The LOOP
The Monday Loop - April 21, 2025
VICE PRESIDENT VANCE MEETS WITH POPE FRANCIS
Pope Francis briefly met in private with Vice President JD Vance Easter Sunday morning at the pontiff's residence in Vatican City. The two men exchanged Easter greetings, and Pope Francis reportedly gave Vance a Vatican tie, a blessed rosary, and Easter candy for his children. Vance told the Pope, "It's good to see you in better health."
SUPREME COURT BLOCKS TRUMP DEPORTATIONS FOR NOW
The Supreme Court over the weekend issued a surprising order blocking the Trump administration from deporting foreign nationals under the Alien Enemies Act. In a strongly-worded dissent, Justice Samuel Alito decried that the Court had "issued unprecedented and legally questionable relief" in the case "literally in the middle of the night."
FORMER PENTAGON AIDES QUESTION ABRUPT REMOVAL
Three aides who were removed from their roles at the Pentagon last week have raised questions about their abrupt ousters.
EASTER AT THE VATICAN: CARINAL DELIVERS POPE'S HOMILY
A vibrant sea of flowers and more than 50,000 faithful filled St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday as Italian Cardinal Angelo Comastri presided over Mass on behalf of Pope Francis, delivering a message of hope and renewal at the heart of the Catholic world. Here are the highlights of the Holy Father's Easter homily.
COLUMBIA ANTISEMITISM OFFICE ENFORCES 'TRANS' IDEOLOGY
A Catholic doctoral candidate at Columbia University reports that the school’s new Office of Institutional Equity (OEI), founded to help prevent antisemitism, targeted him for expressing online that people cannot change their sex.
POPE FRANCIS' POWERFUL EASTER VIGIL MESSAGE
It's wrong to imagine "that the Lord’s Resurrection resolves everything as if by magic," Pope Francis wrote in an Easter Vigil message. Easter is not an end to all struggles, but offers “little seeds of light that slowly and silently come to take root in our hearts, at times still prey to darkness and unbelief.”
MAHA: A LOOK INTO SEED OILS
Dr. Susan Berry spoke with nephrology expert Dr. Richard Amerling about a primary target of the Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda: seed oils. Many diseases we now think of as normal were not common before the introduction of these oils into the standard American diet, Amerling says.
SO MUCH NEWS
Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP: • Hundreds of colleges are defying Trump by keeping DEI programs. • Our Lady of Lourdes officially has a 72nd healing to her name! • Here's how to get daily meditations till the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
Advertisement
UDALLAS STANDS WITH ALUMNUS BRIAN BURCH
"A man of deep Catholic faith, strong character and genuine prudence, Brian Burch is a truly outstanding selection to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. We look forward to the great work he will perform in this vitally important role, and could not be prouder of him.” - UDallas President Jonathan J. Sanford. Join us in prayer for Brian.
10 YEARS LATER: REMEMBERING CARDINAL FRANCIS GEORGE
As the Church marked the 10th anniversary of Cardinal Francis E. George’s death during Holy Week, biographer Michael Heinlein told CatholicVote about how the late archbishop's life of heroic virtue may offer the Church exactly what it needs today.
THE MEANING OF EASTER MONDAY
On the second day of the Octave of Easter, the Catholic Church observes Easter Monday, also known as the “Day of the Angel,” in continued celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
FAST-GROWING ANNUALS
Spring is here! Did it sneak up on you? Well then, here's a quick way to add some color and beauty to your home: Why not plant some? Check out this list of beautiful, easy-to-plant flowers.
CATHOLIC 101
What is a holy door and where can you find one? This Jubilee Year, Sister Regina Frances Dick explains the importance of the holy door.
SAINT OF THE DAY
On April 21, the Catholic Church honors Saint Anselm, the 11th and 12th-century Benedictine monk and archbishop best known for his writings on Christ's atonement and for authoring a famous proof of the existence of God.
DAILY PSALM
“Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope." (Psalm 16:1)
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
WITNESS
Vice President JD Vance and his family in prayer at the Vatican.