Three people are in custody, possibly connected to what’s being called one of the deadliest incidents in recent years for migrants at the southern border.
New details emerging are emerging about that Catholic Church in Virginia that was targeted by vandals after the Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade.
The Vatican’s newspaper is starting a new monthly edition dedicated to the poor and homeless.
SAN ANTONIO (CNS) — The archbishop of San Antonio offered prayers for dozens of people found dead as well as more than a dozen survivors discovered June 27 in sweltering conditions in a semitruck.
Authorities said June 28 the death toll rose overnight to 50. Originally, first responders pulled 16 people — 12 adults and four teenagers — from the rig.
“We pray for the souls of the … people who died in such a cruel, inhuman manner this evening,” Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller said in a statement soon after first responders made the gruesome discovery about 6 p.m. local time.
Authorities said the victims were migrants. They said the truck appeared to be part of a smuggling operation.
Roberto Velasco Álvarez, head of the Mexican government’s North American mission, said on Twitter June 28 that 22 of the victims were Mexican nationals, seven were originally from Guatemala and two were Honduran. The nationality of 19 others has not been determined.
Officials believe the tragedy is the deadliest smuggling incident of its kind in U.S. history.
Archbishop García-Siller also asked for prayers for the survivors who were hospitalized, their families and “the first responders who assisted and saved lives and must now carry with them the memories of this scene of carnage.”
In addition, he called on people of the archdiocese “to unite in solidarity, as these brothers and sisters are members of our family.”
News of the deaths reached Pope Francis, who tweeted June 28 that he was offering prayers for those who died in Texas as well as at least 23 sub-Saharan migrants who died June24 while attempting to flee Morocco by scaling a border fence to cross into the Spanish enclave of Melilla in north Africa on the Mediterranean coast.
“Let us #PrayTogether for these brothers and sisters who died following their hope of a better life; and for ourselves, may the Lord might open our hearts so these misfortunes never happen again,” the pope’s tweet said.
San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus told reporters hours after the discovery that three people were in police custody, although their connection to the situation was unclear.
The first call about the truck came from a worker in the area who had heard a cry for help and went to investigate, McManus said.
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said those found alive were conscious, “hot to the touch,” and suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion.
“There were no signs of water in the vehicle, and no visible working AC unit on that rig,” he said.
Temperatures in the San Antonio area ranged from the high 90s to low 100s, according to the National Weather Service. With a few days left in the month, meteorologists said this June was already the warmest June on record in San Antonio.
Smuggling operations working within the United States have been known to pack migrants into trucks or cargo trailers after they have already crossed the border in an attempt to sneak them past U.S. Border Patrol highway checkpoints.
In Morocco, officials said that five people died during what they described as a “stampede” June 24. Moroccan state TV updated the death toll to 23 late June 25.
However, nongovernment organizations on the ground said the number of deaths could be higher. The Guardian reported that an official with Walking Borders, an agency working with Africans seeking to cross into Spain from Morocco, said 37 deaths had been confirmed.
Melilla is one of two autonomous cities of Spain located in north Africa.
Archbishop of Kansas City, Joseph Naumann, is the former Chairman of Pro-Life Activities for the USCCB. He joins Currents News to discuss the wave of violent of attacks on pro-life organizations that took place even before the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Now that Roe v Wade has been overturned, what’s next? Activists on both sides of the issue say the fight has just begun, and the decision could open the door to some other rulings on hot button issues in the future.
Now that Roe v Wade has been overturned, activists on both sides of the issue say the fight has just begun.
Police in Virginia are investigating vandalism at a pro-life pregnancy center in Lynchburg.
It was an emotional graduation ceremony in Uvalde, Texas.
Reverend Christopher Heanue’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass on 6/26/22.
The 10th World Meeting of Families had many moving moments: from the Pope’s words at the opening and closing, to the performances of artists such as Il Volo and his rendition of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.
But above all, the testimonies of the families from all over the world who participated in the event stood out. They traveled to Rome to exchange views, experiences and, most importantly, to be together and pray with the Pontiff.
After decades of being the law of the land, Roe v. Wade has been thrown out. Reaction is emotional and pouring in.
Abby Johnson wasn’t always pro-life. In fact, she’s a former director at Planned Parenthood. She joins Currents News to talk about her story and to weigh in on the Supreme Court decision.
By Bill Miller & Paula Katinas, Senior Reporters
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The overturning of Roe v. Wade equips the pro-life movement to keep pressing for a culture change that acknowledges life begins at conception, Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn said Friday, June 24.
“It’s an important step,” Bishop Brennan said in an interview with Currents News Anchor Christine Persichette. “But it doesn’t change everything completely, certainly not here in New York. We have a long way to go to change hearts and minds.”
Bishop Brennan’s comments came a few hours after the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its 6-3 majority opinion that eliminated abortion as a constitutional right.
Abortion availability is now to be decided by the state legislatures. In New York, access to abortion will continue, as Gov. Kathy Hochul and the majority of the state’s lawmakers doubled down by making the state a “safe haven” for the medical procedure.
Still, the ruling gives pro-life advocates a better footing in conversations that could lead to more support of the pro-life movement, Bishop Brennan said.
Previously, he noted, Roe v. Wade enabled pro-abortion advocates to stifle debate, saying “this is decided,” and “abortion is a right.
“It also gave governments the ability to intrude on people who were pro-life, to force people into providing for things that, in their consciences, they knew that were wrong,” Bishop Brennan said. “So at least this gives us the ability to talk about it.”
Bishop Brennan noted that the 50-year struggle against “Roe” coincided with a scientific evolution into the complexities of human pregnancy.
As Catholics, he said, “We hold that human life is there from the very beginning, from the moment of conception, but science is underlying that truth more and more — that this is human life, and it’s viable at a much earlier age than we ever thought possible.”
Bishop Brennan also observed a noticeable shift to a societal “middle ground.”
“It’s people that might call themselves pro-choice, but they recognize that the abortion on demand is not right,” he said. “And then there are other people who are just trying to figure it out.
“We need to continue those dialogues, to continue that understanding that provides for the transformation that changes the culture.”
“A historic day,” is how the Catholic bishops of New York state, including Bishop Brennan, the day Roe was overturned.
But while they cheered the ruling, the eight prelates of the state reminded that a judicial victory and cultural victory are not the same. They said the nation remains deeply divided on the issue of abortion, and that those who champion for life still have much work to do.
“We give thanks to God for today’s decision,” the bishops said in a joint statement. ‘This just decision will save countless innocent children simply waiting to be born.
“On this historic day, our gratitude extends to the millions of heroic Americans who have worked tirelessly toward this outcome for nearly a half-century. They have been a charitable and compelling voice for the voiceless, and today, their voice has been heard.”
The statement was carried on the website for the New York State Catholic Conference. Topping the list of signers was Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who is president of the conference.
Joining Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Brennan as signers were: Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, Albany; Bishop Michael Fisher, Buffalo; Bishop Terry LaValley, Ogdensburg; Bishop Salvatore Matano, Rochester; Bishop John Barres, Rockville Centre; and Bishop Douglas Lucia, Syracuse.
The bishops said they were “overjoyed” by the ruling, but their letter also took a serious note.
“We acknowledge the wide range of emotions associated with this decision,” they said. “We call on all Catholics and everyone who supports the right to life for unborn children to be charitable, even as we celebrate an important historical moment.
“We must remember that this is a judicial victory, not a cultural one. The culture remains deeply divided on the issue, which will be evidenced by the patchwork of state statutes pertaining to abortion across the country.”
The bishops said building a culture of life depends on creating “family-friendly policies that welcome children, support mothers, cherish families, and empower them to thrive.”
Meanwhile, Father Michael Gelfant, the associate chaplain to the Knights of Columbus in New York State, cautioned against too much gloating about the outcome.
“Is it [the ruling] a good thing? I suppose so. But I would tell people not to do a happy dance in the streets. People are still hurting out there. Abortion leaves scars that last a lifetime,” said Father Gelfant, who is also the pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish in Breezy Point.
The Knights, who participate in the March for Life each year, will continue to help the pro-life cause in various ways, he added, including raising money and donating sonogram machines to health centers.
Nevertheless, local pro-life advocates could barely contain their joy at the High Court’s decision.
“My first response was to say, ‘Praise God!’” said Cathy Donohoe, president of The Bridge to Life, an organization based in College Point, Queens that helps pregnant women.
Donohoe noted that the momentous decision came down on the same day Catholics mark the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
Donohoe conceded that she and her fellow pro-life advocates realize that more challenges lie ahead.
“Our work is just beginning. New York is going to be getting more women coming here for abortions because the ruling doesn’t change the law in New York State,” she noted. “We can still murder our children to the day they are born. But the Supreme Court has spoken and it’s a big day.”
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life in America, called Roe v. Wade “a cancer growing on our Constitution” and praised the SCOTUS decision.
“The injustice of Roe has finally come to an end and the momentum to protect life in law is finally on the side of innocent preborn children and their mothers who deserve our help,” she said. “Now we get back to building a healthy society, affirming life for women and their children — born and preborn.”
The decision also reverberated in churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn as parishioners reacted to the news.
“I think it was the right decision. Abortion should be left up to the states. It shouldn’t be a blanket thing across the whole country,” said Loretta Walz, a parishioner of St. Pancras in Glendale, Queens.
With the decision, the Supreme Court affirmed growing scientific evidence that the unborn should be recognized as a person, according to the Catholic Medical Association (CMA).
“We are filled with gratitude and relief, as Catholics, to know this heinous and medically unfounded law has been overturned,’ said CMA President Dr. Craig Treptow. “For too long it has influenced people to believe abortion is just — when in fact the truth is the exact opposite.”
But as pro-life advocates celebrated the Supreme Court’s action, pro-abortion lawmakers in New York vowed to protect abortion rights.
Calling the court’s decision “a grave injustice,” Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to maintain New York as a safe haven where abortion could be obtained. “I want everyone to know that abortion remains safe, accessible, and legal in New York,” she said in a statement.
“The right to reproductive healthcare is a fundamental human right. History shows us that when abortion is banned, abortion becomes unsafe for women,” Hochul added.