Catholic Nutshell News: Wednesday 7/16/25
Topics include: Catholic faith endures in Saudi Arabia; Federal court upholds ban on abortion drug; Hell is real; & Jubilee for Catholic ‘influencers’
“Here was an almond tree in bloom before me”
Today's sources are the CRUX, Catholic Culture, National Catholic Register, 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
Despite persecution, Catholic faith endures in Saudi Arabia
By Victoria Cardiel, July 16, 2025
In Saudi Arabia, a theocratic monarchy where Islam is the official and only permitted religion, religious freedom does not exist. However, according to data maintained by the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, a considerable number of Catholics reside in its vast territory, which spans more than 772,200 square miles, slightly larger than the state of Mexico. “The vast majority of non-Muslims have no religious freedom. Among them, there are more than 1 million Catholics,” explained Bishop Aldo Berardi, who has headed this ecclesiastical jurisdiction since 2023, which also includes Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. The entire apostolic territory is home to nearly 35 million people, of whom more than 2 million are Catholics. Unlike other countries in the region that have shown small signs of religious openness — such as Qatar, where the construction of a church complex was permitted in 2008 — when it comes to religious freedom, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most restrictive states in the world
CatholicVote
Federal court upholds West Virginia’s ban on abortion drug
By Elise DeGeeter, July 15, 2025
In a closely watched case, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld West Virginia’s ban on the abortion drug mifepristone, marking a major legal win for the state’s pro-life stance and reinforcing state authority in the post-Dobbs era. The July 15 ruling came in response to a challenge by GenBioPro, a Nevada-based manufacturer of mifepristone, which argued that the FDA’s approval of the drug should override the state ban. “As Dobbs makes clear, that judgment belongs with the people and their elected representatives,” Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson wrote in the decision. “At a time when the rule of law is under blunt assault, disregarding the Supreme Court is not an option.” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who defended the law while serving as attorney general, celebrated the ruling on X. “Big win out of the 4th Circuit today,” Morrisey said.
Catholic Culture
Hell: Accessible via a toll-free road
By Phil Lawler, July 15, 2025
Hell exists. In fact it is easily accessible, via a toll-free road. That is unpopular message of The Hell There Is, by Msgr. Charles Pope. Give Msgr. Pope credit for courage: for taking on a topic that few preachers want to touch. (Give him credit, too for a terrific book title.) While critics of the Catholic Church—and of Christianity in general—complain about hellfire-and-brimstone sermons, the truth is that most preachers shy away from the topic of hell, preferring to focus on more pleasant aspects of the faith. Still hell is there, like it or not; that door is always open to us. “We are free to choose,” Msgr. Pope observes; “but we are not free not to choose.” If Christian preachers of the 21st century avoid mention of hell, who keeps alive the belief in the real possibility of damnation? Start with Jesus Himself.
CRUX
Rising series of attacks on Christians in central India
By Nirmala Carvalho, July 16, 2025
Growing lawlessness is a serious concern for Christians in India, a Catholic archbishop said after Hindu extremists attacked a house in the central state of Chhattisgarh. The extremists, allegedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal — a militant organization that forms the youth wing of the Hindu nationalist organization Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) — were accompanied by police on July 13 when they barged into a Christian’s house in the state’s Korba district and disrupted a prayer service that was being held within the home. Less than 2% of the people in Chhattisgarh are Christian. Harassment against Christians and other religious minorities has increased across India, with various Christians being detained or arrested for “attempted conversion,” and places of worship being vandalized. Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Council of Chhattisgarh (CBCC), said growing lawlessness is a concern for all law-abiding citizens of India.
The Pillar
‘Yeti blood oath’ more than just a prank at Denver seminary
By Ed. Condon, July 15, 2025
Clergy in the Archdiocese of Denver are divided over the handling of a controversial “blood oath” ceremony involving a vice rector and seminarians during a ski trip last year. A group of seminarians studying at Denver’s St. John Vianney Theological Seminary were taken on the trip in January 2024 by then-vice rector of the seminary, Fr. John Nepil, during which they were woken in the middle of the night and invited individually to swear a “blood oath” in a ceremony involving a dagger and a man in a yeti costume. The Archdiocese of Denver, in a statement to The Pillar, characterized the event as a “farce” and said that “it was, however, part of a deeply imprudent and inappropriate prank,” and that a full investigation had been completed. “The individual responsible has since been removed from his seminary leadership role and has recommitted to his ongoing personal and spiritual formation,” the archdiocese said.
Catholic News Agency
Rome hosting first Jubilee for Catholic ‘influencers’
By Daniel Esparza, July 16, 2024
From Instagram reels to podcasts, Catholic creators are being recognized not simply as content producers, but as missionaries. For the first time, the Catholic Church is dedicating a Jubilee to those evangelizing in the digital world. On July 28–29, nearly a thousand Catholic influencers from around the globe will gather in Rome for a groundbreaking event that blends prayer, formation, and celebration — all rooted in a shared digital mission. Timed to coincide with the Youth Jubilee, it affirms the role of social media evangelizers — many of them young — in shaping the Church’s presence in contemporary culture. Organizers say the event is a direct response to insights from the Synod on Synodality (2021–2024), which emphasized inclusion, listening, and the importance of pastoral presence online.
Vatican News
Attackers demand ransom for kidnapped Nigerian seminarians
By Christopher Wells, July 16, 2025
The Diocese of Auchi in southern Nigeria says the kidnappers who are holding three seminarians have made contact and demanded ransom for the students’ safe return. The seminarians, ages 14-17, were taken by gunmen during an attack on the Immaculate Conception minor seminary in Ivhianokpodi, Nigeria, on Thursday, 10 July. A security guard, Christopher Aweneghieme, a member of the Civil Defense Corps assigned to the school, was killed during the attack. The Bishop of Auchi, Gabriel Dunia, told the Vatican's Fides news agency, “The seminarians are still in the hands of their kidnappers,” who have been in contact with the diocese. “Negotiations are currently ongoing,” he said. Dunia provided further details in a statement to the Catholic aid agency Aid to the Church in Need, saying the attackers are members of the Fulani ethnic group from northern Nigeria.
National Catholic Register
Eastern Catholics can help Leo XIV unite a divided Church
By Robert Klesko, July 15, 2025
With the accession of Pope Leo XIV, the East looks with renewed hope to the continuation of a Church “breathing with both lungs,” as Pope St. John Paul II often said. Leo’s choice of regnal name deepens that hope. Pope Leo XIII is remembered for his fatherly care for the Eastern Churches, and many now pray that the new Leo will follow in his footsteps. The dominant voices for and against this movement have too often been grouped into “liberal” and “conservative” camps, or “reformer” and “traditional.” One task before the Holy Father is to break down these walls and lay out a truly “Catholic” vision of synodality. There are plenty of examples of breakdowns in synodal models of governance, both ancient and modern: “Robber Synods,” failed synods, Germany’s disastrous “Synodal Way,” and missteps in the recent Synod on Synodality. Since the Second Vatican Council, the East has been rediscovering her roots and returning to authentic expressions of her faith.
From Loop & Agency to Satire for 7/16/25
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US AMBASSADOR DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR AMERICAN KILLED IN HOLY LAND - US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee yesterday urged Israel to “aggressively” investigate the murder of a 20-year-old Palestinian-American US citizen in an alleged attack by Jewish settlers in the West Bank, calling the incident a “criminal and terrorist act.”
STATE DEPT'S 'PRO-FAMILY' EXEMPTION FOR DIPLOMATS' RELATIVES - The State Department is granting a new exemption to the federal hiring freeze, allowing US diplomats to staff key embassy positions with eligible family members. “This is a commonsense, pro-family policy to keep the family members of our diplomats together," a State Department official said.
VINDICATED: 2012 STUDY ON 'GAY' PARENTING CONFIRMED - A 2012 study that concluded children of parents in same-sex relationships fared worse on various social and emotional outcome variables compared with those in other family structure types has now been vindicated. Dr. Susan Berry reports for CatholicVote on the stringent, air-tight method used to verify the study's claim. R
Catholic News Agency
CNA’s top headlines — July 16, 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.
Benedictine Abbey in Belgium temporarily dissolved following abuse allegations - Jul 16, 2025 - By Thomas Philipp Reiter - The Keizersberg Abbey community in Leuven, Belgium, has been suspended as canonical investigation reveals “transgressive behavior” among adults.
12 keys to using the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Jul 16, 2025 - By ACI Prensa - The Blessed Mother is believed to have given the brown scapular to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251.
Archdiocese of Santa Fe marks somber 80th anniversary of first nuclear bomb detonation - Jul 15, 2025 - By Tessa Gervasini - The detonation of the Trinity explosion in the Jornada del Muerto desert, part of the Alamogordo Bombing Range, occurred at 5:29 a.m. on July 16, 1945.
Babylon Bee - Satire News
Buckle Up, Amigos: Dad Just Put On His Headlamp
By Family Staff, July 14, 2025
Buckle up, Amigos. Things are about to get real up in here. That's right, Dad just put on his friggin' HEADLAMP. Best stay out of his way. This is a man on a mission. With 250 lumens of LED illuminating power, he'll be unstoppable. Nothing will escape his powerful gaze. Don't look directly at him. You might injure your eyes. Ope, now he just grabbed his cordless drill. It's on now. Looks like some serious home repairs are about to get knocked out here. You know for sure Mom's gonna love that. She has a really long honey-do list, and this high-powered headlamp Dad got for Father's Day two years ago is about to see some serious action. We'd be willing to bet that the guest bathroom toilet handle, the ceiling fan, and the squeaky stairs are about to get straight-up fixed. Mom got mad, though, because Dad had gotten distracted by his phone and forgotten to finish any of the chores. Still, he wore that headlamp!
Nutshell reflections for 7/16/25:
USCCB Daily Reflection Audio - July 16, 2025
Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Catholic365
What to see as the Antichrist makes his way into our world
By Ralph Hathaway, July 16, 2025
What might we see as the Antichrist makes his way into our world? Not too many writers dare to touch this theme since there is no current news relating to his appearance. With all the seeming anarchy erupting on our city streets and the turning against our laws, and concern regarding the downgrading of specific nations and their people, many will shout out about a rise of evil foretold in Revelation. It is predicted, but we should be more concerned about what Christ told us. Love your neighbor and forgive those who transgress against us. Revelation tells us that during the Tribulation, this entity will be like a holy leader acting as a holy and God-fearing person who, for the first 3.5 years of the tribulation, will be one whom most people will flock to. Prepare ourselves by supporting our faith, from which the grace of God will become a reality.
National Catholic Register
‘Just War’: Do not fold, spindle or mutilate
By Jonah McKeown, July 7, 2025
“Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate” was printed on punch cards that fed data into IBM computers in the 1950s—primitive calculating machines that occupied the entire floor of a building. That admonition came to mind when, as has happened with depressing frequency over the past four decades, the just war tradition of moral analysis was folded, spindled, and mutilated — not to mention distorted, inverted, and rendered unrecognizable — in a lot of the secular and religious commentary on the military action undertaken by Israel and the United States in Iran in June. The just war way of thinking begins with a legitimate public authority’s moral obligation to provide for the security of those for whose lives it is responsible. Does the just war theory preclude preemptive military action or striking the first blow? No, it does not. Is “the last resort” the first principle in the just war tradition? No, it isn’t.
Church Life Journal
Exchanging hearts: A medievalist looks at transplant surgery
By Barbara Newman, June 15, 2025
The exchange of hearts, a familiar motif in hagiography and romance, may seem one of the stranger marks of medieval alterity. Lyric poets routinely send their hearts questing after resistant ladies, who take the organ hostage with a kiss. When forced to separate, couples pledge their loyalty by exchanging hearts, which may come back to them with alarming literalism. Mystics—always female—offer their hearts to Jesus and receive his in return, sometimes entering his body through the bloody wound in his side. Jealous husbands kill and excoriate their wives’ paramours, feeding their hearts to the ladies in a secret cannibal feast. On autopsy, a lover’s heart reveals the name or image of the beloved or, mutatis mutandis, the tokens of Christ’s Passion. Lovers no longer use these metaphors, nor do the devout. Yet, from one perspective, such narratives should be more intelligible today than ever before.
Missio Dei
The Father and the Son are both eternal
By Andrew McGovern, July 16, 2025
In today’s Gospel, Our Lord reveals two intricate truths about the Blessed Trinity—the equality of the Father and the Son, and the origin of the Son from the Father. At first glance, these two truths may seem to be at odds with each other. How does the Son claim both equality with the Father and yet find His origin in the Father? God as Trinity possesses unity according to the Substance, but possesses multiplicity in relation. An accident is something that occurs in a substance that could change, but the substance remains what it is. In God, there is no change. Therefore, all that is in God must be essential, that is, identical with what God IS. The Father possesses the Divine Nature as Origin, and He communicates that Divine Nature to the Son. This is not a temporal movement. It does not first exist in the Father for a time and then move to the Son. The Father and the Son are both eternal.
Image of Almonds by Monfocus from Pixabay
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