Pope Leo Begins June Consistory

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]

MLB Strikes Out on Pride Punishment?

June 23rd, 2026 - Happy St. John's Eve and the feast of St. Giuseppe Cafasso! Major League Baseball appears to be backtracking regarding the San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps. The players will not face discipline. Federal Judge Sparkle Sooknanan yesterday blocked the Trump administration’s creation of a citizen database to ensure no noncitizens could vote in U.S. elections. Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem (Theophilos III) arrived in Gaza yesterday for a pastoral visit. Cardinal Pizzaballa spoke of “the pastoral responsibility of the Churches of Jerusalem toward the local churches and toward the whole population of Gaza”. Bishop Daniel Thomas of the U.S. Bishops' pro-life committee marked the fourth anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade yesterday by warning that the pro-life victory "risks being undone by the massive influx of abortion pills" that federal law continues to allow under the Trump administration. Pope Leo XIV sent a message to participants in the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Summer Youth Conferences, telling young people that true joy and peace will not be found in “doom scrolling”.  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]

Peace Plans Proceeding

June 22nd, 2026 - Happy feast of Ss. Alban, John Fisher and Thomas More! Pakistan and Qatar, the two countries mediating talks between the U.S. and Iran, announced that the nations have formed an oversight committee and agreed to a “roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days”. Tickets for the Sept. 24 beatification Mass of Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen are available this week. The number of countries experiencing high or very high levels of religious social hostility increased for the third consecutive year, according to a new report released by the Pew Research Center. British PM Kier Starmer announced his resignation. He hopes a replacement Labour leader can be chosen and appointed by the end of the summer. The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee will open nominations on July 9th. The DOJ is challenging a New York law in court, which mandates long-term care facilities to house transgenders based on so-called “gender identity.” 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]