King Charles Now Defender of WHAT?

Pope Leo Makes Last Appeal to SSPX

June 30th, 2026 - Happy feasts of St. Paul & the Roman Martyrs! Luigi Mangione’s federal trial has been officially pushed back until January 2027. The Supreme Court declined yesterday to hear President Trump's appeal of a $5 million civil judgment against him after a 2023 federal jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll. The U.S. committed $150 million in humanitarian assistance and deployed search-and-rescue teams to Venezuela following twin earthquakes that killed more than 1,700 people, while Pope Leo XIV authorized an emergency Vatican donation and Catholic Relief Services mobilized through the Caritas Venezuela network. President Donald Trump said yesterday that U.S. envoys will meet with Iranian representatives in Doha today, calling it a meeting Iran had "requested" — though Tehran denied asking for direct talks. Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to the SSPX Superior General, pleading with the society to halt the consecrations. Bishop Robert Barron warned yesterday that Americans should not be complacent about the growing political success of self-described socialists and communists, arguing that communism is fundamentally hostile to religion. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

King Charles Now Defender of WHAT?

June 29th, 2026 - Happy feast of Ss. Peter & Paul! Former national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty to one count of retaining national defense information, admitting misconduct after an indictment accused him of keeping and transmitting highly sensitive material after leaving the White House. Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement for a limited Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon, closing out four days of U.S.-mediated negotiations at the State Department. The U.S. and Iran agreed yesterday to stop attacking each other and plan to meet Tuesday in Qatar to address the Strait of Hormuz dispute. The reported pause follows a weekend of renewed strikes that strained the 11-day-old ceasefire, after Iran attacked a commercial oil tanker. President Donald Trump has selected Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security Lance Schroyer to be the next Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director, citing his experience locking up “the worst of the worst.” The largest fire in the U.S., the Cottonwood Fire, now stretches more than 144 square miles and remains 0% contained. On Saturday, six states, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, underwent Red Flag Warnings for dangerous weather conditions after the fire continued growing overnight. After Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a girls' basketball game against a team with a male player, Vermont barred the school from its state-funded tuition program and athletic league. The official death toll following twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 1,450 people, but tens of thousands still remain unaccounted for. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

Pope Leo Begins June Consistory

June 26th, 2026 - Happy feast of Ss. John & Paul, Vigilius of Trent, and Josemaria Escrivá! The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two major immigration victories yesterday, clearing the way for officials to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Haiti and Syria and upholding the government’s authority to turn back some asylum seekers before they physically reach U.S. soil. A federal judge in Massachusetts yesterday struck down key portions of President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to create a federal voter eligibility database. Vice President JD Vance said talks with Iran have already produced breakthroughs, including a direct communication channel between CENTCOM and the Iranian military to avert future conflicts. A landmark First Amendment case over abortion pill reversal opened for trial in the California Superior Court this week. The state is seeking nearly $20 million in penalties against Heartbeat International, a pro-life nonprofit that operates crisis pregnancy centers. Venezuela's health ministry has raised the earthquake death toll to at least 235. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar of Israel is requesting the Israeli Government to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. Several Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses are urging the faithful to contact lawmakers and oppose H.B. 2632, legislation they say would jeopardize access to Catholic education for thousands of students.  Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

German "Catholics" Vow to Resist Vatican

June 25th, 2026 - Happy feast of St. William the Abbot! At least 164 have been killed and hundreds more injured after two significant earthquakes struck Venezuela, collapsing multiple buildings and causing widespread damage in the capital, Caracas, and elsewhere. The casualty toll is expected to rise. Multiple countries have pledged aid, including the US, Israel, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Chile. A federal judge yesterday blocked key provisions of President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at tightening federal election rules, including a directive requiring voters to provide documentation proving U.S. citizenship when they register to vote. In its final act before leaving Washington, D.C. for an over two-week break, the Senate rejected Democrats’ attempt to rein in Trump’s war powers in Iran as talks continue between Iran and the U.S. to hammer out a long-term peace deal. Trump yesterday canceled a planned signing ceremony for a major bipartisan housing affordability bill, saying he would delay action on the measure until the Senate passes the SAVE Act. After years of growing support for LGBT issues, a recent Gallup poll shows U.S. public opinion has shifted modestly in the other direction. The head of the U.S. Postal Service testified yesterday that USPS will not deliver mail-in ballots in states that refuse to hand over voter rolls tied to absentee ballot distribution in keeping with an election integrity order from President Donald Trump. The Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has issued an open letter to Pope Leo XIV and the College of Cardinals accompanied by a 28-page profession of faith, just days before the society plans to consecrate new bishops without the Holy See’s permission. Dominion voting systems agreed to drop a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Mike Lindell (the MyPillow guy), for his claims that Dominion machines enabled the stealing of the 2020 election. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]

Vatican REJECTS German Lay Homilies

June 24th, 2026 - Happy feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist! Multiple socialist candidates endorsed by Zohran Mamdani won their Democrat primaries in New York last night, among them Claire Valdez, who has called for a Trans Bill of Rights, national rent control, and unlimited refugees. The Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to terminate $67 million in teen pregnancy prevention grants due to a department review. The Trump administration saw two immigration enforcement victories yesterday: The Supreme Court ruled that green card holders can lose their admission status based on pending criminal charges and the D.C. Circuit cleared the way for nationwide expedited removal of noncitizens. A United Nations inquiry accused Israeli authorities and security forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, concluding that the alleged conduct amounted to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments told the president of the German Bishops’ Conference that laypeople may not, even in exceptional circumstances, give the homily during Mass. Controversy recently erupted after Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, former head of the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and Family Life, said that the changes he made during his tenure aimed to start a “profound reform” of the idea of natural law. Pete Hegseth has requested General CD Donahue, the top U.S. Army officer in Europe, to resign. Donahue will reportedly resign today. Donahue has been critical of the lack of U.S. assistance to Ukraine; he was the last U.S. soldier to depart Afghanistan in 2021. Rise Right is a live morning program hosted by Sarah Cain & Jakob Martin Kraft, designed to help Catholics begin their day grounded in faith, clarity, and peace. The goal is simple: help listeners start their day well. Stay rooted in prayer, informed about the world, and able to face each day with joy and reason. RiseRight.org [https://thestationofthecross.com/riseright]