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Vatican criticizes U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran

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THURSDAY, MARCH 5
VATICAN CRITICIZES STRIKES AS IRAN WAR REACHES 5th DAY  Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke out March 4 against the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as the Trump administration defended the operation and signaled the conflict is accelerating.  READ
POPE LEO ON JIMMY LAI: ‘I CAN’T COMMENT’  Pope Leo XIV told a reporter this week “I can’t comment on that” when asked about the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai, a Catholic and outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party. Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year under China’s national security law. The Holy Father’s remark comes amid increase scrutiny of the Vatican’s deal with the Chinese government, which critics say works to the disadvantage of the persecuted underground Church in China.  READ
DRONE STRIKE HITS CHRISTIAN HOUSING COMPLEX IN IRAQ  A drone strike last night struck a Christian housing complex in Ankawa, the Christian district of Erbil in northern Iraq, damaging a building that had served as a refuge for displaced Christian families since the rise of the radical Islamist group ISIS. The Blessed Michael McGivney Apartment Complex is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.  READ
US MILITARY JOINS ECUADORIAN FORCES AGAINST NARCO GROUPS   U.S. and Ecuadorian forces launched joint military operations targeting suspected narco-terrorist groups in Ecuador, U.S. Southern Command said March 3. In recent years, Ecuador has seen a sharp rise in cartel-related violence as transnational criminal groups expanded drug-trafficking routes through the country.   READ
CNN REPORTS CIA ARMING KURDS IN IRAN  CNN reports the CIA has been working with Kurdish opposition groups ahead of a potential popular uprising against the Iranian government. The White House acknowledged President Donald Trump has been in touch with Kurds in the region but said reports of any US commitment to a specific plan are “completely false.”  READ
LEGENDARY NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL COACH LOU HOLTZ DIES AT 89 Lou Holtz, the legendary Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to an undefeated national championship in 1988 and openly lived out his Catholic faith on and off the field, died yesterday at 89. His family said he will be remembered for “faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others,” values that shaped both his coaching and public life.  READ
VATICAN DOCUMENT WARNS AI AND TRANSHUMANISM RAISE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMANITY  As artificial intelligence and transhumanist ideas reshape the cultural landscape, a new Vatican document asks what it means to be human? The theologians warn that rapid technological progress must remain ordered to human dignity, insisting that the human person is not something we engineer, but a gift received from God.  READ
AD: MAKE THE PRO-LIFE CHOICE THIS LENTEN SEASON  Support the life-saving work of your favorite pro-life charity with your everyday cell phone use!  LEARN MORE
CLASSICAL CURRICULUM BEHIND ENROLLMENT BOOST?  Following the adoption of a classical curriculum, St. John’s Catholic Academy in Johnsburg, Illinois, has seen a notable rise in enrollment. Superintendent of the Rockford Diocese Kim White explained that the curriculum uses “Socratic dialogue and cross-curricular integration in religion, language arts, history and humanities, taught together.”  READ
POPE LEO’S MARCH PRAYER INTENTION CALLS FOR DISARMAMENT AND PEACE  As violence escalates in Iran, Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for March urges the world to reject war and pursue peace through dialogue. The pontiff warned that “stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats or weapons,” calling instead for sincere diplomacy and renewed commitment to nuclear disarmament.  READ
NOT TO BE MISSED…  Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP:

  • Texas voters just ousted both GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett.  READ
  • A pro-life org is targeting pro-abortion candidates for defeat in the midterms.  READ
  • Op-ed: Schools are putting ideology above academic achievement.  READ
GET A JUMPSTART ON SPRING CLEANING  Spring cleaning doesn’t have to wait for warmer weather. This guide highlights six often-overlooked household filters that can quietly collect grime and affect how your home runs, with simple tips on how to find and clean them.  READ
CATHOLIC 101  Struggling to love your enemies? Drawing on St. Aelred, this Lenten reflection suggests looking to the crucifix — and invoking Christ’s prayer, “Father, forgive them” — as the model for responding to injury with charity.  READ
SAINT OF THE DAY  Today the Church honors St. John Joseph of the Cross, a Carmelite friar who lived a life of poverty, fasting, strict asceticism, humility, and charity. A giant of mystical literature, St. John is also considered (even by secular critics) to be one of the foremost poets of Spain.  READ

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