The LOOP
The Thursday Loop - July 2, 2026
SSPX ORDAINS FOUR BISHOPS DESPITE SCHISM WARNING
The Society of Saint Pius X consecrated four new bishops yesterday in Écône, Switzerland, proceeding with the ordinations despite Pope Leo XIV's personal appeal to turn back and the Vatican's warning that the act would constitute a schism.
NUN DETAINED BY ICE WALKING TO SUNDAY MASS IN TEXAS
ICE agents detained Sister Leticia "Letty" Ugboaja, a Nigerian Catholic nun who has served as a nurse in the Rio Grande Valley for nearly a decade, as she walked one block to Sunday Mass in McAllen, Texas. She was released later that day after members of Congress from both parties contacted the Department of Homeland Security — though ICE has not publicly explained why she was detained.
NICARAGUA DETAINS 80-YEAR-OLD BISHOP, WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN
Nicaraguan authorities reportedly detained Bishop Emeritus Juan Abelardo Mata of Estelí twice within two days after he prayed publicly at Mass for Nicaragua's persecuted Church and exiled clergy, and his whereabouts remain unknown following the second arrest. The Ortega-Murillo government has previously imprisoned and exiled Catholic bishops, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez, whom Bishop Mata named during his homily.
DOJ TARGETS BIRTH TOURISM AFTER SCOTUS BIRTHRIGHT RULING
Hours after the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship and struck down President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to limit it, the Department of Justice directed federal prosecutors to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of fraudulent birth tourism schemes. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called birth tourism a "booming industry" that would "continue, given the Supreme Court's decision," and the DOJ memo instructs prosecutors to pursue cases using wire fraud, money laundering, and visa fraud statutes.
MURDERED LOYOLA STUDENT'S MOTHER URGES CONGRESS TO END SANCTUARY POLICIES
Jessica Gorman testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee Monday, urging lawmakers to end sanctuary policies she said enabled the March murder of her 18-year-old daughter, Sheridan, a Loyola University Chicago freshman who was fatally shot while walking along the Chicago lakefront. The suspect, a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally and had a prior arrest and outstanding warrant, was reportedly caught and released by Border Patrol in 2023.
COLORADO CLEANING COMPANIES SUED OVER BIAS AGAINST AMERICAN WORKERS
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against several Colorado janitorial firms, accusing them of excluding qualified American and non-Hispanic applicants from at least 2016 to 2022. The agency says the companies favored workers of Latin American origin because they believed those employees would be easier to intimidate and less likely to report unlawful conditions, and then subjected them to threats, seven-day workweeks, denied overtime, and misclassification as independent contractors.
US, IRAN WRAP DOHA TALKS WITH NO DEAL ON FROZEN ASSETS
Indirect U.S.-Iran negotiations mediated by Qatar and Pakistan concluded yesterday with both sides citing progress on implementing last month's ceasefire, but disagreeing over whether they'd agreed to release part of Iran's roughly $6 billion in frozen assets. Iran said the sides agreed to unfreeze about $3 billion for Tehran's central bank to purchase goods rather than receive cash; U.S. officials disputed that any such deal was reached.
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ARMY CAPT SENTENCED FOR DRUGGING GIRLFRIEND WITH ABORTION PILL
Capt. Brandon Jones-Adams pleaded guilty at his June 24 court-martial to intentionally killing an unborn child after secretly placing the abortion drug mifepristone in the drink of his pregnant then-girlfriend, causing her to miscarry at 13 weeks. Army investigators found he'd bought the drug online under a fake name after multiple failed attempts elsewhere. He received the maximum sentence under his plea deal and a dismissal from the Army.
POPE LEO: CHRISTIANS SHOULD MARK 2,000 YEARS OF REDEMPTION TOGETHER
Addressing representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople at the Vatican on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV called on Christians of all denominations to jointly celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Christ's Redemption in 2033. "In an age marked by wars and growing polarization," the Holy Father said, "Christians are called to be a credible sign of peace."
AMERICA 250 PLAYLIST
Zeale's Jessica Nardi put together three playlists to celebrate Independence Day! Check them out here.
CATHOLIC 101
As people from around the world tune into the World Cup, here are the Catholic saints who saw the sport as an opportunity to grow in virtue!
SAINT OF THE DAY
Today, the Church celebrates Saints Processus and Martinian, Roman prison guards who converted after witnessing the faith of Saints Peter and Paul and were baptized by Saint Peter in prison. When their Christian faith became known, they refused to abandon Christ and were martyred under Emperor Nero.
DAILY PSALM
"The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just." (Psalm 19)
DAILY READINGS
Today's Mass readings.
NEW EPISODE
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, Cardinal Raymond L. Burke explains how the Declaration of Independence points to a vision of patriotism rooted in belief in God. Watch the latest episode of The Virtue of Patriotism, only on Zeale. WATCH
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