LOOP: Trump orders prosecution for flag burning

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER: BURNING US FLAG = JAIL  President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 25 directing law enforcement to prosecute those who engage in criminal activities that "involve desecrating the American flag." The order claims that flag-burning "may incite violence and riot," and is "also used by groups of foreign nationals as a calculated act to intimidate and threaten violence against Americans because of their nationality and place of birth."  READ COALITION WARNS TRUMP AGAINST RECLASSIFYING WEED  Nearly 50 diverse organizations, including faith‑based groups like CatholicVote, have sent a letter to Trump urging him not to reclassify marijuana under federal law. While the move could spell some short-term gains with younger voters, the long-term damage it would do to American communities would be devastating — especially to children and young adults.  READ TRUMP PROCLAIMS TODAY A COMMEMORATION OF ABBEY GATE ATTACK  Today is the fourth anniversary of the Abbey Gate terrorist attack, which took the lives of 13 US military members at a civilian gate of the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Trump has formally declared today as a day of commemoration, marking the anniversary with a proclamation he signed in a ceremony yesterday in front of the families of the deceased.  READ COULD THIS PRACTICE STEER TRUMP AWAY FROM IVF?  Trump administration insiders are reportedly eyeing more ethical alternatives to the controversial in-vitro fertilization (IVF) industry. The New York Times reported last week on restorative reproductive medicine (RRM), an alternative to IVF seen by many as a morally acceptable way of pursuing the same ends IVF promises to achieve.  READ CATHOLICVOTE PREZ MAKES CASE AGAINST WEED PROPOSAL CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt made a strong statement explaining her organization's firm stance against reclassifying marijuana. "Aside from the health dangers, there is an urgent spiritual side," Reinhardt said. READ POPE LEO GIVES INSPIRING REMINDER TO ALTAR BOYS Pope Leo told a group of 360 altar boys on pilgrimage to Rome that they ought to serve Mass with such reverence that they "lead the faithful" into a full contemplation of the Liturgy, reminding them that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is "the most important event in the Christian life." READ PARISH TO MARK CANONIZATION OF CARLO ACUTIS A Pennsylvania parish is celebrating the canonization of the first millennial saint with a three-day event that will include Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and veneration of a relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis in a reliquary made by the soon-to-be-saint's own mother. READ STOP ABORTION AT THE VA  The Biden administration issued a rule allowing abortion in veterans' health benefits, in direct contradiction of a law prohibiting it. The Trump administration is proposing a new rule to follow the law and put that prohibition back in place. Voice your support for this new rule! Help it succeed!  CLICK HERE WHAT A RECENT OUTDOOR MASS TELLS US ABOUT IRISH CATHOLIC HERITAGE  A group of Irish Catholics recently celebrated Mass at the "Mass rock" in Crohyboyle, a small town where Catholics once secretly gathered for the sacraments during persecution. What are Mass rocks and what part do they play in Ireland's Catholic heritage?  READ ISLAMISTS ATTACK NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN VILLAGE AGAIN  Militant Islamic herdsmen attacked the Yelewata village in Nigeria a second time Aug. 11, killing three people and injuring others as the community was still reeling from the same group's attack in June that left 200 people slaughtered.  READ YOUNG PEOPLE SEEKING FAITH?  It's true, young people are seeking faith, says Robert Neithart. A study shows an uptick in people who are making Jesus an important aspect of their lives, and the shift is led by Millennials and Gen Z. These are generations who had some of the worst cultural trends shoved down their throats. So what's happening to turn them toward Christ?  READ CATHOLIC 101  Just as He met Peter where he needed to be loved, where he needed to be saved, Jesus does the same thing for each of us. We can see this clearly in just a few fascinating little stories from the lives of the saints. Be on the lookout! Here's how Christ might call you.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Today the Church honors Saint Jeanne Elizabeth des Bichier des Anges. She suffered through the horrors of the French Revolution before going on to co-found the Daughters of the Cross, serving the poor and teaching the faith. READ DAILY PSALM  "You have searched me and you know me, Lord." (Psalm 139)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ AMERICAN AS BASEBALL  The Chicago White Sox honored Pope Leo XIV by commemorating the seat where then-Father Robert Prevost sat during the 2005 World Series.  VIEW & 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