Thursday, April 25, 2024

FBI DIRECTOR ‘TOO BUSY MONITORING CATHOLICS,’ CRITICS SAY;CATHOLICS CONDEMN BIDEN SIGN OF THE CROSS; BIDEN SIGNS LAW TARGETING CHINESE-OWNED TIKTOK ; BIDEN IMPLIES FAMILIES WILL PAY MORE TAXES IF HE’S RE-ELECTED

THURSDAY, APRIL 25 – FEAST OF ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST

FBI DIRECTOR ‘TOO BUSY MONITORING CATHOLICS,’ CRITICS SAY A chorus of observers accused Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher A. Wray of hypocrisy this week after he defended the Bureau’s decision to “not monitor” the several raucous pro-Palestine protests on college campuses. “We don’t monitor protests,” the FBI director said during an NBC interview Tuesday night. Multiple X users wrote that the FBI is instead “too busy monitoring Catholics.” READ

CATHOLICS CONDEMN BIDEN SIGN OF THE CROSS Catholics and pro-life groups denounced President Biden for making the Sign of the Cross in support of abortion. “Absolutely vile,” Bishop Joseph Strickland wrote on X. “Pray for the soul of our president, he is a feeble old man, he needs to prepare to meet his maker…” Catholic attorney Roger Severino wrote, “The sign of the cross is sacred, not a political prop, especially not in support of abortion.” READ

BIDEN SIGNS LAW TARGETING CHINESE-OWNED TIKTOK President Joe Biden this week signed a bill that seeks to force the Chinese parent company of TikTok to sell its stake in the popular video-sharing app. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill Tuesday. The House had passed the bill by a similarly wide margin back in March. Under the new law, if Beijing-based ByteDance refuses to sell TikTok by early next year, the app would be prohibited across the United States. READ

BIDEN IMPLIES FAMILIES WILL PAY MORE TAXES IF HE’S RE-ELECTED President Joe Biden stated Tuesday that if he is reelected, he will allow former President Donald Trump’s comprehensive tax cuts to expire without renewing them. Observers pointed out that this would inevitably cause middle-class and working-class families to pay more in what is already a difficult economy. CatholicVote’s Tom McClusky stated: “Joe Biden seeks to attack the family through any means possible – in this case bankrupting them with taxes.” READ

BIDEN REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING BENEFITS TO MIGRANTS MARRIED TO U.S. CITIZENS Multiple sources reported that the Biden administration is considering the idea of granting parole and other benefits to illegal migrants married to American citizens. Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-OK, denounced the new proposal on X, writing, “Americans must wake up and realize that certain Democrats’ real goal is citizenship for illegals and to use illegals to increase the census count so they can win more congressional seats.” READ

IDAHO LAWMAKERS CALL ON SCOTUS TO UPHOLD STATE PRO-LIFE LAW Idaho’s congressional delegation has called on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the state’s pro-life laws from the Biden administration as hearings to decide the future of abortion in Idaho began in the Court Wednesday. Sen. James Risch, R-ID, a Catholic, said, “[The Biden administration’s] manipulation of federal law cannot usurp state law, and there is no federal right to an abortion.” READ

GEORGIA GOV. KEMP SIGNS ANTI-PORN LAW Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Tuesday signed into law a bill that requires age verification on pornographic websites to protect minors. This likely will cause the sites to shut down in the state since they claim this verification is unenforceable. SB 351, sponsored by Senator Jason Anavitarte, is aimed at protecting children from cyberbullying and exposure to pornographic content, as well as regulating the usage of social media. READ

LOOPCAST Biden Blesses Himself At Abortion Rally, College Protests Rage on, And Erika is Back! It's possible: Biden hits a new low campaigning for abortion in Florida, what the college protests raging across the country are really about, and the original trio is locked in. Buckle up. LISTEN

CATHOLIC ANSWERS LAUNCHES AND IMMEDIATELY PULLS AI ‘PRIEST’ The Catholic apologetics group Catholic Answers released an artificial intelligence (AI) desktop app Tuesday, which featured an AI-generated “priest” named “Fr. Justin” who engaged in conversations with users to provide answers to questions about Catholicism. After receiving criticism and concern over “Fr. Justin,” Catholic Answers announced that it would be changing the AI character to a lay person. READ

NEW BOOK: ‘HOW CATHOLICS CAN SAVE EDUCATION’ In his upcoming book, Jeremy Wayne Tate, the founder of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), argues that Catholics can save American education. “The reason I started the CLT in the first place was because, as a parent and a Catholic, I want more for my kids,” Tate wrote, highlighting that education should cultivate human beings’ creativity, as well as their understanding of the meaning of life, morality, and truth. READ

THE HABSBURG WAY “The Catholic faith and traditions of the Habsburg monarchies helped them enjoy mostly stable marriages and large, happy families that were crucial in governing their kingdoms for more than eight centuries,” writes Edward Pentin in the National Catholic Register. In an interview with the Register, Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen “discusses these and other principles that he believes all people can learn from in this troubled age when marriage and the family are especially under attack.” READ

CATHOLIC 101 You see them at every church and shrine around the country. Votive candles. Sometimes they’re flameless and all you have to do is push a button. Sometimes you get the satisfaction of lighting a match and setting the wick ablaze. Regardless of how they light, they have an important scriptural and historical role to play. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY Represented in Christian imagery by a winged lion, St. Mark the Evangelist is the author of a short, yet extremely powerful Gospel. This earliest-written Gospel helped spread the Good News of Christ in the decades immediately following His Passion and Resurrection. In addition to his writing, Mark is also known for spreading the faith to Egypt. He moved to the city of Alexandria where he was eventually martyred by pagans in the year 68 AD. READ

DAILY PSALM “For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 89:1) READ

DAILY READINGS Today's Mass readings READ

CONVERSION As campuses across the U.S. erupt in protests... Here is some good news coming out of Texas A&M University, under the guidance of St. Mary’s Catholic Center. On April 20, 56 of their candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Welcome home! SHARE