OHIO AMENDMENT WOULD HELP PREDATORS;SECRET SERVICE SCRUTINIZED OVER WHITE HOUSE COKE;2024 CANDIDATES BLAST CDC OVER ‘CHESTFEEDING’ GUIDANCE;PRO-LIFE TEENS ABRUPTLY CUT FROM PARADE

 

SATURDAY, JULY 8       POPE FRANCIS HAND-PICKS CONTROVERSIAL SYNOD DELEGATES  The Vatican press office published a list on Friday of 363 delegates from around the world who will participate in the Synod on Synodality this October at the Vatican. In addition to the delegates already chosen by the U.S. Bishops, Pope Francis hand-picked his own choices from among America’s clergy, including Cardinals Blase Cupich, Wilton Gregory, and Robert McElroy, and Fr. James Martin, founder of “Outreach,” an LGBTQ organization recently featured in an exposé by CatholicVote.  READ       OHIO AMENDMENT WOULD HELP PREDATORS  A man recently received a life sentence for raping a nine-year-old Ohio girl, and pro-life advocates are pointing out that a Democrat-backed ballot measure could help future attackers get away with such horrible crimes. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio is backing an amendment that would ban informing parents ahead of the abortion of a baby conceived as a result of their child being raped.  READ       SECRET SERVICE SCRUTINIZED OVER WHITE HOUSE COKE  House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-KY, is calling on the head of the U.S. Secret Service to give Congress more information about the bag of cocaine found inside the White House in recent days. "This alarming development requires the Committee to assess White House security practices and determine whose failures led to an evacuation of the building and finding of the illegal substance," Comer stated.  READ        2024 CANDIDATES BLAST CDC OVER ‘CHESTFEEDING’ GUIDANCE  Top candidates vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination are weighing in on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s promotion of “trans women” (men who claim to be women) “chestfeeding” infants. “This is not science. This is a social contagion of a mental health epidemic that the federal government is pushing,” said candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Read more reactions here.  READ       PRO-LIFE TEENS ABRUPTLY CUT FROM PARADE  The committee for the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan, revoked prior approval for a group of pro-life teens to march in the Cherry Festival Community Royale parade less than 24 hours before the parade began. Organizers cited a “clerical error” as an excuse for the removal of the group.  READ             STATE DEPT RELEASES AFGHANISTAN REPORT  The State Department has released an “After Action Review on Afghanistan” nearly two years after the Biden administration's catastrophic military withdrawal from that country. “It’s just shameful, and starting with the timing of the release, they dropped it on the afternoon of the Friday before the Fourth of July, which is just a naked attempt to bury it, to not have anybody pay attention to it,” said Victoria Coates, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation.  READ       VA GUV REMOVES ‘LGBT YOUTH’ MATERIALS  Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Department of Health removed a list titled “National Resources for LGBT Youth” from its website shortly after an inquiry from The Daily Wire. The list previously included a “social justice website” for children called “Queer Kid Stuff” and an anonymous chat site for minors. Youngkin followed up the removal of the materials with a statement reaffirming his commitment to parental rights.  READ       STUDY: CONTRACEPTIVES AND DEPRESSION  Oral contraceptives can increase risk of depression by up to 130% for those who begin use during their teenage years, according to a new UK-based study. The study also found that those who began taking oral contraceptives after the age of 20 still saw a 92% increased risk of experiencing depression.  READ       UK TOWN REJECTS ‘NET-ZERO’ AGENDA  A city council in the United Kingdom has roundly rejected a major progressive “green” initiative taking hold across much of Europe. In a viral video, members of the Green Party-led Glastonbury Town Council say they want no part of the “15-minute city” movement. “We represent the people of Glastonbury,” said one. “If the people of Glastonbury don’t want 15-minute cities, then we represent that, don’t we?”  READ       CV EXPLAINER: WHAT’S A SYNOD?  As the preparations for the October meeting of the Synod on Synodality begin, many are confused. What is a synod? And how is it different from a Church council like Vatican II? Why are people so concerned about this synod? Read on!  READ     LOOPCAST  In honor of Independence Day, the LOOPcast team talks about the best and worst presidents, why Tom loves Mel Gibson’s "Patriot," and how Josh would amend the Constitution. Happy birthday, ‘Merica!  WATCH         EMBARRASSING MY DAUGHTERS  Dr. Tod Worner says he’s really good at embarrassing his daughters. Without even trying. He tells them, though, that most people are too wrapped up in their own concerns to notice. While this may give the girls some relief from feeling self-conscious, is it a good thing that we miss the dramas, sometimes big and sometimes small, of the strangers around us? This is a great reflection on self-consciousness and self-absorption.  READ       BORED KIDS  Do your kids a favor and let them get bored this summer. This mom reminds us that it’s not the job of a parent to be a “cruise director” for the kids: filling every minute with fun. It’s bad for you, and it’s also bad for them. Because boredom is a good thing, and here’s why.  READ       EASY LUNCHES  Lunch is a meal often neglected. Many of us grab odds and ends out of the fridge or junk food from the pantry. Or we spend unnecessary and embarrassing amounts of money eating out for lunch. Or we skip it altogether. So here are 40 solutions to your lunch problems: quick, easy, tasty, and healthy.  READ       TWO REMEDIES FOR AFFLICTION  You’re stressing, you’re worrying, you’re catastrophizing… When afflicted by some problem, it’s easy to get swept up in negative thoughts and crushed by negative feelings. And then it becomes easy to believe that those thoughts and feelings are reality itself. But there are two things you can do in these situations: go to sleep and talk to yourself. John Cuddeback over at Life Craft explains.  READ       EDIFY  Are you sometimes at a loss for how to respond to pro-LGBTQ comments or rhetoric? EDIFY's new resource gives you the talking points you need. And it's FREE!  CLICK         CATHOLIC 101  What is a lay apostolate? It's laypeople participating in parish-based activities of various kinds — serving on the parish council, teaching an RCIA class, things like that, right? Actually, no. It is so much more. Read here to discover the important mission of the laity in the Church.  READ       SAINT OF THE DAY  Saints Aquila and Priscilla were a married couple who worked as tentmakers living out their Jewish faith in Rome. After moving to Corinth, they met St. Paul and converted to Christianity, they then began to help him teach and preach the Gospel. Their home became a prominent place for worship and instruction during the time of house churches. Nothing is known about their death but according to tradition, they were probably martyred.  READ       SATURDAY’S PSALM  “Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!” (Psalm 135:3)  READ       SATURDAY'S READINGS  Saturday's Mass readings  READ       SUNDAY’S PSALM  “I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.” (Psalm 145:1)  READ       SUNDAY’S READINGS  Sunday's Mass readings  READ     ANSWER TO THE TRIVIA  The chasuble is the outer garment worn over the alb and stole while a priest is celebrating Mass.           HAVE A TIP?  Send us your news for the Weekend LOOP.  EMAIL          ARTWORK  The Marriage of the Virgin, Raphael, c. 1504.  SHARE           The LOOP is a publication of the CatholicVote Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization. The LOOP is organized, funded, and published by faithful Catholic laity. We do not claim to speak for any individual bishop or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.   CATHOLICVOTE  |  PO Box 3310  |  Carmel, IN 46082  |  (317) 669-6127