The LOOP
The Friday Loop - February 28, 2025
DOJ RELEASES FIRST TRANCHE OF EPSTEIN FILES
After releasing about 200 unremarkable pages of records concerning the child sex trafficking ring run by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, Trump administration Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that the FBI’s New York field office had defied her orders and withheld thousands more pages.
POPE FRANCIS’ HEALTH CONTINUES TO IMPROVE
“The Holy Father's clinical condition is confirmed to be improving again today,” the Holy See Press Office announced Thursday. He woke this morning after passing the night "calmly," a Friday morning statement said, adding that "further days of clinical stability are needed to clarify the prognosis."
RFK VICTORY: MAJOR FAST FOOD CHAIN STOPS USING SEED OILS
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. congratulated Steak ‘n Shake Thursday for becoming the first major fast food chain in the U.S. to begin replacing seed oils with beef tallow in all its restaurants. Steak ‘n Shake announced that by March 1, all locations “will be RFK’d,” using 100% beef tallow to fry their food.
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NYC MAYOR ADAMS THANKS TRUMP ADMIN FOR MIGRATION POLICIES
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams said this week that the Trump administration is helping him “with the agenda that I stated the previous administration should have been helping me with, and I thank them for helping me with it.”
MAJOR NEWS OUTLET PROFILES NUNS IN EDUCATION USA
Today this week highlighted the contributions religious sisters continue to make in Catholic education, despite the dwindling numbers of sisters in the United States.
A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE FEDERAL BUDGET DEBATE
“Is the current debate over the federal budget a topic of concern for faithful Christians? What wisdom does Christian theology impart upon this messy fiscal process?” Read CatholicVote Senior Political Advisor Steve Cortes’ answers to these questions in this op-ed at RealClearPolicy. READ
SO MUCH NEWS
Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP: • A Pentagon memo orders the removal of “trans” military personnel. • A Catholic Super Bowl champ is inviting men to a conference. • Parents rallied to save a Denver-area Byzantine Catholic school.
PRAYER
Keep up your powerful prayers for Pope Francis!
LEGAL GROUP CALLS FOR PROBE OF DOJ TARGETING PRO-LIFERS
Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society testified this week before a House subcommittee, urging Congress to take definitive action against the Biden administration’s targeting of pro-life advocates.
SUPREME COURT SCHEDULES KEY SCHOOL CHOICE CASE
The U.S. Supreme Court has set a date to hear oral arguments in a lawsuit that centers on the proposed opening of the country’s first Catholic online charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic School.
GRAZING YOUR FLOCK
Here is a reflection on true human togetherness. “Show me, you whom my soul loves, where you graze your flock, where you rest at midday,” says the Song of Songs. This is the rich togetherness we should cultivate in our homes.
CATHOLIC 101
What should you do in an impossible situation? Well, first of all, don’t deny that it’s impossible if it truly is. Sts. John Vianney and Manuel Gonzalez knew that such situations do come up – when no merely human strategy can solve the problem and no mortal strength can push through it. Here’s what these two saintly men did when it seemed impossible to do anything.
SAINT OF THE DAY
Blessed Villana de’Botti (1332-1361) ran away to join a convent at the age of 13, but the nuns sent her back home, where she was forced to marry. She later became a Dominican tertiary. When Villana died, her family waited days to bury her body because of the constant crowd of mourners.
DAILY PSALM
“Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” (Psalm 119:35)
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
ARTWORK
“Saint George and the Dragon” (1432-1435) by Rogier van der Weyden depicts the legend of the great saint slaying an evil dragon to save the life of an innocent princess. VIEW