Catholic Nutshell News: Friday 3/6/26
Topics include: Iranian religious minorities; ‘Poverty is not from God’; University ends faculty labor unions; & After 400 years, Anglicans restructure
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Religion News Service
What comes next for Iranian religious minorities?
By Knox Thames, March 3, 2026
Iran’s theocratic regime has long repressed religious minorities, persecuting groups deemed blasphemous, unorthodox or who questioned their religious rule. The ongoing war, combined with the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, creates a moment of great uncertainty for all Iranians, but especially for minorities, who are particularly vulnerable. What happens in the coming days and how the U.S. responds will determine much about their future. According to U.S. State Department reports, the exact size of Iran’s Christian community is unknown, but estimates range from 117,000 to more than 1.2 million. They are clustered in a variety of historic denominations, Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholics, as well as newer Protestant groups, including evangelical Christians. While all live under the same repression, the regime enforcers have harshly targeted those who proselytize. Pastors have been jailed, and many converts forced to flee.
aciafrica
‘Poverty is not from God’: Says Catholic Bishop in Kenya
By ACI Africa Staff, March 3, 2026
Poverty stems from selfishness, the Bishop of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Nakuru has said, noting that human shortcomings limit access to basic necessities, including food, education, clean water, shelter, and healthcare. In his homily on Thursday, February 5, during the Thanksgiving Holy Mass at Archbishop Ndingi Boys Senior School in his Episcopal See, Bishop Cleophas Oseso Tuka noted that God has blessed the country with abundant resources that, if used responsibly and shared fairly, could ensure that everyone has enough food and a place to live. “Poverty is not from God. Very often, it arises because we fail to do what we are supposed to do. God has given us many resources,” Bishop Oseso said. He lamented that selfishness and inequality have led to situations where a few people control vast resources while many others struggle in poverty.
CatholicVote
Parental rights victory at the Supreme Court
By Kelsey Reinhardt, March 5, 2026
In a major victory for parental rights, the Supreme Court upheld an injunction blocking California’s “gender secrecy” policy, where schools were encouraged to conceal from parents when a child adopted a gender identity different from his or her biological sex. Notification to parents was permitted only if the child consented. “Under long-established precedent,” the Court wrote, “parents—not the state—have primary authority with respect to ‘the upbringing and education of children.’ The right protected by these precedents includes the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children’s mental health.” This ruling is a step toward restoring moral clarity in a culture that too often treats parents as adversaries rather than allies in caring for children. With the support of the Thomas More Society, teachers joined concerned parents in challenging the policy in court. After a district court issued an injunction, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated it. The case ultimately reached the Supreme Court.
National Catholic Register
World’s oldest priest: 110th birthday
By CNA Deutsch, March 5, 2026
Pope Leo XIV thanked a 110-year-old priest from the Diocese of Fulda, Germany, for his “long, faithful, and devoted priestly service.” Father Bruno Kant is officially recognized as the world’s oldest priest. “I was delighted to learn that you will be celebrating your 110th birthday on Feb. 26 and send you my warmest congratulations and blessings,” Pope Leo wrote. The birthday celebrations were attended not only by residents of the neighboring towns of Eichenzell and Löschenrod but also by government and Church representatives. Bishop Michael Gerber of Fulda said, “I received confirmation from the Vatican that he is the oldest priest in the world. Pope Leo even sent him a birthday card.” Father Kant, born near Danzig in present-day Poland, wanted to be a priest from the age of 9. He began his theological studies, but the Nazi regime thwarted his plans by conscripting him for forced labor and making him a soldier.
EWTN News
St. John’s University in New York ends faculty labor unions
By Kate Quiñones, March 6, 2026
St. John’s University’s recent decision to cease recognizing faculty labor unions after 56 years has stirred a mix of criticism and support. A Catholic Vincentian college with campuses in Queens and Manhattan, St. John’s University has about 19,000 students, including 3,000 graduate students, 39% of whom identify as Catholic, according to the university’s enrollment numbers. Tuition is reported to be about $51,000 per year. University president Father Brian Shanley, OP, announced in a Feb. 19 email to faculty that the university would no longer recognize its two unions, the St. John’s University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (SJU-AAUP) and the Faculty Association, both formed in 1970. An estimated 200 faculty and students gathered to protest the decision in February.
The Pillar
Bishop Shaleta arrested for embezzlement & money laundering
By Jack Figge, March 6, 2026
Chaldean Catholic Bishop Emanuel Shaleta was arrested on Thursday on several felony counts of embezzlement and money laundering. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Thursday that the bishop was picked up at the San Diego airport as he attempted to leave the United States. The Pillar reported earlier this week that Shaleta was expected to travel to Rome. He had submitted his resignation to the Vatican earlier this year. Shaleta, who leads the Chaldean Catholic eparchy covering the western half of the United States, was arrested on eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated white collar crime enhancement, the sheriff’s office said. “Shaleta was transported and booked at the San Diego Central Jail for the aforementioned charges. He is currently being held on $125,000 bail, and a hold under Penal Code section 1275.1 was approved by the court,” the press release said.
CRUX
Anglican leaders restructure global religious body after 400 years
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, March 6, 2026
Conservative Anglican leaders have restructured their organization, signaling a break from the traditions of the historic Anglican Communion as they seek to reorder the 400-year-old church group. The Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon) dissolved its Gafcon Primates Council and replaced it with the Global Anglican Council. The new council will include primates, advisers and guarantors, made up of bishops, clergy and lay members, each with full voting privileges, Gafcon general secretary The Right Reverend Paul Donison said in a statement. The announcement came during a meeting of the church’s conservative leaders in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, that drew 436 delegates from 48 countries, representing over 180 dioceses from across the world. Gafcon leaders have opposed liberal trends such as same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly LGBTQ+ clergy in the Anglican churches of Europe and North America, including the Episcopal Church in the United States.
OSV News
Catholic advocates call for immigration policy changes
By Kate Scanlon, March 5, 2026
Catholic immigration advocates are calling for change at the Department of Homeland Security after President Donald Trump announced on March 5 that Kristi Noem is leaving her post. President Trump announced that he had chosen Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to replace her as secretary. Noem’s tenure as head of DHS was marked by controversial efforts to enforce the president’s hardline immigration policies, some of which have deeply concerned Catholic immigration advocates. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy and communications at the Center for Migration Studies of New York and the former director of migration policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said, “I think we should remember that the policy of mass deportations will inevitably lead to human rights violations, regardless of who leads DHS.”
Big Pulpit, EWTN News & Zenit for 3/6/26
Big Pulpit
Tito Edwards Catholic site: March 6, 2026
The Big Pulpit website is a news aggregator that gathers quality insights and analysis on the Catholic Church worldwide.
What Are the Church’s Top Priorities? – Philip F. Lawler, Ph.D., at Catholic Culture
You Have to Work to Be a Saint – Barb Ernster at Our Lady’s Blue Army
Three Reasons Why the Victory at Notre Dame Was Important – Tradition, Family, & Property
What is the Solution to the SSPX Problem? – Leila Marie Lawler at Happy Despite Them
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — March 6, 2026
EWTN News provides reliable, free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Universal Church, with updates on the words of the Holy Father and the Holy See.
Formerly gay Christian convert wins court battle in Malta over ban on ‘conversion therapy’ - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - After a three-year process, a judge in Malta ruled that Matthew Grech did not violate the country’s ban on advertising “conversion therapy” by sharing his conversion story in a news media interview.
Holy See to UN: Christians are the most persecuted community in the world - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - Speaking at a conference in Geneva on March 3, Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations since 2023, decried the fact that Christians are the most persecuted community in the world.
Christians in South Lebanon refuse to leave their towns as war escalates - By Romy Haber - As evacuation orders sweep across southern Lebanon, residents are being told to leave their homes; but despite the dangers of a war they don’t want, many have chosen to stay.
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TRIBUTES AND STORIES FOR LOU HOLTZ - After legendary Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz died this week at 89, tributes poured in across sports, politics, and Catholic communities. Former players and public figures shared memories on social media, including former player Jerome Bettis, who recalled the day Holtz sat down with his mother and promised he would take care of her son. READ
SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH GOVERNMENT IN MAJOR IMMIGRATION CASE - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that federal appeals courts must defer to immigration judges when reviewing asylum decisions. The ruling is expected to make it harder for migrants to overturn denied claims. READ
VANCE SAYS CHURCH-GOV CLASHES ON IMMIGRATION ARE INEVITABLE - Vice President JD Vance said tensions between government officials and Catholic bishops over immigration policy are inevitable because the government and the Church have different roles. He added that the disagreements should be approached “in a spirit of charity,” and acknowledged he may have spoken “too harshly” when criticizing Church leaders in the past. READ
Nutshell reflections for 3/6/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection: AUDIO - March 6, 2026
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Catholic365
The Church bell still rings
By AF Moffitt, March 5, 2026
I have always been drawn to the Church, not just as a place of worship but also as a piece of history. For most of my adult life, I have studied the Church as one might study a distant ancestor. I have studied it with curiosity, reverence, but without any expectation of resemblance. I have analyzed her fractures, her reforms, and her endurance. All the while, assuming I always stood outside her story. What I did not yet understand was that history is not simply the past. It is a living memory that is carried, transmitted, and embodied across time. It is a thread that weaves through time, and we are tangled within it. The Church bell and the sound it makes take me back. It called me to remember why belief endures and survives division without losing its shape. That bell, steady and unbroken, was my first hint of this truth. The bell was not telling me to give up what I believe in, but to think about why I believed in it in the first place.
Catholic Weekly
Pay attention when mercy runs to meet us
By Fr Michael Boudaher, March 5, 2026
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most powerful and moving stories Our Lord ever told. The younger son says, “Give me my share of the inheritance now.” What an awful thing to ask! These words must have felt like a knife to the father’s heart. After all, when does a son usually receive an inheritance? When the father has died. So, in a way, the son is saying, “I wish you were dead.” We might think, “I would never say something like that.” But don’t we sometimes act this way with God? We say, “I want things my way. I know what I need, and I want You to give it to me – now!” We might not say these words out loud, but our actions and attitudes can send that same message.
Aleteia
Could my fasting help stop a war?
By Philip Kosloski, March 6, 2026
The Church frequently encourages the practice of fasting, and all recent popes have designated specific days of fasting, such as days of fasting for peace in the world. However, when this topic comes up, we might wonder, “How is it possible that my fasting will stop a war? What does what I eat or don’t eat have to do with world peace?” While it may seem unlikely that fasting could stop a faraway war, there are some deep theological truths at play here. And, in fact, we know fasting has helped in the past, even recently. Giovanni Marcotullio wrote in an article for Aleteia how Pope Francis’s 2013 appeal for prayer and fasting helped calm down the Syrian war. While the war in Syria didn’t immediately end that night, the conflict didn’t erupt into something much more terrible. Above all, it comes down to trust: trusting that God can work miracles and that our prayers really do have an effect in the world.
Bishop Barron
Everything that we have and are is on loan
By Bishop Robert Barron, March 6, 2026
Friends, just before his passion and death, Jesus tells this striking story of the landowner who planted a vineyard. The fertile vineyard stands for Israel, his chosen people. But it could be broadened out to include the world. What do we learn from this beautiful image? That God has made for his people a place where they can find rest, enjoyment, and good work. We—Israel, the Church, the world—are not the owners of this vineyard; we are tenants. One of the most fundamental spiritual mistakes we can make is to think that we own the world. We are tenants, entrusted with the responsibility of caring for it, but everything that we have and are is on loan. Our lives are not about us. Christ is God’s judgment. We are all under his judgment. The more we reject him or refuse to listen to him, the more we jeopardize our tenancy.
RIP Lou Holtz.