News

By David G. Bonagura, Jr., Catholic Culture – For just over 100 years, beginning in 1849, the universal Church celebrated the feast of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in July. Then it fell victim of a strange irony: the post-Vatican II commission that was established for revising the liturgy, while seeking to implement Sacrosanctum Concilium 55 that admitted the faithful to receive the precious Blood of Christ at certain Masses, eliminated the feast of the Most Precious Blood, which had a double first-class rank.

By Hannah Brockhaus , Valentina di Donato, Catholic World Report – The leader of Africa’s Catholic bishops pushed back Tuesday on the narrative that it was only Africans who objected to a 2023 Vatican declaration permitting blessings for same-sex couples… “The position taken by Africa [on the declaration] was also the position of so many bishops here in Europe. It’s not just an African exception,” Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, OFM Cap, told EWTN News on July 1.

By Diane Montagna, Substack – New evidence has come to light that exposes major cracks in the foundation of Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis’ 2021 decree that restricted the traditional Roman liturgy… This journalist has obtained the Vatican’s overall assessment of the consultation of bishops that was said to have “prompted” Pope Francis to revoke Summorum Pontificum, Benedict XVI’s 2007 apostolic letter liberalizing the vetus ordo, more commonly known as the “Traditional Latin Mass” and sacraments.

By Sarah Cain, Crisis Magazine – The Church has never and will never change her teaching on the unworthy reception of Holy Communion—she can’t. But our Bishops must change their 60’s-rooted praxis of allowing it to happen… It is a strange feature of our times that when a priest fulfills his sacred duty it becomes news. Such is the case with Fr. Ian Vane, who rightly refused Holy Communion to British MP Chris Coghlan after Coghlan’s public support for assisted suicide. Such an action by a priest should be common—as common as “Catholics” who promote evils while maintaining a public platform are today.

By Emily Malloy, National Catholic Register – Laughter and music filled every inch of our house the weekend we moved in. It was a gathering for visiting missionaries during their two-week door-to-door ministry. The delightful sounds arose from 60 people, both parishioners and religious: the Sister Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará and seminarians from the Institute of the Incarnate Word. Prayer, song, food and friendship marked the evening. I am hard-pressed to conceive of a better way to have spent the first weekend in our new home.

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Hopefully this goes a long way toward explaining why Pope Leo refers to synodality as a style or an attitude. Presumably this pope has far too much missionary experience to resort to badly-orchestrated group-think to get things done. As the Pope recently reminded us by parsing the word “synod” into its Greek roots, “synodality” means that we Catholics are on “a way together” which benefits from the active participation of all—not so much in discussions or planning sessions but in the “way together” itself, that is, in ongoing apostolic work, ongoing witness to Christ.

By Dann Aungst, The Stream – Forgiveness is not just a part of the Christian life—it is at the very heart of it. From the moment sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, humanity has needed healing, reconciliation, and restoration. Baptism cleanses us from original sin, but we continue to wrestle with concupiscence—the ongoing inclination toward sin. This interior battle makes the call to forgiveness all the more urgent and necessary for our spiritual health and eternal destiny.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – There’s one drum I won’t stop banging, because it’s a righteous call to war: The Left is not a secular, rationalistic, science-driven movement — though for the sake of social prestige and power it still pretends to be. But in fact, it never was… At every point since the invention of the Left/Right spectrum in the fevered, bloodthirsty frenzy of the French Revolution, the Left has been a post-Christian heresy. It’s a cargo cult that cherrypicks from the gospels shiny moral sentiments and glittering aspirations, like the work of some mindless magpie.

By John Grondelski, National Catholic Register – It’s not coincidental that today’s (June 30th) optional memorial follows the Solemnity of Peter and Paul. Sts. Peter and Paul stand at the head of the first Christian martyrs: the Pope crucified upside down on Vatican Hill, the preacher to the nations beheaded in Rome… As we saw from Paul’s journeys, Christianity spread quickly in the Roman Empire, especially in the cities, so there was no way it would not reach the most important city of all: Rome.

By Father David Nix,  Padre Peregrino Hermitage Blog – The USCCB continues to issue statements against Trump as they clamor for the billions back once received for illegal activity under the Biden Administration in facilitating open-borders in the United States… However, the Department for Homeland Security also takes the offensive. Homeland issued the following statement to Catholic Charities and the USCCB, among other NGOs: “The chairmen are examining whether these NGOs used taxpayer dollars to facilitate illegal activity, as the previous administration incentivized millions of inadmissible aliens to cross our borders—many of whom were subsequently aided by NGOs after being released at the border under the Biden-Harris administration’s mass catch-and-release policies.”

By John Zmirak, The Stream – If you want to stop attracting what you don’t need, maybe turn off the magnet that attracts it. That’s the logic of President Donald Trump sticking to enforcing our labor and immigration laws with employers who operate sweatshop factories, restaurants, and farms. It applies even more urgently to healthcare… If you’ve had the bad luck to visit a hospital emergency room recently, you’ll have noticed it’s full of foreigners. Many are here illegally. But thanks to Medicaid programs aimed at offering free health care to whoever shows up here, invited or not, our hospitals are crammed with people who never paid into the system.

By Ronn Blitzer , Bonny Chu, Fox News – Federal officials arrested two people on Friday at a Los Angeles house tied to a suspected Iranian human smuggling network said to have been “repeatedly used to harbor illegal entrants linked to terrorism.”… Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the arrests in an X post on Friday, saying that the operation was part of a broader national security effort involving multiple federal agencies.

By Fr. Francesco Giordano, STD, Catholic Exchange – On Friday, we contemplated the Sacred Heart of Jesus, source of mercy and redemptive love, celebrated from Popes Clement XIII and Leo XIII to Pius XII and Francis. This Sunday, on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, we contemplated a feast that leads us from a profound encounter with the Heart of Christ to the apostolic witness of Sts. Peter and Paul. We reflect on these two great witnesses of faith who gave their lives to proclaim the Gospel and build the Church.

By Jeffrey Lord, The American Spectator – An American Pope and a faith surges… It is so routine that many churchgoers — of all faiths! — don’t notice… That routine would be passing the collection plate every Sunday. After all, it costs money to keep a church up and running. And that church doesn’t have to be New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral or the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris or the local Methodist church near your home… My humble Protestant United Church of Christ congregation always passes the collection plates, and always starts the New Year by giving every church member in my congregation a small box of envelopes meticulously dated for every Sunday of the year, plus extras for the holidays. Even the smallest church can have a moment of collection plate passing.

By Bishop Joseph Strickland, Substack – I speak today not from politics but from faith. I am a bishop of the Catholic Church, a shepherd of souls. And as a shepherd, I say clearly: No just cause can be built on the bones of the innocent… Let me be equally clear: • The starvation of a people is evil… The manipulation of aid for domination is evil… The forced removal of families from their ancestral homes is evil… To my brother bishops: Where are our voices? ….

By Ben Weingarten, The Federalist – Following a years-long surge in illegal immigration, the Trump administration is poised to challenge a longstanding but legally fraught practice: counting illegal aliens in the U.S. census… President Trump tried to end the practice during his first term, but President Biden overturned his predecessor’s policy before it was implemented. Now, buoyed by red state attorneys general and Republican legislators, the second Trump administration is determined “to clean up the census and make sure that illegal aliens are not counted” ….

By James Mortensen, CNS News – New York City’s Democratic mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, has stated he intends to “Shift the tax burden” to “more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods” if he’s elected in November. Mamdani’s proposal originates from a policy memo titled “Stop the Squeeze on NYC Homeowners,” in which he says his “administration will shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods.”

By Tyler Arnold, CNA – A coalition of 20 American Catholic bishops and religious leaders from other faiths has signed on to a letter urging lawmakers to vote against a proposed budget bill because of provisions to increase funding for immigration enforcement… “From our various faith perspectives, the moral test of a nation is how it treats those most in need of support,” the letter read. “In our view, this legislation will harm the poor and vulnerable in our nation, to the detriment of the common good.”

By Mat Staver, LifeNews – President Donald Trump has given a deadline to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by this Friday. This week will be fast, furious, and dangerous. We could lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Senate and the House versions of the budget bill differ. They must be reconciled by Friday. This is the most critical moment in this fight to defund Planned Parenthood and Big Abortion.

By Greg Schlueter, Crisis Magazine – Influencer culture has captured the hearts and minds of our youth—and if we are not watchful, it could capture their souls as well… It began, as it often does, with a teacher’s question… “What do you want to be when you grow up?”… The responses, once peppered with dreams of firefighting, flying, and healing, have given way to a new, disconcerting consensus. The overwhelming answer: “A Social Media Influencer.” …

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Today’s Feast of Saints Peter and Paul honors two fundamental pillars of the early Church. While all the Apostles form the foundation, Peter and Paul stand out very profoundly in terms of influence and work. And while some have wished to suggest division between them, the Church insists that they must been seen together; hence their feast is set forth in this way.

By Peter Wolfgang, Catholic Culture – I’m predisposed against theories claiming that alternate universes exist because they often come from scientists who want to avoid the evidence that God exists. Positing the possibility of alternate universes is how they get around the fact that our universe seems perfectly calibrated for humanity’s existence.

Bishop Joseph Strickland, Substack – We are living in a time when the battle is no longer hidden. It rages on every front. It explodes in the skies above cities. It festers in the sanctuary. It pierces the soul of the faithful. And through all of it, the wounded Heart of Christ still beats – still calls – still bleeds… The United States has launched a direct strike against Iran. The threat of global war is no longer distant or theoretical. It is here. It is now. It is the fruit of a world that has rejected God’s law, God’s order, and God’s peace. When nations abandon the Prince of Peace, war follows. This is not merely politics. This is the consequence of sin.

By John M. Grondelski, American Thinker – The Supreme Court’s June 27 Trump v. CASA et al. decision about birthright citizenship turned on a legal technicality: Could one federal district judge in one court in one state block a presidential policy for the entire country?  To that question, the Court said “no.”  On the merits of whether Trump’s effort to dial back what “birthright citizenship” means more broadly, the Court left that question for another day… There are two ways most countries confer citizenship: jus soli and jus sanguinis, “the law of soil” and “the law of blood.”

Patriot Post – “Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” —George Washington (1796)

By Margot Cleveland, The Federalist – “‘[E]veryone, from the President on down, is bound by law.’ That goes for judges too,” the Supreme Court declared last week in holding several lower court judges erred in entering nationwide injunctions in the lawsuits challenging Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order. The Supreme Court’s Friday decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc. represents the high court’s most recent check on what it branded an “imperial judiciary.”

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – Today is the feast of the First Martyrs of Rome, the mostly unknown group of early Christians who were persecuted and died in 64 A.D. under the Emperor Nero. Some were wrapped in animal skins and torn apart by dogs in public spectacles, others were covered in tar and burned alive as human torches. It was the beginning of anti-Christian violence that, sadly, has cropped up periodically over the past 2000 years and continues even today. …

By Annette Bergeon, Crisis Magazine – In 1995, on the eve of the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women, Pope St. John Paul II offered a tender, clear-sighted reflection titled Letter to Women. In a time marked by ideological division and cultural anxiety, he stepped into the fray not to argue, but to affirm, to thank, and to dignify. His words cut through slogans and stereotypes to acknowledge the full complexity of womanhood in the modern world. …

By Christopher Jimenez, Crisis Magazine – Political obsession is a reality we all have to live with. On any given day, even when we intentionally avoid the news, it seems that we hear Trump’s name at least three times a day. If only people would speak as passionately about our Blessed Lord! Perhaps then we would all be just as Jesus-focused as we currently are Trump-focused. A personal anecdote from the Feast of Corpus Christi highlights this fixation on political disagreements.

By Franciscan Media, June 30 – There were Christians in Rome within a dozen or so years after the death of Jesus, though they were not the converts of the “Apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 15:20). Paul had not yet visited them at the time he wrote his great letter in 57-58 A.D… There was a large Jewish population in Rome. Probably as a result of controversy between Jews and Jewish Christians, the Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome in 49-50 A.D.

By Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, National Catholic Register – As I prepare to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of my ordination to the Holy Priesthood during this month of June, I ask you to join me in praying fervently for the Holy Father, that he may be given all the graces necessary to shepherd the Church faithfully and courageously in these most difficult times. May he be strengthened to ordain many holy priests who, in turn, will lead the faithful to deeper union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the maternal Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 8:18-22 – 18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” –

Stanley Law Group – On January 22, 2020, Stanley Law Group filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island against the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for its role in the fraudulent promotion of Peter’s Pence as a charity to assist individuals throughout the world who have been affected by “war, oppression, natural disaster or disease.” Recent reports have shown as little as 10% of the contributions made to Peter’s Pence are actually used for these stated purposes.

By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, First Post – Pope Leo XIV on Sunday celebrated a special feast day traditionally used by the Catholic Church to drum up donations from the faithful, with the Vatican under the first American pope rolling out a new campaign to urge ordinary Catholics to help bail out the deficit-ridden Holy See… Leo celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and thanked donors who have contributed, using the language of the publicity campaign to say their financial support was a sign of union with his young pontificate.

By Victoria Cardiel, CNA – Pope Leo XIV warned new archbishops on Sunday against following “the same old pastoral plans without experiencing interior renewal and a willingness to respond to new challenges.”… Speaking on the Solemnity of Peter and Paul — saints recognized by the Catholic Church as pillars of the faith and venerated as patrons of the city of Rome — the pope also called for maintaining ecclesial unity while respecting diversity.

By Deacon Thomas L. McDonald, National Catholic Register – Rooted in centuries of Catholic tradition, these daily devotions offer a practical way to sanctify time and live your faith more intentionally all week long… In Catholic tradition, each day of the week has some particular devotional subject. These entered popular piety over time with the rise of votive Masses in the early Church. Votive Masses, offered for a special intention rather than a fixed feast, eventually led to texts being assigned to different days of the week in order to commemorate certain mysteries and persons.

By Fr. David Howell, Catholic Herald – The angel freed Peter from Herod’s prison by miraculously unlocking several doors, as if the keys of the kingdom which Jesus had given him were at work in a concrete way… These metaphorical keys allude to Isaiah 22:22, where the king invests his prime minister with his own authority through the symbol of a key. Jesus himself, in Revelation, states that the key is his (3:7), but it is lent to Peter and his successors until the last day, when Jesus will receive it back—as depicted in Michelangelo’s Last Judgement. The papacy is the gift of Christ’s own authority, given to us to open heaven.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling limiting the power of federal district judges to issue nationwide injunctions, a decision hailed as a significant curb on judicial overreach… The case stemmed from challenges to President Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship, though the Court did not rule on the constitutionality of that policy. Instead, it addressed the broader issue of nationwide injunctions, which allow a single judge to block federal policies across the entire country.

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that states can determine how their Medicaid dollars are spent, even if they decide not to spend them on abortion providers like Planned Parenthood… Say what you will — and there’s plenty to be said — about the constitutional wobbliness of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, but this much must also be said: They’re real Catholics, not fake ones like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi.

By Ken Craycraft, Catholic Herald – Lincoln’s presidency and Churchill’s first stint as prime minister were entirely occupied with war. The Civil War began a few weeks after Lincoln took office, but the threat of secession and war had been made by some southern states as early as the presidential campaign. Lincoln’s assassination came only six days after the rebel states formally surrendered, but before all hostilities had ceased… The Second World War was well under way when Churchill became prime minister; Germany invaded Belgium the day he took office, and France would fall a few weeks later. Lincoln died at the end of his war; Churchill was removed from office a few weeks after the end of his.

By Delano Squires, The Daily Signal – Conservatives in politics and culture are wise to make fatherlessness a focal point of their family policy priorities… Children who grow up with both parents are more likely to attend college and less likely to go to prison. Conversely, father absence is linked to poverty, teen pregnancy, youth crime, worse academic outcomes, and substance abuse… But there is something else that a society loses when millions of children grow up without a present father; namely, the power of the family name.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 8:5-17 – 5 As he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,’ and he goes, and to another, `Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this,’ and he does it.” …

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker, CERC – St John Henry Newman was a great influence in Tolkien’’s life, and Newman’s motto, Cor ad cor loquitur (Heart speaks to heart) is an apt description of Ordway’s book. The heart of Tolkien’s life and work is his Catholic faith, and that heart spoke to Ordway’s heart, and she speaks from her heart to the heart of the reader—always balancing the scholar’s objectivity with the aficionado’s passion and the biographer’s observation and critique with the devotion of a fellow Catholic and Christian apologist. …

By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has never been one to shy away from engaging in left-wing political activism while on the bench. And now, it appears some of her Supreme Court colleagues are growing tired of it…. In its Friday ruling nuking lower courts’ nationwide injunctions against President Trump’s birthright citizenship order, the high court’s majority took a verbal flamethrower to Jackson’s dissenting opinion. As if she were echoing the writing style of legacy media hacktivists, the wannabe Broadway star — who “struggl[es] to understand” a lot of issues that come before the Court — dramatically declared that the majority’s “decision to permit the Executive to violate the Constitution with respect to anyone who has not yet sued is an existential threat to the rule of law.”

By James H. McGee, The American Spectator – Not when partisan politics intrudes. … The annals of political imagery are replete with disasters, moments when the most carefully crafted public persona dissolves in a moment of ludicrous self-parody. Some of these have become clichés. Pick a Democrat candidate for national office, and the shotgun and camo photo-op becomes unavoidable, Tim Walz’s the latest in a very long and ever-ridiculous line. Sometimes, they come close to single-handedly derailing a presidential campaign.

By Jim Daly, The Stream – The Southern Poverty Law Center recently updated its “Hate Map” to include Focus on the Family on its list of hundreds of “hate” organizations alongside racist and white supremacist groups… In particular, the SPLC cites Focus’s online publication, the Daily Citizen, as one of its primary offenders. According to the organization, we “demonize LGBTQ+ people, claiming they are unnatural and un-Christian.” We also “promote anti-trans pseudoscience, such as conversion therapy.”

Franciscan Media – The Church is fortunate that Irenaeus was involved in many of its controversies in the second century. He was a student, well trained no doubt, with great patience in investigating, tremendously protective of apostolic teaching, but prompted more by a desire to win over his opponents than to prove them in error.

By Larry Chapp, Catholic World Report – We are to love others as Christ first loved us, and Christ loves us via the pathway of descent into the wealth of poverty… June is the month the Church sets aside for the celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This has always been one of my favorite devotions and I love all the traditional trappings that adorn it. The iconographic images, the novenas, and the emphasis upon the bottomless love and mercy of Christ have always moved me… Lately, however, I have been drawn to the emphasis this devotion places on the humanity of Jesus ….

By Chip Rotolo, Pew Research Center – Renewed debates are happening across the United States about the place of religion – especially Christianity – in public schools. An evenly divided Supreme Court recently upheld a ban on what would have been the nation’s first religious public charter school, in Oklahoma. Texas lawmakers are considering requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, while a federal appeals court struck down a similar law in Louisiana earlier this month. And legal battles persist over prayer at school sporting events and making time for prayer during the school day. …

By Matteo Salonia, Catholic Exchange – Since the moment Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope, the faithful and the media have tried to learn more about his life, his spirituality, and his views on the main challenges facing the Church. Because Prevost was not among the most well-known cardinals, many have tried to infer much from his small gestures and initial words and choices, including his choice of name: Leo… The last Bishop of Rome to choose the name was Vincenzo Gioacchino Pecci (Leo XIII), whose long pontificate (1878–1903) is remembered for his strong response to modern ideologies.

By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – Just because the judiciary chooses to violate the Constitution does not mean the other branches are required to follow suit… Since returning to office, President Trump has faced what can only be described as a judicial coup. Through the use of overreaching nationwide injunctions, predominantly Democrat-appointed judges have gleefully granted requests from left-wing activists to block enforcement of the agenda 77 million Americans voted for last year.

By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency – Leo will impose the pallia at a Mass for the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29… The U.S. archbishops who will be in Rome to receive the pallium on June 29 are Richard Henning of Boston, Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee, Joe Steve Vásquez of Galveston-Houston, Edward Weisenburger of Detroit, Robert Casey of Cincinnati, Michael McGovern of Omaha, W. Shawn McKnight of Kansas City in Kansas, and Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington.

By Joseph R. Wood, The Catholic Thing – Today’s Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus presents a quandary. As I lamented to our editor, it’s too big not to write about, and it’s too big to write about… My impression from a fair number of visits to churches in many places is that, aside from the Cross and images of Holy Mary and St. Joseph, the Sacred Heart is the most widespread image and devotion in the Catholic Church today. (St. Thérèse of Lisieux runs a close second, but my survey isn’t rigorous, and who’s counting?) …

By Liberty Counsel, (LifeNews) – In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic that South Carolina may exclude Planned Parenthood’s abortion facilities from its Medicaid program… The decision, authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, decided that the federal Medicaid Act does not confer a right to choose any qualified medical provider and that South Carolina has the authority as a state to remove Planned Parenthood from its status as a qualified provider.

By Mary Frances Devlin, The American Spectator – If anything has dominated Gen Z’s political experience more than the ascendance of President Donald Trump, it’s been the prominence of LGBTQ issues in every aspect of culture over the past decade… In the first instance, public opinion came first. President Trump’s victory in 2016 was a popular referendum on Obama-era progressivism that promised hope and change but delivered government overreach and overregulation. That Trump won the Republican nomination in the first place was a repudiation of the party’s neoconservative leanings. And nearly a decade after his entrance onto the political scene, American voters once again sent Trump back to the White House with an electoral mandate.

By Kennedy Hall, Crisis Magazine – To briefly summarize, Dispensationalists, or “Dispies,” hold to various Fundamentalist views and adhere to strict biblical literalism, at least in some cases. And part of that view entails seeing the modern State of Israel as the Israel in the Bible. In essence, the modern State of Israel is the Israel that Cruz spoke of when he mentioned what is said in Genesis 12, and it amounts to something like a dual-covenant theology; there is one way to be saved for Jews and another for Gentiles. Consistent with this, we find in the Dispensationalist movement a desire to help ultra-Orthodox Jews rebuild the Temple so they can recommence the Old Testament sacrifices….

By John Zmirak, The Stream – The next Obama is here: His name is Zohran Mamdani, the likely next mayor of New York City. He’s a handsome, charismatic, gifted politician — Barack Obama with a beard, Bill Clinton with a tan… Mamdani appeals to the young, disgruntled, and poorly educated. He gets them excited and fills them with vague, spurious hope. He also helps white elites and self-hating Jews feel virtuous and noble. So he’s going places. …

By Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky, The Catholic Thing – In the Gospel, early in the ministry of Jesus, He’s surrounded by crowds, including a coterie of protective disciples, outside of Jericho. The blind man Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus and, after a few rebuffs from the self-appointed gatekeepers, Jesus responds to the blind man’s request to “see” and heals him. At first glance, the account points to the need to be healed of an inner blindness, the blindness of faithlessness.  And that’s not a bad off-the-shelf homily message.

By Brittany M. Hughes, MRC TV – In a report that should shock absolutely no one who’s been paying even a modicum of attention over the past four years, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. exposed the gruesome reality of the former Biden administration’s “compassionate” open-border policies… Testifying before Congress this week, RFK detailed taking office in January and learning “horror stories” of how migrant children were being shipped off to random, unvetted adults during Joe Biden’s four years in office, many of them landing in unsafe and abuse homes ….

By Jason Jones, Crisis Magazine – Thank God President Donald Trump talked some sense into Israel Tuesday morning after it went rogue and signaled it planned to ignore Monday’s ceasefire deal. But when he smacked down Israel’s obvious intention to escalate, escalate, escalate—and potentially draw the United States into what Trump has warned could become a world war—the president also smacked down the backers of Israel’s plans here in this country. And they took it personally.

By Michael Haynes, Snr. Vatican Correspondent,  LifeSite News – Pope Leo XIV today appointed members to the Vatican office overseeing religious orders and the Latin Mass communities, including some cardinals who have opposed the traditional Mass and supported blessings for same-sex couples… As outlined in the Holy See Press Office bulletin on June 24, Leo XIV appointed 19 new members to the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (DICLSAL). ….

By St. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Catholic Thing –
Beside the tomb wept Magdalen at dawn, –
She sought to find the dead and buried Christ;
Nothing could fill the void now He was gone,
No one to soothe her burning grief sufficed.

By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press – Pope Leo XIV affirmed Wednesday that priests must be celibate and insisted that bishops take “firm and decisive” action to deal with sex abusers, as he gave marching orders Wednesday to the world’s Catholic hierarchs… Leo met in St. Peter’s Basilica with about 400 bishops and cardinals from 38 countries attending this week’s special Holy Year celebrations for clergy. A day after he gave an uplifting message of encouragement to young seminarians, Leo offered a more comprehensive outline of what bishops must do to lead their flocks. ….

By Stephen P. White, The Catholic Thing – The Pew Research Center (I served in an advisory capacity ) has a new report out that looks at Catholic life in the United States. The primary takeaway from the report is that nearly half (47%) of American adults have a significant connection to Catholicism. One in five (20%) Americans identify as Catholic. An additional 9% of Americans say they are culturally but not religiously Catholic. An equal number (9%) say they are former Catholics. And 9% have a Catholic parent, spouse, or partner – or say they sometimes attend Catholic Mass.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 7:21-2921 – “Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ 24 “Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; …

By Gia Chacón, National Catholic Register – The world doesn’t need another leader to echo its fears. It needs a shepherd who reminds us that hope is not dead… When Pope Leo XIV stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and offered the world his first words, “Peace be with you,” there was something unmistakable about his presence. It wasn’t just the solemnity of the moment or the weight of the role he had just accepted. It was pure happiness. …

By Dr. Edward Feser, Catholic World Report – It is generally acknowledged that preemptive war can sometimes be morally justifiable. But preventive war is much more problematic and controversial… Last week I argued that the U.S. should stay out of Israel’s war with Iran. America has now entered the war by bombing three facilities associated with Iran’s nuclear program. Is this action morally justifiable in light of traditional just war doctrine?… War aims? ….

By Jules Gomes, The Stream – Bishop Joseph Strickland Protests Mackinlay’s Promotion… In an open letter on X, Joseph Strickland, the former bishop of Tyler, Texas, and a fierce critic of Pope Francis’s progressive reforms, blasted Leo for elevating Mackinlay to his new post… “Appointing a bishop who holds such views to shepherd a major archdiocese is a source of scandal and division. The faithful deserve clarity, not ambiguity; fidelity, not experimentation,” protested Strickland, who was fired by Francis in November 2023. …

By Dr. Donald DeMarco, Catholic Exchange – God is love, and He pours out His love on all His creatures.  But among all His earthly creatures, man is the best receptacle for His love.  A city has a water supply.  Whenever a person drinks from the tap, he is drinking from that source.  Similarly, whenever a person loves another, his love is drawn from the supply of Love that is consubstantial with God.  To love another, therefore, is, at the same time, to love God, however faintly.  In addition, by tapping into God’s love, we experience an overflow of love for all whom God loves.

By Francis P. Sempa, The American Spectator – The quest for permanent global peace is an illusion… In 1795, Immanuel Kant wrote a book titled Perpetual Peace just prior to the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars. More than a century later, Norman Angell wrote The Great Illusion, which argued that great power wars were becoming obsolete, just prior to the outbreak of World War I. H. G. Wells and Woodrow Wilson described World War I as “the war to end all wars,” when in fact it was the prelude to what Raymond Aron accurately called The Century of Total War. ….

By Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal – A far-left socialist who has supported defunding the police and replacing them with social workers, abolishing prisons, abolishing private health insurance, banning guns, decriminalizing pretty much every drug, and creating government-run grocery stores won the Democratic Party mayoral primary in New York City on Tuesday.
The race is about more than New York. It’s a harbinger of what’s to come for Democratic Party politics.

By Father Nnamdi Moneme – “I don’t get anything from the Eucharist.”… I have heard this statement many times from fallen-away Catholics or Catholics who feel that their frequent reception of the Eucharist has not led to any visible change in their lives. It leaves me wondering how we can receive the precious body, blood, and soul of Jesus in His divinity and still think, feel, or claim that we do not receive anything from the Eucharist.

By Emily Davis, LifeNews – She ordered the drugs online — no doctor, no screening, no questions asked. A few days later, a nondescript package arrived at her door. Inside it was a handful of abortion drugs encased by a small packet and a handwritten note that simply read, “We wish you the best.” No one to follow up with. No assurance anyone even knew her name… Thankfully, in this situation, the woman receiving these high-risk drugs was an investigative reporter with the Daily Caller. But how many women and girls around this country are receiving the unmarked, dangerous delivery via the mail?

By Carol Tobias, LifeNews – Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and restoring the right of the American people to enact laws protecting unborn children. For the pro-life movement, Dobbs was not the conclusion of a decades-long battle on behalf of life—it was the beginning of a new era marked by compassion and renewed engagement at every level of society.

By Michael Swartz, Patriot Post – It should be a telltale sign when Democrats fight and defend illegal alien criminals, yet couldn’t care less about their constituents who are citizens of this country… The headline is provocative, but how else can you explain Democrats’ recent actions? While MAGA backers would love to see every criminal illegal alien deported by Donald Trump’s administration, Democrats want to bog down the system with the “due process” on the way out that was mostly skipped on the way in.

By Matthew McDonald, The National Catholic Register – Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun knew exactly what he was doing when he posted online a photo of himself leading a Eucharistic procession after saying a traditional Latin Mass in Hong Kong, and he is sending multiple messages with it, a friend of his told the Register… Among the intended recipients are Catholics in the Diocese of Hong Kong and Pope Leo XIV, who has yet to signal his intentions with respect to the Latin Mass, said Mark Simon, who has known Cardinal Zen since 1996… “He’s talking to his own people, letting them know he’s still there. And he is, of course, in favor of the Latin Mass,” Simon said by telephone.

By Father David Nix, Blog, Padre Peregrino Hermitage – The last 13 years of demoralization from Rome has made desperate Western Catholics ready to follow anyone, even another non-Catholic. They are willing to “disbelieve their lying eyes” on the evidence pointing to yet another Marxist. Why? Consider again the words of KGB-defector Yuri Bezmenov on a dejected people: “A person who is demoralized is unable to assess true information. The facts tell nothing to him.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 7:15-20 – 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. 18 A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.

By John Mac Ghlionn, Catholic Herald – Pope Leo XIV recently issued a stark warning that deserves far more attention than it received. Speaking at a conference on AI and ethics, the pontiff warned that artificial intelligence could disrupt the cognitive, emotional and moral growth of young people. Then, without elaboration, he moved on, leaving the audience to quietly wrestle with the weight of what had just been said… This restraint is quintessentially papal – diplomatically measured, carefully worded and devastatingly understated. When the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics expresses concern about something affecting children, the reality is invariably worse than his measured language suggests.

By Fr. Kevin Drew, Catholic Exchange – The odds-on favorite to win the 2016 election for United States President said that to a crowd of abortion supporters in the run up to the election.  Many people no doubt thought nothing of it. But coming from a secular leader running for the nation’s highest office, it begged a follow up question:  How would that be accomplished?… How do secular leaders go about changing people’s religious beliefs? History shows they don’t do so by converting hearts and bringing people to the truth. ..

By Madalaine Elhabbal, Catholic News Agency – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan, as “the only bishops from a country to have suffered atomic bombings in war,” is urging the international community to abolish nuclear weapons once and for all in 2025… “As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,” the bishops wrote in a June 20 statement, “[we] carry deeply engraved in our hearts the heavy history and pain that atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have suffered, and hereby declare our strong commitment to the abolition of nuclear weapons.”

By Leila Miller, Crisis Magazine – Catholic parents, do your daughters know that it’s okay—even good and holy—to desire a life as wife and mother, even above (and even forgoing) all other earthly considerations? Have you told them explicitly that they are free to pursue Holy Matrimony (a woman’s natural vowed state of life) as a goal in itself, bypassing the culture’s worldly expectations for young women today? If you have, praise God! This article is not for you… For the rest, consider these personal stories ….

By Elise DeGeeter, Catholic Vote – Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians waiting for food aid from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in central Gaza early June 24, killing at least 25 and wounding over 140, according to Palestinian witnesses and hospitals… AP (reports) that Israeli tanks and drones opened fire as civilians advanced toward trucks delivering food to a distribution site run by an American contractor and backed by Israel…

By John Cuddeback, LifeCraft – Although the lack of manners today is generally noted with disapproval, we often do not think of manners as a central feature of how we raise our children. But manners are arguably the major instance of a concrete, tangible thing we are failing to pass on, to the great detriment of all of us… As a parent I understand why this happens. We focus on the larger things that obviously pertain to a right world-view and good moral standards. Manners—at least beyond the most rudimentary such as ‘please’ and ‘thank you’… —slip under the radar.

By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has reportedly voiced support for taxpayer subsidization of so-called “trans” surgeries (including for minors) and health care for illegal aliens, government-owned grocery stores, “free” bus fare and child care, hiking the corporate tax rate, and limiting the NYPD’s “duties relating to mental-health crisis intervention, homelessness outreach and traffic ticketing,” according to the Post. He’s also espoused pro-Hamas sentiments and was previously arrested for participating in a “pro-Palestinian” demonstration outside of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s New York residence in 2023.

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – ‘This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!’ Trump declared… “During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday night. “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR.’

By Bénédicte Cedergren, National Catholic Register – Archbishop Eamon Martin renewed Ireland’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Sunday “to secure refuge from all dangers, visible and invisible” — 152 years after the Emerald Isle’s first consecration… The primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh presided over the solemn Mass at the Eucharistic and Marian pilgrimage site of Knock — in the northwest of the country, where a Marian apparition took place in August 1879 — on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. …

By Newsmax – Attorney General Pam Bondi said this week that her Department of Justice (DOJ) is on “high alert” on the heels of American airstrikes this weekend targeting Iranian nuclear development sites… “Over 1,000 have entered our country, and I can tell you we are on high alert, and everyone is looking at that very closely,” Bondi said.

Franciscan Media – Today’s patroness of Prussia began her life amidst luxury and power but died the death of a simple servant of the poor… In truth, virtue and piety were always of prime importance to Jutta and her husband, both of noble rank. The two were set to make a pilgrimage together to the holy places in Jerusalem, but her husband died on the way. …

By Dave Andrusko, LifeNews – (Today, June 24th) is the third anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a decision that genuinely deserves the designation of “landmark.” Worth recalling is that before a draft of the decision was leaked to Politico and published on May 2, it was not widely assumed that the justices would use Mississippi’s 15 week protective law to overturn the horrific Roe v. Wade decision. In a 5-1-3 decision, the Supreme Court did just that.

By Matt Gaspers, X Account, June 23, 2025 – Christian Zionism: Where Is It Leading Us? w/ Fr. James Mawdsley

By Jules Gomes, The Stream – The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Charities (CCU) — the domestic charity wing of the U.S. Catholic Church — are among 200 NGOs facing a federal investigation over the misuse of taxpayer funding to facilitate illegal immigration… The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability announced the probe in a June 11 statement, accusing the USCCB and CCU of colluding with the Biden administration in “helping to fuel the worst border crisis in our nation’s history.”

By Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal – President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday… “Congratulations to everyone,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a complete and total ceasefire (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the war will be considered ended!”

By Frank DeVito, Crisis Magazine – In April 2025, Tucker Carlson invited Matt Walsh onto his podcast. The conversation covered everything from same-sex adoption and surrogacy to foreign policy isolationism. It is well worth listening to. But beyond the substance of the conversation, there was simply something powerful about a discussion between two men with such influence on the American Right—each man has an audience of several million subscribers on YouTube alone. In the age of digital media, each man far surpasses the reach of any legacy-news media personality.

By Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing – I’ve never really understood this idea that you can follow the “spirit” but not the “letter” of a Biblical commandment or Church teaching… Yes, St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:6 that “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  But he says this in the context of a comparison between the written law of the Old Covenant, “carved in letters on stone,” and the work of the Holy Spirit, “written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.”  It’s not the spirit rather than the letter of the law that gives life; it’s the Holy Spirit that gives life – by spreading charity abroad in our hearts.

By Nicole Silverio, Media Reporter, Daily Caller – Dr. Yasir Qadhi, a radical Imam, told his fellow Muslims to side with Iran over the U.S. and Israel during a lengthy sermon on Saturday at the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) in Texas… Qadhi accused Israel of being a “blood thirsty, colonialist settler enterprise” that has committed “genocide” and called on his fellow Muslims to stand up against the “kaffir,” a slur used to describe “non-believers” of Islam. He shamed anyone who “sides” with Israel, which would include the U.S. government, which bombed three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 7:6,12-14 – 6 “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. …

By Rachel Quackenbush , Catholic Vote – On June 27, Catholics around the world will take part in the Annual Global Rosary Relay for the sanctification of priests, an international prayer event held on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus… Organized by the Worldpriest Global Apostolate, the event involves a continuous relay of Rosary prayers spanning 24 hours, beginning in Magadan, Russia, and ending at Thomas Aquinas College campuses in Massachusetts and California, according to a recent press release from Worldpriest. …

By Msgr. Charles Pope – I have written before on humility in prayer as St. Augustine sets it forth. In today’s post I look to the same topic, but this time as St. Teresa of Avila presents it in her treatise The Way of Perfection… In setting forth her teaching, I have substantially reworked the order of her reflections. St. Teresa was able to see the “whole rose” of the topic, jumping from petal to petal without effort. I, being of a vastly inferior intellect and of far less purity of soul, must look to the individual petals in a certain order to understand. If you wish to read the passage in its original order, it is available here: St Teresa on Humility in Prayer.

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – A shooting at a Michigan church on Sunday makes the somber and compelling case for why every single house of worship in America should take steps to protect itself against the inevitable threats of violence against Christians… Brian Anthony Browning, later identified as the son of a CrossPointe Community Church parishoner, allegedly armed himself with a tactical vest and two guns before driving his vehicle into the Wayne, Michigan, house of worship and opening fire on the building’s exterior.

Franciscan Media – Jesus called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John….” But John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: “[Y]et the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Before war fever , could we please stop and ask a few elementary questions? What are we doing in Iran? Why? Is an American offensive morally justifiable?… Rather than pretend to know the details of the military situation—about which the available information is cloudy, contradictory, and very clearly coming from partisan sources—I propose to explore these questions in the light of just-war theory… Just-war theory is remarkably sophisticated and nuanced. Serious thinkers have reflected on these issues for centuries, and produced a detailed moral analysis based on natural law.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – On the Feast of Corpus Christi, we do well to mediate on the desire of the Lord to feed His people and the shocking indifference many have to this fact. This indifference is not just on the part of those who do not come to Mass; it is also found among those in the pews, many of whom don’t seem to care that so many people no longer attend. We should recognize the passionate concern the Lord has to feed all His people—yes even your wayward spouse or child.

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – If demographic trends continue, it won’t be long before Islam surpasses Christianity as the world’s leading religion in terms of the number of adherents… A recently released report from the Pew Research Center found that, from 2010 to 2020, Islam was the fastest-growing religion in the world, increasing by 347 million adherents over the decade… While the report noted that Christianity remains the largest religion in the world, its share has decreased by 1.8% to a total of 2.3 billion people, or roughly 29% of the world’s population.

By Franklin Briceno, AP – “It is urgent to root in the whole church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse – neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse,” Leo said in the message. “This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt. For this, we need journalists.”

Fr. Paul D. Scalia, The Catholic Thing – “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” The Apostles have a point. The crowds had followed Jesus out into the country, away from the towns and villages. Ironically, it was Jesus Himself who had decided to go with His Apostles to a deserted place to escape the crowds and the busyness of the towns. (Cf. Mark 6:31) But the crowds followed and now found themselves in need of food.

By Hayden Cunningham, Human Events – A suicide bomber opened fire and detonated a suicide vest inside a Greek Orthodox church near Damascus on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 52 others… The attack occurred in the town of Dweila, just outside the capital, inside the Mar Elias Church, according to Syrian state media. Local reports indicated that children were among the dead and wounded.

By Garrett D. Johnson, Crisis Magazine – Many years ago, I decided to attend daily Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Each morning on my way to Mass, I would drive past a house that flew the flag representing pride in all the different sexual identities that fell under the LGBTQ (this was pre-IA+ times) banner. I didn’t take much notice of it at the time, as these flags were all over the city. But, one day, I noticed the flag was becoming tattered, and I surprisingly felt a sense of joy.

By James Mortensen, MRC TV – In an attempt to thwart scrutiny by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Chicago, City Clerk Anna Valencia (IL-D) removed the illegal alien “sanctuary” city’s online application portal for its CityKey ID program after receiving a subpoena from the agency… ICE had subpoenaed records of the now-suspended program, which provides identification cards to all residents within the city –  including illegal aliens. As noted by the Chicago Tribune, when the CityKey program was first introduced in 2017, it was intended to skirt public records laws by only processing applications in person. …

By Victoria Cardiel, CNA –  Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on the faithful to “share the bread”— a sign of the gift of divine salvation — to “multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s Kingdom” as he presided for the first time as pope over Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi… On the feast when the Catholic Church especially celebrates the mystery of the Eucharist —namely, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the consecrated bread and wine — the pontiff declared: “Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because his Body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you!” …

Franciscan Media – Saint John Fisher’s Story – John Fisher is usually associated with Erasmus, Thomas More, and other Renaissance humanists. His life therefore, did not have the external simplicity found in the lives of some saints. Rather, he was a man of learning, associated with the intellectuals and political leaders of his day. He was interested in the contemporary culture and eventually became chancellor at Cambridge. He had been made a bishop at 35, and one of his interests was raising the standard of preaching in England. …

By Victoria Cardiel for CNA, (Catholic World Report ) – Reacting to what he called the “alarming news” of U.S. airstrikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, Pope Leo XIV on Sunday pleaded with the international community “to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”… “Today more than ever, humanity cries out and pleads for peace,” the pope said, in remarks following his Angelus reflection June 22, adding that the cry “must not be drowned out by the roar of weapons or by rhetoric that incites conflict.”

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 7:1-5 – 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? …

By Samantha Furnace, LifeNews – Texas lawmakers increased funding this year for pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes to help families choose Life. The state budget includes $200 million for Pro-Life nonprofits, and officials also passed new legislation that will limit the ways bureaucrats sabotage the program. Although this is a big win, Pro-Life leaders still have a lot of work to do to crack down on mail-order abortion pills.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – Israel was perfectly capable of eliminating Iran’s nuclear program, and justified in doing so. It didn’t need U.S. help, and we didn’t need to invite the blowback that will come our way. What price will we pay in domestic terrorism? It’s impossible to say. Remember how fragile our freedoms proved during the COVID panic. What would happen if we got hit with a wave of terror attacks — to be handled by an FBI still worm-eaten with Obama loyalists whose specialty is prosecuting grandmas who took selfies on January 6, 2021?… Wise, well-meaning people are worried.

The Editors, National Catholic Register – In liturgical terms, Catholics bade a cheerful goodbye to the Easter season following the celebration of Pentecost Sunday on June 8 and entered into liturgical Ordinary Time… But in secular terms, there’s nothing ordinary about the events that have since taken place. Instead, over the course of one of the most depressing single weeks in recent memory, the world has experienced an extraordinary eruption of turmoil and violence both nationally and internationally… In the U.S., California remains dangerously mired in the protests and riots that began on June 6, targeted against the arrests of illegal immigrants by federal law enforcement officials.

By Elle Purnell, The Federalist – We shouldn’t treat the Abrahamic covenant lightly, but neither should we cherry-pick it to haphazardly apply to a modern geopolitical map… In the interview, which aired Wednesday, Cruz invoked the biblical statement that “those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed.”… Cruz, who said he doesn’t want to put American boots on the ground in Iran but would support doing so “if the risk got severe enough,” concluded that the passage means “biblically we are commanded to support Israel.”

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 6:24-34 – 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

By Michael Reagan, Patriot Post – You don’t hear Trump denying anything, right? He just keeps everyone guessing — especially the Iranians… Is his dogged public uncertainty one of his “art of the deal” tactics to get Iran to come to the negotiating table? Probably… In 1980 not saying anything and allowing the liberal media and the left to sell the Iranian mullahs the idea that their country might soon become a parking lot worked very well for my father.

By Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald – British Catholics must hold firmly to the teaching of the Church that human life is sacred and inviolable, Cardinal Vincent Nichols has said in the wake of MPs narrowly backing an assisted suicide Bill… Cardinal Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster and the president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said Catholics must also do whatever they could to persuade peers to reject the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill as it begins its way through the House of Lords. …

By McKenna Snow, Catholic Vote – Father Mike Schmitz, who is the host of the “Bible in a Year” podcast  and the director of youth and young adult ministry in the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, also recently weighed in on this trend and why men are the ones who are leading it… he has observed a strong desire for brotherhood… young men are more prepared to develop these friendships… Another factor could be that “there is a more robust Christianity that is being proclaimed and offered,” he said.

By Neil Munro, Breitbart – Democrats from N.Y. to California have launched a media-magnified PR campaign to argue millions of illegal migrants hired by employers should be exempt from the nation’s deportation laws… immigration czar Stephen Miller is using Twitter to expose the Democrats’ claim that migrants somehow become legal when they accept wages far below the levels needed by ordinary Americans… Miller (said) ‘The LA Mayor says her economy is dependent on vast criminal lawbreaking and the federal government should ensure vast criminal lawbreaking continues forever.” …

By David G Bonagura, Jr., The Catholic Thing – It is old news that the practice of Christianity and the study of the humanities have been declining for decades. Their falls, however, are rarely considered together. One has not caused the collapse of the other. The two are suffering because the spirit of our age despises the goal they share – the shaping of the human mind and soul for transcendent goods. Tracing their twin plights illuminates their virtues and the crippling worldliness that undermines them as lights on our journey to God.

By Father David Nix, Blog,  Padre Peregrino Hermitag – Raymond Ibraham (a Coptic Orthodox Christian American born in Egypt)… observed: “Modern day Western Christianity is not appealing.  It has become such an abstract idea, stripped of ritual and stripped of history… We need a more robust historic form of Christianity.  That is what appealed to people.  That is what men fought and died for… They’re not going to do it for what’s now being paraded as Christianity, which is just a mask for craven behavior.”

By Hans von Spakovsky, The Daily Signal – A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals of the 9th Circuit released a unanimous opinion upholding President Donald Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard, and the media is portraying this as a win for the president over California Gov. Gavin Newsom… It was, but it’s also a win for the public safety of the residents of Los Angeles, for local and federal law enforcement, and for a civilized society—a win against lawlessness, mob violence, and the reckless politics of a governor intent on ignoring the mayhem caused by violent agitators and his own weak actions.

By Elise DeGeeter, Catholic Vote – Since 2021, a remarkable shift has begun to reshape education policy nationwide: growth in the number of states that embrace school choice measures. Last week, New Hampshire became the latest state – and the first in the Northeast – to fully adopt a universal program… On June 10, Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed Senate Bill 295, removing income restrictions from the state’s Education Freedom Account program. Families can apply public education funds toward private school tuition, homeschooling, tutoring, and other schooling options.

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Catholic Register – Beginning on June 22, the feast of Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More, the week includes the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24) and concludes with the solemn feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29). All were martyrs at the hands of state power. They are martyrs of religious freedom, and patrons of those persecuted for their religious faith, even if today’s concept of religious liberty was not developed in the ancient or medieval world.

By Franciscan Media – The Lord can make saints anywhere, even amid the brutality and license of Renaissance life. Florence was the “mother of piety” for Aloysius Gonzaga despite his exposure to a “society of fraud, dagger, poison, and lust.” As a son of a princely family, he grew up in royal courts and army camps. His father wanted Aloysius to be a military hero.

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Looking at the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce US immigration laws, and the sometimes violent reactions, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, speaking as president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) perceives “a profound social crisis before which no person of good will can remain silent.”… Well, we can all agree that the immigration problem has attained the proportions of a crisis. But why is the USCCB speaking out now? The problem has been evident for many years. Our bishops did not see it as a “profound social crisis” when hundreds of thousands of unvetted immigrants were pouring unchecked across our southern border, and hundreds of unaccompanied children were disappearing. …

By Emmy Griffin, Patriot Post – Yet another study proves that screen time has adverse effects on children, including anxiety, emotional irregulation, low self-esteem, aggression, conduct problems, and attention struggles… The American Psychological Association (APA) recently published a meta study that distilled the data from 117 studies involving the screen time usage of 292,000 kids ages 10 and younger. Predictably, the findings were not good.

Franciscan Media, June 20 – Anyone who is praised in the letters of six or seven saints undoubtedly must be of extraordinary character. Such a person was Paulinus of Nola, correspondent and friend of Saints Augustine, Jerome, Melania, Martin, Gregory and Ambrose… Born near Bordeaux, he was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul, who had extensive property in both Gaul and Italy. Paulinus became a distinguished lawyer, holding several public offices in the Roman Empire. …

By Rachel Quackenbush, LifeNews – Dozens of abortion clinics are shutting down — not just in states with bans, but in places where abortion remains fully legal, AP News reported June 17… Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022, at least 105 clinics have closed nationwide, according to the report. Strikingly, 65 of those closures happened in states without new abortion limits… While pro-abortion activists scramble to adapt, pro-life leaders see the trend as confirmation that the abortion industry is increasingly unsustainable. From waning donations to rising logistical costs, clinics are facing mounting challenges. ..

Written by Pope Leo XIII, (S. Cyprianus, Ep. lxix., ad Magnum, n. I). from Satis cognitum (1896), Post on The Catholic Thing – Truly the voice of the Apostles, when the Holy Ghost had come down upon them, resounded throughout the world. Wherever they went they proclaimed themselves the ambassadors of Christ Himself. “By whom (Jesus Christ) we have received grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith in all nations for His name”

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal – Congressional Republicans are fighting to repeal the law used under the Biden administration to prosecute pro-lifers for praying outside abortion clinics… In the meantime, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon plans to use the law to prosecute attacks against pregnancy resource centers… “While the statute is in place, it provides protection for both people who are going to abortion clinics as well as crisis pregnancy centers,” Dhillon told The Daily Signal. “And we intend to prosecute numerous attacks that have happened on those over the years with people coming forward with the right evidence that we need.” 

By Brianna Lyman, The Federalist – Given the chance, Democrats will choose voter registration over deportation… On Wednesday, Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., suggested granting citizenship to every illegal alien in the country. According to Frost, if Republicans don’t want illegal aliens in America, the fix is simple — just make them legal. But his comments are revealing and expose the endgame of the modern Democrat Party: use the border crisis that they created to cement their permanent political power.

By Gayle Somers, Catholic Exchange – On this Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we might expect our Gospel to be an account of the Last Supper, in which Jesus first pronounced the words of His institution of the Eucharist.  However, St. Luke points us in a slightly different direction.  We see Jesus ministering to the large crowds who followed Him, speaking “about the kingdom of God” and healing “those who needed to be cured.”  This action is the very essence of what Jesus came to do when He took on flesh and blood.  He came to tell us that true human life can only be found in God’s kingdom, not the various kingdoms of history or human culture.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 6:19-23 – 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. …

By Daniel J. Mahoney, The American Mind – The tumultuous and exhausting 12-year pontificate of the Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio, better known to the world as Pope Francis, came to an end in April. Francis was a paradoxical pope if there ever was one. He openly promoted disruption in the Catholic Church, which he did not hesitate to call causing “a mess,” as if unclarity about doctrine and the Church’s moral teaching could somehow serve constructive purposes. He spoke endlessly of mercy and the Church as an immense, nonjudgmental “field hospital” for the lost and broken. But Pope Francis rarely called for the repentance that is the crucial prerequisite for the healing of the soul.

By David Hammer,  CBS News, (Complicit Clergy) – The Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans is planning to default on a nearly $1 million interest payment on more than $41 million in bonds it sold in 2017, leading lawyers for the people who purchased the church’s debt to allege in open court that the archdiocese had engaged in “the definition of securities fraud.”… An attorney for the archdiocese counters that the allegation is “an extreme stretch.”

The abortion pill reversal (APR) drug supplied by Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN) has saved the lives of more than 7,000 unborn children since 2007, according to estimates from Heartbeat International… Heartbeat International, a pro-life organization that operates APRN, announced the milestone in a June 12 article posted on “Pregnancy Help News,” a website the organization runs.

By Megan Garcia, Crisis Magazine – After Sewell’s death, I learned that my son had been involved in an intimate relationship with an AI chatbot named “Daenarys,” modeled on a TV character, on a popular platform called Character.AI… My son had become increasingly withdrawn over the months leading up to his death, and as his mother, I worried about him and sought mental health counseling for him to find out why his behavior had so drastically changed. It never quite added up… Only after I discovered his messages with the chatbot was I able to put the pieces together. In richly detailed chats lasting for months, the Character.AI bot manipulated Sewell ….

By Lyndsey Fifield, The Federalist – I wasn’t prepared for the level of rage that washed over my body as I watched this video of a roofing business owner in Florida blubbering over the detention of his illegally employed workforce… I also wasn’t ready for the flashbacks to my childhood it gave me, and my reaction was not kind… I’m still astonished by the attention this little tweet has gotten, but I understand why it has: Many, many Americans can relate.

By Patrick J. Passmore, CNA – Two prominent archbishops in England have said that if the End of Life Bill set for a final vote in Parliament on Friday passes, Catholic hospices and care homes may have no choice but to shut down… In a statement about the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill about to face its Third Reading on Friday in British Parliament, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, and Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, who oversees life issues, said: “We call attention to the fact that the future of many care homes and hospices will be put in grave doubt if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill becomes law.”

By Adam Johnston, The Federalist – If President Trump truly believes in ‘no more stupid wars,’ now is the time to prove it… Iran is not America’s war to fight. And Israel is not a country the United States is obligated to defend. Now is the time to heed the words of John Quincy Adams when he rightly stated that America “is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.”

By Nathanael Blake, The Federalist – The Glamor of the Sexual Revolution Is Fading… Pride seems subdued this year. The month-long celebration of all things gay, queer, trans, and the rest of the endless acronym is still happening, of course. But, the festivities seem muted, and corporations, perhaps chastened by the debacles of Budweiser and Target, seem less inclined to wallow in Pride for a month. The radical rainbow revolution has stalled, and even its prior victories, such as same-sex marriage, may be losing support.

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – The same country that has repeatedly weaponized its anti-free speech laws to prosecute Christians for praying silently near abortion facilities went to great lengths this week to permit abortion through all nine months of pregnancy… The House of Commons overwhelmingly voted on Tuesday to pass an amendment that would legalize abortion until birth across England and Wales. According to Right To Life UK, members of Parliament “hijacked” a Crime and Policing Bill “to rush through a seismic and unpopular change to abortion law after just two hours’ debate.”

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 6:7-157 “And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come.

By Fr. Kevin Drew, Catholic Exchange – The sacred author of Proverbs, writing around 300-400 years before Christ, revealed that from His very beginnings God the creator was not alone. No, someone was with Him when He established the heavens, “beside Him as His craftsman.” In the fullness of time, that craftsman revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ… Since the 6th century, this passage from Proverbs has been read on September 8th, which is the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because in some translations the text does not read “The Lord possessed me,” but rather, “The Lord created me.” And as we all know, Christ was not created.

By Caleb Kruse, The Stream – If there’s one thing that everyone, regardless of age, religion, or politics, can agree on, it’s that cell phones have overtaken our lives… That’s why Nebraska’s students, parents, and teachers alike recently welcomed Governor Jim Pillen’s signature banning cell phones in public schools. The bipartisan and nearly unanimously passed legislation aims to eliminate the distractions of cell phones in classrooms, which 72% of high school teachers nationwide say is a “major” problem. …

By Andrea M. Picciotti-Bayer, National Catholic Register – The Supreme Court Wednesday morning kept in place a Tennessee law banning medical “gender transitions” on minors… The 6-3 decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti protects vulnerable children from the snares of gender ideology and safeguards our Constitution from being manipulated by this sinister ideology… In 2023, Tennessee restricted medical “transition” treatments for minors, enacting SB1 — the Prohibition on Medical Procedures Performed on Minors Related to Sexual Identity. …

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Each time we read through the Bible, different passages claim our attention. There are probably a well-coordinated set of reasons for this, beginning with the shortness of the human attention span, and ending with the interior grace of the Holy Spirit as we read. I hope I am not entirely alone in my ability to say prayers or even read Scripture while thinking about something else. But if we keep at it, new insights do come to mind.

By Mat Staver, LifeNews – There are 200 bloody abortion clinics that you can help close today. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee could release its version of the federal budget bill at any moment. The language for Defunding Big Abortion must pass through this committee… This is the committee where the abortion defunding fight will live or die… If we don’t act right now — Planned Parenthood and other abortion profiteers will continue siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars every year from you to fund their campaigns to murder innocent children. ….

By Dan Sevigny, Crisis Magazine – When I first entered the grand ballroom of the Hilton in Rosemont, Illinois, in June 2023, I was filled with hope. The Coalition for Canceled Priests’ “A House United” conference promised to galvanize support for marginalized clergy who had been silenced for upholding traditional Catholic teachings. As someone dedicated to building authentic Catholic communities, I saw in this organization a potential ally in supporting priests who courageously stood for timeless truths.

By Franciscan Media, June 19 – In the midst of a wasted youth, Romuald watched his father kill a relative in a duel over property. In horror he fled to a monastery near Ravenna. After three years, some of the monks found him to be uncomfortably holy and eased him out… Romuald spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding monasteries and hermitages. He longed to give his life to Christ in martyrdom ….

By Pope St. John XXIII, – from Veterum sapientia (1962) – “It is a matter of regret that so many people, unaccountably dazzled by the marvelous progress of science, are taking it upon themselves to oust or restrict the study of Latin and other kindred subjects…. Yet, in spite of the urgent need for science, Our own view is that the very contrary policy should be followed. The greatest impression is made on the mind by those things which correspond more closely to man’s nature and dignity. And therefore the greatest zeal should be shown in the acquisition of whatever educates and ennobles the mind. Otherwise poor mortal creatures may well become like the machines they build – cold, hard, and devoid of love.”

By Nick Kangadis, MRC TV – At some point, you’d think someone would ask someone on the left doing everything they can to protect illegal aliens more than they call for protection of American citizens, ‘Who do you serve?’… On Tuesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) announced that the State of New York will be using $50 million in taxpayer funds to provide legal assistance to illegal aliens.

By Elise DeGeeter, Catholic Vote – The US Embassy in Jerusalem early Wednesday announced that it would be closed until Friday in compliance with local ordinances amid retaliatory Iranian strikes on the state of Israel, while the Trump administration signaled it may be weighing further US involvement in the Middle Eastern war… After declaring “complete and total control of the skies over Iran” and oscillating between diplomacy and threats of military action in a series of June 17 media posts, President Donald Trump convened with national security officials in the White House Situation Room to discuss the escalating conflict.

By Gerard V. Bradley, National Catholic Register – The founders of the United States were pioneers of religious liberty. Unlike practically all societies before theirs, they eschewed top-down control of the people’s religion through princely imposition, or by the altar-throne deals common in Christendom, or by enforcing some eclectic civil religion. Or by all three, as in England ca. 1776, where the idea was political prosperity through religious unity.  …

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Pro-life campaigners have made it clear that they will be fighting an extreme abortion up to birth amendment as it progresses to the House of Lords, after the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill was hijacked to rush through a seismic and unpopular change to abortion law after just two hours’ debate… The extreme abortion amendment (NC1) was passed by MPs by a vote of 379 to 137. ..

By John Zmirak, The Stream – The Nazi Playbook in Play in Los Angeles Today… The Left in America isn’t following the Communist playbook, which succeeded once in Russia but failed in every developed country. The Left is following the Nazi playbook that succeeded in highly cultured Germany. The organization Antifa was founded by the Soviets in the 1920s to try to seize power in Germany, and has existed ever since. It learned the lessons of its failure and the technique of Nazi success …. Whether they know it or not (I think many do), Democrats like Gavin Newsom are implementing the Nazi playbook in our own states and cities. That’s what Donald Trump faces.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 – 1 “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. …

By Darrick Taylo0r, Crisis Magazine – Nationalism is all the rage these days, at least on the political Right. For many on the Right, this has become their default position, opposed to the globalism of the Left. Fault lines persist, however. Some see nationalism as primarily based upon ethnicity and shared culture; others promote a “civic” nationalism which downplays these and promotes equality of individual citizens. Globally, nationalism has also become the major rival, philosophically speaking, to the internationalism of Western liberals …..

By Brianna Lyman, The Federalist – new poll released Tuesday reveals just 16 percent of Americans want to get involved in the Israel-Iran war… The poll, conducted earlier this week by The Economist and analytics group YouGov, found 16 percent of Americans think the “U.S. military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran;” 60 percent say it should not, and 24 percent are “not sure.” When split among party lines, 53 percent of Republicans, 65 percent of Democrats, and 61 percent of Independents oppose intervention in Iran, according to YouGov.

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – PBS and NPR are using taxpayer dollars to dishonestly push their own political agendas, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Tuesday, calling for the Senate to vote to approve Pres. Donald Trump’s request to rescind funding of public media… In a social media thread posted on X.com, Sen. Kennedy began by detailing the cost to American taxpayers of subsidizing public media: “In 2025 alone, Congress will send the Corporation for Public Broadcasting $535M. …

By Chris Jackson, Blog, Hiraeth In Exile – The Basilica where countless pilgrims have knelt in awe, where the bones of Peter lie enshrined beneath the high altar, is now to be remade into a symbol of “sustainability.” That word appeared no fewer than twelve times in the announcement, alongside “environment,” “ecological transition,” “photovoltaic,” and “energy efficiency.” The words “salvation,” “truth,” or “Christ the King” were nowhere to be found.

By Daniel Payne, CNA – The New Jersey government will be allowed to assemble a grand jury to investigate allegations of clergy sexual abuse there, the state Supreme Court said Monday… In a unanimous ruling, the New Jersey Supreme Court said a lower court had erred when it held the state could not empanel the jury, with the high court stating that the government “has the right to proceed with its investigation and present evidence before a special grand jury.”

By Peter Wolfgang, Catholic Culture – Two things can be true at the same time. Take, for instance, Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military infrastructure this week. It’s possible to believe that Iran brought this on themselves. Indeed, that they have had it coming for a long time, perhaps as far back as the hostage crisis during the Carter era. That Iran’s rulers were high stakes gamblers who just lost their gamble. That the mullahs made their final, fatal, miscalculation beginning on October 7th, 2023, when one of their proxies in their “Axis of Resistance” butchered Israelis …

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register – Recalling the warnings of popes and saints, Cardinal Burke said neglect of liturgical law and tradition has paved the way for widespread confusion about faith and morals… Cardinal Raymond Burke has appealed to Pope Leo XIV to lift the restrictions on the pre-1970 liturgy, stressing that respect for liturgical tradition is critical for the Catholic Church’s mission and that doctrinal and moral corruption shows itself in “divisions and factions” that lead to liturgical abuse.

Msgr. Roger Landry, National Catholic Register – As devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus reaches a major milestone, Christ’s words remain a challenge: to return love for love and console his heart in the Holy Eucharist… Those devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus have been looking forward to this June 16 for a long time… That’s because it is the 350th anniversary of the most significant of Jesus’ apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, in which he revealed to her the mysteries of his heart and requested the inauguration of what would become the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

By Isela Becerra, Wilson Beaver, The Daily Signal – Protesters in Los Angeles once again launch violent assaults this weekend against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and law enforcement officers. Agitators at the Federal Building in downtown LA threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks. Police deployed tear gas, flash bangs, and rubber bullets to try and maintain order. Protesters even went after police horses… Over 70 people were arrested… The protests started on June 6 after federal agents swept through the city’s garment district for illegal immigrants, arresting 118, including five gang members.

By Kevin Wells, Youtube – This excerpt from Kevin Wells’s latest book, “Coached by the Curé: Lessons in Shepherding with St. John Vianney” brings to life “Chapter 1: The Dialogue of the Saints”. In this imaginative “letter from Heaven”, the heartfelt voice of the Curé coaches today’s parents and laity on how to save their lost lambs in these modern days of moral collapse. At an hour when the consciences of Catholic youth and young adults are hourly invaded by a modernist secular culture – and so few clergy are regarded as their rescuers – St. John Vianney emerges as a titan and rescuer of souls.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:43-48 – 43 “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ….

By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency – he town of Castel Gandolfo has said Pope Leo XIV will again partake in the centuries-long tradition of spending a summer vacation at the lakeside papal residence in the Alban Hills south of Rome… A spokeswoman for the small town, Giulia Agostinelli, told CNA on Tuesday morning Leo will arrive sometime during the first week of July. The Vatican confirmed shortly afterward that the pope will spend July 6-20, and Aug. 15-17 in the pontifical villas at Castel Gandolfo.

By Father David Nix, “Padre Peregrino” – Last year, I reproduced St. Ignatius’ Rules For Discernment (Dynamic Translation.) Today, I reproduce a literal translation for use with my new podcast series is called Peregrino Ignatian Paths on the Rules of Discernment and Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.  We will be using both translations, but primarily the following… St. Ignatius writes:  The soul is moved by diverse spirits, which it is important to discern, in order to follow the good and repel the bad. The following are some rules, of which the first are suited to souls less perfect and the others to those who are more so.

By Franciscan Media – Even as a young man, Joseph loved to attend Mass and was known for his humility and fervor in prayer. After his ordination, he was assigned to a seminary in Turin. There he worked especially against the spirit of Jansenism—an excessive preoccupation with sin and damnation. He used the works of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Alphonsus Liguori to moderate the rigorism popular at the seminary.

By Tyler O’Neil, The Daily Signal – “All Americans should be shocked, appalled, and terrified that the Biden Justice Department was taking advice from a hate-filled, morally bankrupt organization like the Southern Poverty Law Center,” Ian Prior, senior counselor at America First Legal, told The Daily Signal in a statement Monday. “The SPLC’s agenda is anti-American to its core, and we must ensure that the SPLC never regains the power that it was so wrongly granted by the woke bureaucrats who ran this country until this past January.”

By Daniel B. Gallagher, Catholic Exchange – What is the gift of knowledge?… First of all, like all seven of the Spirit’s gifts, knowledge completes the natural virtues and leads to their perfection. It makes us docile to God and disposes us to obey His promptings. In other words, the gift of knowledge is anything but a static cognition or mere familiarity with facts, such as where Jesus was born or when He died. Knowledge leads us to a closer relationship with God, inspires us to carry out His will, and moves us to act in accord with the queen of all virtues, charity.

By Madalaine Elhabbal, Catholic World Report, (Catholic News Agency) – Islamist Fulani militants swooped into the town of Yelewata in Nigeria’s Benue state and killed up to 200 Nigerian Christians on Friday in what international aid organizations are calling the “worst killing spree” in the region yet… The attackers targeted Christians living as internally displaced people in the June 13 attack, setting fire to buildings where families were taking shelter and assaulting with machetes anyone who attempted to flee ….

By Steven Ertelt , LifeNews – Leading pro-life groups are praising the Senate’s version of the One Big Beautiful bill, which also contains language to defund Planned Parenthood… Top pro-life organizations praised the Senate Finance Committee’s draft legislative package that would prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting the abortion industry… “We praise Majority Leader John Thune and Finance Committee Chair Sen. Mike Crapo for their leadership,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The One, Big Beautiful Bill brings us closer to disentangling federal tax dollars from subsidizing the abortion industry.”

By Jacqueline Annis-Levings, The Federalist – According to a CBS poll from earlier this month, 54 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s deportation policy. The Daily Caller reported that 53 percent of Hispanic voters back “increasing the pace” of Trump’s deportations. A March poll from Pew Research Center showed that 32 percent of Americans approve of deporting all illegal immigrants and 51 percent approve of deporting some. Of that 51 percent, 97 percent support deporting violent criminals.

By Alexandria Chiasson McCormick, Crisis Magazine – Due to the recent, and particularly grandiose, liturgical vision of a certain Midwestern diocese, The Geographical Parish is once more the topic of the day. It’s a fascinating concept, and one that is comforting to a certain mathematical kind of mind: absolutely every single one of the 1.27 billion Catholics in the world is neatly accounted for, divided into parishes and deaneries and dioceses, placed on a color-coded map with tidy boundaries. It is a beautiful thing, really.

By Brianna Lyman, The Federalist – “We’ve been working for a long time trying to deliver for the American people, trying to do something unique for people who have been underserved, and today we’re here to introduce Trump Mobile,” Donald Trump Jr. said Monday morning at an event at Trump Tower in New York. “A big part of what we’ve done right now in the world has been focused on technology for people who have been underserved, whether that’s been in crypto or anything else, but one of the places where we felt there was lackluster performance was in the mobile industry.”

By Steven Thomas, Catholic Exchange – I would like to propose a new title for St. Joseph in his Litany: “Icon of Fatherhood.”  Allow me to explain why this title, and why now… Our world is in the midst of a great turning.  An unseen battle rages, and the speed of degradation visible all around us has increased exponentially… I would posit the breakdown of fatherhood goes hand in hand with the breakdown of society.  Sociological data affirms the importance of fathers on family dynamics and what happens when they are missing. To name only a few of the effects of an absence of one’s father …..

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:38-42 – 38 “You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; 41 and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.

By Fr. Mario Alexis Portella, Crisis Magazine – Five-hundred years on from the Protestant revolution and Christendom is not just dismantled, but in full apostasy. Can it be revived, and if so, how?… St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), who was the greatest Christian philosopher of antiquity and certainly the one who exerted the deepest and most lasting influence, maintained that a Christian state is the only type of state where true justice can be achieved. This is because, in such a state, the body politic would rule according to Christian tenets and values, which would align the state’s laws with divine law.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – Who or What Is the Antichrist? A Reflection on the Biblical Teaching… There is much lore about the antichrist (especially among certain Evangelicals) that is out of proportion to the attention Scripture pays to the concept, and more importantly is at possible variance from what is certainly taught. It easily becomes fodder for movies and novels: the antichrist figure steps on the scene, deceiving many, and mesmerizing the whole world with apparent miracles and a message of false peace.

By Rev. Dylan Schrader, Fr. Z’s Blog, Complicit Clergy – I have the sad duty of bringing you the news that the celebration of Mass using the Missal of 1962 (the traditional Latin Mass) will end here in Westphalia at the end of June… I have been blessed to celebrate Mass in this form weekly for about the past seven years. St. Joseph in Westphalia has hosted this celebration for the Diocese of Jefferson City since my appointment as pastor here three years ago… Please bear with me. There is no statement from Bishop McKnight, now Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas, or from our diocese, so these are my own words. I decided to write this out both so that I do not leave anything out and because I find this emotionally difficult to get through.

By Thomas Edwards, Catholic Herald – Cardinal Raymond Burke said that he has petitioned Pope Leo XIV to remove the restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass… “It is my hope that he [Pope Leo] will put an end to the persecution of the faithful in the Church who desire to worship God according to the more ancient usage of the Roman Rite – this persecution from within the Church,” he said. “I certainly have already had occasion to express that to the Holy Father.”… “It is my hope that he will, as soon as is reasonably possible, take up the study of this question,” and… “restore the situation to as it was after Summorum Pontificum, and even continue to develop what Pope Benedict XVI had so wisely and lovingly legislated for the Church.”

Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, National Catholic Register – This Sunday throughout the universal Church, particular adoration is given to the Most Holy Trinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith’” (234). …

By McKenna Snow, Catholic Vote – Pope Leo XIV spoke about unity, hope, and community in his historic June 14 video address to the young people of the Church and to those gathered at White Sox Rate Field for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s event celebrating the first American pontiff… The event included Mass celebrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich, music, testimonies, and the special message from Pope Leo, who is a native of Chicago. In his address, the Pope encouraged the faithful and young people in particular to be beacons of hope to the world and, having noted how prevalent isolation and loneliness can be in the world, to continue coming together in community.

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – Although Pope Leo XIV looked slightly nervous when he first walked out on the Loggia after his election, he seems to have made the transition to pontiff with remarkable grace. As John Pinheiro notes in this analysis of Pope Leo’s first few weeks as pope, the Holy Father seems to be carefully charting a course as a “unifying” figure. Even his choice of name suggests this, as his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII is a remarkably popular pope among both liberals (for his emphasis on social justice) and conservatives (for his doctrinal orthodoxy, and resuscitation of Thomism).

By Francesca Pollio Fenton, CNA – At 8 years old, Minnesota native Joe Masek was exposed to pornography for the first time and went on to struggle with an addiction to it for 23 years. Through a series of actions he finally gained freedom and after experiencing a calling to help other men, he founded a ministry called The Freedom Group in 2023… About 100 men have gone through the ministry’s program each year since then. The group uses  a 12-month training system as well as additional courses and retreats to help men break free from porn addiction.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The Planned Parenthood abortion business is in crisis and may close as many 200 of its abortion centers that kill babies in abortions… There’s potentially great news for pro-life Americans and little unborn children as America’s biggest abortion company is facing both a federal investigation as well as the potentiality of losing $700 million in annual federal taxpayer funding as the One Big Beautiful Bill has passed the House and is on track for a vote in the Senate. …

By Nick Kangadis, MRC TV – The riots currently going on in Los Angeles and, to a slightly lesser degree, around the country aren’t working as well for the left as they have in the past when they could more easily pull the wool over the eyes of the American people. But, with Americans experiencing these kinds of nefarious actions over and over again, especially in the name of criminals, they no longer have the same “tolerance” for the left’s “Victimhood Olympics. ….

By Joseph Mattera, The Stream – We live in a cultural moment where confusion around masculinity is reaching a boiling point. As society reacts to decades of emasculation and passive male archetypes, many young men are being swept up by a pendulum swing in the opposite direction — toward a hyper-aggressive, self-exalting, and dehumanizing form of manhood… But the Word of God offers a vastly different — and far more glorious — vision for manhood. There are distinct ways God calls men to reflect His image, not through domination but through service, not by controlling others but by cultivating them.

By Fr Luke Gregory, OFM, Custody of the Holy Land, Vatican News – As the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Father Luke Gregory reflects on the theme, “Seeking Truth in Times of Turmoil: A Call to Harmony Through the Spirit.”… In our world today that seems to be plagued by conflict, division, and strife, the longing for understanding and unity resonates deeply within the hearts of many, especially amongst Christians and all people of goodwill. The recent times have shown us the devastating consequences of wars and discord, highlighting the urgent need for a truth that leads to harmony. This desire draws us back to the essence of the Gospel, particularly the words spoken by Christ in today’s Gospel, where He reassures us of the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

By Victor Joecks, Patriot Post – The government spent decades trying to make fathers unnecessary. The failure of that experiment put society on the long-term path to collapse… Father’s Day is Sunday. It’s much less popular than Mother’s Day for a sad reason. Fewer fathers are involved in their children’s lives. That’s caused by two main factors, the first being children born to single moms. In 2022, almost 40% of births were to unmarried women, according to the CDC. The second reason is the prevalence of divorce.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – In case you believed the mainstream media when it said the anti-ICE protests aimed at frustrating the enforcement of just, democratically enacted, bipartisan U.S. immigration laws are spontaneous reactions from local communities to heavy-handed enforcement … well, just don’t… The protests are centrally coordinated by radical Leftist groups, and are now erupting simultaneously all across the country. That’s what “color revolutions” organized by the U.S. Deep State look like, as whistleblower Mike Benz explains. 

By Patriot Post – On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress directed “six companies of expert riflemen be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia.” Each company consisted of “a captain, three lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, a drummer or trumpeter and sixty-eight privates.” Finally, “Each company … shall march and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army.”… The next day, George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army, which later became the U.S. Army.

By Mary Stroka, Catholic Vote – The USCCB’s and Catholic Charities USA are among the more than 200 NGO’s that congressmen are investigating in a probe of organizations that served “inadmissible aliens” during the Biden administration, according to a June 11 news release… “To respond to unprecedented surges of illegal immigrants between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025, the federal government outsourced a much greater share of its migrant response to NGOs, increasing NGO revenues while placing the burden of the Biden Administration’s policies on American taxpayers,” the chairmen wrote.

By Archbishop John Wester, Los Alamos Reporter, (Complicit Clergy) – “The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a budget reconciliation bill that is contrary to Catholic social teaching. The bill is now waiting to be debated in the Senate. It should be strongly opposed… “Moreover, the church and the bishops of the United States should lead the way in speaking against this bill and calling on Catholics to work for its defeat. Because of its overall effects on those who are most in need, passing this budget would be a moral failure for American society as a whole. …

By Edward Weisenburger, Rorate Caeli – Permission for this celebration at all other sites will expire on June 30, 2025. While not every priest will retain the required permission to celebrate the Mass according to the rubrics of the 1962 missal, a number of priests will be available to serve these four regional sites. I take seriously my charge to care for all the faithful and am confident that this new arrangement is faithful to the Church’s law while expressing my concern for your spiritual welfare. …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:33-37 – 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 ….

Franciscan Media – Franciscan Media, June 14 – Born in Igolomia near Kraków as the eldest of four children in a wealthy family, he was christened Adam. During the 1864 revolt against Czar Alexander III, Adam’s wounds forced the amputation of his left leg… His great talent for painting led to studies in Warsaw, Munich, and Paris. Adam returned to Kraków and became a Secular Franciscan. In 1888, when he founded the Brothers of the Third Order of Saint Francis, Servants to the Poor, he took the name Albert. …

By Dr. R. Jared Staudt, Catholic World Report – First, Leo points us to the most obvious point of influence: the beauty of Eastern Catholic liturgies, which have preserved their transcendent mystery… He comments, “The contribution that the Christian East can offer us today is immense! We have a great need to recover the sense of mystery that remains alive in your liturgies, liturgies that engage the human person in his or her entirety, that sing of the beauty of salvation and evoke a sense of wonder at how God’s majesty embraces our human frailty!”

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – “It’s happening again this year. It happens every year.”… That’s how I opened a post that appeared in this space two years ago. Sure enough, it’s happening this year too… It begins right after Ash Wednesday, when we begin to notice some new faces in the congregation at the little chapel where we attend the early-morning Mass on weekdays. Many of the same faces show up throughout Lent, and when Easter arrives, more than a few continue to come to daily Mass. So bit by bit, the congregation grows.

Patriot Post – “My anxious recollections, my sympathetic feeling, and my best wishes are irresistibly excited whensoever, in any country, I see an oppressed nation unfurl the banners of freedom.” George Washington (1796)

By Tyler O’Neil, The Daily Signal – It took the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals only a few hours to block a lower court’s ruling against President Donald Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard in the Los Angeles riots… The appeals court acted expeditiously because Trump was so clearly in the right, according to Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation… “Look, what the president did is something he is statutorily authorized to do, much less looking at his constitutional authority as commander-in-chief,” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal …

By Newsmax – Israel attacked Iran’s capital early Friday in strikes that targeted the country’s nuclear program and killed at least two top military officers, raising the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq. Simmering tensions over Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program boiled over and Iran quickly retaliated, sending a swarm of drones at Israel as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of “severe punishment.”

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – Senator Josh Hawley is probing the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights over potential funding of the Los Angeles anti-ICE riots, but other organizations are under scrutiny as well… While Democrats and the Leftmedia seek to frame the anti-ICE protests and riots currently roiling Los Angeles as organic grassroots expressions of objections to the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce immigration law, the truth is that they are anything but spontaneous, organic, and uncoordinated. …

By Catherine Maxwell, Daily Wire – Daily Wire host Michael Knowles exposed a Catholic college for teaching psychiatric nurse practitioner students “how to greenlight the castration, sterilization, and mutilation of gender-confused kids and adults” in an exclusive thread on X… Steph Williams, a lecturer who uses he/him and she/her pronouns, taught students at Mount Saint Mary College in New York how to halt puberty in children as young as nine, even if they did not experience gender dysphoria, Knowles revealed, based on a tip from advocacy group Do No Harm.

By Joannie Watson, Integrated Catholic Life – I’m working on a book about Catherine of Siena right now, and it has given me a great appreciation for the Church. Catherine loved the Church, despite living during a tumultous time for the Bride of Christ. Just one of the many issues Catherine had to deal with would be enough to send most of us over the edge. Whenever people say that we’re living in “unprecedented times,” or lament corruption and sin in the Church as if it is something new, I want to show them even just a page of Church history.

By Catholic News Agency, (Catholic World Report) – The Vatican announced Friday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized together on Sept. 7… The date was set during the first ordinary public consistory of cardinals of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, held June 13 at the Apostolic Palace. Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, will become the first millennial to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church.

By Catholics for Catholics – A non-profit organization that is suspected of bankrolling the protestors (not the looting) of the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles has strong ties to that city’s Archdiocese and to a national Catholic organization… John Yep, Michael Hichborn, President of the Lepanto Institute, said that the Coalition for Humane Immigrants Rights, better known as CHIRLA, has had a long, deep relationship with the Archdiocese (of Los Angeles), which is even mentioned in their website. ….

By Joshua Arnold, LifeNews – America’s largest Protestant denomination (numbering 12.7 million members in 2024) reaffirmed its adherence to biblically informed positions on abortion, marriage, religious liberty, pornography, and predatory gambling… the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) approved “a slate of resolutions that were both clearly worded and incredibly timely,” said David Closson … Closson was encouraged by the widespread unity among the convention’s 10,000-odd messengers on a resolution “On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage, and the Family.”

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:27-32 – 27 “You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. …

Franciscan Media – The gospel call to leave everything and follow Christ was the rule of Saint Anthony of Padua’s life. Over and over again, God called him to something new in his plan. Every time Anthony responded with renewed zeal and self-sacrificing to serve his Lord Jesus more completely… His journey as the servant of God began as a very young man when he decided to join the Augustinians in Lisbon, giving up a future of wealth and power to be a servant of God. …

By Joseph R. Wood, The Catholic Thing – This year’s routine announcement of clergy assignments in my diocese included one that you don’t see often. A priest will follow a hermit vocation… Eremitical life, and the contemplative vocation in general, were central in early Christianity and remain a search for union with God for the contemplatives themselves, and for the good of the universal Church… The early Desert and Church Fathers, often hermits, are a source of strength and grace, always being forgotten and always being found again. Today seems to be another  “found again” moment.

By Patrick O’Hearn, Crisis Magazine – Modesty is one of the lost virtues of our fallen world. As summer approaches, so begins the real test of the custody of the eyes. But the deeper issue of modesty isn’t primarily about what women wear. It begins and ends with fathers… Sadly, many Catholic fathers want to be liked by their children and so they remain silent when their daughter wears leggings in public and skimpy skirts at Mass. Or maybe we fathers are too busy with our careers and pursuits that our daughters’ emotional needs are neglected. We as men also need to model modesty in how we dress.

By Hayden Daniel, The Federalist – In the midst of the riots that have raged across Los Angeles in response to the Trump administration’s raid to apprehend criminals, Mexican flags have emerged as a prominent emblem of the rioters’ lawless defiance… While the NY Times gushed that the rioters’ usage of the flag represented “pride in their heritage,” most Americans saw it for what it was: a symbol of conquest. But many leftists are now making that very argument, that it represents a reclamation by Mexico of land supposedly “stolen” by the United States.

By Mark Haas, Catholic Exchange – On this Sunday, dedicated to honoring fathers, the Church has a powerful opportunity—not only to offer thanks for the men who give life, guidance, and protection to their families—but to renew our understanding of the irreplaceable role fathers play in passing on the Catholic Faith.
The Catholic Church has long understood the family as a “domestic church,” a term rooted in the early Church and echoed at the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium, 11). In this domestic church, the father traditionally served as a kind of household priest—leading prayers, teaching the Faith, and modeling virtue.

By Bishop Joseph Strickland, Substack – Something unspeakably vile took place other day – a scene aired on a streaming platform (Apple TV+) in the show “Friends and Neighbors” portrayed actors breaking into a Catholic church, stealing the consecrated Hosts from the tabernacle, mocking the Eucharist as “the Body of Christ,” dipping the consecrated Host in jam like a snack, simulating Communion, and then committing a sexual act in the pews.

By Bishop James D. Conley, The Catholic Thing – Today, we are faced with a similar problem, but on a wildly greater scale. Artificial Intelligence and related technologies will now be able to use our reliance on screen-delivered mediating technologies and throw us into something close to total confusion about what is real and what isn’t… Deep-fake videos are now often indistinguishable from real ones. Soon, you won’t know whether you are in a Zoom meeting with a real person or with an AI-created chatbot who looks just like a real person. Voices can now be faked to the point where even family members cannot tell the difference. “Proof of reality” is going to become a thing.

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine – The wisdom that opposes and conquers the world, turns to God and says, “take all my liberty, memory, understanding, and entire will…leaving only Thy love and grace.”… What is freedom for? And why is it so important that we be allowed to exercise it? Do the choices we make really matter? Ask an atheist and he’ll tell you it’s for actualizing the self in a world without God. Of course, in a godless world why would freedom matter at all? What difference are the choices we make in a world where, as Marx predicted, “everything solid melts into thin air”?

By Patrick Hampton, Patriot Post – My father then explained a fundamental conservative principle: personal responsibility. He believed that relying on government assistance could encourage dependence and discourage working hard. Instead, he emphasized the importance of taking responsibility for oneself and paying for one’s needs through effort and hard work. He explained that we should be self-reliant rather than expecting government programs to support us.

By Dan Hart, LifeNews – A new Gallup poll has revealed that the percentage of surveyed Americans who say they are pro-life has risen two points since last year to 43%, a number that is consistent with past survey results over the last two decades. Experts say the numbers suggest that the efforts by the Democratic Party, pro-abortion activists, and the mainstream media to sway the American electorate towards widespread acceptance of abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision have been largely unsuccessful.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:20-26 – 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire. …

By Elise DeGeeter, Catholic Vote – Over 1,500 anti-Trump protests are set to erupt nationwide June 14 — Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday — as progressive groups aim to counter a military parade in Washington, DC, marking the Army’s 250th anniversary… Branded the “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance,” the demonstrations are being led by Indivisible, a left-wing activist network, in partnership with other progressive coalitions. Organizers say the coordinated effort is a rejection of what they describe as Trump’s “authoritarian excesses.”

By Kristina Millare, CNA – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Fuzhou in China… The Vatican credited the Sino-Vatican deal, signed in September 2019 and renewed for a third time in October 2024, for Lin Yuntuan’s June 5 appointment… The Vatican announced “the recognition of the civil effects and the taking of possession of the office of Monsignor Joseph Lin Yuntuan.” The announcement said the Holy Father made the appointment “in the framework of the dialogue regarding the application of the provisional agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.”

Catholic Culture, by Staff, (Complicit Clergy) – The USCCBs’ Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection has released its 2024 annual report on the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the document that has governed the bishops’ response to the abuse crisis since 2002… (the) report summarizes data between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024… During that period, the abuse scandal cost dioceses and eparchies $242,799,401—including $163.1 million in settlements, $6.1 million in other payments to victims, $63.4 million in attorneys’ fees, and $4.1 million in other costs.

By James Mortensen, MRC TV – Through ICE’s 287(g) program agreement, ICE delegates to partner state and local law enforcement agencies and their officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight… In Texas, local law enforcement agencies have signed nearly one hundred (95) agreements with ICE, while those in California – a self-declared “sanctuary” state for illegal immigrants – have none… Anti-ICE protests broke out in Los Angeles, California on Friday and in Dallas, Texas on Monday. In Los Angeles, the protests turned violent and continued. In Dallas, they did not.

Franciscan Media, June 12 – Jolenta was the daughter of Bela IV, King of Hungary. Her sister, St. Kunigunde, was married to the Duke of Poland. Jolenta was sent to Poland where her sister was to supervise her education. Eventually married to Boleslaus, the Duke of Greater Poland, Jolenta was able to use her material means to assist the poor, the sick, widows, and orphans. ..

By Kevin Kijewski, Crisis Magazine – When some newcomers seek to subvert the existing legal system by substituting Sharia or by illegally voting in a presidential election, how is it not reprehensible? Adding insult to injury, Catholic Charities supports “crucial care” funding that includes free chartered flights into the country for so-called asylum seekers—people who may never have thought to enter the United States without such services. Bishop Emeritus Joseph Strickland pointed out that 80 percent of immigrants would not qualify for asylum or refugee status. ….

By Matthew J. Ramage, Ph.D., Catholic World Report – But, more importantly, (gardening) is a spiritual discipline, a school of virtue. In a world often disconnected from the rhythms of creation, gardening offers a living catechesis written in soil, sweat, and sacrifice. Today… I want to reflect on how direct contact with the good earth—the “first book” written by God—teaches us lessons that cannot be learned in school… To appreciate gardening as a form of catechesis, we must begin with a foundational Christian conviction, one not widely shared in today’s culture: the world we inhabit is not mere nature, but a divine gift that we refer to as creation.

The Editors, National Catholic Register – If Catholic Gov. Kathy Hochul signs the bill, as she is expected to do, New York’s doctors will have been granted a license to kill some of their state’s most vulnerable and marginalized residents… Let’s pull no punches — Monday was an utterly tragic day for New York State and for the entire nation… The reason: The Empire State’s Legislature has now passed a bill legalizing so-called “medically assisted suicide.” As a result, if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs the bill as expected, New York’s doctors will have been granted a license to kill some of their state’s most vulnerable and marginalized residents. ….

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:17-19 – 17 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – The Catholic Church views the family as a fundamental unit of society and faith. Family roles and responsibilities are shaped by teachings on love, sacrifice, and service. And parents hold a primary duty to raise children in the Catholic faith… This duty goes beyond academic learning to include moral and spiritual formation. Parents are to teach their children about God, prayer, and the sacraments. Parents, as mentioned by Pope Leo, must model virtues like charity, patience, and honesty in daily life – helping their children to follow their example.

By Aliyah Cohen, MRC TV – Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki, leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), recently released a 34-minute video calling on Muslims in the U.S. to wage jihad and assassinate Americans and their leaders. Among those named? President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Elon Musk.In the video, al-Awlaki demands: “Do not consult anyone before killing infidel Americans… “Go after the scum of the earth and its greatest criminals.”

By Newsmax, The Associated Press – Pres. Donald Trump called protesters in Los Angeles “animals” and “a foreign enemy” in a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday as he defended deploying the military on demonstrators opposed to his immigration enforcement raids and as he vowed to “liberate” the West Coast city… Trump, in his most aggressive language yet regarding the protests, used a speech ostensibly aimed at recognizing the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army to denounce the protesters.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-10 on June 10, 2025, to advance a bill to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. That’s the 1994 law Joe Biden’s administration used to put pro-life Americans in prison for peacefully protesting abortion… The FACE law was weaponized by the Biden administration to target and imprison peaceful pro-life activists, including elderly women. …

Patriot Post – “The Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.” —George Washington (1790)

By Franciscan Media, June 11 – Barnabas, a Jew of Cyprus, comes as close as anyone outside the Twelve to being a full-fledged apostle. He was closely associated with Saint Paul—he introduced Paul to Peter and the other apostles—and served as a kind of mediator between the former persecutor and the still suspicious Jewish Christians. ….

By Madison Fossa, American Spectator – New members will shortly be appointed by the Trump administration… On Monday, HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal that detailed his plan to remove all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices from their positions. Through this action, Kennedy has enabled the Trump administration to select an entirely new panel that will meet at the end of this month… Kennedy’s decision is aimed at restoring the public’s trust in the American vaccine industry and health care systems.

By Kate Quiñones, Catholic News Agency, (Complicit Clergy) – A federal judge has overturned the long-standing “Texas Dream Act” in a move the state’s Catholic bishops say undermines “just” immigration reform efforts… After the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of Texas over the matter last week, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor blocked the law, which had enabled some noncitizens living illegally in Texas to qualify for in-state tuition at the state’s public universities and colleges. … Reed ruled that the law was “unconstitutional and invalid” because it applied to those who were “not lawfully present in the United States.”

By Amira Abuzeid, CNA Staff – A U.S.-based biotech company has announced the launch of Nucleus Embryo, a company that screens human embryos for desired genetic profiles, a practice the Catholic Church teaches violates human dignity and contributes to a eugenic mentality… People undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) will be able to screen up to 20 embryos for over 900 conditions and traits, including health risks, intelligence, and physical characteristics like height and eye color, in order to “optimize” their embryos, according to Kian Sadeghi, founder of Nucleus Genomics, parent company of Nucleus Embryo.

By: John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist – There’s a lot to say about the rioting and mayhem underway in Los Angeles right now, including the striking prevalence of Mexican flags among the rioters. Iconic images have been circulating online for days of masked men waving Mexico’s flag amid burning vehicles and wreckage, giving the riots a decidedly sinister flavor, as though all this is at least partly the work of foreign powers attempting to undermine the sovereignty of the United States… In fact, that’s partially true, and it deserves some unpacking. …

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Last week in this space, I remarked that Amoris Laetitia is an “aberration” from the pattern of papal teaching. As I continue my effort to discern what sort of leadership Pope Leo XIV will bring to the Church, it occurs to me that Pope Francis himself was an aberration. For that matter—and for very different reasons—so were his two immediate predecessors. So maybe now we should be prepared for an “ordinary” pontificate. The trouble is, not many of us are old enough to know what that means.

By Eddie Scarry, The Federalist – Let’s skip past the part where Democrat leaders in the most perfunctory way “disavow” the violent and lawless rioting in Los Angeles, and their news media counterparts diligently repeat those disavowals for them. What we’re seeing in L.A. is what Democrats instigate and excuse when their policies are obstructed. .. Dem. LA Mayor Karen Bass said as much on Monday on CNN, after two days of foreign nationals hurling boulders at cop cars, setting private property on fire, and tossing explosives at federal government facilities. “I just have to say that if you dial back time and go [back] to Friday,” she said, “if immigration raids had not happened here, we would not have the disorder that went on last night.” …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:13-16 – 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

By Mark Brumley, Catholic World Report – It seems time to revisit Pope Benedict’s caution about the Church not contributing to divisions and to ask whether leadership in recent years has sometimes added to unhelpful antagonism… Surprise! The Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) has returned as a hot-button issue, if it ever really left. Singapore’s Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye hopes restrictions on the TLM will be dropped, The Catholic Herald reports. In 2021, Pope Francis severely restricted the TLM, following Pope Benedict XVI’s approval of greater freedom for the older form of worship back now some eighteen years ago.

By Gavin Ashenden, Catholic Herald – Devotion to the Sacred Heart is the antidote to the campaign to reconstruct our society without God. True love confronts disorder. Forgiveness challenges rage. Created purpose stands against collective coercion. And the call to Heaven rebukes the engineered violence of enforced compliance… Paganism fell once before at the feet of the Sacred Heart, rescuing our ancestors from its unforgiving grasp. If Catholics return to this most sacred of devotions, it will fall again.

The Catholic Herald – Images of artwork created by a disgraced celebrity cleric accused of rape have disappeared from official Vatican Media websites without explanation, almost a year after the head of the Vatican’s communications outfit strongly defended his department’s continued use of the images… The offending images were digital reproductions of works created by Fr Marko Rupnik – a former Jesuit accused of spiritually, psychologically, and sexually abusing dozens of victims over a period of 30 years – mostly while based in Rome.

By Greg Cook, Crisis Magazine – Every American state boasts of its residents who have become famous. Illinois is no exception, and its list features American leaders of the highest level: Lincoln, Reagan, Sheen, and now Robert Prevost (Pope Leo XIV). Until the recent papal election, Ven. Sheen was probably the most-recognized American Catholic figure. But instead of seeing one man surpassed by another in the popular imagination, we should see the ascent of an American-born pope as a continuation of Sheen’s legacy in several ways.

By Dave Andrusko, LifeNews – Currently, as of May 2025, * 32% of women and 54% of men identify as pro-life. 61% of women and 41% of men consider themselves pro-choice. The difference—the gap—was 13-points in 2022  “and no more than 10-point differences in any reading before Dobbs,” according to Saad. “The gap has expanded since 2022 because pro-choice identity has dipped among men, from 48% to 41%, while it has held steady among women.”

By Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, Catholic Exchange – We give up because there are three things that we do not know deeply and hold on to with conviction… Firstly, we do not know who we are in the eyes of God. We do not know that we are God’s beloved children no matter what we do or experience in this life. We are always precious to Him in every second of our lives here on earth and in eternity. Our experiences, conditions, or situations do not and cannot diminish our identity before God.

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – Americans are clearly on the side of Pres. Donald Trump when it comes to immigration… “Trump is begging for a fight on this because he knows what he’s doing so far is working with the American electorate.”… “And, it’s not just on the broad issue of immigration, it’s on the specifics as well, in which the American public is with Donald Trump and the Republicans,” Enten said, noting that a majority of Americans now say they support, not just of Trump’s program to deport illegal immigrants, but also of efforts to search their hometowns in order to do so.

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Among the many Yogi-isms of the baseball great Yogi Berra is: “If there is a fork in the road, take it.” Good advice. Every fork gives us a choice between the way of life and the way of death. The way of life is life in the Spirit. The way of death is the arrogance of self-reliance… The Tower of Babel account is a story of self-reliance. Humans, united by a single language, sought to build a city and a tower with its top in the heavens to make a name for themselves. They failed. In response to their pride and ambition, God confused their language and scattered them across the earth. …

Patriot Post – “Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful; but we have many friends, determining to be free, and heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves.” —Joseph Warren (1775)

By P. Gardner Goldsmith, MRC TV – Systemic media bias can present us with many unanswerable questions, and the unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision recognizing a Wisconsin Catholic Charity right to go tax-free brings one of the big questions to mind… What one wonders is if MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS barely covered the June 5 unanimous court decision acknowledging religious liberty because the leftist media love tax thievery, or because the Trump Administration supported the plaintiffs’ rights, and the Trump team was proven correct.

Franciscan Media – Born into an aristocratic family in Barcelona, Spain, Joachima was 12 when she expressed a desire to become a Carmelite nun. But her life took an altogether different turn at 16 with her marriage to a young lawyer, Theodore de Mas. Both deeply devout, they became secular Franciscans. During their 17 years of married life they raised eight children.

By The Associated Press, (Newsmax) – Law enforcement officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Los Angeles on Sunday as they gathered downtown in response to President Donald Trump’s extraordinary deployment of the National Guard over the objections of the governor and mayor… The clashes came on the third day of demonstrations against Trump’s immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 federal troops spurred anger and fear among some residents… By midday, hundreds had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where people were detained after earlier immigration raids. …

Vatican News – The Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, reminds us how Jesus Himself, through an act of entrusting, willed that the divine maternity be extended to all men and women, that is, to the Church herself… The title is not a new one. In 1980, Saint John Paul II, invited the faithful to venerate Mary as Mother of the Church. Even before that, on 21 November 1964, Saint Paul VI, on the conclusion of the third Session of the Second Vatican Council declared Mary as the “Mother of the Church”. ….

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 5:1-12a – 1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy ….

By Franciscan Media, June 9 – Poet, teacher, orator, and defender of the faith, Ephrem is the only Syriac Christian recognized as a doctor of the Church. He took upon himself the special task of opposing the many false doctrines rampant at his time, always remaining a true and forceful defender of the Catholic Church… Born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia, he was baptized as a young man and became famous as a teacher in his native city. …

By Anthony Stine, Return to Tradition, (Complicit Clergy) – Cardinal Mario Grech, who heads the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, said one of its main aims is to shift the church away from clergy-heavy leadership and start to give lay people more say in decision-making in their parishes, dioceses and even in the Holy See… Even if there is resistance to it among some clergy, the church must understand that the Holy Spirit is not the exclusive domain of priests, he insisted, and while the irreplaceable ministry of priests remains vital, there is ample work that lay people can and should be doing – not merely the day-to-day running and financial administration of a parish, but even take over some rituals and sacraments.

By John M. Grondelski, Crisis Magazine – Liturgical vandals of the 60’s and 70’s bemoan the resurgence of the Roman Canon (“Eucharistic Prayer I”) in the wake of their brutalist reckovation… A lot of ink has been spilled over the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and whether Traditionis Custodes might be modified under Pope Leo XIV. While not necessarily a partisan of the TLM—though I believe the Novus Ordo should be modified to adopt an ad orientem posture—let me share some tidbits of liturgical history regarding the Roman Canon that have analogical bearing on the TLM question. ….

By Fr. Brian A. Graebe, The Catholic Thing – How much can we glean about the young pontificate of Pope Leo XIV? Early signs may not be definitive, but they can be suggestive. And no doubt many and various surprises lie ahead. One theme that has emerged, however, may well become a leitmotif. In his first remarks from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on the day of his election, Pope Leo spoke of walking together “as a united Church.” This Pentecost Sunday, as we remember the tongues of fire that descended upon the Apostles, is also a good time to recall how often we have said we need to listen to the Holy Spirit to rediscover that unity.

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – Catholic means universal, everything. A big claim, a crazy claim to the world. And the believer who aspires to be fully Catholic – especially in a fragmented age like ours – has a demanding vocation. Probably the most common phrase one hears about the Faith these days is the need for “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” And this is true. And essential. There’s a lot packed into that short phrase. Jesus Himself told us: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

By Cristina Laila, Gateway Pundit – President Trump late Sunday night and into Monday morning called for troops to be brought in to help stop the violent riots in downtown Los Angeles… Masked rioters are setting cars on fire and launching commercial grade explosives at law enforcement officers… LAPD declared an unlawful assembly on Sunday evening.

By Fr. Christian Hbaiter, Catholic Exchange – The purpose and value of obedience in our world today seems to be skewed. Cries in culture loudly exclaim that obedience to oneself is all that is required and that true freedom comes from obeying one’s own desires, thoughts, and beliefs without succumbing to a system that may contradict those very desires, thoughts, and beliefs… Obedience in this modern day looks like a warped understanding of freedom and choice. As an ordained priest, obedience can never be understood as what “I” want, rather how can I do what “He” wills.

By James Mortensen, MRC TV – On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a Proclamation suspending entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University… This was done in an effort to safeguard national security after a federal judge blocked his May attempt to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students… The Proclamation suspends the entry into the United States of any new Harvard student as a non-immigrant under F, M, or J visas, and it recommends the Secretary of State to consider the existing visas of the same classification for current Harvard students ….

By Ingrid Duran, LifeNews – The legal status of abortion across the states is shaped not only by the Dobbs decision but also by a range of additional factors. These include recent state constitutional rulings interpreting abortion as a protected right; the passage of laws aimed at safeguarding unborn life; ongoing litigation challenging or defending those laws; and the implementation of so-called “shield laws.” These are laws designed to protect abortion providers who reside in abortion-friendly states who prescribe abortions pills in states where abortion is almost entirely proscribed.

By John Grondelski, National Catholic Register – Next to Easter and Christmas, Pentecost is the Church’s most important feast. That’s true not just for the liturgical calendar, but for our spiritual lives. Christmas marks Christ’s coming in the flesh, “for us and for our salvation.” Easter marks Christ’s triumph over sin and death — none of us must be damned unless we freely want to be. Pentecost marks Christ’s sending of his Spirit to enable his Church to carry on his work of salvation — of turning people from sin and to God — until he “comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”

By Joshua Monnington, The Federalist – Fathers are some of the hardest people to buy gifts for. Ask them what they want, and they don’t know. They finally figured out something they wanted, but it’s too late for you to gift it — they already went out and bought it, again. Deep down inside, you just want to get the dad in your life a gift that will match his masculinity and not send him digging for the receipt. The bad news is that there’s no foolproof list; the good news is that this is (pretty much) as close as it gets.

By Eduardo J. Echeverria, The Catholic Thing – In light of Pope Leo XIV’s statement that the family is founded on the “stable union between a man and a woman,” the responses of the critics and boosters of the late Pope Francis’s view of conjugal marriage are striking. The former imply that Leo’s view of conjugal marriage as the two-in-one flesh union of a man and a woman reaffirms what Francis had denied, and the latter defend the continuity between Francis and Leo on marriage… On the one hand, the critics are wrong.

By John Daniel Davidson, Sr. Editor, The Federalist – But now eugenics is making a comeback thanks to Peter Thiel-inspired libertarian tech-bros who have, no kidding, rebranded it “preventative medicine.” This week, a company called Nucleus Genomics, a genetics testing startup founded by a 25-year-old named Kian Sadeghi, unveiled a new product called Nucleus Embryo that allows parents to screen embryos created through IVF… before deciding which to implant and which to discard… But calling it “preventative medicine” is just a bit of lazy legerdemain. It doesn’t change the fact that Nucleus Embryo is nothing more than a hi-tech form of eugenics — screening the unborn for “desirable” traits like IQ and snuffing out those deemed undesirable or unfit.

By Peter Wolfgang, Catholic Culture – It’s happening sooner than I expected. Way sooner. I thought the 2028 Republican presidential primaries would be the time to work all this out. But this thing is going down right now… I’m talking about the very public falling out between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I never expected that relationship to last four years. No one did. But I didn’t expect it to blow up this soon. ….

By Brad Mattes, LifeNews – New evidence shows a widescale coverup regarding the dangers of chemical abortion pills… A new peer-reviewed study by Charlotte Lozier Institute examined nearly 29,000 visits to emergency rooms by women who within 30 days had undergone either a surgical or chemical abortion… The research revealed widespread miscoding of these ER visits. Women who were suffering serious effects of chemical abortion were often coded as having a miscarriage.

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – In this first month of his pontificate, Leo XIV has already provided us with many indications of what we can expect from his leadership. Those Catholics (and non-Catholics) who hoped for dramatic change will probably be disappointed. On balance, that’s a good thing… When the conclave began, some Catholics were hoping for one sort of dramatic change: a quick reversal of the radical policies wrought by Pope Francis. Others wanted the opposite: an acceleration down that same path of radical change.

By Joannie Watson, Integrated Catholic Life – In a Church known for its “smells and bells,” one of the best smells is sacred chrism. From the heads of little babies to the palms of new priests, this rich-smelling sacramental reminds us that a transformation has taken place… Throughout the Old Testament, there are three different groups that are anointed: priests, prophets, and kings. In addition to being a sign of abundance and joy (see Psalm 23:5), anointing was a sign of consecration. In Leviticus, Moses anoints the tabernacle, the altar, and the instruments in the tent of meeting, and also anoints his brother Aaron ….

By Anne Morse, The Stream – The Second World War had raged in Europe for five years, with Nazi Germany invading and destroying one country after another, slaughtering tens of millions, soldiers and civilians alike. When news of the long-awaited invasion (Allied forces had landed on the beaches of Normandy, beginning the invasion of Nazi-occupied France) came over the radios of American parents, wives, siblings, and children, they immediately began to pray… “The reaction of many Americans, whenever they found out what was happening that day, was to attend religious services.” …

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine – As necessary as the evangelical imperative is to the life of the Church, since without it the Gospel withers and dies, it is not enough simply to proclaim the Good News. For all that the world needs to hear the message of Jesus Christ, merely doing so does not exhaust the possibilities of bringing Christ to the world. There is another way, which is not at variance with planting the Gospel seed one row at a time but entirely complementary to sharing Christ with others. And that is to engage the larger dimension of human culture, which is the effort to give public expression to the things we believe.

By Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Catholic Register – While in university, I would drink every Thursday night with Norm Peterson. Millions of people did, the Cheers character whose name everybody did know… When George Wendt, the actor who played Norm, died recently, people of a certain generation remembered a comfortable, if not inspiring, presence. Norm had a job he didn’t like (accounting) and a wife he avoided (Vera), but he did have friends in a neighborhood pub (Cheers) in Boston where everybody did know his name.

By Anthony Esolen, The Catholic Thing – Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte has made news with his order, if I may be permitted a metaphor, that the Vetus Ordo be celebrated only in a certain broom closet in Swannanoa. It seems also that he was about to ban some of the features of the TLM that tradition-minded people who attend the Novus Ordo favor, such as kneeling to receive the Sacrament, or facing the Risen Christ as we pray ad orientem.  After the uproar about the latter – not the former, Martin has backed away, assuring people that there will be no big changes – until at least October.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 21:15-19 – 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” ….

By Christopher Wells, Vatican, News – (Cardinal Seán O’Malley) was speaking on the eve of an audience with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday with members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors… Following that audience on Thursday morning, the Commission issued a statement noting that the audience, its first with Pope Leo,  lasted an hour and marked a significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewed commitment by the Church to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons.

By Joy Pullmann, Ex. Dir., The Federalist – Returning noncitizen children and noncitizen parents to their countries could save taxpayers hundreds of billions, especially in state budgets… A few simple calculations indicate that as much as one-quarter of U.S. public school enrollment could be anchor babies, meaning children with at least one parent illegally present in the United States. This alone amounts to at least $145.6 billion in public resources diverted from U.S. citizens every year.

By Aliyah Cohen, MRC TV – Meet Skye Tooley, a self-proclaimed “anti-bias educator” who once again made headlines for pushing blatant bias in the classroom… In a recent video, the Los Angeles teacher proudly told followers she’s “indoctrinating” her 5th grade students this Pride Month with lessons on queer icons and Pride flags… Tooley may have been awarded with a Human Rights Award by the California Teachers Association in 2023, but a quick scroll through her feed (and her track record) tells a different story. …

By George Matwijec, American Thinker – If we think about artificial intelligence, it is basically a compilation of human information, written and composed by humans. Do these humans possess bias in their judgments and statements? Absolutely. It only follows that the same bias will most likely occur in artificial intelligence and its pronouncements. On the other hand, I don’t think we should disregard artificial intelligence as a source of information simply due to bias. In that case, we would have to disregard most human knowledge, which has an inborn implicit bias to one degree or another. …

By T. S. Flanders, OnePeterFive – Back in 2023, all orthodox Catholics of good will heard the news of His Excellency, Bishop Paprocki’s condemnation of heresy in one of the most prominent American journals, First Things. This was ostensibly a condemnation of Cardinal McElroy’s brazen challenge to Catholic moral theology in two pieces (here and here) at America—a connection underlined by Bishop Paprocki’s quoting verbatim from the cardinal’s first article. Nevertheless, His Excellency did say shortly thereafter (on Raymond Arroyo) that he did not want to name names, but had European cardinals also in mind.

By Fr. Francesco Giordano, STD, Catholic Exchange – The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands as a testament to the divine love that transcends and penetrates time and circumstance. God is not distant. He is very involved in our lives, in our history. By linking the apparition to St. Margaret Mary and the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, we uncover a profound narrative that speaks to the heart of humanity’s relationship with the divine. In recognizing the metaxy of these events, we see how God’s love continually intersects with human history, inviting us to respond to His heart with our own.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – Usually when I write something, I try to make it unassailable, to nail down and pre-refute each objection I can imagine, so that if the reader isn’t convinced by the end of it, he is at least intimidated into a sullen, reverent silence. I don’t aim to start debates, but I do love to end them… However, this week I am on the road … So instead of my typical columns aimed at settling questions with all the certainty (if not the authority) of the Council of Nicaea, today I’d like to plant just a few intellectual landmines aimed at producing heat, light, and shrapnel. …

By Scott Ventureyra, Crisis Magazine – Peterson, who has notoriously stood aloof from formal religion, found out that mere psycho-spirituality couldn’t stand up to committed opposition to God… Jordan Peterson’s recent appearance on Jubilee’s viral YouTube debate wasn’t just another skirmish in the culture war between belief and unbelief. It revealed something deeper and more unsettling: the ongoing drama of a man caught between archetype and Incarnation, between myth and metaphysical truth. …

By Susan Ciancio, Catholic World Report – Christ’s precious heart—a heart that loves us more than we can ever fathom—longs for us to care for and protect the vulnerable and to treat them as He would… Imagine a crown of thorns surrounding your heart, pressing in on it, piercing it, and causing an almost unbearable pain. Most parents can imagine this. Maybe your child has lost or abandoned the faith or been sick or injured, or maybe he is going through some mental health or physical struggles. All of these things tear at our hearts just like an actual thorn would. …

By Bob Unruh, LifeNews – There was a court case that challenged the approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the use of mifepristone, the abortion drug that is widely used as a replacement for surgical abortions… The Supreme Court ruled that the drug should be available, but the ruling was on very narrow grounds, and was based only on the court’s claim the pro-life physicians who brought to challenge didn’t show they had been harmed personally because it would be others who actually used the drug… Now there’s going to be a new review of the drug by the FDA itself.

By Msgr. Roger Landry, National Catholic Register – Conventional wisdom in this and previous conclaves was that, because of the prominence of the United States in world affairs, an American cardinal was practically ineligible. That was still the take this conclave, even as many said about Cardinal Prevost that he “checked all of the boxes” the electors would ordinarily look for in a pontiff — he spoke five languages; served in the missions in Latin America for 22 years; regularly traveled the globe during his 12 years as leader of the Augustinians; served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, helping Pope Francis select bishops in non-missionary countries; served on the board of many other departments in the Roman Curia, making him keenly aware both of the issues facing the Church globally as well in the Vatican; and was 69, so that his projected papacy wouldn’t be too long or too short. ….

By Franciscan Media – In the 12th century in the French region of Premontre, Saint Norbert founded a religious Order known as the Praemonstratensians or the Norbertines. His founding of the Order was a monumental tasks: combating rampant heresies—particularly regarding the Blessed Sacrament, revitalizing many of the faithful who had grown indifferent and dissolute, plus effecting peace and reconciliation among enemies.

Patriot Post – “Foreign influence is truly the Grecian horse to a republic. We cannot be too careful to exclude its influence.” —Alexander Hamilton (1793)

By Thomas V. Mirus, Catholic Culture – In his new book Mysticism, Magic, and Monasteries, Catholic philosopher Sebastian Morello promotes so-called “Hermetic magic”* as an important part of the spiritual revival of Western civilization… How can a Catholic possibly promote magic as an integral part of the faith? Watch Morello try: The Western world has always believed in magic. It has always held that curses exist and that they can be placed on people, animals, fungi, and inanimate objects. And the Western world has always held that such curses can be banished by special words, special objects, and special concentration, which in that order it has been content to call “blessings,” ….

By Madalaine Elhabbal, CNA News – Pope Leo XIV spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call Wednesday afternoon… “The pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said in a statement… Bruni told members of the press that the Holy Father appealed to the Russian leader about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and advocated for the facilitation of aid into affected areas. …

By James Mortensen, MRC TV – Two alleged cartel members and one person wanted by Interpol for murder in Honduras were among at least 80 people arrested in a raid operated by U.S. ICE, the DHS, state and local law enforcement last weekend at the Alamo, an unlicensed nightclub in Summerville, South Carolina… (after receiving noise complaints etc. police).. would involve ICE upon reports of trafficking, narcotics, and weapons within the nightclub… Among the 80 individuals arrested, 72 were illegal immigrants, the others were arrested on other charges, such as assaulting an officer.

By John Willson, Imaginative Conservative – The irony of the prosperous decade of the 1950s is that the most popular person on the most visible proof of that prosperity—television—was a Catholic Bishop: “America’s Bishop,” Fulton J. Sheen, who rejected feel-good, dishwater Christianity and instead boldly proclaimed the truth to his audience, 70% of whom were non-Catholic.

By Eric Sammons, Crisis Magazine – That wasn’t my only concern. I think Barron downplays the problems in the Church significantly and unreasonably exalts Vatican II. Further, while I believe that Barron is orthodox in his beliefs, he skirts the line far too closely when it comes to the salvation of all souls, a tendency he shares with his hero Hans Urs von Balthasar. In an age when most people think everyone except Hitler goes to heaven and so there’s no point in following moral rules or the Church’s teachings in general, I don’t think it’s helpful to have a popular bishop speak as if he agrees with that sentiment.

By Joachim Osther, The Stream – Over the last few days, we’ve seen an immense escalation in the Ukraine/Russia war. In fact, some people are describing it as “Russia’s Pearl Harbor.”… Ukraine deployed drone swarms hidden in containers on large transport trucks. Once inside Russian territory, the swarms disabled several Tu-95 Russian bombers — planes that are integral to Russia’s strategic nuclear deployment capabilities… While the Ukrainian Security Service claimed to have hit 34% of Russia’s 55 bombers capable of carrying nuclear-armed cruise missiles, the actual number may be lower; independent news sources indicate only 7% to 11% of Russia’s nuclear-capable fleet was damaged.

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – Biden’s border legacy isn’t just policy—it’s a demographic earthquake that will rattle America’s foundation long after he’s gone… The spiteful open-borders legacy of Joe Biden will plague America for generations to come, long after the former president is a fading bad memory. Somewhere between 10-12 million foreign nationals are believed to have entered the U.S. illegally under his watch, to add to the existing 12-20 million illegal aliens… Almost all were unaudited… They stormed the border for four years without background checks of the sort that American citizens must undergo to purchase a firearm or take out a loan. …

By Charles Collins, Crux, (Catholic Herald) – Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics not to delay the pursuit of their faith while also cautioning them about succumbing to the indignities of more aggressive forms of capitalism during his Wednesday General Audience… He was speaking about the parable on the labourers in the vineyard that Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew, when the landowner hires people at different hours of the day but still gives them all the same wages.

By Nancy Flanders, Live Action – Live Action publicly released a memo Tuesday regarding in vitro fertilization (IVF), urging the Trump administration to focus on treating infertility as a chronic disease, finding true treatments for its underlying causes rather than using the band-aid approach of IVF… The memo has been in the hands of the Trump administration for months, encouraging them to halt plans for increasing access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to instead turn toward actually healing infertility as the goal. …

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register – A significant early challenge for Pope Leo XIV will be how he chooses to handle the restrictions that Pope Francis placed on the traditional Latin Mass (TLM)… Since Pope Francis issued his apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of Tradition) in July 2021, the freedom to celebrate the pre-1970 Mass has been curtailed — severely in some cases — with the long-term aim of allowing only the new Mass… Cardinals, bishops, priests and many of the laity, including some who do not attend the TLM, have strenuously opposed the restrictions, seeing the clampdown as callous, unjust and needlessly divisive rather than unifying.

By Bishop Donald J. Hying, Simply Catholic – When I was a child, a beautiful picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus hung in my parents’ bedroom. A warm, smiling Jesus lovingly pointed to His heart, pierced and crowned with thorns, in an eternal gesture of invitation. Whenever I looked at that picture, I felt good — embraced, loved, cared for — as if the Lord were inviting me to step into His joy and peace. My mother had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart; every First Friday, we would consecrate our lives anew to His love and mercy. …

By Joshua Mercer, LifeNews – The FBI’s anti-Catholic Richmond memo was distributed to more than 1,000 employees in FBI field offices across the country before it was ever leaked to the public by a whistleblower, according to documents obtained and revealed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, this week… What is more, Grassley found that the FBI had “produced at least 13 additional documents and five attachments that used anti-Catholic terminology and relied on information from the radical far-left Southern Poverty Law Center,” according to a June 3 press release from the senator’s office.

By Serenella Verduchi, Catholic Exchange – We live in an age in which the debate on euthanasia is becoming increasingly heated and widespread in Europe and around the world. It is therefore essential and urgent to reaffirm the values of Catholic doctrine concerning the dignity of human life, the nature of death, and the meaning of Christian hope… Contemporary culture, often influenced by materialistic and individualistic views, tends to see death as an enemy to be defeated at all costs, promoting the idea of a “sweet death” as a form of absolute self-determination.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The Trump administration today has rescinded a rule from Joe Biden that attempted to force ERs to become abortion clinics… Biden tried to use the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) to force hospitals to kill babies in elective abortions. But on Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Biden’s policy has been overturned… In 2022, the Biden administration announced its intention to force doctors to perform abortions under EMTALA.

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – What is a family? That simple question has gotten more challenging to answer in the day and age in which we live, and intentionally so. But why?… The 5th Edition of the American Heritage Dictionary’s first definition offered for “family” is as follows: “A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.” What is tellingly missing from that definition are the terms “father” and “mother.”… The core family — a father, mother, and their children — has formed the definition of family in the human context since the dawn of time. …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 17:11-19 – 11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

By Kate Quiñones, CNA –  A top official at the FDA confirmed on Monday that the organization will conduct a review of the abortion drug mifepristone following several recent studies challenging the safety of the drug… FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said he is “committed” to conducting the review in a June 2 letter addressed to Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who has been an outspoken advocate for reviewing abortion pill safety regulations… “As with all drugs, FDA continues to closely monitor the post-marketing safety data on mifepristone for the medical termination of early pregnancy” ….

By Joy Pullmann, Ex., Dir., The Federalist – Indeed, as I note in my recent book about identity politics, “the federal government had begun hiring people based on race” and demanded the same of its contractors as far back as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency in the 1930s and 1940s. Under Roosevelt, the federal government pioneered the “disparate impact” doctrine today better known as diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. …

Catholic Vote, News Feed – The FBI’s anti-Catholic Richmond memo was distributed to more than 1,000 employees in FBI field offices across the country before it was ever leaked to the public by a whistleblower, according to documents obtained and revealed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, this week… What is more, Grassley found that the FBI had “produced at least 13 additional documents and five attachments that used anti-Catholic terminology and relied on information from the radical far-left Southern Poverty Law Center,” according to a June 3 press release from the senator’s office.

By Sumantra Maitra, The American Conservative – Two years on, the dynamic remains similar. A day before the peace delegations were supposed to meet in Istanbul, the Ukrainians did one of the most daring special-ops in the history of modern warfare. Truck-borne small drone swarms attacked the Russian strategic bomber fleet deep in Russia. The news is fluid, but what we know so far suggests that this operation was apparently planned for over a year. The Ukrainians did not involve the Americans in planning, nor did they inform Americans before the attack. …

Franciscan Media, June 4 – Blessed Angeline founded the first community of Franciscan women other than Poor Clares to receive papal approval… Angeline was born to the Duke of Marsciano near Orvieto. She was 12 when her mother died. Three years later, the young woman made a vow of perpetual chastity. That same year, however, she yielded to her father’s decision that she marry the Duke of Civitella. Her husband agreed to respect her previous vow.

By David G Bonagura, Jr., The Catholic Thing – “Political problems,” wrote Russell Kirk, “at bottom, are religious and moral problems.” In other words, our beliefs and morals shape our politics, not the other way around. Beneath every hotly contested political topic of today or yesteryear – immigration, tariffs, welfare, health care, DEI, the Cold War, supply-side economic theory, segregation, slavery, westward expansion, independence from Britain – lie beliefs that shape the approach and policy. There is no such thing as a “neutral” politics devoid of prior beliefs and principles.

By Aliyah Cohen, MRC TV – Walk into Target this June, and instead of LGBTQ baby clothes or “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for minors, you’re hit with a wave of red, white, and blue. Flags. Fireworks. Father’s Day. The 4th of July — a whole month early… The historic backlash on Target’s 2023 Pride Month merchandise collection was no joke. According to Fox Business, the company lost over $9 billion in market value and saw its first sales decline in six years. …

By Sarah Cain, Crisis Magazine – Thus, the commands of the bishop become expressions from outside of the larger body and universal tradition of the Church. They form a diocese that reflects the iron hand of one man’s preferences. The proposed norms are rigid enough to dictate almost every motion by priests, ironically under the guise of openness… Such dictatorialism denies that a pastor might have well-contemplated reasons for his choices. St. Gregory the Great insisted in Pastoral Rule that the priest must be rooted in what might be called “contemplative dignity,”….

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – It’s June. You know what that means, right? It means it’s the month of the Sacred Heart, of course!.. Unfortunately, some of my readers will have thought to themselves, with sorrow, “It’s Pride month.”… I don’t blame those who did. That’s how effective the architects of the culture of death are. You have to hand it to them: they are extraordinarily adept at twisting language, using the tools of modern marketing to transform society at the most fundamental level… However, just because the wider society is celebrating so-called “Pride” month, doesn’t mean that we cannot do our own part …

By Pope Leo XIV, Catholic World Report – …the Church tells us that today’s world needs the marriage covenant in order to know and accept God’s love and to defeat, thanks to its unifying and reconciling power, the forces that break down relationships and societies… For this reason, with a heart filled with gratitude and hope, I would remind all married couples that marriage is not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman: a love that is total, faithful and fruitful (cf. SAINT PAUL VI, Humanae Vitae, 9). This love makes you one flesh and enables you, in the image of God, to bestow the gift of life.

By Clifford Angell Bates, Jr., Chronicles – The rule of law has long stood as a pillar of liberal constitutional democracy—a commitment to neutral adjudication, impartial justice, and political fairness. Neutrality of this kind lends legitimacy to a regime of laws as opposed to one of mere men. Yet in recent years, particularly under the aggressive strategies of the progressive left, a dangerous transformation has occurred. The law is no longer a matter for maintaining order or resolving disputes. It has become a weapon—“lawfare”—wielded not for justice but for victory. Under the guise of legality, the left has harnessed the institutions of justice to pursue their political enemies ….

By Jack Rigert, Catholic Exchange – In a world increasingly confused about the meaning of love, identity, and commitment, the Church lifts up marriage not merely as a cultural tradition, but as a divine and sacred reality. Marriage is a sacrament—a visible sign instituted by Christ that communicates grace. But it is more than that: as Pope St. John Paul II taught, marriage is the “primordial sacrament”—the original sign through which God’s plan for humanity was made visible from the very beginning.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 17:1-11 – 1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; 5 and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. ….

By Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, The Catholic Thing – Conclave 2025 was not, by historical standards, exceptionally short. But it was short. It was the third straight Conclave to conclude on its first full day. Is that a cause for concern?… No one really knows except those who were in the Sistine Chapel. They are sworn to secrecy. Only Pope Leo XIV is completely free to ask them about their experience, and only the Holy Father can make any necessary modifications in future Conclave practice. It’s too early to be thinking about the next Conclave, but it would be advisable for Leo to take informal soundings now, while memories are still fresh, even if there is no urgency to act.

By John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist – Europe’s political class has turned its back on the people it was supposed to protect. The people have taken notice… Over the weekend, a conservative Polish historian named Karol Nawrocki, backed by the Law and Justice opposition (and President Trump), narrowly won the Polish presidential election. For the European political establishment, Nawrocki’s victory was a catastrophe — a harbinger of right-wing fascism looming over the continent… Why? Because Nawrocki campaigned against the mass immigration policy of Brussels while promoting conservative Catholic values and Polish nationalism.

By Peter M.J. Stravinskas, Catholic World Report – By now, many readers will have heard about the draft liturgical policy, “‘Go In Peace, Glorifying the Lord By Your Life’: A Pastoral Letter on the Celebration of the Liturgy”, produced by Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte, and the firestorm it has ignited… At the outset, I want to clarify a few points. First, the document on which I shall reflect is a draft text; second, Bishop Martin presented it to a subcommittee of the Presbyteral Council for their comments; third, this text was subsequently leaked to the public.

By Franciscan Media, June 3 – One of 22 Ugandan martyrs, Charles Lwanga is the patron of youth and Catholic action in most of tropical Africa. He protected his fellow pages, aged 13 to 30, from the sexual demands of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga, and encouraged and instructed them in the Catholic faith during their imprisonment for refusing the ruler’s demands… Charles first learned of Christ’s teachings from two retainers in the court of Chief Mawulugungu. While a catechumen, he entered the royal household as assistant to Joseph Mukaso, head of the court pages. …

By P. Gardner Goldsmith, MRC TV – The University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Medicine announced on May 30 that, in compliance with a January Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump, it will “remove access to puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for individuals under the age of 19,” marking a significant change in policy and procedure and handing a pyrrhic victory to Americans who believe in conservative values and the original intent of the Founders who wrote the U.S. Constitution.

By Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal – Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended less than two hours after they began on Monday in the wake of a devastating attack by Ukraine against Russia… The talks, which took place in Istanbul, Turkey, are the latest in ongoing efforts by the two neighboring nations and the Trump administration to bring an end to a war that has cost tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars… President Donald Trump has been critical of both countries since he returned to office in January and has recently threatened to walk away from the negotiations. …

By Mark Henry, Crisis Magazine – The mission must be to build an economy that works for the common man and not just the high-tech elites. AI development must prioritize principles of human dignity, meaningful work, and community sustainability. Anything less risks building a future in which people are mere cogs in the soulless machine they created rather than wise and faithful stewards of the knowledge and wisdom God has entrusted to us… May Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate mark a new chapter in the Church’s mission to clearly illuminate the issues of modern life with the light of eternal truths. And may America, guided by faith and reason, seize this moment to virtuously lead the AI revolution to serve humanity and advance the common good.

By Mark Swanson, Newsmax – The Department of Education announced Monday that the month of June will now be recognized as “Title IX Month,” commemorating the 53rd anniversary of the federal civil rights measure being signed into law while highlighting how the previous administration undermined efforts to protect girls and women under the law… Title IX Month replaces Pride Month celebrated by the Department of Education under former President Joe Biden, who in 2022 declared June LGBTQ Pride Month. From there, Biden’s DOE Pride Month celebrations focused on gender ideology, critical race theory, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

By Ireland Owens, The Stream – A host of American corporations are backpedaling from their involvement in gay pride events this year amid the Trump administration’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across the country… A growing number of reports show that organizers of major gay pride parades and festivals across the U.S. are scrambling for funds due to several longtime corporate sponsors scaling back their support of LGBTQ events. Some scholars explained to the Daily Caller News Foundation that news of companies pulling back from pride events may reflect a broader shift away from DEI in corporate America.

By Msgr. Charles Pope – The Feast of the Ascension is often neglected today. It is tucked into a nearby Sunday, it’s role as the fortieth day, jettisoned. But even in those places that still honor it with a Thursday Solemnity, there is still a difficulty in appreciating the full glory of that day. In this post, following the Scriptures and the teaching of some of the ancient Fathers of the Church, we can investigate some of the more hidden glory of this magnificent event… The fundamental source for these reflections is Jean Cardinal Danielou’s book The Angels and Their Mission: According to the Fathers of the Church. …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 16:29-3329 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure! 30 Now we know that you know all things, and need none to question you; by this we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. ….

By Randy Hain, Integrated Catholic Life – I remember a particularly poignant question my younger son asked me once during a visit from his grandfather. On the Saturday afternoon of my dad’s visit, my son and I were throwing the baseball outside while my father was taking a short nap in his room.  I can always tell when one of my boys has something on his mind. So I probed and asked him if everything was all right.  He responded with, “Dad, remember when we talked about what it means to be successful a few weeks ago?  Is Papa successful?”

By Franciscan Media, June 2 – Marcellinus and Peter were prominent enough in the memory of the Church to be included among the saints of the Roman Canon. Mention of their names is optional in our present Eucharistic Prayer I… Marcellinus was a priest and Peter was an exorcist, that is, someone authorized by the Church to deal with cases of demonic possession. They were beheaded during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. …

By Antonia Salzano and Andrea Acutis, Catholic Exchange – I remember an event from that last summer we spent in Santa Margherita Ligure. After dinner, while Carlo was finishing his summer vacation homework, we received a phone call. It was one of his female friends. Carlo, wanting to be discreet and not disturb me [Antonia] as I worked, stepped aside. But despite this, I could hear his words clearly. So, without wanting to, I overheard him. I had never eavesdropped on other people’s conversations. And I’m not a nosy mother. But that evening, overhearing what he said was unavoidable.

By Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness – The left cries “dictatorship” while wielding the courts, agencies, and media to undermine laws, crush dissent, and call it democracy… The left is in its usual sanctimonious but schizophrenic mood… The media claims daily that the Trump administration has usurped power. It is supposedly destroying democracy. It tramples on the rule of law and thus has created a virtual dictatorship… Yet at the same time, Democrats high-five the most recent district court judge who has put a stop to the current Trump executive orders—which the Trump administration abides by as it files appeals. …

By  Hank Berrien, DailyWire – “The requests were suspicious when the impersonator began asking questions about Trump that Wiles should have known the answers to.”… Someone is impersonating President Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, in texts and phone calls — and the FBI is investigating… Wiles, who is the first female chief of staff  in U.S. history, has revealed contacts were hacked from her personal, not her government, cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported. Other top officials in the Trump administration were contacted via the fake identity.

By Francesca Pollio Fenton, CNA – Over the centuries, many people have asked: “What did Jesus look like?” A new documentary attempts to answer this question… “The Face of Jesus” examines two acheiropoietic images of Christ — the Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello, both believed to be divinely created — as well as the Vilnius image of the Divine Mercy, one of the most extraordinary hand-painted depictions of Jesus… Jaroslaw Redziak, the film’s producer and director, spoke to CNA about the inspiration behind the documentary and his hope that viewers, when they view these images, will come to see just how much Jesus loves them.

By Adam Lucas, The Stream – While it is understandable and even laudable to be excited about the recent election of a new pope, those feelings should not be based on who we think he will be or not be… Papal conclaves are a big deal. The one that elected Pope Leo XIV was only my third, as it was for everyone just shy of 50 years old. And, barring tragedy for either Pope Leo or myself, I only have maybe two or three more… A papal conclave is the kind of major event a person only experiences a handful of times in their life. Such experiences take on a special significance in part because of the meaning of the event itself—but especially because of their rarity. …

By The Ruth Institute, The Stream – One of the most persistent myths promoted by LGBT advocates is that sexual orientation is fixed and cannot change. Research and clinical experience suggest otherwise. In this 39-minute video, Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse interviews Dr. Floyd Godfrey, a clinical sexologist and Christian counselor with decades of experience helping individuals overcome pornography addiction, unwanted same-sex attraction, and sexualized attachments.

By Grace Porto, LifeNews – The American Center for Law and Justice recently joined 150 pro-life groups that have called on Congress to stop funding abortions… “Since our earliest efforts defending the pro-life advocacy group Operation Rescue—which has helped save countless unborn lives—the ACLJ has remained steadfast in advocating for the rights of the unborn,” the ACLJ stated in a May 28 press release… The release continued that despite the ACLJ’s 35 years of defending the pro-life movement, the fight to protect babies and to defund the abortion industry is far from over.

By Peter Wolfgang, Catholic Culture – “Support for same-sex marriage among Republicans has dropped 14 points in the last 3 years, per Gallup.”… First, it’s not just a partisan thing. It’s a generational thing. Generation Z’s support for same-sex marriage has “plummeted” in recent years… Second, well, consider some of the comments in Metzger’s thread. Says Family Research Council’s Joseph Backholm: People are starting to see the big picture. SSM was sold on the basis that personal happiness is the greatest good. That was never true, but pretending it is has terrible consequences that we are just beginning to experience and come to terms with….

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – The word I hear most from Catholics as we approach the end of the first month under our American-born pope is “relief.” Serious tensions had accumulated within the Church under Pope Francis, who sometimes seemed to be deliberately – or haphazardly – exacerbating divisions. Openness, dialogue, and listening towards liberals well beyond the borders of the Faith, but exclusion, peremptory fiats, and ignoring of traditional Catholics.

By Anthony Blair, New York Post – Ukrainian forces stunned the Russian military Sunday after wiping out and damaging dozens of nuclear bombers and other aircraft with ambitious and complicated attacks that struck President Vladimir Putin’s air bases deep inside the country, Kyiv says… Even pro-Moscow military bloggers are calling the strike — which used drones hidden in trucks  — “the Russian Pearl Harbor.”… The attack came just a day before the leaders of Ukraine and Russia were potentially set to meet in Istanbul as part of US-backed cease-fire talks.

By Gayle Somers, Catholic Exchange – On Ascension Day, Jesus gives His apostles, a group of men singularly lacking in influence, a worldwide mission.  How would they be able to pull this off?… St. Luke tells us that as Jesus prepares to depart from His disciples and be taken up to heaven, He reminds them that God has always had a plan to save the world—a plan which was written in the Old Testament Scriptures over the course of centuries… Many of these prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus’ time on earth, but not all of them. What remained was for God to send His Spirit to renew the earth, long promised in passages like Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 36:26, and Joel 2:28-29. …

By Franciscan Media – By Franciscan Media – The Story of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – This is a fairly late feast, going back only to the 13th or 14th century. It was established widely throughout the Church to pray for unity. The present date of celebration was set in 1969, in order to follow the Annunciation of the Lord and precede the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist… Like most feasts of Mary, it is closely connected with Jesus and his saving work. ….

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 16:23-28 – 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. 24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 “I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. ….

By Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal – America’s top schools need to stop catering to hostile foreign powers looking to infiltrate the United States and focus more on building a talent pool here at home… That’s my take from Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement Thursday that the U.S. will begin aggressively revoking visas for Chinese college students connected to the Chinese Communist Party or who are studying in “critical fields.”

By Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, (Complicit Clergy) – In a move that is going to be heavily scrutinized as it develops, Bishop Michael Martin of the Catholic diocese of Charlotte has decided to finalize the implementation of Pope Francis’s restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass. He is closing down several locations and allowing the celebration in a chapel in Mooresville. …His argument for doing so is that he is just obeying the rules and finalizing a process begun under his predecessor. Which makes perfect sense in a vacuum. But the fact is that many bishops in America seem to have been convinced that the problems these restrictions are meant to fix simply don’t exist in their dioceses.

By Nate Jackson, Patriot Post – MAHA stands for Make America Healthy Again, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s director of the Department of Health and Human Services, is leading the charge. MAHA’s laudable goal is to make progress in addressing the health issues that are adversely affecting millions of Americans. Obesity is rampant, along with an increase in diabetes and other weight-related complications. Autism and attention disorders seem to have exploded, as have asthma, allergies, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.

By Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald – Bioethicists have severely criticised a “truly sinister” government impact assessment of the assisted suicide Bill for focusing on the money that might be saved from doctors helping patients to kill themselves… The Oxford-based Anscombe Bioethics Centre, which serves the Catholic Church in the UK and Ireland, also criticised the government for underestimating the numbers of people who would die from assisted suicide if Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill became law. …

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine – The project of “modernizing” ancient hymns turned into a search for rhyming words, at the cost of original meaning… When editors modernize the language, they invariably screw it up. You can’t turn thee at the end of a rhyming line into you without having to rewrite the whole line it is supposed to rhyme with. You can’t turn leadeth into leads without messing up the meter, so you have to choose another verb entirely or rewrite the line. …

By Brittany M. Hughes, MRC TV – In a 7-2 decision that’s currently making leftists’ heads explode, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to revoke the legal status of nearly half a million migrants that were paroled under a Biden administration program… Thanks to the court’s decision, roughly 500,000 paroled migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, who were granted temporary amnesty under the Biden administration’s “CHNV” program, will have their temporary legal status canceled and will be required either to file for another form of legal status, return to their home country, or stay in the United States illegally and risk forced deportation by Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. …

By Matt Kittle, The Federalist – Tough-talking Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is buddying up with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on an economic sanctions bill aimed at bringing Russia to the negotiating table. Graham says there’s a “new sheriff in town. The old playbook won’t work this time.”… But the old playbook remains sadly in fashion in so many ways in Washington, D.C… Wouldn’t it be swell if Senate Republicans displayed the same level of passion and urgency when it comes to cutting taxes, shrinking government, and protecting our borders? While a lot of Americans agree with Trump that “crazy” Putin may be “playing with fire,” they would like to see their representatives in Washington, D.C., take some interest in pressing matters at home.

By Dr. Kelly Scott Franklin, Catholic World Report – When Mark Twain wrote a novel about St. Joan of Arc, he left us one of the great conundrums of American literature… Twain knew the book would confuse readers who expected his usual fare: when Harper’s Magazine first released installments of the novel beginning in 1895, he insisted it be published anonymously… Today, fans of Twain still find themselves scratching their heads. How did the creator of American icons like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn come to write the life and death of a fifteenth-century French girl? Why would a man with so strained a relationship to Christianity write such an earnest novel about a Roman Catholic martyr?

By Kennedy Hall, Crisis Magazine – The danger of the celebrity priest extends far beyond the obvious danger to the priestly vocation, but in certain cases, a danger to the souls who attach themselves to him… All I know is that I see priests doing stuff with selfies and jump cuts in their videos, basically trying to “Catholicize” the same garbage that people consume to waste their time… The trend of priests acting in this way is bad enough, but there is more to be concerned about. In addition to the proliferation of these priest influencers—many of whom have become strikingly famous—it is clear that various media teams are behind the priests to help them promote their content.

By John Zmirak, The Stream – I’ll never forget my first visit to Seattle, which will likely be my last. As you’re already aware if you’ve been reading The Brew the last few days, Antifa recently attacked a group of Christians gathered at a public worship event — and the mayor defended not the Christians, but Antifa… I was there in 2022 to take part in a forum with Eric Metaxas at the wonderful Westgate Chapel a few miles outside the city. We stayed downtown in the Arctic Club, a lovely relic of more civilized times built by retired polar explorers…

By Daniel Payne, CNA Staff – A lawsuit filed in Wisconsin alleges that an employee of a Catholic Charities affiliate there stole millions of dollars as part of a yearslong scheme involving credit card fraud and fake invoices… Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee said in the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Wisconsin circuit court, that former employee Brandi Ellis “abused her authority and misappropriated millions of dollars” when serving in a variety of financial roles within the organization.

By Franciscan Media – During the Hundred Years War, Joan led French troops against the English and recaptured the cities of Orléans and Troyes. This enabled Charles VII to be crowned as king in Reims in 1429. Captured near Compiegne the following year, Joan was sold to the English and placed on trial for heresy and witchcraft. Professors at the University of Paris supported Bishop Pierre Cauchon of Beauvis, the judge at her trial; Cardinal Henry Beaufort of Winchester, England, participated in the questioning of Joan in prison. In the end, she was condemned for wearing men’s clothes.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 16:20-23 – 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. …

By Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald – Hundreds of woman in America and the UK are planning legal action after a contraceptive jab left them at risk of developing potentially lethal brain tumours… A study in France revealed last year that injections of medroxyprogesterone, marked under the brand name Depo-Provera, made if five times more likely for a woman to suffer from meningioma, a type of non-cancerous growth… A lawsuit was launched last week in Florida by 400 American victims of the drug, with about 200 women in the UK ….

By Cailey Myers, LifeNews – Today, American Principles Project (APP) released a report highlighting Planned Parenthood’s alarming shift into the nation’s leading provider of sex-change procedures for young adults, all while collecting more than $700 million in tax dollars a year. The report reveals Planned Parenthood’s reckless approach to push transgender treatments, often without medical oversight or mental health evaluations, as they simultaneously push radical gender ideology on our children through its extensive sex education programs. …

By Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas, The Catholic Thing – In these last days of May, we pray the novena to the Holy Spirit (May 30-June 7), in preparation for Pentecost. And it’s useful to reflect on what the Holy Spirit did for the Blessed Virgin Mary, making her both Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church.  By this approach, we cap our honoring of Mary during her month of May. We honor the Holy Spirit, and we honor also all Christians who have taken seriously the work of the Holy Spirit after the example of Mary.

By Zelda Caldwell, Sr. Writer, National Catholic Register – With a plan for expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) expected from the Trump White House any day, some analysts are hopeful that the initiative will give a boost to a growing field of medicine that seeks to address the root causes of infertility… During the 2024 presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump vowed to make IVF free to Americans amid backlash to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that recognized the personhood of human embryos. ….

By Charles Coulombe, Crisis Magazine – Then, after record conversions recorded in many countries at the Holy Saturday vigil, Pope Francis died on Easter Monday; a frankly unpleasant and divisive pontificate came to an end. On May 8, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope as Leo XIV. Eight days later, in White Castle, Louisiana, Nottoway, the largest antebellum plantation home in the southern United States, burned to the ground. May 20 was the 1,700th anniversary of the opening of the Council of Nicaea. Disparate as all these events are, they each have a significance that is not unrelated to the others. …

By Brittany M. Hughes, MRC TV – Just one day after Trump posted to Truth Social that he is considering pulling federal funding from the Golden State over their refusal to comply with his executive order mandating athletes be allowed to compete on sports teams according to their biological gender, the California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees high school sports, announced a new “pilot entry process” that would allow any “biological female” athlete who lost her spot at a competition to a biological boy the “opportunity to participate” in the event anyway.

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – As I recently mentioned in an email to colleagues, I know that I have the liturgical sensibilities of a mouse. The Liturgy has never been, for me, something that I thought I was supposed to enjoy. When I consider the laws of the Church, I notice that one of those laws is to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. Because I understand what the Mass is, I regard this as a very minimal requirement, and in fact it is extremely rare that I fail to turn up at Mass on all seven days of the week.

By Chris Jackson, Hiraeth In Exile, (Blog) – They’re coming for kneeling, for chant, for Latin, for beauty, for tradition in any form… For decades, Catholics attached to tradition were told to settle down, blend in, and be grateful for the reverent Novus Ordo. “You don’t need the old rite,” they said. “Just find a good parish with chant, Latin, incense, and ad orientem worship. That’s perfectly allowed.”… Now we see the truth: they were buying time. The wrecking ball isn’t stopping at the 1962 Missal. It’s coming for every expression of sacred continuity. …

By Father David Nix, Padre Peregrino Hermitage Blog – I tell this little vignette now for a reason. Among traditionalist Catholics, there has been a range of reactions to the events in Rome in 2025, similar to 2013. Some are enthusiastic; some cautiously optimistic; others anticipate a de facto Francis II, papered over with vestments and a little Latin. Time will tell what actually happens… we are well aware of our powerlessness to do anything about it except to endure. We wonder if, in fact, we personally have the power to endure… If you’re suffering from Pope-xiety, these practices will help.

By Brooke Stanton, The Federalist – Advancing the Life at Conception Act isn’t about ending abortion today. It’s about ending science denial now. The act is a clarion call for Congress to affirm the empirical truth about when a human being begins to exist, aligning law with reason and biology. Until the U.S. explicitly rejects abortion’s distorted vision of humanity, the knowledge gap about humankind will widen, and public opinion will drift further from reality. Anything less than advancing this bill is a vote for confusion over clarity, politics over principle.

By Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal – Trust in corporate media has disintegrated in recent years and even the most powerful legacy institutions are facing a reckoning… The Washington Post, which is owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (said)… it was laying off a sizable chunk of its staff… “Today, we are announcing that The Washington Post is offering a Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) to news employees with 10 or more years’ service at The Post, as well as to all members of the video department and to all members of the copy desk and sports copy desk,” Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray wrote in a staff memo obtained by Fox News. …

By Gene Thomas Gomulka, American Thinker – The U.S. bishops, together with Pope Francis,​ prided themselves as being pro-life when they got President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of 37 prisoners on federal death row… When he was the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Pope Leo XIV in 2023 declared, “A Catholic cannot truly claim to be ‘pro-life’ by maintaining a stance against abortion while simultaneously advocating in favor of the death penalty.”… Interestingly, neither Pope Francis nor the U.S. bishops were instrumental in getting the sentences commuted for pro-life activists who were arrested for praying and demonstrating at abortion clinics.

By Steve Rupp, LifeNews – Missouri Right to Life welcomes the Missouri Supreme Court Decision on Tuesday, ordering a Jackson County judge to vacate the preliminary injunctions that she had entered earlier this year in which she declared the Missouri abortion ban and all of Missouri’s health and safety regulations unconstitutional under Amendment 3… This decision will save lives of preborn babies and the health and safety of Missouri Women.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 24:46-53 – 46 Jesus said to the Eleven: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.” 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. ….

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine – I
f this were day one in a course on the Theology of Christ, the first order of business would be to issue the following disclaimer, which is that not even the least glimpse into the mystery of Jesus is possible without first answering one very big question. Leave it out and the whole inquiry regarding who He was and the work He came into this world to do would simply implode on the launching pad.

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – With a directive that bans the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in his parishes, and the threat of more detailed instructions barring even modest incorporation of traditional practices, Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina, threatens to re-ignite the bitter “liturgy wars” that divided the Catholic Church in the 1960s and 1970s. Ironically, the bishop explains his policy proposals as a means of fostering greater unity among the faithful… Last week Bishop Martin announced that he would prohibit the use of the traditional liturgy in parish churches to “promote the concord and unity of the Church.”

By Emily Chaffins, Catholic Exchange – The lady spoke. “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same. You received Holy Communion this morning and that is well. But you must do more. Make a general confession and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them . . .

By Elise Ann Allen, Crux – The Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) has announced that Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro, who previously served as chancellor of the academy, meaning its de facto second-in-command, had been tapped as president of the institution, founded by Pope John Paul II in 1994… The announcement follows Pegoraro, an Italian priest, bioethicist and physician, serving as chancellor during an at times tumultuous time for the academy. He replaces Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who had served as president of the academy since 2016 and who has now retired, having reached the age of 80 in April.

By Carl E. Olson, Catholic World Report – “He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”… The inclusion of this statement as one of the twelve articles in the Apostles’ Creed, that early and succinct statement or “symbol” of faith, suggests the great importance of the Ascension. And the Solemnity of the Ascension is one of six great solemnities Catholics are obligated to observe. Yet specific reasons for its significance can be difficult to articulate. After all, we believe Jesus is God, so why be surprised that he would ascend into heaven? …

By John Grondelski, National Catholic Register – Our account of Joseph broke off with his ascension to power in Egypt. Following his interpretation of Pharoah’s dreams about years of plenty and years of famine, Joseph was put in charge of making provision for Egypt’s welfare against those lean years. It was in that context that he and his treacherous brothers again came into contact… The famine that beset Egypt was not limited to that country; it was regional. Its effects were felt in Canaan. Joseph’s planning not only protected Egypt but made it the region’s granary, from which famished people could buy grain.

By Franciscan Media Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat’s Story – The legacy of Madeleine Sophie Barat can be found in the more than 100 schools operated by her Society […]

By Greg Schlueter, Crisis Magazine – In this age of moral preening—where every tribe, every talking head, invokes Jesus Christ as the mascot of their cause—here’s the mic drop no one saw coming: Jesus called people morons… Let’s not sentimentalize or sanitize this. Let’s not mistake it for a clever quip or a throwaway insult. No, in the unflinching light of Matthew 23, Christ—the Incarnate Word, the Author of all goodness, truth, and beauty—looks the most religious men of His day in the eye and calls them μωροί (moroi). Fools. Morons. He does this not to demean but to awaken; not to shame but to judge rightly—and to invite us to do the same.

By Melissa Barreca, Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The Missouri Supreme Court today issued a ruling that could reinstate the state’s abortion safety standards — previously blocked by a lower court—by requiring the case to be reevaluated under a stricter legal standard… The decision effectively blocked abortions in Misosuri, with no abortion businesses able to meet the basic standards, and babies will be protected for now.

By Jonathan Liedl, National Catholic Register – One does not necessarily expect to hear the language of warfare coming from the mouth of Duncan Stroik while discussing sacred architecture… Bespectacled and bow-tied, the renowned church architect cuts the figure of the Yale-educated professor he is far more than any kind of combatant… And yet, the 63-year-old Stroik sees the effort to promote traditional forms of church architecture, a movement that he’s been at the fore of for decades, as a fight of epic significance: of the right understanding of worship against the wrong one, of beauty against mere utility, and of artistic humility against self-aggrandizing pride.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 16:12-15 – 12 “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

By Bishop Joseph Strickland, Video source LifeSite News, (Complicit Clergy) – Bishop Strickland delivers a fiery wake-up call, declaring that the battle between life and death is no longer just outside the Church, it’s within it. Drawing from Scripture and Evangelium Vitae, he exposes the moral collapse behind record-high abortion numbers, the rise of euthanasia, and Catholic institutions partnering with pro-abortion entities under the guise of charity. The faithful must stop compromising, start speaking boldly, and reclaim the Gospel of Life. Silence is no longer an option: truth demands a voice!

By John B. Manos, The Bellarmine Forum (Founded in 1965 as The Wanderer Forum Foundation) – The Diocese of Charlotte’s crisis PR is a case study in what not to do (almost like Cupich’s padlocking a church on Good Friday as “an invitation to pray together”). With standby statements that deflect, dismiss, and dodge, they’ve turned a sensitive issue into a full-blown mess. Alienating the flock and showcasing a bishop who’d rather pass the buck than lead? That’s not crisis management—that’s crisis creation. The tone-deafness is jaw-dropping, and it begs the question: if this is the scrubbed-up public face, how bad must the reality be behind closed doors? Maybe next time, they’ll skip the PR script and try something radical—like actual compassion and charity. ….

By George Parry, The American Spectator – The COVID pandemic was and remains one of the largest involuntary wealth transfers in history. Which is why, in trying to get to the bottom of what was done in the name of saving us from the ravages of the virus, it is best to “follow the money.” For in the law, as in life, the money trail will inevitably lead to the truth… Recall that as the COVID virus spread throughout our panicked nation, our government and its associated medical authorities instructed us to shelter in place… “15 days to flatten the curve” of infections turned into a total lockdown of society that lasted for seemingly endless months. …