The FBI is in Haiti Searching for Christian Missionaries Abducted by Gang Known as ‘400 Mawozo’

Currents News Staff

The U.S. State Department and the FBI are on the case of the 17 kidnapped people – 16 Americans and 1 Canadian – in Haiti. Five children are among the group who are affiliated with Christian Aid Ministries. One of the country’s most notorious gangs, 400 Mawozo, are accused of holding them hostage.

The missionaries were traveling to a small village after visiting an orphanage near Port-au-Prince when they were taken. A source in Haiti’s security forces says it’s believed they were kidnapped by gang members at gunpoint. The 400 Mawozo gang is being blamed.

Ohio-based “Christian Aid Ministries,” which the missionaries worked for, is asking for prayers saying in a statement: “We are seeking God’s direction for a resolution and authorities are seeking ways to help.”

The organization offers a school-aid program for children and biblical training for local church leaders in Haiti. Some of the victims were actually able to contact the organization before the abduction and the kidnappers also made contact with them.

“This hits home,” said U.S. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger. “So we keep them in our prayers, and the U.S. government will do everything we can to get them back.”

Haiti is in the middle of a kidnapping crisis, according to new statistics. Control Risks – a group who maintains the world’s largest database of kidnappings for ransoms – found that in the first quarter of 2021, abductions increased by over 150 percent compared to the same period in 2020.

Experts believe the number could actually be higher due to a lack of reporting because of mistrust in authorities and fear of retaliation from criminals. The group most responsible is 400 Mawozo, which is blamed for 80 percent of the kidnappings in Haiti.

So who is this gang that is terrorizing so much of Haiti? The word Mawozo, when translated from Creole, means “inexperienced men.” But the group is widely feared for using rape and assassinations to maintain control. They have also started a trend of mass kidnapping from cars and buses. Their history of targeting clergy and churches has been a red line for many in the Catholic majority Caribbean nation.

Currents News Special: Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio – A Legacy of Service 10/15/21

Reflecting on 50 years and a devotion to God, to the faithful and to the church. From Nicholas DiMarzio’s childhood, to his calling, and the major milestones along the way. This is a look back on the bishop’s life including his time as bishop in Newark, bishop of Camden, and finally the bishop of Brooklyn. He will retire on November 30, 2021.

Interviews with clergy and laypeople in the diocese including Christine Persichette’s exclusive interview with Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York.

Bishop DiMarzio: The Early Years

As we look back on the moments that helped shape Bishop DiMarzio’s path to the priesthood, we’ll take you on a journey that began early, just across the river, in a close-knit family with strong ties to the church.

Bishop DiMarzio: In Defense of Migrants

Many think Bishop DiMarzio’s signature achievement will be his lifelong work advocating for the rights of the disenfranchised, especially migrants. After he officially retires, Bishop DiMarzio plans to stay in the diocese of immigrants to continue his lifelong work on migrant issues.

Bishop DiMarzio: Bishop of Brooklyn

Bishop DiMarzio’s 18 years of service in Brooklyn has coincided with a big transition for the borough and the diocese. The changing landscape was sometimes filled with remarkable challenges, all of which he tackled head on.

Currents News Update for Thursday, 10/14/21

Pope John Paul I is on the road to sainthood.

New York City public school teachers went to court to fight the city’s COVID vaccine mandate.

A humanitarian crisis continues in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.

How Pope John Paul I’s Latest Miracle Leads Him One Step Closer to Sainthood

By Currents News Staff and Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has signed a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope John Paul I, clearing the way for his beatification.

The Italian pope served only 33 days as pontiff; he died in the papal apartments Sept. 28, 1978, at the age of 65, shocking the world and a church that had just mourned the death of St. Paul VI.

The Vatican announced Pope Francis’ decision along with a number of other sainthood decrees Oct. 13.

In the sainthood cause of Pope John Paul I, the approved miracle involved a young girl in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who developed a severe case of acute encephalitis and uncontrollable and life-threatening brain seizures, and eventually entered septic shock.

After doctors told family members her death was “imminent,” the local priest encouraged the family, nurses and others to pray to the late pope for his intercession, according to the website of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. A panel of experts studying the cause determined there was no scientific explanation for her complete recovery in 2011 and that it could be attributed to the late pope’s intercession.

The Vatican did not immediately announce a date for the beatification ceremony.

Although his was one of the shortest papacies in history, Pope John Paul left a lasting impression on the church that fondly remembers him as “the smiling pope.”

His papal motto, “Humilitas” (“Humility”) not only emphasized a Christian virtue but also reflected his down-to-earth personality and humble beginnings.

Born Albino Luciani in the small Italian mountain town of Canale D’Agordo Oct. 17, 1912, the future pope and his two brothers and one sister lived in poverty and sometimes went to bed hungry.

Despite his weak health and poverty, his father encouraged him to enter the minor seminary. He did so but would return to his hometown in the summers and often was seen working in the fields in his black cassock.

He was ordained a priest in 1935 and was appointed bishop of Vittorio Veneto in December 1958 by St. John XXIII. More than 10 years later, he was named patriarch of Venice by St. Paul VI and was created a cardinal in 1973.

During his time as patriarch of Venice, then-Cardinal Luciani was known for his dedication to the poor and the disabled, once calling on priests in his diocese to sell gold and silver objects for a center for people with disabilities. Leading by example, he started the fund drive by putting up for auction a pectoral cross and gold chain — given to him by St. John XXIII — that had once belonged to Pope Pius XII.

His surprise election, after St. Paul VI’s death, did not sway him from continuing his humble manner of living, such as rejecting the use of the traditional papal tiara and calling his first Mass as pope the “inauguration” of his papal ministry rather than a coronation.

“Let us try to improve the church by becoming better ourselves,” he said Sept. 13, 1978. “Each of us and the whole church could recite the prayer I am accustomed to reciting: ‘Lord, take me as I am, with my defects, with my shortcomings, but make me become as you want me to be.'”

Among the other decrees signed Oct. 13, the pope recognized the martyrdom of Argentine Father Pedro Ortiz de Zárate and Italian Jesuit Father Giovanni Antonio Solinas, who were killed Oct. 27, 1683, in Abra de Zenta, Argentina.

They were evangelizing the mountainous area of northern Argentina with 10 laypeople, including local Indigenous people. The two priests were tortured and killed by members of two local Indigenous communities. The recognition of their martyrdom clears the way for their beatification, while the approval of a miracle would be needed for their canonization.

The other decrees approved by Pope Francis recognized:

— A miracle attributed to the intercession of Sister Ana Julia Duque Hencker, the Colombian founder of the Sisters of the Annunciation, who died in 1993. A date for her beatification was not announced.

— The heroic virtues of Spanish Father Diego Hernández González, who survived forced labor during the persecution of the Spanish Civil War and went on to dedicate his life to the sick and to establish a school to teach young women to read and write. He was born in 1915 and died in 1976.

— The heroic virtues of Italian Franciscan Father Giuseppe Spoletini, who was particularly dedicated to showing God’s mercy when administering the sacrament of reconciliation. He helped hide people being sought by German Nazis and Italian fascists during the Second World War in Italy. He was born in 1870 and died in 1951.

— The heroic virtues of French Sister Magdeleine Hutin, who was inspired by the life and writings of Blessed Charles de Foucauld and founded the Little Sisters of Jesus in Algeria. She was born in 1898 and died in 1989.

— The heroic virtues of Italian Sister Elisabetta Martinez, founder of the congregation of the Daughters of St. Mary of Leuca. She was born in 1905 and died in 1991.

The Taliban Takeover Effect: Women’s Educational Dreams Are ‘Crushed’ and ‘Buried’

Currents News Staff

A handful of women stand quietly but defiantly. They’re protesting the Taliban’s defacto ban on girls going to school after fifth grade. It’s a small act of great courage, but then, heavily armed Taliban fighters start to pour in.

For a moment, it seems they may have come to protect the women, but the illusion is quickly shattered when a senior Taliban rips a phone out of one woman’s hands. His men shove journalists back.

A machine gun burst sends a clear message: the protest is over. Previous protests have met a similar fate. On the streets of Khair Khanna neighborhood, the consequences of one recent demonstration can still be seen.

At almost every beauty salon, images of women’s faces have been defaced as if to erase them from public life completely. The women inside this salon are too scared to appear on camera but say the Taliban did it and then told them to put on a burqa and sit in their homes.

But this city is full of brave women who refuse to do that. Arzo Khaliqyar is an activist and mother of five who says she was forced to become a taxi driver when her husband was murdered last year. He left behind his car, but little else.

“Since the Taliban regime has come to power, it has become very difficult,” Arzo said.

While the Taliban have not officially banned women from driving, she says she has received threats.

“In some places where I see Taliban checkpoints, I am forced to go through a street or change my route,” Arzo added. “But I accepted this risk for the sake of my children.”

On the other side of town, English teacher Atifa Watanyar is working hard to give her students a better future. The past year has not been easy. In May, a horrific bombing targeted the Sayyid al Shuhada School where she teaches, taking more than 80 innocent lives. Incredibly, the school reopened. But weeks later, the Taliban swept to power and announced that for the time being – from sixth through 12th grade – only boys should come to school.

She says while she’s afraid of the Taliban, she still teaches.

“Yes, what should we do, what should we do?” asked Atifa. “It’s just the thing that we can do for our children, for our daughters, for our girls.”

Sixteen-year-old Sanam wanted to be a dentist, but now she’s not allowed to attend school.

“I feel all my dreams are crushed and buried,” said Sanam. “For I won’t be allowed to go to school and study. All my motivation is completely gone. The Taliban are the people who are the cause of the situation I am in right now. My spirit is gone, my dreams are buried.”

In a joint statement, G20 leaders said safe passage should be given to all Afghans who wish to leave. In the U.S., the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has partnered with 45 Catholic Charity agencies to provide resettlement services to Afghan refugees.

Students Across New York City Sign Up for the TACHS Exam for Admission to Catholic High Schools

By Jessica Easthope

What is the TACHS exam? Is it the standardized test for all students seeking admission into a Catholic high school? Or does it level the playing field for kids and educators? Is it a great opportunity to possibly land a scholarship? The answer is D – all of the above.

“You’re going to be challenged academically but you’re going to be challenged in an entirely different way you probably didn’t think about before,” said Allison McGinnis, principal of St. Edmund Preparatory High School in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

Next month, students will be bubbling in the choices that will determine their futures. But the answers to the reading, vocabulary and math test aren’t the only decisions New York City’s eighth graders will have to make: the test for admission into Catholic high schools requires students rank their top three schools. Students taking the test in Brooklyn and Queens have a choice of 15.

“You want to find something that’s going to be a good fit for you, for your family, give you good opportunities and that’s why it’s important to not exclude the Catholic high schools from your search,” said Edward Bolan the principal of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Everything you need to know about the exam can be found online. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn all offer advanced placement classes, STEM programs and a range of extracurricular activities to prepare students for college.

“In the relationships with your teachers, in your faith in action opportunities and in getting involved in the extracurricular the magic happens outside of the four walls of a classroom,” McGinnis said.

In New York City, the graduation rate at Catholic high schools is 99 percent, compared to 41 percent in public schools.

“At the end of the day, college prep is what it’s about,” Edward said. “Our students not only finish high school on time but they’re more likely to finish college as well.”

During the month of October, all schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn are having in-person open houses. Students take the TACHS test remotely on Nov.6.

If you’d like to give your future high school student a quality Catholic education, be sure to sign up for the TACHS Test online at TACHSINFO.COM or call 866-61-T-A-C-H-S.

The deadline for online or phone registration is Oct. 24, at 5 p.m.

Currents News Update for Wednesday, 10/13/21

Analysts say the supply chain troubles we’re experiencing are going to stick around for a while.

Starting in early November, the U.S. will ease travel restrictions for vaccinated, nonessential visitors from Canada and Mexico.

If you’re planning to send your child to Catholic high school, it’s time to sign them up for the “TACHS” test.