TRUMP DENOUNCES PRO-LIFE HEARTBEAT LAW;THREE MORE PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS FOUND GUILTY; CATHOLIC HOSPITAL HIRES EUTHANASIA DOCTOR; CHINESE AUTHORITIES PUNISH PRIEST

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 TRUMP DENOUNCES PRO-LIFE HEARTBEAT LAW  In a new interview, former President Donald Trump denounced Florida’s heartbeat law protecting unborn children from abortion after six weeks of gestation, calling it “a terrible thing” and “a terrible mistake.” A number of pro-life leaders condemned Trump’s comment, including some who have praised him in the past for his pro-life achievements.  READ THREE MORE PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS FOUND GUILTY Just weeks after five others received a similar verdict, three more pro-life activists have been found guilty of felonies that could land each of them in prison for up to 11 years. They also each face fines of up to $350,000. The activists — 74-year-old Joan Bell, 73-year-old Jean Marshall, and 41-year-old Jonathan Darnel — were indicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. READ THOUSANDS OF AUTO WORKERS STRIKE  The United Auto Workers announced a strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis as the union demands higher wages and “economic and social justice.” The news comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden predicted there would be no strikes as he touted his economic policies on Labor Day.  READ RFK ASSASSINATION SCARE  A man carrying a handgun and ammunition was detained by security and later arrested by police before the start of an event with Democratic presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. When Kennedy announced his 2024 candidacy, he put in a request with the Department of Homeland Security for Secret Service protection. The Biden administration denied him that protection.  READ SUSPENDED TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL REINSTATED  The Texas Senate voted that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Jr. should be acquitted. The majority vote on each article in his impeachment trial was for acquittal. The senators voted to dismiss the four remaining impeachment articles and adjourn for the session. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick reinstated Paxton as attorney general.  READ THREE MEN FOUND NOT GUILTY IN WHITMER PLOT  Three men charged with being part of a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer have been found not guilty after a two-week trial. All the men tried for their alleged involvement in the plot have been widely denounced by politicians as “domestic terrorists.” A number of those involved, including the group’s eventual leader, were FBI informants. Two were undercover FBI agents.  READ CATHOLIC HOSPITAL HIRES EUTHANASIA DOCTOR  A Catholic hospital in Ontario appointed euthanasia provider Dr. Danielle Kain to oversee palliative care. Providence Hospital in Kingston is one of 22 healthcare institutions in Ontario under the sponsorship of Catholic Health Sponsors of Ontario. Kain has argued that all publicly funded institutions, including Catholic hospitals, should be forced to offer assisted suicide.  READ PRAYER  LAST CHANCE! Sign up TODAY for the St. Michael Novena and join thousands of fellow Catholics as we petition God and his heavenly host to defend us in battle!  SIGN UP TO PRAY CHINESE AUTHORITIES PUNISH PRIEST  A Catholic priest in China was convicted of “fraud” and “impersonating religious personnel” this month after he refused to register with the state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. The court-imposed administrative penalties on Fr. Joseph Yang include “the cessation of his [priestly] activities, the confiscation of illegal proceeds of 28,473.33 yuan ($3,913), and a fine of 1,526.67 yuan ($210),” UCA News reported.  READ WHICH STATES PROTECT CHURCHES FROM COVID RULES  With talk of COVID cases rising, Catholics across the country worry politicians may again try to shutter churches. The Catholic News Agency has compiled data on which states have put legal protections in place to ensure churches can stay open without pressure from local politicians – and which states do not protect churches. Peruse the map and see where your state falls.  READ OUR ‘WORSHIP’ PROBLEM  Many people claim they don’t worship (or believe in) any god. Many others claim to worship the one, true Christian God. However, both groups of people often can’t help worshiping one god or another, including false ones. J.D. Greear outlines four basic “gods” that all human beings are desperately prone to worship, what happens to us when we worship them, and the one thing that gently bends us toward the one and only God of Life.  READ CATHOLIC 101  Most are familiar with the eight Beatitudes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the… for they will…” Some may regard them as simple platitudes for life or perhaps a gentle reminder that we are not meant for this world. However, rather than a passive endurance of hardship, the beatitudes call us to courage! Check out how they can give us the oomph to fight the good fight!  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  St. Joseph of Cupertino was a Franciscan friar from 17th-century Italy. His intense visions were often reported to involve sustained periods of levitation, contributing to his nickname, “the Flying Saint.” His ecstasies and trances were simply brought about by his profound love of God, showing that his relationship with the Creator went far deeper than anything in this world.  READ DAILY PSALM  “Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.” (Psalm 28:6)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings  READ BEAUTY  The altar of St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis, MO.  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