POPE AND PRESIDENT // President Trump finally meets face-to-face- with Pope Francis today. Here’s a timeline of their history. http://cvote.it/2qiaQ5I
POPE AND PRESIDENT // The media is likely to focus on the areas where Trump and Pope Francis differ strongly, like his views on Islam and immigration. But the National Catholic Register notes that “they could be great, but unlikely, partners” if they focus on areas of possible agreement — like the plight of Christians in the Middle East. http://cvote.it/2qiA5Vn
BUDGET BATTLE // President Trump’s budget outline keeps his promise to cut federal funding for abortion providers. The proposal to redirect taxpayer funding from organizations which provide abortion like Planned Parenthood would result in a $422 million increase in federal funding for community health care centers. http://cvote.it/2qNmU2m
RUSSIA // The Senate Intelligence Committee issued two subpoenas against by former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, adding that Flynn risks being held in contempt of Congress if he refuses to cooperate. http://cvote.it/2qNhe8j
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY // Catholics in Saint Louis have filed a lawsuit against a local ‘abortion sanctuary’ law. Under the new law, it is considered ‘discrimination’ if a crisis pregnancy center refuses only hired people who were pro-life. Archbishop Carlson said the law was “a marker of our city’s embrace of the culture of death.” http://cvote.it/2qijwJc
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY // Justice Samuel Alito spoke to graduating seminarians in Philadelphia and warned of the dangers facing religious liberty today. http://cvote.it/2qirzFV
EDUCATION // Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said that President Trump is proposing the “most ambitious expansion of education choice in our nation’s history.” DeVos even compared critics of education choice to those who believe the world is flat. But she insisted that the expansion of school choice will be done at the state level, not mandated from the federal government. http://cvote.it/2qiD0NN
CATHOLIC // Fr. Najeeb Michaeel was working in Qaraqosh, Iraq’s largest Christian city in August 2014. Knowing that ISIS radicals were coming, Fr. Michaeel stashed as many rare books, artifacts and art into his truck as he could find and fled. Ten days later, ISIS invaded and ransacked the city. http://cvote.it/2qNsUrH
SAINT // Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi – http://cvote.it/dailysaint
DAILY MASS // “Heaven and Earth are full of your glory.” (Ps 148) – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
TRUTH // “I have the right to live.” – Charlotte Helene Fien has Down’s Syndrome and Autism. Her emotive address to the UN will leave you speechless. http://cvote.it/2qNqA4h