WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

POPE LEO REJECTS CLAIM HE BACKS IRAN HAVING NUKES Pope Leo XIV pointed out yesterday that the Catholic Church has long opposed nuclear arms. His comments come after President Donald Trump falsely claimed the Pontiff had made a “statement” saying “Iran can have a nuclear weapon.” READ

RUBIO: WAR IS OVER, US NOW FOCUSED ON FREEDOM IN IRAN Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday declared that Operation Epic Fury is over – and that the U.S. is now moving to help establish freedom for the people of Iran. READ

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL ADVOCATE FOR JIMMY LAI IN CHINA Trump this week promised to raise the case of Catholic political prisoner Jimmy Lai during an upcoming summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. The President’s meeting with the communist leader is slated for later this month. READ

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UNIVERSITY APOLOGIZES FOR DRAG EVENT MOCKING MASS More than a year after a campus drag performance mocking the Catholic Mass, University of Nebraska-Lincoln leaders have apologized and met with the local bishop to discuss reforms in response to the incident. READ

INSPIRING: BUSINESS TYCOON GIVES IT ALL UP FOR PRIESTHOOD The co-founder of a multi-billion dollar cosmetics company will be ordained to the priesthood May 23 in the Diocese of Fresno, California, after donating the entirety of his earnings to charity. READ

US EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE HOSTS CONFERENCE ON AI The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See convened an event on “AI and the Future of Work” at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome yesterday. Co-sponsors of the event included the U.S., Taiwanese, British, Australian, Canadian, and Japanese Ambassadors to the Holy See. READ

SEE MICHAEL KNOWLES AT A250 NEXT MONTH Michael Knowles will be speaking at Zeale for America 250 on June 13. Don't miss your chance to hear from renowned Catholic commentator firsthand. Be there! GET YOUR TICKETS HERE

SETTLERS INVADE ALL-CHRISTIAN TOWN IN WEST BANK Israeli settlers have encroached further in the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank, with one U.S.-based Catholic apostolate warning the news is part of a larger trend that could result in “religious cleaning” and “the erasure of a Christian presence in the Holy Land.” READ

POPE'S WRITINGS AS AUGUSTINIAN PRIOR GENERAL PUBLISHED Before Pope Leo was elected as the 266th successor of St. Peter, he spent more than a decade serving as the prior general of the Augustinians. A book published May 4 contains writings from this chapter of the Pontiff’s life, offering readers an insight into his spirituality. READ

NOT TO BE MISSED... Here are the stories we couldn’t fit in today’s LOOP:

A judge apologized to the White House shooting suspect over his treatment in jail. READ
A secular company is taking over Massachusetts' last remaining Catholic acute care hospital. READ
Trump says he will restore North Carolina as the “furniture capital of the world." READ

28 WAYS TO GET OFF YOUR PHONE AND INTO THE OUTDOORS These fun activities will get you off your phone and immersed in the outdoors — just in time for summer break. READ

CATHOLIC 101 The month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but the similarities between Our Lady and her month are deeper than you think. READ

SAINT OF THE DAY St. François de Laval helped lay the foundation of Catholicism in Canada as the first bishop of Quebec and a missionary to New France. He was a French nobleman who left behind privilege to help build up the Church, live simply, and defend Indigenous peoples. READ