LOOP: US Ambassador Burch calls out Christian persecution in Nigeria

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 US AMBASSADOR TO VATICAN CALLS OUT NIGERIAN PERSECUTION  U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch warned this week that Christians in Nigeria face an "existential crisis" amid ongoing persecution by Islamist terrorists, commending U.S. leaders for taking the threat seriously.  READ ILLINOIS BISHOP: PRAY PRITZKER WILL NIX SUICIDE BILL  Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, is calling on Catholics to pray that Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker will not sign an assisted suicide bill into law. "Make no mistake: killing oneself is not dying with dignity," Bishop Paprocki said. "Doctors take an oath to do no harm. Now, they can prescribe death."  READ DC ARCHBISHOP DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER  The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., announced yesterday that its archbishop, Cardinal Robert McElroy, has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Cardinal McElroy will undergo surgery to remove the cancer later this month, and his medical team is optimistic that he will fully recover.  READ AD: ALIGN YOUR CATHOLIC VALUES WITH YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS  Want a mutual fund that respects your pro-life, pro-family beliefs? All seven Ave Maria Funds share your Catholic values. They don't invest in companies that support abortion, pornography, or embryonic stem cell research, or make corporate contributions to Planned Parenthood. Learn more about Ave Maria, the nation's largest Catholic mutual fund family.  LEARN MORE STORIES THAT INSPIRED CATHOLIC REP TO DEFEND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM  Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., recently recalled what sparked his lifelong mission to defend religious freedom: reading "Tortured for Christ," Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand's account of underground Christians tortured under dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu.  READ CARING FOR RETIRED CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS  Catholic nuns, brothers, and other religious serve us tirelessly, often with little to no pay. This December, the U.S. bishops are calling on faithful Catholics to help support retired members of religious communities through a special collection that the bishops called a "lifeline" for these elderly servants of the Church.  READ VIRGINIA BISHOP REFLECTS ON ELECTIONS  Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington encouraged Catholic voters to continue engaging in public life even if "the people we voted for did not win," reminding the faithful that "we all have the duty the day after the election to pray for those who did win, because now they're in these roles of service."  READ AD: ANSWER THE CALL  Join a cell phone service that supports your pro-life values by switching to Charity Mobile today!  LEARN MORE STATE DEPT. PARTNERS WITH CHURCH TO AID HURRICANE VICTIMS  The U.S. State Department is working with the Catholic Church to provide $3 million in humanitarian aid to those impacted by Hurricane Melissa in Eastern Cuba, though it remains unclear whether Cuba will accept the aid.  READ MAN THREATENS CATHOLIC KIDS OVER HALLOWEEN FLOAT  A Pennsylvania man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly calling a Catholic school and threatening to turn it into a concentration camp after an incident where the school's parade float included a prop resembling the entrance of Auschwitz.  READ NOT TO BE MISSED...  Here are the stories we couldn't fit in today's LOOP: •    Season 2 of Martin Scorsese's "The Saints" premieres Nov. 16. READ •    It's Black Catholic History Month! READ •    An archdiocese has stepped in with $500,000 in emergency aid for SNAP recipients.  READ FRIENDSHIP AMID POLARIZATION  How do you stay friends with someone who votes differently from you? The stakes are high, the issues matter, and our society feeds polarization. And it doesn't work to keep religion and politics private if you're trying to have a true friendship. Here are 7 tips for preserving friendships, because relationships are bigger than politics.  READ CATHOLIC 101  Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us that suffering will be present in Heaven inasmuch as it is something remembered. Our painful memories from our life on earth will not be obliterated from our minds. But we will not experience those memories with anguish. How is this possible, when some of our experiences on Earth cannot be thought of without intense pain? Here's how that might work.  READ SAINT OF THE DAY  Today's saint, Saint Jean-Théophane Vénard (1829-1861) was so moved by the story of a martyr that he decided when he was just a boy that he himself wanted to be a priest, missionary, and martyr. While imprisoned in Vietnam and awaiting his death sentence, Jean wrote: "We are all flowers planted on this earth, which God plucks in His own good time: some a little sooner, some a little later."  READ DAILY PSALM  "I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living." (Psalm 27)  READ DAILY READINGS  Today's Mass readings.  READ TRUTH  Let's stop calling people "transphobic" for asking reasonable questions.  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