The LOOP

The Friday Loop - July 24, 2026

GOP REP INTRODUCES BILL TO BLOCK FORCED ABORTIONS IN SURROGACY CONTRACTS

Republican Rep. Andy Ogles announced yesterday he is introducing legislation barring federal courts from enforcing surrogacy contract provisions that force a woman to abort the child she is carrying. CatholicVote CEO and President Kelsey Reinhardt said the proposal, known as the Preventing Forced Abortions Act, would protect vulnerable women and unborn children from being treated “as a means to an end.”

NEW BISHOP ORDAINED IN CHINA AMID QUESTIONS OVER VATICAN-BEIJING DEAL

A new Catholic bishop was ordained this week in China under the Vatican’s controversial agreement with Beijing. Pope Leo appointed Bishop Joseph Chang Yanfeng to lead the Diocese of Chifeng, making him the fourth Chinese bishop ordained or officially recognized during the current papacy. His ordination comes as critics warn that underground Catholics continue to face persecution and increasing state control over religious practice.

CATHOLICVOTE PRESIDENT URGES 'CATHOLIC REALISM' ON IMMIGRATION

Drawing on late Cardinal Giacomo Biffi's warnings about cultural integration, CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt wrote an open letter to U.S. bishops yesterday, calling on them to move beyond invoking human dignity and engage the tougher questions about assimilation, civic values, and national security. Reinhardt argued the harder question is not whether immigrants have dignity — "they do" — but whether every pattern of migration, country of origin, and cultural formation serves the common good.

HOW 'HETEROPESSIMISM' IS TALKING YOUNG WOMEN OUT OF MARRIAGE

In a recent op-ed, two writers explained how a growing cultural pessimism about men and dating — which they called "heteropessimism" — is leading young women to embrace a "cult of Amazonian independence" that, despite its appeal, often leads not to freedom but to loneliness, with data showing unmarried, childless women in their 20s and 30s are nearly three times more likely to report being unhappy than married mothers.

PENNSYLVANIA MEDICAID NOW COVERS ABORTIONS AS STATE APPEALS RULING

Pennsylvania Medicaid program began covering abortions this month after a divided state court struck down a decades-old funding restriction. Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday is appealing the ruling, arguing that his office has a legal duty to defend state law. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case, but taxpayer-funded abortion will remain available while the legal battle continues.

HHS TAPS AI TO SPEED CHRONIC DISEASE, CANCER RESEARCH

The Trump administration says a new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative will use artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate research into chronic disease and pediatric cancer, with the goal of cutting in half the time it takes for medical breakthroughs to reach patients.

OHIO RIGHT TO LIFE PUTS ACTON'S ABORTION RECORD IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Carrie Snyder is pressing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton to clarify whether she supports any limits on abortion, arguing her campaign's abortion stance is out of step with most Ohio voters.

THE CATHOLIC FATHER'S TOOLKIT

Get this curated set of 7 essential prayers every Catholic father should carry — laser-engraved on premium metal cards built to last a lifetime in his wallet. Add an optional personalized engraved wooden case. LEARN MORE

CATHOLIC TEENS FIND 'I'M NOT ALONE' AT VOCATION CAMPS

The Diocese of Scranton gathered 53 high school students this summer for its annual Quo Vadis and Fiat Days vocation camps, where teens spent three days in prayer, daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and vocational discernment alongside priests, seminarians, and religious sisters. "When you surround yourself with people who are just like you and are also sinners but at the same time trying to get closer to God," one attendee said, "you realize, 'I'm not the only one.'"

MINNESOTA DIOCESE TO END SUNDAY MASSES AT 3 RURAL PARISHES

The Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, will end Sunday Masses at three rural parishes in October as it responds to a continuing priest shortage and declining population, with decisions on parish mergers and church buildings still to come.

SICILIAN WATERMELON GRANITA

Served with brioche and whipped cream, this Sicilian ice is the perfect Italian summer treat.

CATHOLIC 101

The Rosary is one of the most beloved prayers of the Catholic faith, but if your kids tend to get distracted during it, here are some hands-on ways to keep them involved.

SAINT OF THE DAY

Today, the Church celebrates St. Charbel Makhlouf, a Lebanese priest and hermit who spent decades in silence, prayer, and contemplation.

DAILY PSALM

"The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock."

DAILY READINGS

Today's Mass readings.

QUOTE

"Begin nothing on earth unless it has its end in heaven; do not walk on a path that does not lead to heaven." - Saint Charbel WATCH & SHARE

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