RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ‘COLLAPSING’ IN HONG KONG;‘THE GLOBAL WAR ON POPULISM’;CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK AND MEANINGFUL LEGISLATION;HARVARD HELPS STUDENTS ‘HEAL’ AFTER GAY RESIGNATION

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 CATHOLIC LEADERS ASK FOR FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS TO BE WITHDRAWN  More than 90 Catholic leaders, including priests, scholars, and authors have signed an open letter asking Catholic cardinals and bishops to forbid the application of Fiducia Supplicans in their dioceses. The signatories also urged members of the hierarchy to ask Pope Francis to rescind the document.  READ ‘THE CHURCHES THAT COUNT’  The Biden Justice Department “fervently” prosecuted a man who attempted to attack a church for hosting a drag queen event. The terrorist will spend the next 18 years behind bars. CatholicVote’s Erika Ahern asks: “Is that same fervor applied to all cases of church vandalism?”  READ RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ‘COLLAPSING’ IN HONG KONG  Religious freedom in Hong Kong is collapsing due to the Chinese Communist Party abusing and taking control of the region’s religious institutions, according to a new report from the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.  READ ‘THE GLOBAL WAR ON POPULISM’  “Did you ever notice that the Global War on Terror no longer exists?” writes Austin Ruse. “Did you notice it has been replaced by a war on us? The Global War on Populism. They call us 'Christian Nationalists.' …The head of the FBI says repeatedly that the greatest domestic terror threat in the United States comes from the 'right wing'."  READ CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK AND MEANINGFUL LEGISLATION  CatholicVote joined many other Catholic and faith leaders in endorsing the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), which “contains the strongest possible protections for religious liberty and private school autonomy, while empowering parents to choose the best educational option for their children – especially one that respects their family’s faith and values,” writes Greg Brock.  READ HARVARD HELPS STUDENTS ‘HEAL’ AFTER GAY RESIGNATION  Harvard Divinity School (HDS) offered students a “Gathering to Breathe and Heal” and to “discuss and process” the resignation of former university president and accused plagiarist Claudine Gay. HDS’ Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) hosted the hour-long event Thursday.  READ READING TOLKIEN MARKED AS ‘EXTREMISM’ INDICATOR Boeing planes have suffered a series of dangerous mechanical failures, prompting critics to accuse the aerospace giant of prioritizing political ideology over passenger safety. In the latest incident, a Delta Airlines flight carrying 184 lost a nose wheel just before its scheduled takeoff.  READ YOUNG AMERICANS ARE DUMPING DATING APPS  Millennials and Generation-Z (Gen Z) college graduates are increasingly disinterested in dating apps as they search for long-term, meaningful relationships, according to a recent report by the secular online newsletter Bustle.  READ LOOPcast  Have more kids… earlier: Erika has a surprisingly pro-baby encounter at Yale, Mayorkas takes heat over the border disaster, the EV debate will not die, and Pogo vows the feds won’t kill his gains.  WATCH TECHNOLOGY & MEMORY  Michael Toscano, executive director of the Institute for Family Studies, writes about the effects of social media on memory. He compares the effects of screentime to his years as a daily weed smoker, which erased huge swaths of his memory. These platforms and devices attack our human nature, he says. And he describes how he and his wife use tech in their home.  READ EASY HOSTING: BREAD-DIPPING OILS  Though food and friends are one of the best combinations, cooking, buying, or organizing food as a host can be daunting enough to make you want to avoid guests altogether. But here’s a brilliant hack: a variety of infused and seasoned oils for dipping bread. It’s easy, affordable, and feels like the first course at a fine-dining restaurant.  READ BOARD GAMES TO KICK OFF DATE NIGHT  Cecilia Pigg and her husband used to watch TV shows in the evenings, but it got old fast. So they decided to research and collect board and card games that were good for two people. If you’re getting stuck in the “same-old” date night plans, here are their favorite games to switch it up!  READ BOREDOM & DIVERSION “Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in You.” For St. Augustine, restlessness was moving from one philosophy and lifestyle to another, never satisfied. Here, modern restlessness is explored through the insights of Blaise Pascal. “Diversion” is a mild-sounding but dangerous trap.  READ CATHOLIC 101  Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Blaise, an Armenian Bishop who was martyred in 316. Catholics everywhere line up to have their throats blessed on this day. Is this nothing more than a quaint tradition? Patty Knap at the Register says it’s more than that – St. Blaise’s intercession healed her father.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  St. Blaise was a bishop serving in Armenia in the late 200s at a time of intense persecution of the Church there. St. Blaise was beheaded for his faith in 316, but not before working several miracles relating to throats. Now every year Catholics have their throats blessed on this day, in honor of St. Blaise. READ SATURDAY'S PSALM  “Lord, teach me your statutes.” (Psalm 119:12)  READ SATURDAY'S READINGS  Saturday's Mass readings.  READ SUNDAY’S PSALM  “Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 147:3)  READ SUNDAY’S READINGS  Sunday's Mass readings.  READ ANSWER TO THE TRIVIA  After World War I, leaders of many nations gathered for the Paris Peace Conference to establish the League of Nations. The United States never joined the organization despite a strong push by left-wing President Woodrow Wilson. The League of Nations was dissolved in 1946 and replaced by the United Nations, which the United States agreed to join. HAVE A TIP?  Send us your news for the Weekend LOOP.  EMAIL HISTORY  In 1988, Congress declared February 3 “Four Chaplains Day” to remember the heroic sacrifice of Fr. John Washington and his fellow chaplains aboard the USAT Dorchester, which was torpedoed in 1943 in the North Atlantic. When the life jackets ran out, the men offered their own – as well as their places on the lifeboats.  READ 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