The LOOP
The Wednesday Loop - June 3, 2026
POPE NAMES EWTN EXEC AS VATICAN COMMUNICATIONS HEAD
Pope Leo XIV has appointed EWTN News President Maria Montserrat Alvarado to serve as the new Vatican prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. Alvarado will be the first laywoman to be prefect of a Vatican dicastery. Aside from her tenure at EWTN – a network known for its fidelity to Church teaching – she has also served in senior roles at the conservative Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
CV THANKS WASHINGTON NATIONALS FOR SWIFT RESPONSE
CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt thanked the Washington Nationals for its public apology over an anti-Catholic scandal, calling it "the right response" in a letter to President of Baseball Operations Jason Sinnarajah. "Anti-Catholicism should be taken seriously wherever it appears, especially in an institution with the public visibility and civic importance of a Major League Baseball franchise in the nation's capital," Reinhardt wrote.
SUPREME COURT ALLOWS GOP-BACKED ALABAMA MAP
The Supreme Court ruled last night that Alabama lawmakers can revert to a GOP-backed congressional map in the upcoming midterm elections – striking down a federal court panel order that blocked the map. The ruling is expected to improve the GOP’s odds of picking up a House seat in the 2026 midterms.
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TRUMP REPORTEDLY CONFRONTS NETANYAHU OVER WARS
During an “expletive-laden” phone call Monday, President Donald Trump reportedly called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “crazy” and blamed his aggression against neighboring countries for growing global hatred of Israel, according to Axios. The Wall Street Journal later confirmed and expanded on the leaked conversation.
COURAGE INTERNATIONAL CITES POPE LEO AGAINST SYNOD REPORT
In a message to supporters, Courage International cited Pope Leo’s encyclical to make a stronger case than ever against a controversial synod report that contained an essay by a so-called “gay Catholic” who attacked the organization. “The beautiful thing about Courage International is that we reject the model of Babel," wrote Courage’s Fr. Brian Gannon.
LAWYER DECRIES TRUMP DOJ 'BETRAYAL' OF RELIGIOUS WORKERS
After the Justice Department filed a brief with the Supreme Court urging it not to review a case brought by New York healthcare workers who were fired for refusing to submit to COVID shots because of their religious beliefs, a lawyer familiar with the case accused the Trump administration of “betrayal.”
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HEAD OF US BISHOPS PRAISES ALVARADO APPOINTMENT
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement welcoming Pope Leo's appointment of Maria Montserrat Alvarado and praising her experience as a Catholic journalist and religious liberty advocate.
EXCLUSIVE UPDATE FROM EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE
Catholics from the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, gathered at a Greensboro parish June 1-2 to take part in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began on Pentecost in St. Augustine, Florida. Zeale News spoke with attendees and caught up with a young "perpetual pilgrim" for insights about the historic ongoing effort to invite Christ into the public square.
NOT TO BE MISSED
Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP:
- Trump has appointed Bill Pulte, chairman of the federally backed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to replace Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
- Trump yesterday promoted his recent executive order targeting U.S. bank accounts tied to illegal immigration, human smuggling, and the drug trade.
- After a May 31 fire damaged the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis, Tennessee, police say they are investigating the incident.
BISHOP: ST. CARLO ACUTIS IS THE SAINT FOR OUR TIMES
Though St. Carlo Acutis lived an ordinary teenage life, his extraordinary charity and devotion to Christ continue to inspire young Catholics around the world, according to a bishop in southwestern England, the country where the saint was born. Here's why Bishop Nicholas Hudson says St. Carlo "is the saint for our times."
CATHOLIC 101
"The Christian life has always been described as a battle — but what does that actually mean, and who are we fighting? Here's a closer look at the Catholic tradition of spiritual warfare.
SAINT OF THE DAY
St. Charles Lwanga and his companions, a group of young Catholic converts, were martyred in Uganda on orders of King Mwanga II for rejecting his homosexual advances.
DAILY PSALM
"To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes." (Psalm 123)
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
NEW EPISODE
Meet the family of Tom Vander Woude, a hero who died in the act of saving his son from drowning. Hear his amazing story of faith and sacrifice on Forgotten USA, exclusively on Zeale.
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