Catholic Nutshell News: Thursday 3/5/26
Topics include: Iran drone hits Iraqi Catholic church; Vatican’s document on after AI; Irish Catholicism is still robust; & Shi’ism took root in Iran
Catholic Nutshell News is temporarily posting from ilk Publishing.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON HOLD (POSTINGS FROM MARCH 3, 2026). WE WILL POST TODAY’S NEWS AND ANY SUBSEQUENT DAYS ‘ON HOLD’ AFTER THE PUBLISHING SITE [CATHOLIC NUTSHELL NEWS] HAS BEEN RESTORED.
OSV News
Iran’s drone strike hits an Iraqi Catholic church
By Dale Gavlak, March 5, 2026
The Catholic community in northern Iraq has been shaken by the attack of an explosive drone hitting the Chaldean Catholic complex in Ankawa, outside of Irbil. “We thank God for the safety of everyone,” Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar M. Warda of Irbil said following the assault on the community complex — a chapel, convent, and housing for the Chaldean Church. No casualties were reported in the attack. For many Chaldeans, who were targeted and displaced by the Islamic State group a decade before, this new violence reignites painful memories for Iraq’s Christian community. The area is roughly 60 to 90 miles west of the Iranian border. “Yes, we keep strong in faith and hope. We have to have that hope, and we are building from that hope,” Archbishop Warda said. “But yes, we cannot deny this feeling that the fears, worries, and concerns are there. You can feel it.”
CatholicVote
Vatican’s document on anthropology & humanity after AI
By CV News Feed, March 4, 2026
A new Vatican document, “Quo vadis, humanitas? -Thinking Christian anthropology in light of some scenarios about the future of the human,” warns that rapid technological change, from artificial intelligence to transhumanist proposals, raises profound questions about the future of the human person and demands renewed reflection on Christian anthropology. The document was unanimously approved by the International Theological Commission, a body that advises the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in 2025. It argues that the unprecedented speed of scientific and technological development requires a corresponding growth in moral responsibility. “The eruption of scientific and technical development without precedent in the history of the planet must be accompanied by a corresponding growth in responsibility that directs progress toward the good of the human being,” the document states.
Crux
Decades of sexual abuse from Catholic priests in Rhode Island
By Kimberlee Kruesi, Crux Staff, March 5, 2026
Catholic priests in Rhode Island preyed on hundreds of children for decades, getting away with sexual abuse largely due to a system where bishops prioritized minimizing scandal as the diocese maintained a secret archive that concealed evidence of more victims. These findings were among the many sobering details released Wednesday as part of a multiyear investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, led by Attorney General Peter Neronha. The report was designed to spark a “full reckoning” of the abuse that had long remained elusive inside the smallest state in the U.S., home to the country’s largest Catholic population per capita at 40%. The investigation found that 75 Catholic clergy molested more than 300 victims since 1950, but officials stressed that the number of victimized children and abusive priests is likely much higher. The voluntary records review was made possible only because the diocese freely granted the Attorney General access under a 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), according to the diocese.
Related: Diocese of Providence criticizes state’s abuse report, claims it’s meant to ‘sway’ legislators - EWTN News - By Daniel Payne, March 4, 2026
The Pillar
Irish Catholicism is robust despite secularization
By Luke Coppen, March 4, 2026
The 26-page report, “The Turning Tide? Recent religious trends on the island of Ireland,” concludes that Ireland still has one of the highest weekly Mass attendance rates in Europe, although it has seen a significant decline in Catholic affiliation. Ireland has the fourth-highest percentage of weekly Massgoers among baptized Catholics, behind Poland, Slovakia, and Italy. This places it ahead of other traditionally Catholic countries such as Croatia, Portugal, and Spain. While religiosity had declined in Ireland since the European Social Survey began in 2002-2003, the most recent cycle of data collection in 2023-2024 showed “a strong uptick in religious affiliation and religious practice” in the country. The study said this was “most strongly evident” among Catholics and Protestants aged 16 to 29. In Ireland, 17% of Catholics aged 16 to 29 attend Mass weekly, placing the country in sixth place among the countries studied.
Aleteia
The Catechism and the concept of a ‘just war’
By Camille Dalmas, March 5, 2025
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has the most succinct explanation of the Church’s official stance towards war. First, war should be avoided at all costs: The fifth commandment forbids the intentional destruction of human life. Because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war. All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. (CCC 2307-2308) Several requirements that need to be met before any war begins: The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain; all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective; there must be serious prospects of success; the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. (CCC 2309)
Related: Iran: Is this war just? The questions are clear; the future is not, Phil Lawler, Mar 04, 2026
Related: Does Catholic teaching see this as a just war? - CatholicVote - Kelsey Reinhardt on March 3, 2026
The Indian Express
Shi’ism took root in Iran and shaped its politics for centuries
By Nikita Mohta, March 5, 2026
An ancient land in western Asia, Iran occupies a strategic crossroads: the Indian subcontinent and China lie to its east; Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean world to its west; Russia to the north; and the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula to its south. This geography has long made it a conduit for cultural exchange, commercial networks, and population movements. Today, Iran is also home to one of the largest Shia Muslim populations in the region, alongside countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. As theologians such as Jon Armajani argue in Shia Islam and Politics: Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon (2020), this religious demography has enabled Iran to form alliances against external threats and to mobilise its masses. We summarize how Shiism took root in Iran and how Shia clerics have historically shaped and mobilized political action.
National Catholic Register
The Holy Land must be seen, not debated from afar
By Solène Tadié, March 4, 2026
Amid rising tensions in recent months — now extending beyond Gaza and Israel to involve Iran and draw in the United States — Christiaan von Geusau warns against simplistic or binary approaches. “If Christians cannot demonstrate unity in the city where Christ was crucified and resurrected, what credibility do we have?” von Geusau, president of the International Catholic Legislators Network, told the Register. The International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN) is a nonpartisan initiative bringing together Catholic political leaders for fellowship, spiritual formation, and reflection on global challenges. Rather than politicians, ICLN met civilians, Jewish-Israeli NGOs, and Christian church leaders — people working directly with communities on the ground. “This trip convinced me that any politician who has not personally visited Israel and the Palestinian territories and spoken with the people there has no right to speak about the situation,” said Geusau.
EWTN News
Vatican report urges women’s input in preparing future priests
By Victoria Cardiel, March 4, 2026
The General Secretariat of the Synod has published a preliminary report urging that women’s “views and assessments” be given due weight in the discernment of candidates for priesthood and warning against seminary models that separate future priests from the ordinary life of the people of God. One central concern in the report is the need to rethink seminary formation so it does not foster a culture of separation from parish life. “The formation itinerary must not create artificial environments detached from the ordinary life of the faithful,” the document says, calling instead for formation in “close contact with the daily life of the people of God.” On selection for ordination, the report says the people of God should be “truly listened to” in the process, “in view of the conferral of holy orders,” including consultation with the candidate’s pastor and those who have known his pastoral service — “giving due importance also to the views and assessments of women.”
Angelus News, EWTN & ChurchPOP for 3/5/26
Angelus News
Angelus joins in the great work of evangelization - March 5, 2026
The mission of Angelus is to provide our readers with the best in Catholic news, first-rate analysis of events and trends shaping the Church and the world
God’s voice will not rest until you find your vocation - Father Ronald Rolheiser, OMI - Mar 05 - What’s God’s compulsion? It’s the deep irrepressible moral sense we have inside that tells us what we must do rather than what we want to do. And this can be very helpful in finding our vocation and place in life.
Notre Dame coaching legend Lou Holtz remembered for ‘building men, not just players’ - OSV News | OSV News - Mar 05 - Famously, during an argument claiming God cares not who wins in football games, Holtz, coach of the Fighting Irish at the time, agreed. “I don’t think God cares who wins, either,” he replied with a smile. “But his Mother does.”
Grassroots Dorothea Project urges Catholic women to speak against immigration-related injustice - Kimberley Heatherington - OSV News - Mar 02 - So Holler, a social worker from Steubenville, Ohio, launched the Dorothea Project, a women’s action and advocacy group dedicated to educating the public about Catholic social teaching, with the mission of empowering communities
EWTN News
EWTN’s top headlines — March 5, 2026
Formerly known as Catholic News Agency, EWTN 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.
Pew report examines how people rate fellow citizens’ morals - By Tessa Gervasini - According to the research, 47% of U.S. adults reported Americans have “very good” or “somewhat good” morals and ethics, which was the lowest of all countries. The majority of adults in Canada and Indonesia (92%) said the same of the people in their countries.
European bishops: Women ‘should never feel compelled to abort’ - By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú - The Catholic Church in Europe has firmly stated that abortion “is gravely contrary to the moral law” and maintained that women “should never feel compelled to abort due to social or economic pressure.”
Asian Catholics begin spiritual, logistical preparations for World Youth Day Seoul 2027 - By Sumon Corraya - Catholic youth across Bangladesh, India, and Nepal are preparing for World Youth Day 2027, scheduled for Aug. 3–8 in Seoul, South Korea, with Church leaders describing the gathering as an opportunity for spiritual renewal, cultural exchange, and witness.
ChurchPOP Trending
ChurchPOP provides fun, informative, and authentically Catholic news and culture - March 5, 2026
“We publish inspiring daily stories, fun and shareable faith-centered infographics, prayers, Church history, and more.”
The Final Prayer the Martyr-Nuns in Yemen Prayed Just Before Their Deaths - 10 years ago this year, on March 4, 2016, a terrible attack occurred on the Missionaries of Charity convent and nursing home for the elderly and disabled in Aden, Yemen. Gunmen invaded the elderly home and killed 16 people, including four religious sisters. These sisters were Sister Anselm, Sister Judith, Sister Marguerite, and Sister Reginette.
‘God Acts in That Soul’: Priest Urges Parents to Take Kids to Mass ‘Even If They Make a Fuss’ - “Even if you are at Mass and completely distracted, just by being there, God is acting in your soul.” The priest at Colegio Fomento Sansueña in Spain encouraged parents not to give up when taking their young children to Mass, which can feel like an impossible mission.
After 10 Years Away, Social Media Influencer Returns to Confession: ‘A Big Weight Lifted’ - “If you’re going through the same journey as me, go to confession. I know it can be scary—trust me. But just pray to God to give you strength, keep you humble, and guide you through it.”
Nutshell reflections for 3/5/26:
USCCB Daily Reflection - VIDEO - March 5, 2026
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
Church Life Journal
How to dive into Hans Urs von Balthasar’s works in theology
By Cyril O’Regan, March 2, 2026
A particular assumption that will inhibit understanding Balthasar’s biblical hermeneutics (principles of interpretation) and exegetical practice is to suppose that we have a ready-made taxon for them, that is, that compared with neo-Thomist readings of scripture, on the one hand, and modern exegesis—regulated by historical-critical method—on the other, Balthasar’s fundamental interpretive principles and exegetical practices are those of the early Fathers. Concretely, this means that while respectful of the various literary genres of the Bible, as well as grasping the importance of the historical placement of its myriad details, Balthasar allows space for allegory, and that overall his exegesis is significantly anagogic or mystical in nature, since, with the Fathers, Balthasar thinks that a fundamental purpose of scripture is transformation in which individual selves and the community come more and more attuned to Christ.
The Pillar
Luxembourg approves the killing of babies in the womb
By Joachin Meisner Hertz, March 4, 2026
On March 1, Luxembourg inscribed into its Constitution what its parliamentary majority calls a “freedom” to terminate unborn life, becoming the second country in the world to constitutionalize abortion after France did so in 2024. The vote in the 60-seat Chamber of Deputies was decisive: 48 in favor, six against, and two abstentions — comfortably surpassing the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional amendment. The move places the Grand Duchy at the forefront of a European trend that has accelerated since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and declared that abortion is not a right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. In parts of Europe, that American reversal was interpreted not as a distant legal development but as a warning shot — a reminder that statutory protections can be rolled back. Luxembourg’s response has been to move the issue to the highest rung of its legal hierarchy.
Catholic Gentlemen
Parents: Are we passing on more than material wealth?
By Justin Biance, March 2, 2026
Raising children is an adventure, to say the least. A more appropriate description might be to say it is an ongoing experiment. Whether it is discipline, education, or the various “projects” a parent is constantly focused on, most days are filled with challenges and surprises. My kids are young, so I have a growing understanding of the challenges of fatherhood, but in my profession (financial advising), I have seen that the other end of a family’s history has its own challenges to face. That is when kids become heirs to something built over a long time, and the questions come: have we formed our kids and cultivated the relationship with them so that they are open to inheriting our legacy? Or, from their perspective, is the “legacy” of our work a message of an absent and busy father? Or, from our perspective, did we fail to cultivate character in them so that they are prepared to continue a legacy? In other words, is there a living, real, and meaningful link between who we are and our work? Or, to put it another way, are we passing on more than material wealth?
Wild at Heart
‘If you make the Lord your refuge’
By John Eldredge, March 5, 2026
The mighty refuge psalm, Psalm 91, has a progression. First comes the promise: “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Then, a recitation of the many ways that El Shaddai will protect us. Rescue from every trap and protection from deadly disease, the terrors of night, the arrow that flies by day. Oh, to experience it! How humanity needs this in such a wicked hour. Nine verses in, there comes a critical turning point: “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you. (verses 9–10)” That “if” is revelatory. The refuge of God and his Kingdom is only for those who choose to take part in it. This fact is so irritating to human nature. We just want to get on with our lives and have God cover us. That’s not quite how things work. You can choose to leave God’s protection. “Remain in me,” Jesus urges. You can almost hear the plea in his voice: Stay in Me; don’t operate in anything outside of me. But we are stubborn creatures, we humans.