BAKE THE CAKE? The Supreme Court vacated an order that had punished a Christian couple in Oregon who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex “wedding.” The Supreme Court ordered the lower courts to revisit the case in light of the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop. In that case, the Supreme Court determined that a state agency had shown animus against the religious beliefs of a Christian baker, but the court did not say if the baker had a First Amendment right to refuse to accommodate a same-sex “wedding.” READ |
|
|
|
ADVICE FROM JUSTICE THOMASIn a case concerning the “double-jeopardy” doctrine, Justice Clarence Thomas issued a lengthy call to his colleagues on the Supreme Court to overturn bad decisions. Some observers say Justice Thomas was laying the groundwork to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on abortion. “When faced with a demonstrably erroneous precedent, my rule is simply: We should not follow it,” wrote Justice Thomas. READ |
|
|
|
BORDER ARRESTS ARE DOWNThe number of migrant families crossing the border illegally has been decreasing in recent weeks, according to preliminary numbers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. But officials states that it is still too soon to know how big of an impact President Trump’s deal with Mexico will have on illegal migration. READ |
|
|
|
REMOVING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS President Trump announced that ICE would begin removing “millions of illegal aliens” as soon as next week. In addition, the State Department said that the administration would cancel all future economic aid to the countries of El Savador, Guatemala, and Honduras until “concrete actions” are taken to reduce the number of illegal migrants coming to the U.S. border, said State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus. READ |
|
|
|
HARVARD RESCINDS OFFER Harvard University has rescinded their acceptance of Kyle Kashuv to attend the university this fall because of racially offensive private messages he sent at age 16. Kashuv, a survivor of the mass school shooting in Parkland, FL, in February 2018, had disavowed the comments as reckless attention-seeking mistakes of his childhood. “If any institution should understand growth, it’s Harvard, which is looked to as the pinnacle of higher education despite its checkered past,” said Kashuv, noting that the university once had slave owners on its faculty. READ |
|
|
|
CLERGY HOUSING The so-called Freedom From Religion Foundation has dropped its legal attempt to strip American pastors of their tax exemption for housing. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals had rejected the atheist organization’s legal arguments in a unanimous ruling in March. The Freedom From Religion Foundation cited the current make-up of the Supreme Court following the appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh for their decision not to pursue the case further. READ |
|
|
|
TRADE WITH CHINA “A bipartisan coalition promised Americans that granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations would help ensure our prosperity and that China would soon be transformed from foe to friend, and we were foolish enough to believe them,” writes Riehan Salam, in The Atlantic. READ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SINGER MOCKS MARRIAGE ADVOCATES Pop singer Taylor Swift has a new music video mocking opponents of the LGBT movement as uneducated rubes without teeth in her latest single called “You Need to Calm Down.” READ |
|
|
|
THE “NONES” In addition to the sex abuse crisis, the U.S. bishops also discussed how to evangelize to the “nones,” or people with no religious affiliation. Bishop Robert Barron told the U.S. bishops that for every person joining the Church today, 6.45 are leaving. He also noted that 8 in 10 leave by the age of 23. Barron noted that the Church was suffering from “this massive attrition of our own people, particularly the young.” READ |
|
|
|
SRI LANKA Many Christians on the island of Sri Lanka are still too afraid to go to church since the attacks on April 21 killed more than 250 people. Veronique Vogel of Aid to the Church in Need said, “The security measures throughout Sri Lanka were very strict during our visit. Security forces and the military were everywhere.” READ |
|
|
|
MASS AT NOTRE-DAME Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame for the first time since a fire in April caused major damage to the landmark building. “This cathedral is born of the Christian hope, which perceives well beyond a small self-centered personal life to enter a magnificent project at the service of all, projecting well beyond a single generation,” said Archbishop Michel Aupetit of Paris. READ |
|
|
|
SAINT OF THE DAY Perhaps no one has done more to address the issue of alcoholism than Venerable Matt Talbot. An active alcoholic himself, he designed a program of support that has helped millions. Many are thankful. READ |
|
|
|
DAILY READINGS “Praise the Lord, my soul!” (Ps 146:2) READ |
|
|
|
DEVOTION Here are 10 inspiring quotes on the Sacred Heart. SHARE |