After surgery to remove part of his colon, Pope Francis is on the move, alert, and even up walking.
Then more about the pontiff’s condition, just how serious is diverticulitis? We speak with a doctor for a diagnosis.
And prayers pouring in — from politicians to pilgrims and a pastoral visit on the horizon, nothing is stopping the Holy Father’s plans from taking off on a two country tour come September.
Stay with us for the latest on Pope Francis’ road to recovery.
By Jessica Easthope
The Vatican’s message about Pope Francis’ recovery was vague, but medically it said a lot. One specific piece of information shows that he’s ahead of the curve.
“I was actually quite stunned, in my experience, it’s usually a couple of days before they give the patient clear liquids, before they eat solids,” said Dr. Robert Tiballi, an infectious disease specialist with the Catholic Medical Association. “But from what I read this morning, he was given a solid food meal already.”
The Holy Father’s surgery to remove part of his colon that had narrowed lasted three hours. Dr. Tiballi explained that the damaged part is removed and then the intestine is reconnected.
“They basically snip at one end, snip at the other and reattach, almost like you would a garden hose taking a leak out with a coupling, but then they’re able to sew up the bowel, one piece to the other,” the doctor said.
The condition is called stenosis. It happens when little pockets form inside the intestines and can cause blockage.
“The pope has been suffering from recurrent diverticulitis, which is an inflammation of pouches in the bowel called diverticulosis. When you get infected in that area, it can cause scar tissue development,” said Dr. Tiballi.
Diverticulosis is common and on the rise across the world. In the United States alone, nearly 60 percent of adults over the age of 60 have it. Dr. Tiballi says that’s because the three walls of the bowel weaken.
“Over time with age, the inner lining actually herniates through the muscle walls and forms a balloon-like structure that kind of pops out from the bowel wall and forms an irregular cobble-stoning on the outside of the wall,” he said.
Sometimes people who have diverticulosis don’t know it because there are no obvious symptoms, but those trying to prevent it should stay away from food like seeds and popcorn.
“This can get filled with non-digestible food matter and block fecal matter, which can lead to scar tissue and generalized weakening in that area,” Dr. Tiballi said.
Normally, diverticulosis doesn’t become a threat until your late 40s. The only way to prevent it is to stay on top of getting colonoscopies. Based on his seemingly speedy recovery, Pope Francis most likely had his surgery done laparoscopically through his belly button. He’s expected to stay in the hospital for five days.
By Emily Drooby
Soccer camp keeps seventh-grader Stefano Cesare active while school is out.
“I get to see my friends during the summer and instead of playing video games and staying inside,” Stefano said.
It’s a game he’s played since he was three years old. He has attended summer camp at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, Queens for several years.
However, during the pandemic, he wasn’t really able to play.
“It was boring because I would always have something to do every week and to not do it, it felt empty,” Stefano said.
Stefano wasn’t alone, sports shut down across the country in 2020. However, now, with things reopening – experts fear athletes won’t come back. During the pandemic, practice hours were down more than 50 percent.
At least 29 percent of parents report their kids are simply no longer interested in playing. That’s according to data by non-profit the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. Participation in team sports was dropping before the pandemic too.
Christ the King’s Associate Athletic Director Joseph Arbitello argues sports are necessary. He sees a difference when kids can’t play.
“I mean I saw a lot of depression,” Joseph said. “I saw young people coming out of their routine, which is a tough thing for a young person to do.”
He’s been a part of this summer camp for years – starting as a camper himself.
Maya Marchan was also a former camper. Now she’s a student-athlete and camp counselor.
“I think you build so many good relationships with your friends,” Maya said. “You get to meet new people. It opens up the world for you.”
The camp attempted to run in summer of 2020 but saw a significant drop in the amount of kids signed up.
But this summer? Their camps are full. Joseph credits social media and in-person recruiting.
Their attendance is at pre-pandemic numbers. With several weeks of camps left and registration still open attendance, that number could go up even more.
Christ the King is just one of many within the Catholic High School Athletic Association in the Diocese of Brooklyn running summer sports camps. It’s a commitment to keeping kids active.
By Currents News Staff and Catholic News Service
SURFSIDE, Fla. (CNS) — After spending time at Surfside’s informal Wall of Remembrance memorial for the victims of the Champlain Towers South collapse, Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski told CBS4 Miami July 2, “It’s quite shocking to see.”
He made the comments during his visit to the memorial with Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley and Father Juan Sosa, pastor of St. Joseph Church, which is close to the site.
“The people in the building represent so many different religious and cultural backgrounds. … One of the things that struck me really is when I’ve been reading the names of the families, survivors and the missing of how much this building represents a microcosm of all of South Florida,” the archbishop said.
The memorial sprung up following the tragic partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building near Miami Beach, Florida. It has been so popular that at one point local law enforcement had to close the area due to hundreds gathering on the streets there.
As of July 6, 32 people were confirmed dead; 113 others remained unaccounted for since the collapse early June 24. The evening of July 4, crews demolished the remaining part of the building.
Officials were concerned the outer bands of Tropical Storm Elsa could affect what was left of the building in Surfside. By midday July 6, Elsa was expected to head toward Florida’s west coast after whipping parts of the Florida Keys.
“This has certainly been a very difficult and emotional moment for the whole community. But even in these times of great challenge, we see how so much good comes out of people — in their generosity, courage and desire to help those in need,” Cardinal O’Malley wrote in a post for his blog, http://cardinalseansblog.org.
He said he headed to Miami July1 to spend time with friends and relatives for the Independence Day holiday and Archbishop Wenski extended an invitation to join him in visiting to the site of the building collapse in Surfside, “where so many people perished.”
“We prayed for those affected by the tragedy and met some of the relatives of those who are still missing,” Cardinal O’Malley wrote.
“It was a very moving experience,” he said of the visit, “but it was encouraging to see how the community has come together to help in the search for the missing and to try to bring comfort and solace to those who have lost family and friends.”
“We were also able to speak with a number of the rescue workers from around the country and from Israel who were working at the site of the collapse. I even met a firefighter from Newton (Massachusetts) who was there helping out,” he added.
Cardinal O’Malley noted that Father Chris Marino, a Miami archdiocesan priest, who is a chaplain with the Miami Fire Department, is a good friend of his and was with the firefighter who was with the crew that found the body of his own 7-year-old daughter, Stella Cattarossi, the night of July 1. The firefighter carried her from the rubble.
The girl had been with her mother, grandparents and an aunt visiting from Argentina, according to news reports.
“On behalf of the Archdiocese of Boston, we also offer our prayers and support for the families impacted by the collapse,” Cardinal O’Malley said. “We know that God does not abandon us in our time of need. He is always present in our hour of grief.”
Father Sosa’s parish church, the nearest Catholic church to Surfside’s “ground zero,” is serving as a place of spiritual respite for members of the Surfside/Miami Beach community — both Catholic and non-Catholic — who have been affected in some way by the tragic partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium.
St. Joseph also is accommodating fire rescue personnel and journalists from around the world who are parking or camped out on its premises.
The church remains open daily from 8 a.m. — when Mass is celebrated — until the conclusion of the last Mass each day.
On the evening of June 26, teens, young adults and others in the parish community gathered at the church for eucharistic adoration, rosary, songs and reflections, followed by a solemn walk to the site.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the tragedy,” Archbishop Wenski said in a statement issued shortly after the building collapsed. “We also pledge our prayers for the victims, their families, and first responders. May the Lord give them strength.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami staffers have been offering assistance in whatever way they can, along with Father Sosa, other local clergy and faith leaders, and local parishioners.
Next on a special edition of Currents News – the First Amendment – Catholics taking a stand for the freedom at the foundation of this country.
Lawsuit battles – a look into cases taken to the highest court in the land, all in the name of religious liberty.
Beyond our borders – a different type of persecution – Christians fighting for their lives and what Americans can do to help.
Currents News Staff
The crisis in Lebanon — many buildings and homes were destroyed by that blast, including St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. But now, thanks to the papal charity, Aid to the Church in Need, the Lebanese parish is back and stronger than ever.
Father Gabriel Khairallah, chaplain of St. Joseph’s Church, joined Currents News to discuss the church’s road to recovery and rebuilding.
Aid to the Church in Need is still accepting donations to help Christians in lebanon. If you’d like to help, go to the organization’s website: www.churchinneed.org to donate.
Reviving hope for peace in Lebanon. Pope Francis meets with Christian leaders from the country.
President Biden visits the site of the deadly building collapse in Surfside, Florida pledging help for the region — this as the House passes the president’s $715 billion dollar infrastructure bill.
Bringing new life to a historic space — an exclusive look into a Brooklyn opera hall meant to evangelize through the arts.
By Emily Drooby
A hidden piece of history in Williamsburg, Brooklyn was built in 1897. It’s one of the first opera houses in Brooklyn.
Soon people will fill these seats again as the Diocese of Brooklyn has restored this theater to its former glory.
Currents News was given an exclusive tour.
“It’s the original floor,” said Craig Tubiolo, “and that’s the selling point to a lot of people, that the history is still here.”
From the letters above the stage to the intricate carvings that surround the ceiling, historic details were still preserved. Such integrity brought the opera house back to its former glory. The process took five years to complete.
It’s part of a restoration project spearheaded by Msgr. Anthony Hernandez and supported by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.
“We made the decision to use this as an anchor for the Catholic community in Williamsburg,” Msgr. Hernandez said.
Now, the opera house will not only be an anchor for the Catholic community, but also a tool as part of what will be a new cultural center for the diocese.
“Through the arts, we can evangelize to the local neighborhood,” said Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, who is the board chairman of the Emmaus Center.
The intention? To spread God’s word through the arts, in one of the city’s most creative neighborhoods – Williamsburg.
A community where art is more than a hobby or job, it’s a way of life.
Craig Tubiolo is the executive director.
“We’re going to reach people, where they are, and plant that seed and reignite the faith in this community in Williamsburg,” Craig said.
The center is located above the newly-dedicated Saints Peter and Paul church. The thought behind it is to evangelize the people of Williamsburg through something they hold dear.
“We’ll use the theater, the concerts, the arts, to draw people into the building and hopefully start a conversation about the faith as well,” said Msgr. Hernandez.
A unique approach catered to the neighborhood.
Msgr. Jamie says it couldn’t have happened without Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.
“From the day he came to this diocese, he was always big on the new evangelization,” he said. “When he heard about the concept here, he was all for it and he put everything behind it.”
They plan to start holding events at The Emmaus center in fall of this year.
By Emily Drooby
While standing in Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights, Father Dominique Hanna prays for his former home – Lebanon. The country is in crisis.
On July 1, Pope Francis met with Lebanese Christian leaders at the Vatican. The visit and prayers was one that inspired hope.
“It makes me feel like the pope cares a lot for Lebanon and he cares for the Christians of Lebanon,” Father Hanna explained.
Lebanon is going through a severe economic crisis that started in 2019. The turmoil has worried many with loved ones who still live in the country.
“Now it’s a freefall economically,” explained Rabih Nemr, a parishioner from Our Lady of Lebanon in Brooklyn. “Apparently it’s the worst crisis. They’re saying since the 1800’s.”
Inflation is through the roof following government corruption since the end of the civil war in the country.
“If you have a family of four, a year ago, making $100 a month in Lebanon, they’re making $10 a month today, and that’s not because they’re not working, it’s because of the tragic decisions of the government, or lack of government,” explained Bishop Gregory Mansour.
Bishop Mansour is the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn. The bishop just got back from a trip to Lebanon where he saw the crisis first-hand. Other events have only made the situation worse, like the pandemic and the 2020 massive explosion in Beirut that killed 190 people, left 300,000 more homeless and caused billions in damage.
A country that needs support is what makes this summit so powerful to Lebanese people around the world including in Brooklyn.
In Rome, it was a day of prayer, reflection, and discussions. Pope Francis met behind closed doors with the leaders who represented various denominations and churches.
Together they discussed the crisis and how religion can help. Providing help is crucial, says the bishop.
“If we lose the special nature of Lebanon, the Christian, Muslim conviviality, we can forget about Christians in the Middle East,” Bishop Mansour explained.
The day concluded as Pope Francis and the 10 leaders gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica to pray for Lebanon. In the holy basilica is where the pontiff urged the leaders of Lebanon to put aside partisan interests and work for stability and peace.
Currents News Staff
The closest Catholic Church to the scene of the Florida condo collapse is St. Joseph’s parish in Miami. Currents News reported that 10 families from the church are among those missing.
Father Juan Sosa, pastor at St. Joseph’s in Miami, joined Currents News to discuss how the parishioners at his parish are coping after such devastating news and how they are all keeping the faith.