LOOP: Pope calls for day of fasting and prayer for peace on Friday

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 POPE CALLS FOR DAY OF FASTING & PRAYER FOR PEACE  Pope Leo has issued a dramatic worldwide call for all Catholics to dedicate Friday, Aug. 22 to prayer and fasting for peace. On the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, he said, every Catholic should implore "the Lord to grant us peace and justice, and to dry the tears of those who suffer as a result of the ongoing armed conflicts."  READ BED BATH & BEYOND LEAVES CALIFORNIA DUE TO 'OVERREGULATION'  Bed Bath & Beyond's executive chairman announced yesterday that the retail giant will no longer operate in California due to its "endless regulations that strangle growth." The deep-blue state "has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America," he said.  READ REPORT: MUSK DROPPING 3rd PARTY PLAN TO BACK VANCE  Elon Musk is reportedly backing out of his threat to found a third party in protest against both Democrats and President Donald Trump's GOP, signaling that he would instead support Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028.  READ CALIFORNIA LICENSED ILLEGAL MIGRANT INVOLVED IN DEADLY CRASH  The state of California issued a commercial driver's license to an illegal immigrant from India who is now accused of causing a deadly crash on Florida's Turnpike and has failed basic English and road sign tests. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin yesterday faulted "Gavin Newsom's DMV" for issuing the license to the driver, who now faces deportation and three counts of vehicular homicide after three citizens died in the crash.  READ ICE BREAKS UP ILLEGAL MIGRANT-RUN HUMAN TRAFFICKING RING  ICE agents this month rescued 27 victims, including 10 children, from a human trafficking ring run by five illegal aliens in Omaha. The ring was run out of motels and salons, the Department of Homeland Security stated in a release, and the victims "were crammed into cockroach infested rooms and trapped in squalor with no basic sanitation or safety." READ BISHOP BARRON CONFRONTS FAKE AI VIDS OF HIMSELF  Bishop Robert Barron called out bizarre AI deepfakes impersonating him yesterday, warning followers not to be fooled by them. The videos in question range from imaginary restaurant brawls to papal scoldings and even a video of "Bishop Barron" advising people on how to remove demons from their toilets. READ BORDER OFFICIALS 'WRONGFULLY DETAIN' FOREIGN-BORN PRIEST  Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami intervened with a federal judge Tuesday after a parish priest was "unexpectedly and wrongfully" detained upon trying to reenter the US after a trip overseas. Father Gustavo Santos, "a priest of the Archdiocese of Miami in good standing and with a valid R-1 religious worker visa through November 2025," has now returned to ministry, an archdiocesan statement said. READ AD: PRO-LIFERS, PICK UP THE PHONE  Switch to Charity Mobile, the pro-life phone company!  LEARN MORE US CONDEMNS UK LAWS AGAINST PRO-LIFE DEMONSTRATIONS  The US State Department recently strongly condemned the persecution of pro-life protestors throughout England, Scotland, and Wales under the United Kingdom's various "buffer zone" laws. The controversial laws forbid pro-life advocacy and even prayer within close proximity to abortion facilities, resulting in what the State Department called "egregious violations" of human rights.  READ POPE LEO APPOINTS NEW BISHOP OF JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI  Pope Leo has appointed Father Ralph Bernard O'Donnell, a pastor in the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska, as the bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri. Bishop-elect O'Donnell will be installed Oct. 28.  READ BONUS NEWS...  Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP: •    Texas law now blocks taxpayer funding of abortion travel. READ •    Approval of the Supreme Court and Congress has hit a record party-line divide. READ •    Pope Leo has advice on how to move on with dignity after being betrayed.  READ ARE WE ENTERING AN AGE OF IMAGINATION?  Have you heard anyone use the term "Imagination Age"? We had the Industrial Age, which focused on factory and machine production. We live now in the Digital (or Information) Age, which focuses on the collection of data. The Imagination Age is the hypothetical next era. What does this mean and what might it look like?  READ CATHOLIC 101  Taking up your cross and laying down your life can sometimes sound like overly dramatic concepts for the life of a dad. Is this really applicable to ordinary life when you go to work during the week and watch movies on the weekends? Here's how these callings work for a man in regular old family life.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Today, the Church celebrates Pope Saint Pius X, the first pope to be appointed in the 20th Century. Pope Pius X is known for advocating frequent and even daily reception of the Eucharist, for promoting the reading of the Bible among laypeople, for reforming the liturgy, for initiating the codification of canon law, and for reviving Gregorian chant. READ DAILY PSALM  "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." (Psalm 40)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ 'LET'S SING WITH THE POPE'  Pope Leo has made a point of drawing renewed attention to Gregorian chant, an ancient form of liturgical music which, contrary to widespread misunderstandings, the Second Vatican Council said should be given pride of place in the Mass. Soon after Pope Leo's election, the Vatican helped to launch a video series on social media called "Let's Sing with the Pope."  READ 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