The LOOP
The Wednesday Loop - July 9, 2025
IRS: CHURCHES CAN ENDORSE POLITICAL CANDIDATES
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) clarified this week that churches and houses of worship can openly endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status. The shift is expected to have major implications for future elections, as many pastors who have shied away from endorsements in the past may now feel emboldened to take a stand.
CATHOLICVOTE JOINS CALL FOR FDA TO REVISIT ABORTION DRUGS
CatholicVote joined a coalition of 114 pro-life organizations in a letter urgently calling on federal leaders to restore safety protocols for the deadly abortion drug mifepristone, citing recent research showing serious harms to women.
28 EXECUTIVE ORDERS NOW ENSHRINED IN LAW
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, announced yesterday that the newly signed “Big Beautiful Bill” enshrines 28 executive actions in federal law, meaning some of President Donald Trump's "most significant America First priorities" are now enforceable nationwide. Here's the full list.
SUPREME COURT CLEARS WAY FOR MASS FEDERAL LAYOFFS
The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for the Trump administration to move forward with its sweeping plan to downsize the federal workforce, lifting a lower court’s injunction that had halted layoffs and agency restructuring efforts.
BISHOP FILES POWERFUL BRIEF AGAINST ANTI-CATHOLIC LAW
Bishop Robert Barron filed a brief with a federal court urging it to tear down Washington state’s law compelling priests to violate the seal of Confession. The strongly worded document stated that "absolutely nothing ought to stand in the way of a sinner who seeks this font of grace."
CATHOLICVOTE CALLS ON FOLLOWERS TO UNITE FOR TEXAS VICTIMS
CatholicVote is urging Americans to unite in national prayer and compassion after catastrophic floods in Texas killed over 100 people, including 27 campers and counselors at a Christian summer camp. “In the face of tragedy, our witness as Christians is love — steadfast, self-giving, and unshaken," said CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt.
ECONOMY BOOMS, DEFYING PREDICTIONS OF TRUMP CRITICS
The US job market and economy have defied expectations by becoming larger and stronger amid criticism of Trump’s policies, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here are the numbers!
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LOCAL MUNICIPALITY MAY BUY POPE LEO'S CHILDHOOD HOME
The mayor of the Village of Dolton in Illinois advocated ahead of a pivotal Board vote for the village to purchase the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV. Despite budget concerns, the mayor argued, the prospect of buying and preserving the home is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for the community.
OHIO BISHOP GIVES INSPIRING HOMILY TO PRISON INMATES
Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, offered Mass at a prison June 24, telling inmates in his homily: "God is calling you to bring His light here, to tell others about Jesus and the salvation He offers.”
BONUS NEWS
Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP: • Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. • Denver Catholics are flocking to their cathedral despite major obstacles. • Survey: Half of Polish priests experienced aggression in the last year.
TRUTH & COURAGE AMIDST DECEPTION
Remember "The Emperor’s New Clothes"? We live in exactly that sort of time now. But telling a simple children’s story is far different from living it in real life, because we do care what others think of us. We are afraid to be mocked and ridiculed and socially stigmatized. Well, in an age of deception, we need truth and courage.
CATHOLIC 101
When we pray, we often ask for something. And when we’re asking for something, we often think we know what we need. When that’s the case, we need a big dose of humility added to our prayer. Here’s how that looks in practice, and why humble prayer is the best kind of prayer.
SAINT OF THE DAY
The Church honors the memory of 120 saints killed for their faith in China. Pope Saint John Paul II canonized them in 2000. These holy men, women, and children were martyred between the years of 1648 and 1930. Eighty-seven were from China, while the other 33 were missionaries from abroad.
DAILY PSALM
"Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you." (Psalm 33:22)
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
HISTORIC
This week, a Catholic Mass was celebrated at the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral to mark the Feast of the Translation of his relics — led by the Pope’s representative from the Vatican.