Calls for investigations into the nursing home debacle continue to mount for Governor Cuomo.
Extreme weather conditions are affecting more than 100 million Americans.
Some of New York City’s most vulnerable populations are slowly getting vaccinated.
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Gov. Cuomo Faces Investigations, Loss of Power, Accusation of Bullying Amid Nursing Home Controversy
By Emily Drooby
The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn are investigating how New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration handled data on the state’s COVID nursing home deaths.
Now, Democratic leaders from the State Senate are moving to strip Cuomo of his pandemic emergency powers.
Many are angered by the state withholding death toll numbers.
“Him and his administration can be competent, but in this regard is what they’ve been doing is stonewalling us on data for months,” NY State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chairman for the Committee on Health, said of Cuomo Feb. 16.
State Assemblyman Ron Kim of Queens claims the governor threatened him and demanded he immediately put out a statement of support.
This comes after a leaked conference call, where a top Cuomo aide admitted to withholding that data out of fear it would be used against them by federal prosecutors in the Trump administration.
For months, Kim has condemned Cuomo’s handling of the nursing home situation.
“He asked me to lie to cover up for his staff,” Assemblyman Kim added. “He’s biting his tongue, but he will go out tomorrow and destroy my political career.”
An advisor to the governor claims Kim is lying about the conversation.
However, on Feb. 18, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio backed Kim.
“I believe Ron Kim,” he said. “First of all you can just see that what he’s saying it’s from the heart, and it was a very painful experience for him.”
Earlier this week, Cuomo took responsibility for not providing that information sooner.
“Most of all the void we created allowed disinformation,” he said.
Still, pressure is mounting against Cuomo. Senator Ted Cruz, along with other Republican lawmakers, is now urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to open an investigation.
Changes in the Liturgy: Opportunities for Reflection
By Currents News Staff and Msgr. Steven Aguggia
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we do many things — from how we shop to how we work and go to school.
Even the way we worship God has changed as we have had to make changes in the way we behave in church as well as in the liturgy itself, all in an effort to keep people safe and healthy.
Some of the changes in the way we celebrate the liturgy, while perhaps unsettling at first because they are not what we are accustomed to, can also be opportunities for us to examine what we do and why we do it.
Ash Wednesday is fast approaching and this year’s celebration will bring with it some changes. We are not permitted to have physical contact with anyone; therefore, something like imposing ashes on one’s forehead becomes a challenge. This year we will be following an ancient custom in the Church: the imposition of ashes by sprinkling them on one’s head. This is a method widely used in Europe and which will enable us to celebrate this beloved custom in a safe manner this year.
Ashes are a symbol of our desire to repent, to turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel. Perhaps this year, we are offered an opportunity to consider what that really means for us, personally. Maybe no one will see that I have ashes imposed. Perhaps only I, myself, will know and that may present me with the opportunity to understand better what the ashes represent for me personally.
The imposition of ashes itself is just one of the ways that the liturgy has changed. No longer do we turn to our neighbors at Mass and offer an extended hand in a Sign of Peace. What are the other ways I can express my hope of peace, of communion with those around me?
Holy Communion is generally distributed in the hand. This is because there is less chance of accidental physical contact with another person. This is for the protection of everyone, including the minister of Holy Communion. Perhaps it may become an opportunity for me to think about how I receive Holy Communion, my attitude towards the Eucharist, how I participate in the celebration of the Mass and how I show the Lord reverence in His real Presence in the Eucharist.
On Palm Sunday, we are all accustomed to holding our palm branches and having them blessed. Perhaps we normally participate in a procession, honoring Jesus’ triumphal entry into the Holy City. This year, the palms may be left on tables in church. Perhaps we will be invited to take a branch at the end of Mass as we leave.
Can this help me to appreciate the ways that I welcome Jesus into my life? Maybe I can reflect on how my internal desire to welcome Him should better match my external desire to wave a palm branch?
The changes necessitated by the pandemic may be difficult for us to adapt to but, at the same time, they are opportunities for us to grow in our understanding of what we do and why we do it. The liturgy is something we participate in actively, not just as casual bystanders. This means we ought to strive always to understand it more and more.
Maybe, this is a blessing that has come from the changes in the liturgy which may at first make us uncomfortable. Maybe they are a way of God telling us something.
Msgr. Steven Aguggia is the chancellor of the Diocese of Brooklyn and pastor of St. Pancras Parish.
Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday, 2/17/21
The Lenten season has begun – the pandemic impacting Ash Wednesday observances.
Storms – heading to New York – stall vaccine shipments and delay appointments.
It’s Christmas in February for one Long Island family.
Do Strict Lockdowns Work When It Comes to Managing COVID Infection Rates?
Currents News Staff
New York just hit the lowest positivity rate since the day before Thanksgiving. What do the numbers reflect in the bigger picture now that there are several new strains of the virus here in the U.S.?
Joining Currents News to provide answers to more COVID questions is Dr. Robert Tiballi, an infectious disease specialist with The Catholic Medical Association.
Pandemic Changes Ash Wednesday as Catholics Receive Ashes on Their Heads, Recall a Year of Sacrifice
By Jessica Easthope
Lent in the pandemic age means another change to how we practice our faith. This year, Catholics in the Diocese of Brooklyn are being sprinkled with ashes on the crowns of their heads instead of a prominent cross on their foreheads. And instead of the words “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel,” there’s silence.
“Some people are not too happy about it, but they want that sign,” said Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. “But it has to be internal now, can’t be external.”
This “new” way of doing things isn’t actually new at all — it’s ancient.
“The ancient forms of penance were sackcloth and ashes, to show that you were really penitent and that you were really giving up things that were pleasurable,” Bishop DiMarzio said.
Lent is a time of sacrifice, getting us ready for Christ’s Resurrection on the most holy day, Easter. But in a year that’s called for so much sacrifice, how can we give up anything more?
“Sacrifice is all part of life and sometimes you have to sacrifice a little bit more than other times, and this has been one of those years when sacrifice has been the epitome of it,” said Isabel Navarro, who’s been a parishioner at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James for nearly 40 years.
Isabel says the sacrifices she’s made this year have allowed her to appreciate her life even more.
“He sacrificed for us, we sacrifice a little bit for Him. And compared to His, it’s nothing,” she said.
And Isabel’s not the only one who feels that way.
“As we enter this season of Lent understanding the sacrifices that have been made for us and the blood that was shed, I feel this is nothing compared to what the Lord had to go through,” said Marie Calixte, who’s a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Flatlands, Brooklyn, but attended Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James on her lunch break from work.
This year people are showing their sacrifice on the inside, but the pandemic still lingered in the front of everyone’s minds.
“I’m just hoping as of today — Ash Wednesday —on forward, there are a lot of changes in this pandemic. Because a lot of people are dying and hopefully God is watching over everybody, and helps us get past this pandemic safely,” said Miguel Deida, who also attended the Mass because he was nearby, but is a parishioner at Our Lady of Angels in Bay Ridge.
For many, giving something up has transformed into giving more of themselves.
“I’m not really giving up. I’m increasing more in prayer, meditation and spending time with family,” Marie said.
“There’s so much to be done, people to help. Things you can do are greater than saying you’ll sacrifice. The more you give, the more you’re going to get back,” said Isabel.
A lot is different, but why we sacrifice will never change.
Catholic Veteran and Retired NYPD Detective Celebrated With Drive-By 100th Birthday Party
By Emily Drooby
Patriotic sounds rang out on a Williamsburg, Brooklyn street Wednesday afternoon as a drive-by 100th birthday party was held for Joseph A. SanPietro. On Feb. 17, friends and family celebrated a man who spent his life serving others as an army sergeant and police detective.
The Catholic veteran stood on his porch, watching the parade thrown in his honor. He was filled with emotion by the beautiful gesture.
“I feel like General McArthur,” he told Currents News.
The 100th birthday extravaganza was organized by the Catholic War Veterans Williamsburg Post, where Joseph is one of their members.
“It’s a big thing,” said fellow member Vincent Patuto. “Not many people, especially in this day and age, live to be 100 years old.”
It’s been 100 incredible years. Joseph spent four of them in the Army, where he was a sergeant and served during World War 2 in Okinawa, the site of one of the bloodiest battles in history.
Once he got back to the U.S., he joined the NYPD. He spent 20 years protecting city residents. He’s even the officer in the famous arrest photo of alleged crime boss, Joseph Colombo.
Joseph’s fellow post members put together a record of his accomplishments, and a proclamation from the Brooklyn Borough President. They gave him both during the party.
The drive-by was a fitting celebration for someone who gave so much for both his country and his city.
New York Woman Who Lost Father to COVID Speaks on Cuomo and COVID Nursing Home Deaths
A Syracuse New York woman who is grieving the loss of her father is reacting to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s explanation for how he handled coronavirus death data in nursing homes.
Natalie Walters lost her father, Jack, to both COVID-19 and dementia in December.
He passed away at Loretto Health & Rehabilitation.
“I’m going to try and keep it together for you,” she told Currents News. “I don’t know how anybody can divorce the consequences or the culpability from the actions that were done.”
Cuomo’s aide, Melissa DeRosa, says the Cuomo team “froze” when the Department of Justice was asking for information on nursing home deaths.
That was in August, when state lawmakers were requesting the same data
“He is trying to deflect the responsibility of being governor in our state,” said Natalie. “The governor who kept saying over and over ‘follow the facts’ and when you decide to manipulate facts for your own fortitude, that is suspect to me.”
Currents News read Natalie some of the governor’s words, asking if that was an apology to families like hers.
“Having the bravery to look at a camera and say to the people of New York State, ‘I am so sorry that this has happened to you all,’ or ‘I promise,’ and ‘I will,’ or ‘I hope’ — anything that leads after that would’ve given, I think, all of us a sense of wow we’re not left behind in all of this”
On whether she thinks the circumstances with her father could’ve been different now if it weren’t for how things were handled, she says, “I think had the information been given to us timely that we have found out has been withheld, that perhaps — perhaps — there could’ve been a different ending in this situation. We might not even be talking, you know? My father might still be here.”
Natalie said she repeatedly watched the clip of the governor saying there shouldn’t be an investigation to make sure she heard him correctly, and believes an investigation should be done.
Long Islanders Join Together, Put Christmas Lights Back Up to Honor Neighbor Lost to COVID
By Jessica Easthope
Christmas came and went, but the lights and decorations are still up at Sara Pascucci’s house. That’s because her father, Anthony, put them up, but never got the chance to take them down before he passed away of COVID-19 on January 15.
“He loved Christmas, that was his favorite holiday. On every year, the day after Thanksgiving he would get all his decorations out and put them up and have his Christmas music playing,” Sara said of her late father.
Sara, her brother Anthony Jr. and her aunt who all live on Berkshire Road in Bethpage, Long Island, found comfort in keeping them up for a little while, if it meant keeping her dad’s memory alive. But a few days ago, Sara got an anonymous letter in the mail with a message that shocked her.
“It was mailed anonymously, not even a return address or our names,” Sara said as she held the letter that read, “Take your lights down, it’s Valentine’s Day.”
Sara couldn’t help but take it personally, knowing what her family has been through and knowing how much the decorations meant to her dad.
“We were kind of shocked at first but then it set in and we’re like, ‘This is kind of ridiculous.’ And it hurt and we were upset, and it was something so silly that we didn’t need at this time,” said Sara.
But after posting about it on social media, she found out some of her neighbors got letters too for keeping their lights up too long.
“We were like, ‘This is crazy.’ Everything going on in the world, this is what somebody’s worried about,” said Bree Fazio, Sara’s neighbor.
Bree got her letter after her decorations were stowed away, so what did she do? She headed to the garage and got them right back out.
“We put the decorations back up in honor of that family, and for what Sara and Anthony had gone through,” she said.
Now, several houses on Sara’s block are decking the halls all over again. And with the recent weather, they say their White Christmas re-do is just what they needed.
“I just thought it was a nice way to bring joy to everybody and let everyone know that we’re all kind of in this together,” Sara said.
The block even went as far as giving the anonymous sender some Christmas cheer on Valentine’s Day, holding a car parade down the street.
As for when the Pascuccis will take the merry decor down? Who knows.
“Me and my brother are debating, he wants to keep them up all year,” said Sara.
Whether the decorations come down or not, Anthony’s picture will be in the window.
For Lent, Ask If One’s Life is Centered on God or Oneself, Pope Says
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Lent is a time to reconsider the path one is taking in life and to finally answer God’s invitation to return to him with one’s whole heart, Pope Francis said.
[CLICK HERE to Read the Pope’s Ash Wednesday Homily]
“Lent is not just about the little sacrifices we make, but about discerning where our hearts are directed,” he said, “toward God or toward myself?”
The pope’s remarks came in his homily at Mass Feb. 17 for Ash Wednesday, which included the blessing and distribution ashes, marking the beginning of Lent for Latin-rite Catholics.
Because of ongoing measures in place to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the Mass and distribution of ashes took place with a congregation of little more than 100 people at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Francis did not do the traditional walk from the Church of St. Anselm to the Basilica of Santa Sabina on Rome’s Aventine Hill to prevent large crowds of people from gathering along the route.
In St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope received ashes on his head from Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of the basilica, and he distributed ashes to about three dozen cardinals, as well as the priests and deacons assisting him at the Mass.
In his homily, the pope said one must bow to receive ashes sprinkled on the crown of the head, which reflects the “humble descent” one makes in reflecting on one’s life, sins and relationship with God.
“Lent is a journey of return to God,” especially when most people live each day ignoring or delaying their response to God’s invitation to pray and do something for others.
“It is a time to reconsider the path we are taking, to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends,” he said.
“The journey of Lent is an exodus from slavery to freedom,” he said, noting the easy temptations along that journey, including yearning for the past, or hindered by “unhealthy attachments, held back by the seductive snares of our sins, by the false security of money and appearances, by the paralysis of our discontents. To embark on this journey, we have to unmask these illusions.”
The way back to God, he said, starts with understanding, like the prodigal son, how “we have ended up with empty hands and an unhappy heart” after squandering God’s gifts “on paltry things, and then with seeking God’s forgiveness through confession.
The pope again reminded confessors that they must be like the father in the story of the prodigal son and not use “a whip,” but open their arms in a welcoming embrace.
“The journey is not based on our own strength. Heartfelt conversion, with the deeds and practices that express it, is possible only if it begins with the primacy of God’s work” and through his grace, the pope said.
What makes people just is not the righteousness they show off to others, “but our sincere relationship with the Father,” after finally recognizing one is not self-sufficient, but in great need of him, his mercy and grace.
The pope asked people to contemplate daily the crucified Christ and see in his wounds, “our emptiness, our shortcomings, the wounds of our sin and all the hurt we have experienced.”
“We see clearly that God points his finger at no one, but rather opens his arms to embrace us,” he said.
It is in life’s most painful wounds, that God awaits with his infinite mercy because it is there “where we are most vulnerable, where we feel the most shame” and where he comes to meet his children again.
“And now,” the pope said, “he invites us to return to him, to rediscover the joy of being loved.”