By Derek Rotty, Catholic Exchange – “Have I ever witnessed a miracle?” is a worthwhile question in our Western culture dominated by rationalism, materialism, and scientism, as many skeptics and agnostics—and even some Christians—believe miracles impossible… A miracle, according to Merriam-Webster, is “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides a bit more texture in its definition: “A sign or wonder, such as a healing or the control of nature, which can only be attributed to a divine power.”

By Austin Ruse, Crisis Magazine – What we have seen these past weeks is a veritable love fest between Europeans and Americans and a grand reopening of the European mind about almost all things America… The White House cage fights, the military flyover, and the bald eagle were quite remarkable spectacles on the South Lawn the other day, especially as they laid down a working-class marker on America 250. Various fancy-pants tut-tutted, and all the better they did. Remember, Abe Lincoln went in for ear-biting-eye-gouging rasslin’. These are our roots.

By Ben Whedon, Just the News – On Thursday, the justices issued opinions on both asylum claims and temporary protected status (TPS), two of the key legal mechanisms for keeping foreigners in the country. TPS is a legal status intended for citizens of a nation facing an immediate hardship, such as a war or natural disaster. About 1.3 million people in the United States have been granted such status, including 600,000 from Venezuela and 330,000 from Haiti.

Fr. Matthew Dimock, Jr., OnePeterFive – In late April of 2025, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church were in the middle of their multi-day General Congregation. The one question on their minds: who shall take up the responsibility of steering the Barque of Peter? As the cardinals discussed the qualities of the next pope and what problems he must solve, the Chinese Communist Party announced the results of their own conclave. Rather than electing a Pope, they, instead, elected two priests to become bishops of their own dioceses.

By Mary Rose, Zeale News – Vice President JD Vance said in a June 25 interview that Iran has offered terms “radically different” from the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under President Barack Obama, including stricter nuclear inspections and eliminating its stockpile of enriched uranium… Speaking to UnHerd after returning from negotiations in Switzerland, Vance said one result of the Lake Lucerne peace summit was an agreement in principle to establish a military communication channel between the U.S. and Iran.

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register – …. some cardinals criticized the January meeting for its tightly managed procedure and synodal structure, with one persistent criticism being that it was “very controlled.” They lamented a lack of genuine debate and a sense that key decisions and framing had been set in advance. Short plenary interventions (talks), heavy use of prepared briefing papers, and a rapid timetable reinforced a pattern in which the College of Cardinals functioned more as a body that receives decisions ….

By Tyler Arnold, EWTN News – The U.S. Supreme Court on June 25 ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s restrictive asylum policies that faced strong opposition from the USCCB’s and some other Catholic advocacy groups… One ruling allows the DHS to end “temporary protected status” for Haitians and Syrians, who can now be deported. The other allows the government to turn away asylum seekers at the southern border by limiting the number of claims they will process each day. …

By Mary Rose, Zeale News – The head of the U.S. Postal Service testified June 24 that USPS will not deliver mail-in ballots in states that refuse to hand over voter rolls tied to absentee ballot distribution in keeping with an election integrity order from President Donald Trump… Postmaster General David Steiner made the remarks before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, defending a proposed rule that would require states to provide USPS with the names and barcodes tied to their mail-in ballots for federal elections before any ballots are delivered …

By Stephen Daisley, First Things – Every pope has his defining mission, a papal charism of sorts that characterizes and in time becomes a shorthand for his pontificate. Paul VI was the reformer of the liturgy who turned the Mass to the people. John Paul II was the apostle of human dignity against the twin anti-gods of communism and secularism. Francis was shepherd to the poor and the climate in an age of economic and environmental instability. Just over a year since he assumed the throne of Peter, we can already see Leo XIV’s papal charism: He is the migrants’ pope. …

By Jeffrey Bruno, National Catholic Register- As America approaches its 250th birthday, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage carries Christ by land and sea, inviting a nation to remember its deepest foundations.
 I love the sea… Its mystery and drama, its promise of adventure…the way the horizon seems to stretch forever, blurring the line between what is and what might be… Which is why, sitting alone on a rock jetty on Kent Island, and gazing out over the Chesapeake Bay, I began to wonder if I had made the wrong decision. …

By Hannah Brockhaus, EWTN News – St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, is one of only three people in history — after Jesus and Mary — whose birthday is celebrated in the Church’s liturgy… In fact, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24 is a solemnity, meaning it is the highest form of Catholic feast day. And because it falls exactly six months before the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, it is sometimes known as “Summer Christmas.”… “The Church observes the birth of John as in some way sacred; and you will not find any other of the great men of old whose birth we celebrate officially. We celebrate John’s, as we celebrate Christ’s,” St. Augustine of Hippo said …

By Jared Whitley, The American Spectator – The transgender ‘rights’ and ‘acceptance’ movements are the only civil rights movements in history where the primary driver has been corporate greed… When someone tries to end an argument by insisting they’re on “the right side of history,” remind them how often history has proved such confidence wrong… This is especially true in the realm of health care… Not long ago, Purdue Pharmaceuticals pushed OxyContin as an answer to ordinary pain. Yet Oxy not only created a wave of addiction ….

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Four years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, 19 states now have laws protecting babies from abortion… The June 24, 2022, ruling restored to the American people and their elected representatives the authority to enact laws protecting unborn children. Today marks the fourth anniversary of that landmark decision.

By Russell Shaw, OSV News Service – H.L. Mencken — writer, journalist and prominent iconoclast of the century past — took a generally dim view of the clergy (along with many other things). But his view of Cardinal James Gibbons, archbishop of Mencken’s Baltimore for 44 crucial years, was different… Writing after the cardinal’s death in 1921, the Sage of Baltimore — Mencken, that is — remarked that “more presidents than one sought the counsel of Cardinal Gibbons … a man of the highest sagacity, a politician in the best sense.”

By Dr. R. Jared Staudt, Catholic World Report – The 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States is a time to reflect on America’s role in pioneering religious freedom. Catholics have contributed to this development while also courageously offering witness in the face of persecution. The promise and peril of this history should inspire us to continue to fight for the legitimate right to religious freedom while we boldly and charitably share the invitation of the Gospel.