Pope Francis Urges Young People to Consume Less Meat to Save the Environment

Currents News Staff

Pope Francis met with the participants of the European Youth Conference, and encouraged them to transform the “old continent” into a new one. He said they can effect this change by being more attentive and less swayed by ideologies than previous generations, and urged them to be “sensitive to environmental issues.”

Pope Francis praised the concrete commitments young people have made to care for humanity’s common home. He explained how urgent it is “to reduce consumption not only of fossil fuels, but of many superfluous things.” The Holy Father also said that in certain parts of the world “it would be advisable to consume less meat.”

The pontiff also asked them to read his encyclical “Laudato Si'”, where he thinks both believers and non-believers can find reasons to commit themselves to integral environmentalism. He encouraged young people to be capable of generating new ideas but, above all, of seeking new paths to travel along together.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday, 7/11/22

Bishops nationwide are condemning President Biden’s executive order to safeguard abortion rights.

Several churches in one state are targeted by vandals who even set one of them on fire.

The kids of Brooklyn are getting in on the action to carry their own Giglio.

Children Carry On Italian-American Tradition By Lifting Giglio at Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Currents News Staff

They’ve been preparing and they’ve been praying.

“Well, I did do a couple of push-ups with friends,” said Evan Smith.

Dozens of children in Brooklyn are flexing their muscles and getting ready to lift the 400 lb. children’s Giglio at the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

“It’s gonna be really heavy” said Smith.

Seven-year-old Nicholas Notaro is picked as the leader or capo.

“I’m gonna be the capo,” Notaro said. “I’m gonna lead the Giglio.”

So with the support of their families, and a blessing from the pastor, Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello: It was time.

“Heavenly Father,” said Msgr. Jamie. “We come together tonight to lift this children’s Giglio.”

With a scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel around their necks, they put their faith into action.

Like pros and like their fathers and grandfathers before them, the children made the Giglio dance as they processed through the feast. When the work was done, the fun began!

Food and rides galore.

“Because I’m around for close to 50 years,” said Lucy Spata, “so if I’m around this long, you know it’s gotta be good!”

After 135 years, this parish perfected the recipe for a good time by bringing their faith into the streets.

“I think people should come to the feast to experience the spirit of faith,” said Msgr. Jamie.

Maryland Police Investigate Fires and Vandalism at Multiple Houses of Worship

Currents News Staff

The arson triggered the fire detection system at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church in Maryland around 1:55 a.m. Sunday.

“People are coming in today shocked,” said Patricia Zapor from the Archdiocese of Washington. “There were some small attempts to burn some of the pews. Some books were shredded, and the stations of the cross were removed from the wall.”

That’s when Montgomery County Fire and Rescue arrived and put the fire out. This morning, the cleanup began.

“Of course, they are concerned that they were allegedly targeted,” said Peter Piringer from the fire and rescue team.

Although the investigation is ongoing, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue said there are similarities between the arson and vandalism at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church and the arson and vandalism that happened just a few minutes down the road at North Bethesda United Methodist Church.

“In both cases, there were some associated vandalism with that,” said Piringer. “Again, there are similarities: Not too far apart. Relatively same time of night occurring. And both being churches.”

The arson at the Methodist church happened Saturday at 2:35 a.m.

“Again this was an arson,” said Piringer. “Intentionally set fires.”

That’s not all – a third church was vandalized on the same road. Investigators found headstones broken and wood pieces shattered at Wildwood Baptist Church.

Sunday Mass ended with a different prayer.

“And encourage people to pray for whoever would do something like this,” said Zapor. “That their hearts be healed.”

Meet The ‘CandyMan’ Who Sells Candy Bars For Cancer Research and Patient Care

Currents News Staff

His name is Fred Reagan, but his nickname is: “The Candy Man” and it’s easy to see why.

The 77-year-old Lakefield man is preparing for his 17th Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk in October.

“I started doing it with a good friend of mine who lost his daughter in law, 30 years of age, with cancer,” Reagan said.

His goal is to raise $20,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“He’s really what we want all of our supporters to be like,” said Zachary Blackburn, Assistant Vice President of the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. “Just that passion, that energy. Fred himself, through the end of last year, has raised just shy of $107,000”

How does he do this? By way of mail.

“I’ll send out about 260 letters this year and I had a stamp made at Staples that says AKA the Candyman,” Reagan said.

And by selling Hilliards Chocolates.

“This is our chocolate bars for the fundraising program,” said Maegan McCarthy Dec, the Hilliards Chocolates President. “There’s 40 chocolate bars in there. They are $1 each and then they can resell them for $2 or whatever they choose to.”

Now in his 12th year of using the program, Fred says he’s close to selling his 100,000th candy bar!

“It’s very close,” Reagan said. “I think by the end of October, November, I will have hit 100-thousand candy bars.”

Fred sells the candy bars out of a cooler in his car but he also works with about 20 local businesses – some that he visits weekly to drop off boxes of chocolate.”

“He’s great. He is amazing,” said Cale Rynscewicz from Winbergs Hardware. “He’s such a joy to have around. Every time he’s around I’m always smiling, I’m always laughing.”

“I drive around,” said Reagan. “I probably put 5 to 6,000 miles on my car every year but that’s okay. It’s a good cause. And one of these days, we’re going to have a cure for cancer.”

President Biden Signs Executive Order Safeguarding Abortion Access

The order pushes back limits on women’s access to federally approved abortion medication and services

By Currents News Staff and Melissa Enaje

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — President Joe Biden signed an executive order formalizing instructions to the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services protecting abortion access, just two weeks after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to the procedure.

“The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,” Biden said on July 8. “The challenge is, go out and vote.”

The order extends to other governmental bodies including the Federal Trade Commission. Biden is asking the FTC to take steps that will protect the privacy of those seeking an abortion online in addition to establishing an “interagency task force” to safeguard abortion access.

“The Biden Administration is obsessed with increasing abortion in America,” Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said in a statement that he and other Republican senators introduced to block the executive order.

Biden’s order also intends to mitigate potential penalties women would face if they seek an abortion. It will also direct agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers on how and when they’re required to share patient information with authorities.

The White House also said it would assign volunteer lawyers who could provide women and providers with pro-bono legal assistance in order to navigate the new state restrictions.

“President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law,” the White House said. “Until then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion.”

While the Biden Administration takes action to safeguard abortion access and care, New York Catholic bishops have spoken out about the responsibility of the pro-life community to build “a culture of life.”

“Building a culture of life is not solely the responsibility of the government,” the bishops said in a statement. “All of us need to respect the dignity and sanctity of human life in everything we do: in how we treat our children, spouses, and parents; in the way we behave in our place of work; in sum, how we live Jesus’ two great commandments to love God and love our neighbor.”

Tokyo Archbishop Condemns Political Violence That ‘Kills Democracy’

By Currents News Staff and Nirmala Carvalho

TOKYO (Crux) — After a gunman fatally shot former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign rally in western Japan on Friday, July 8, Archbishop Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo lamented that “violence kills democracy.”

Abe was campaigning for local candidates in Nara when a person shot him in the back at close range with what news reports have described as a homemade gun. He was airlifted to a hospital but officials said he was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

The hospital confirmed his death. Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which Kishida called “dastardly and barbaric.”

Abe is the longest-serving prime minister in Japan’s history, having been in office twice, first from 2006-2007 and then from 2012-2020. A member of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, he was controversial for his views on re-militarizing Japan and his revisionist views on Japan’s actions during World War II.

Archbishop Kikuchi told Crux he was “deeply saddened and shocked to hear the news of the attack on the former prime minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe.”

The archbishop also deplored the fact that political violence might be happening in Japan.

“After more than 70 years since the present constitution was promulgated in 1947, with a strong desire to establish peace, the principle of democracy based on freedom of speech and vote is supposed to be the core value of this society,” he said.

“There are differences of opinion existing in the society over all kinds of issues and political antagonism among politicians made them fight each other. However this fight has been done by debate and not by violence,” Archbishop Kikuchi continued.

“Violence kills democracy. Violence kills freedom. Violence kills justice. The differences of political opinion have to be solved through dialogue and voting in freedom. No one has the right to use violence to silence opposition. Only dialogue provides a real solution to realize justice and peace,” he told Crux.

Opposition leaders in Japan also condemned the attack as a challenge to Japan’s democracy.

When he resigned as prime minister in 2020, Abe said he had a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he’d had since he was a teenager.

He told reporters at the time that it was “gut-wrenching” to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese people who were abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution.

Playing With a Purpose: How The Uvalde Little League Team Will Keep Memories of Their Teammates Alive

Currents News Staff

More than six weeks removed and nearly 60 miles away from Robb Elementary School, JJ Suarez still struggles to speak about the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

“Uvalde, we’re a tight knit community,” said Suarez, President of the Uvalde Little League, “and we lost 21 individuals – 22 with Joe to this tragedy.”

With ribbons in their hair and logos on their uniforms, players on both a softball team and baseball team from Uvalde compete in the junior sectional tournament in Castroville, Texas.

Cheryl Sanchez is not only the softball player agent for Uvalde little league, but her daughter is a member of the team.

“The resiliency they have shown has just been remarkable,” said Sanchez. “In many ways, I think, they’re doing better than the adults.”

More than half of the 19 students killed inside Robb Elementary were involved with Uvalde Little League. That number includes six victims who were registered to play this season.

“We have a very small facility,” said Sanchez. “So they served as mentors to the younger ones and they’re also there to support the siblings who lost their loved ones. It’s not something that can be put into words easily, because it is unbelievable.”

Actions speak louder than words even when those words are hard to find. So this group of little leaguers is taking the field for their friends, family members and teachers who were taken far too soon.

“In speaking with some of the family members of the little leaguers that we lost,” said Suarez, “They encouraged us to continue moving forward.”

Moving forward without moving on.

Overflowing Ordination: 70 Young Men Were Ordained to The Priesthood in Guadalajara Mexico

Currents News Staff

In the Archdiocese of Guadalajara in Mexico, 70 new priests were ordained over the weekend of Pentecost.

Welcoming this unusually large number of priests stemmed from years of hard work. The archdiocese had created a program to work with young people directed by priests and seminarians to promote vocations.

“They are doing a lot of hard work but it’s permanent, so that, in the parishes, in addition to attention given to families, directly and indirectly, a permanent team in each parish is dedicated to promoting consecrated vocations for both men and women,” said Father Antonio Gutierrez.

In Guadalajara, between 35 and 40 priests are usually ordained each year, but on this occasion, there were so many young men that two ceremonies were needed to ordain them all.

The ordinations coincided with the 325th anniversary of the seminary’s founding, which led to an intensification of the vocation program. The mission to promote vocations has grown through the examples set by other priests, the role of the family, and the personal experiences of each young man.

“[Guadalajara] is a land where the faith, the devotion of the people, has been promoted, where families tend to be generous in terms of consecrated vocations,” said Father Antonio Gutierrez. “The vocations of these 70 men did not happen over night, but we are grateful for them.”

Although it may seem like a large group, there are still not enough men to satisfy the pastoral needs of all the faithful in the archdiocese. Yet, the increase in the number of vocations shows a promising future.

“Some of the [new priests] have already done previous studies for a degree, like architecture, accounting. There have even been doctors who were already practicing,” said Father Antonio Gutierrez. “They are young men with all the characteristics of today’s youth—restless, technological, but we hope that along with all the things that we can no longer do without today, at the root of young people is a deep piety and longing to serve the faithful as priests.”

All the newly ordained priests already have their pastoral assignment. Between them, they will serve more than five million people in parishes, religious institutes and some will even go to other dioceses.

Pope Francis Will Give Women a Voice in the Process of Electing New Bishops

By Currents News Staff and Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis said he plans to name two women to the committee that helps him choose bishops for the world’s Latin-rite dioceses.

In an interview on July 2 with the Reuters news agency, the pontiff seemed to indicate that the women would be members, not consultants or staff members, of the Dicastery for Bishops, which currently has only cardinals and bishops as members and five bishops and two priests as consultants.

“Two women will be appointed for the first time in the committee to elect bishops in the Congregation for Bishops,” Pope Francis told Philip Pullella, the Reuters’ Vatican correspondent.

“This way, things are opening up a bit,” the pontiff said when asked about expanding the role of women in church decision-making.

Reuters published the pontiff’s remarks about women’s positions on July 6.

Preparing nominations for the office of bishops is a long, multistep process. For most Latin-rite dioceses that are not in mission territories, the process begins with bishops submitting to their local archbishop the names of priests they think would be good bishops; once a year the bishops of the province discuss the names submitted and forward recommendations to the nuncio.

The nuncio studies the lists, investigates further, solicits feedback from people who know the candidate, and forwards his recommendations to the Dicastery for Bishops.

The prefect of the dicastery, currently Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, can make recommendations directly to the pontiff about transferring a bishop from one diocese to another or to an archdiocese. But if the candidate is still a priest, the members of the dicastery — currently 17 cardinals and six bishops — must review the dossiers and vote on the names to recommend to the pontiff. Although many of the members do not live in Rome, they usually meet twice a month on Thursdays to deliberate.

The prefect presents the nominations to the Holy Father, who makes the final decision.

Pope Francis did not give Reuters the names of the women he intends to name to the dicastery, nor did he say when they would be announced.

The Holy Father’s new apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia said, “The dicastery deals with all matters concerning the appointment of diocesan and titular bishops, apostolic administrators and, in general, the provision of the particular churches. It does so by considering the proposals presented by the particular churches, the episcopal conferences, and the papal representations, and after having consulted the executive officers of the respective episcopal conference and the metropolitan (archbishop).”

“In appropriate ways, it also engages in this process the members of the people of God of the dioceses in question,” the document added.

While the constitution opened almost all roles in the Roman Curia to lay men and women, it also reserved a special place for cardinals as the members of dicasteries.

“The members of curial institutions are appointed from among the cardinals living in Rome or outside the city, to whom are added some bishops, especially diocesan or eparchial ones, insofar as they have expertise in the particular matters involved,” it said. “Depending on the nature of the dicastery, priests, deacons, those in institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life and lay faithful may also be appointed members.”

“I am open to giving (women) an opportunity” to lead Vatican offices, the pontiff told Reuters. “There is now a woman deputy governor” of Vatican City State, Sister Raffaella Petrini, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, whom he appointed in November.

“As heads of dicasteries,” the pontiff continued, it is possible that women could lead the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, or the Vatican Library, “which is almost a dicastery.”

Coincidently, Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, told the Jesuit-run American Magazine in late June, “I believe I could be the last cleric in charge of this dicastery.”

While the current secretary of the dicastery is a priest, the two undersecretaries are women: Linda Ghisoni, who heads the section for laity; and Gabriella Gambino, who heads the section for family and life.

Other female leaders at the Vatican include Salesian Sister Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums; Xavière Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops; Sister Carmen Ros Nortes, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation, who serves as an undersecretary at the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Natasa Govekar, director of the theological-pastoral department of the Dicastery for Communication; and Cristiane Murray, vice director of the Vatican press office.