this Easter. It does not fit into any new evangelization scheme. However, there are those who might be called revival skeptics. They are unsettled by what is happening. These critics downplay the trend as something interesting but not significant. Some adopt a wait-and-see attitude to avoid appearing exaggerated. Others warn of the danger of politicizing Catholic tradition, thereby questioning whether the spirit is really at work. The more liberal (and progressive) the skeptics are, the more one senses fear in them. They fear this revival might get out of hand. Thus, they seek to explain away the revival and diminish its importance.
CBCPNEWS
Children fold 2,000 paper cranes in global plea for peace
By CBCP News, April 21, 2026
As tensions in the Middle East remain high, children in a Metro Manila parish are quietly advancing a global plea for peace, folding paper cranes and sending a message to Pope Leo XIV. In Quezon City, young parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church have folded nearly 2,000 cranes, reviving a symbolic act inspired by hope and prayer. Parish priest Fr. Robert Reyes said the effort began Sunday, drawing children from The John Dewey School for Children and nearby communities. He said the initiative was sparked by a 13-year-old parishioner who began folding cranes months earlier after hearing his homily on peace. Within weeks, they hope to send the cranes and a handwritten letter to the pope through Archbishop Charles Brown, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, amplifying the appeal beyond local borders.
Aleteia
The 7th commandment directs our care of creation
By Philip Kosloski, April 9, 2026
In recent years, much has been discussed in the world and in the Catholic Church about humanity’s role in caring for the environment. It is something we can no longer neglect, as our technology and consumerist culture seek to dominate the world and its resources. The earth is largely seen as an object to be used, with no consequences or moral authority to guide us. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church connects our care of creation to the 7th commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself:" All of creation is interconnected, and so our treatment of nature is inevitably linked to our treatment of human beings. Furthermore, this commandment directs our treatment of animals. God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Yet, at the same time, the Church teaches against loving animals more than humans.
Catholic Digest
A short history of the Nicene Creed
By Nicholas Senz, April 21, 2025
The Nicene Creed is one of the Catholic Church’s most foundational statements of faith and summary of orthodox belief. It expresses the deepest of mysteries, the Holy Trinity. Some have asked why, if the Creed is so central, it does not say anything about the Eucharist, which the Church says is the “source and summit” (CCC, 1324) of our faith? There are a couple of ways to respond. First, while the Eucharist is essential, the Catechism teaches that the Trinity is the central mystery of our faith (see CCC, 261). Reception of the Eucharist brings us into communion with the Trinity. Second, creeds and other statements of faith are written in response to particular challenges of the moment, and in the early fourth century, no one was seriously denying the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is not contained in the Creed precisely because it was uncontroversial!
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