LOOP: Israel-Iran conflict escalates

TUESDAY, JUNE 17 TRUMP CALLS FOR EVACUATION OF TEHRAN AS ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT ESCALATES President Donald Trump called for all people to evacuate Tehran "immediately" Monday evening as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated sharply. Iranian state media reported that at least 224 Iranians had been killed since Israel began bombing on June 13, and Israeli officials say 24 have died in retaliatory strikes by Iran.  READ US BISHOPS CALL FOR URGENT PRAYERS FOR PEACE  As the war heated up yesterday, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on International Justice and Peace, called on Catholics to pray urgently for peace. Bishop Zaidan's message echoed Pope Leo XIV's plea for reconciliation and peace.  READ SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH NEW YORK RELIGIOUS EMPLOYERS  The Supreme Court on June 16 handed a win to religious employers, overturning a lower court ruling and ordering New York's top court to reconsider its abortion coverage mandate in light of religious freedom protections. READ APPLE TRIES TO IGNORE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CATHOLICS  Despite more than 410,000 Catholics contacting top executives asking them to remove from AppleTV+ a sacrilegious episode of a show that depicts Eucharistic desecration, Apple has remained silent.  READ AD: BETTER THAN AN 'I AM CATHOLIC' CARD - PUT IT ON YOUR PHONE  In an accident, first responders always check your phone (not your wallet). Our Catholic phone cases tell them to call a priest and remind you to pray. Now nine designs include Divine Mercy, Sacred Heart, Holy Face, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and more. Each protective case says: "I am a Catholic. In case of an emergency, please call a priest!" NEW for iPhone & Android! MAKE YOUR PHONE CATHOLIC CARDINAL BURKE ASKS POPE TO REMOVE LATIN MASS RESTRICTIONS  Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke says he is hopeful that Pope Leo will act to end what the cardinal calls the "persecution from within the Church" of Catholics who attend the Traditional Latin Mass.  READ   ISLAMISTS MURDER 200+ NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS IN SINGLE NIGHT  Islamist militants in Nigeria murdered at least 200 displaced Christians with fire, guns, and machetes June 13, ambushing them as they slept in Benue State shelters. The incident has been called the region's "single-worst atrocity."  READ GAVIN NEWSOM…REVEALED  Gavin Newsom poses as a moderate. But don't believe it. He's one of the most radical, destructive politicians on the national scene. From abortion, to same-sex "marriage," to so-called "gender-affirming care," Newsom has been a vocal advocate for countless anti-Christian ideas. And he has done it while calling himself Catholic. Learn the truth about California's governor in The Gavin Newsom Files from the Catholic Accountability Project. READ PART 1 HERE PRO-LIFE CHATBOT BRINGS CALM GUIDANCE TO MOMS IN CRISIS  A pro-life marketing agency has tapped into artificial intelligence to quickly bring answers and counsel to pregnant women considering abortion. Meet "Olive," the first-ever pro-life AI advocate, always available to give "calm and guidance to abortion-minded women searching for answers." READ EXCLUSIVE: BRINGING THE PRINCE OF PEACE TO LOS ANGELES  This weekend, Catholics will bring Jesus in the Eucharist, the Prince of Peace, in a procession through downtown Los Angeles, which has been wrought with division, riots, and protests this month. Here's an exclusive look behind the scenes! READ SO MUCH NEWS...  Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP: •    Manhunt over: Police nabbed the Minnesota assassination suspect. READ •    Pope Leo has beatified a 26-year-old who was murdered in 2007. READ •    Detroit's archbishop has limited Latin Masses to just four non-parish sites.  READ BASEBALL AND THE BIBLE  A dad reflects on "heroes by the numbers" and how those numbers created a bond between him and his baseball-loving friends as a kid: Vince Coleman #29, George Brett #5, Cal Ripken #8. That kind of memorization is now scarce. But there is something meaningful about such numbers, memorized and written onto our hearts.  READ CATHOLIC 101  Wouldn't people believe in God more if He gave more evidence of Himself? Thomas refused to believe until he saw and touched Christ. But many of us may slightly misunderstand Jesus' response. God does not ask us to blindly believe anything without evidence. Here's another interpretation.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Today the Church celebrates the Polish aristocrat-turned-Franciscan Saint Albert Chmielowski. Albert left art to serve the poor, founding the Albertine Brothers and Sisters. His life deeply influenced Pope Saint John Paul II, who honored him in a play. READ DAILY PSALM  "Praise the Lord, my soul!" (Psalm 146:1)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ SWEET  Pope Leo graciously accepts a cookie from a young girl (and eats it!) while riding in the Popemobile through St. Peter's Square. "For me? Thank you!"  WATCH & SHARE Paid for by CatholicVote Civic Action, a 501(c)(4) organization. Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here. CATHOLICVOTE  |  PO Box 3310  |  Carmel, IN 46082  |  (317) 669-6127