Morning Briefing

Over at Commonweal Kenneth Woodward has an essay that takes a deeper look at what others blithely refer to as the "evangelicals' embrace of Trump's agenda. Woodward says if you look more closely at the religious supports of Trump is a "free-standing, doctrinally fluid, therapeutically inclined, market-oriented entrepreneurial churches and para-church organizations that have come to characterize much of American religion." How Religion Got Trump

RNS correspondent Jack Jenkins looks at Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booke, two prominent Democratics, both possible presidential hopefuls, who are pairing religion with politics in an unusually direct appeal to left-leaning Christians. Faith and politics fuse appeal to mainline preachers.

And speaking of mixing religion and politics, CNS reports that this year's National Catholic Prayer breakfast took on a decidedly Kansas flavor, as Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City and Sam Brownback, a former House and Senate member and governor of Kansas, addressed nearly 1,000 gathered at a Washington hotel May 24. Also speaking was Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, a Catholic who used to work for Brownback.

NPR reporter Tom Gjelten has a very interesting piece looking at how Roman Catholics And Evangelicals Move Apart In Their Political Priorities

Gjelten's piece talks a lot about how Catholics' far from uniform attitudes toward immigration are shaping thier political choices. That's an issue NCR's corrospondent Peter Feuerherd takes up in this story: As fear permeates immigrant communities, US bishops' responses vary

What do immigrants have to fear you ask?

Report: Immigrant children in the custody of U.S. border authorities allegedly suffered pervasive abuse ranging from insults and threats to physical assaults, according to documents reviewed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced May 7 that the Department of Homeland Security will refer 100 percent of illegal border crossing cases to the Department of Justice, which will begin prosecuting 100 percent of those cases. Carrying out 100-percent policy splits up families, including asylum seekers

Mumbai, India -- In an interview with a major Indian newspaper the archbishop of Mumbai says there is "growing anxiety" among minority communities "because the government is not acting enough" to protect them. Meanwhile, Archbishop of Delhi Archdiocese, Anil Joseph Couto, has called upon the churches in Delhi to start a year-long prayer campaign, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze gets a platform in England to say: Holy Communion is exclusively for Catholics in a state of grace and not something to be shared between friends like beer or cake.

Pope Francis recently began a reflection on the rite of holy Communion by asking this question: "Does a tree or a plant that isn't watered ... bloom well?" Click the link to learn his answer.

Here is Bishop Thomas Gumbleton's homily from Pentecost. He reads from a 15-year-old's op-ed about gun violence. A commission to forgive, to restrain evil, and to bring life You can read or listen to Gumbleton's homilies.

Have you been inspired by Pope Francis' exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate ("Rejoice and Be Glad") to join the journey of 'small holiness', NCR and Celebration have the resources to help:

• Start your day inspired with daily Scripture reflections. Join NCR's sister publication, Celebration, for Daily Bread, a series of short reflections written by four authors who meet regularly to share the readings.
• Or reflect on Pencil Preaching by Pat Marrin. Every morning Pat Marrin breaks open the Word with a pencil sketch and a short meditation.