The LOOP
The Thursday Loop - July 10, 2025
US PLEDGES MORE WEAPONS TO UKRAINE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US envoy Keith Kellogg in Rome yesterday, urging stronger defense support after Russia’s largest aerial assault of the war. The Trump administration pledged to send more weapons and explore expanded joint arms production.
LOCAL PRIESTS CONDEMN ISRAELI SETTLER VIOLENCE IN HOLY LAND
The three priests of Taybeh in the West Bank issued an urgent appeal for justice this week after Israeli settlers reportedly escalated their acts of violence and intimidation against Christians in the Holy Land's only remaining all-Christian town. The priests' powerful letter comes after Jewish settler groups reportedly set fire to the Church of St. George, one of the region's most ancient holy sites.
NEW HOUSING POLICY LETS RENT COUNT TOWARD MORTGAGE APPROVAL
The Trump administration announced Tuesday that Americans can now count on-time rent payments toward mortgage approval — a move expected to expand access to homeownership.
CALIFORNIA DIOCESE WAIVES MASS OBLIGATION AMID ICE RAIDS
Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino issued a dispensation from Sunday Mass and holy days of obligation July 8, citing “genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions” among parishioners. The dispensation follows recent ICE activity near parish grounds.
PRO-LIFERS SLAM PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S LAWSUIT
A top pro-life group criticized Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit challenging the newly enacted “Big Beautiful Bill," which cuts roughly $500 million in taxpayer funding to the abortion industry. “Planned Parenthood’s desperation is showing as they run to the courts again to fix a crisis of their own making,” Kate Daniel of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said.
POPE LEO HONORS CARDINAL BURKE
Pope Leo XIV honored Cardinal Raymond Burke’s 50th priestly anniversary with a personal letter praising his dedication to the Gospel and service to the Church. The unexpected gesture follows changes to Cardinal Burke's official roles under Pope Francis, who removed him from his position as prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in 2014 and reassigned him to a largely ceremonial post.
POPE MEETS WITH ZELENSKYY, OFFERS TO HOST PEACE TALKS
The Pope also met with Zelenskyy at Castel Gandolfo yesterday, reaffirming the Vatican’s support for a just and lasting peace and offering to host negotiations. Zelenskyy thanked the Pope for advocating for the return of children from Russian captivity and invited him to visit Ukraine.
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BISHOPS VOW POLITICAL NEUTRALITY AFTER IRS OKs ENDORSEMENTS
After the IRS said churches can endorse political candidates without losing tax-exempt status, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reaffirmed that the Church does not endorse or oppose political candidates, stating that its role in political discourse remains focused on moral and spiritual formation.
LIFESITENEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EXITS
LifeSiteNews announced that co-founder John-Henry Westen is no longer the company’s CEO and editor-in-chief after a board vote. While speculation swirled online, both the outlet and Bishop Joseph Strickland rejected claims Westen was removed for speaking out on Church issues.
BONUS NEWS
Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP: • The Vatican authorized public devotion at an alleged Slovak Marian apparition site. • Pope Leo celebrated Mass for the "Care of Creation" at Castel Gandolfo. • A pro-life diaper company is mobilizing emergency relief for Texas flood victims.
A CATHOLIC SCHOOL'S FOLK FESTIVAL
A small Catholic high school created a whole folk festival, and faith, music, and local craftsmanship came alive amidst community celebration. And it was truly a folk festival, about the folk, the people - a feast of shared stories, intergenerational joy, and incarnational culture. If a little Catholic school can do it, we can have countless folk festivals enlivening our communities all over the country.
CATHOLIC 101
Saint Augustine wrote about the concept of adulthood, but for him, it was far deeper than a milestone of age or biological development. Adulthood is a deeply Christian concept as well. Here’s what it means, and why we need to continuously strive for this maturity, whether at 18 or 80.
SAINT OF THE DAY
Today the Church celebrates the Martyrs of Damascus — eight Franciscan friars and three Maronite laymen killed in 1860 for refusing to convert to Islam during a wave of anti-Christian violence led by the Druze, an offshoot sect of Shiite Islam. Beatified in 1926, their witness is a powerful testament to faith in the face of persecution.
DAILY PSALM
"Remember the marvels the Lord has done." (Psalm 105:5).
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
DEVOTION
This is Mount Zvir — the Slovak apparition site now authorized for public — where Mary reportedly appeared in the ’90s with messages about the path to Heaven.