Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.
Some of the top stories on this newscast:
The legacy of John Hume – the Irish Catholic who played a key role in ending the troubles that plagued Northern Ireland for decades.
The Catholic relief agency Caritas says human traffickers are now preying on people who’ve lost jobs or homes during the coronavirus outbreak.
Shootings in the Big Apple are out of control. There’s a demand for a big response.
By Jessica Easthope and Michael Kelly
Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, has hailed political leader John Hume as a “paragon of peace” for his key role in bringing an end to the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Hume, 83, died early Aug. 3, his family said in a statement.
As a young man Hume trained for the priesthood, before becoming a community activist and later a politician highlighting the plight of the Catholic community in Northern Ireland in the 1960s and 1970s, when discrimination in employment and housing was rife.
Archbishop Martin – who, like Hume, was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, said, “A great sadness has descended on my home city of Derry today as we learn of the death of one of our greatest sons, Mr. John Hume.
“That sadness ripples out to every corner of Ireland and all around the world, where the mere mention of the name of John Hume evokes admiration, respect and thanksgiving for a life dedicated to peace and social justice.
“Today we are remembering a paragon of peace, a giant of a statesman whose legacy of unstinting service to the common good is internationally acclaimed, even though it is still perhaps only unfolding,” the archbishop said.
Hume is credited with convincing the Provisional IRA to declare a cease-fire in their conflict with the British in 1994 and with being the key architect of the Good Friday peace agreement four years later.
Archbishop Martin said that “as a priest working in Derry, I came to know John as a man whose convictions were rooted in a deep faith, in prayer and practical Christianity.”
Hume’s commitment to peace building was recognized in 1998 when he received the Nobel Peace Prize along with David Trimble, then the most influential politician in the Protestant community in Northern Ireland. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI conferred Hume with papal knighthood .
Archbishop Martin said this honor was “in recognition of his commitment to peace, reconciliation, nonviolence and social justice.”
“John put Catholic social teaching into practice – sometimes at great personal cost and risk – working ceaselessly for a process of reconciliation through which the dignity of every human person is recognized and upheld,” he said.
Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry described Hume as “one of the greatest peacemakers and champions of social justice of our time.”
“He dedicated his life to the welfare of this community, at no small cost to himself. His name became a byword for dedication to the cause of peace, whatever the obstacles or criticisms,” Bishop McKeown said.
Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor also praised Hume.
“Motivated by a strong personal faith and responding to the needs of the community, John was a champion of human rights,” said Bishop Treanor.
“John Hume uniquely shaped a new and prophetic political narrative which enabled the decommissioning and disarmament of weapons and generated an infrastructure for a peace process that led to the Good Friday Agreement, and the foundations of a new politics that is his lasting legacy,” Bishop Treanor said.
Irish President Michael Higgins said, “All of those who sought and worked for peace on our island of Ireland, and in the hearts of all, will have been deeply saddened by the passing of John Hume, Nobel Peace laureate and statesman.
“Whatever the loss to all on this island, to his family his loss is greatest. To his wife Pat, his children, and all those who loved him, Sabina and I send our deepest sympathy,” Higgins said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Hume “stood proudly in the tradition that was totally opposed to violence and committed to pursuing his objectives by exclusively peaceful and democratic means.”
“With his passing we have lost a great man who did so much to help bring an end to the Troubles and build a better future for all,” Johnson said.
Hume is to be buried Aug. 5 after a Mass in St. Eugene Cathedral in Londonderry. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, members of the public will not be permitted to attend, but the funeral will be broadcast live by the national broadcaster RTE.
Currents News Staff
The United States continues to report more COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other country. That’s according to new numbers out Aug. 2 from Johns Hopkins University.
This comes as the White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx warns that the U.S. is in a new phase of the pandemic.
“What we’re seeing today is much different from March and April,” said Birx. “It’s extraordinarily more widespread. It’s into the rural as equal as urban areas.”
According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 4.6 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and more than 154,000 Americans have died from the virus.
Meanwhile, a forecast published by the Center for Disease Control projects that the death toll could climb to 173,000 by Aug. 22.
The rising case numbers continue to frustrate UCLA’s epidemiology professor Anne Rimoin.
“It’s very frustrating as an epidemiologist to see these case numbers continuing to rise without a national strategy, without adequate testing, without contact tracing as we need it,” said Rimoin. “All of the things we’ve been talking about for months and months and these numbers are going to continue to go up, until we do have these things in place.”
Dr. Birx says there are 20 states that she’s watching very closely and that each state must tailor its response to mitigate cases. She also stressed that we must follow health recommendations to slow the spread including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
“It’s not super spreading individuals, it’s super spreading events and we need to stop those,” said Birx. “We definitely need to take more precautions.”
Currents News Staff
Representative John Lewis, a passionate champion of civil rights and long-term Georgia congressman, was remembered July 30 by family, friends, and former presidents.
The 17-term congressman was remembered in a home-going service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
He was honored by the youngest of friends and former presidents from both sides of the political aisle.
“John Lewis was my hero and my friend,” said 12-year-old Tybre Faw, who had met Lewis in 2018. “Let’s honor him by getting in good trouble.”
“He always thought of others, he always believed in preaching the Gospel in word and in deed, and insisting that hate and fear had to be answered with love and hope,” added former president George W. Bush.
“John Lewis was many things, but he was a man, a friend and sunshine in a storm,” said former president Bill Clinton, “a friend who would walk the stony roads that he asked you to walk.”
“Some day when we do finish that long journey towards freedom,” said former president Barack Obama, “when we do form a more perfect union, whether it’s years from now or decades or even if it takes another two centuries, John Lewis will be a founding father of that fuller, fairer, better America.”
In return, John Lewis penned his own farewell to America.
“In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way,” he wrote. “Now, it is your turn to let freedom ring.”
By Melissa Butz
It all started 500 years ago with the Pasquino, known as the first “talking statue in Rome.” The chatter began in 1501 when Cardinal Carafa, who owned the building attached to the sculpture, organized a literary competition. It quickly backfired when Romans started posting criticisms of the Curia and even the pope himself.
The statue is one of six in Rome known for “speaking” a form of political dissent where written sarcastic commentary criticizing political and religious leaders were posted near the sculptures.
“We had also other popes, for example, popes who lasted for ;too many years,’ according to the Romans,” said Roman art historian Sara Magister. “Then the prayers hung up on the Pasquino statue were, ‘Let’s hope the Holy Spirit will give us a pope who loves us, that fears God, but that doesn’t last so long.’”
Pontiffs condemned the behavior, but couldn’t stop it. Some statues were taken off the streets and enclosed in museums. The Pasquino had guards placed by it day and night. Still, the sarcastic comments continued.
Today is no different. Two notes hang by the statue.
“The first one is mainly celebrating il Pasquino as a place where the cardinals have always been criticized,” said Sara. “The other one, is asking the people to keep on doing these critics, mainly against the establishment.”
Just around the corner is the Pasquino’s closest friend, the Abate Luigi. He would often engage in banter with the Pasquino, like with other statues.
Sara said that “the Marforio asked, ‘Is it true that all of the French are thieves?’ And the Pasquino answered, ‘No, not all of them, but ‘Bonaparte,’ – which is the main part – ‘yes.’ Bonaparte is the last name of Napoleon.”
Witty conversations like these were common on statues in the most populated parts of Rome. Piazza Vidoni was chosen as Abate Luigi’s home only around 100 years ago.
Satire originally hung around Abate Luigi’s neck, until his head was likely stolen in the 1930s, making the commentary much more difficult to continue for this particular talking statue, one of six throughout the Eternal City.
Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.
Some of the top stories on this newscast:
A Queens pastor under arrest, believed to have shared explicit photos with a minor. Now the parish is trying to keep the faith.
A republican giant is the latest victim of coronavirus.
And saying a final farewell to John Lewis, a peacemaker and freedom fighter.
By Emily Drooby and Paula Katinas
As a Queens church grappled with the news of the arrest of its pastor on charges of sharing sexually explicit photos and texts with a minor, the FBI continued its investigation into whether there could more than one victim.
Father Francis Hughes, 65, now the former pastor of St. Pancras Church in Glendale, was arrested by the FBI on July 29. He is believed to have shared both pictures and texts with a teen after meeting him on a dating app.
FBI officials said there may be additional victims and asked anyone with information to call the agency at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
“If you or anyone you know may have been a victim of Rev. Hughes, we are asking you to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you are a parent or guardian, please take a moment to have a discussion with your children about protecting themselves and about how they can report the type of predatory behavior that is alleged here today,” FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said in a statement on July 29.
The Diocese of Brooklyn moved swiftly to remove Father Hughes from the parish and appoint a temporary administrator, Father Rev. Wladyslaw Kubrak, who is currently the parochial vicar for St. Pancras. This assignment became effective on July 29 and will remain until a further determination can be made in regard to naming a new pastor, officials said.
The diocese plans to reach out to parishioners of St. Pancras to provide pastoral care in the wake of the shattering news about their former pastor.
“Our first responsibility is to our people. Outreach will be provided to the parishioners with the hope of providing them with pastoral care, which is what we do. We will take into account the necessary safety precautions during this pandemic,” the diocese said in a statement.
As the news was sinking in at St. Pancras the day after Father Hughes’ arrest, Father Kubrak sought to calm parishioners.
“I encourage my brothers and sisters, in other words, our parishioners, to pray and to trust in God. That is exactly what it is about,” he told Currents News.
Father Kubrak explained that in the hardest times, the faithful should turn to Jesus Christ for guidance and face these difficulties head-on. He added that parishioners must “pick up their own cross and face everything that is going on.”
He also said that while he understands this situation could lead people to want to move away from the church, he hopes parishioners continue to come to St. Pancras and that his door is always open to anyone who wants to talk to him.
Father Hughes is charged with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
His arrest was announced by Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Sweeney.
“The allegations against Francis Hughes are chilling and frightening to any parent. A person who, by the nature of his profession, is presumed to be trustworthy, allegedly victimized a child. Thanks to the FBI, Hughes now faces a serious federal charge,” Strauss said in a statement.
Hughes was scheduled to appear in federal court in White Plains.
The Diocese of Brooklyn released a brief statement immediately following the news of the arrest: “The pastor has been removed from his post.”
The Diocese of Brooklyn has several protocols and systems in place to combat sexual abuse within the church and to protect victims, including a no-tolerance policy.
The diocese’s confidential reporting line connects directly to law enforcement authorities. Victims are encouraged to report a crime no matter when the alleged abuse occurred. The number is 888-634-4499.
Father Hughes served as pastor of St. Pancras for five years. He was ordained a priest on May 17, 1980, and has served at several parishes, and one preparatory school, in the diocese.
His assignments are as follows:
St. Fidelis: 1980 to 1986
Church of St. Mary, Mother of Jesus: 1986 to 1989
Church of St. Bernard: 1989 to 1990
Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary: 1990 to 1992
Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Brooklyn: 1992 to 1994
Church of St. Helen, Howard Beach: 1994 to 2001
Church of Our Lady of Miracles, Brooklyn: 2001 to 2009
Church of St. Columba: 2009 to 2015
Church of St. Pancras: 2015 to 2020
By Jessica Easthope
Michelle Shacachle and her husband Daniel have 13 children. Her youngest, Michael, is the reason why Father Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus, is one step closer to becoming a saint.
“My journey with Michael has been the most beautiful, difficult journey of my life,” said Michelle.
During Michelle’s pregnancy with Michael, he was diagnosed with Hydrops, a condition that causes fluid to build up in a baby’s tissue and organs. Michelle’s doctor said Michael wouldn’t make it.
“She said, ‘He has a very severe case. There is no hope. He will die,” said Michelle.
Michelle was distraught, having lost five children over the years, she was terrified, Michael, who they were calling “Ben” at the time, would be stillborn like her first daughter, but she insisted on choosing life.
“Is it an abortion if the baby’s not going to live? And then I immediately thought, ‘No that would be an abortion. And I love this baby, and I’m going to fight for this baby,” said Michelle.
In their darkest hours Michelle and Daniel, who sells life insurance for the Knights of Columbus, turned to the order’s founder, Fr. Michael McGivney.
“Daniel said, ‘I prayed to Fr. McGivney, and I said if he heals Michael we’re naming after him, and his name will be Michael McGivney,’” Michelle explained.
They prayed and begged everyone they knew to do the same. A few weeks later Michelle and Daniel went on a scheduled trip to Fatima, Portugal. Terrified the baby had died while they were away, Michelle rushed to the doctor’s when she got home. That’s when the unthinkable happened.
“I said, ‘Doctor, I was told there was no hope.’ And then she looked at me and said, ‘Oh ,you’re the woman that just came back from Fatima. Honey, with God, there’s always hope, and that’s when we changed his name that day,” Michelle recalled.
She was shocked — the Hydrops was gone. Michael McGivney Schachle was born at 31 weeks with Down’s Syndrome and a heart defect, but against all odds, he’s thriving. He’s now a healthy five-year-old.
“I see him daily, my miracle lives and breathes and smiles and says ‘Mommy,'” she Currents News. “It’s a different kind of miracle.”
Now, Fr. McGivney’s beatification ceremony has been set for October 31 in Connecticut. Because Mikey was healed, the Schachles are forever connected to Fr. McGivney.
“Fr. McGivney and I share a birthday. I have 13 children. Michael’s the youngest of 13, and Fr. McGivney was the oldest of 13. God wrote the whole story,” says Michelle.
Fr. McGivney still needs one more miracle before he can be canonized. Michelle says all it takes is prayer, because God is still writing the story.
Joe Estevez covers the second annual Friends of the Poor 5K Walk and Run Marathon race in Carpinteria, California which raises money to provide aid to people in need in this small California town. Last year, the profits from the Poor 5K and Marathon went towards aiding those affected by the California wildfires.
A badly damaged Catholic cathedral has resurrected after at least three missile attacks amid the Syrian civil war. The Maronite Cathedral of St. Elijah in Aleppo reopened July 20 following years of restoration when the church was bombed by jihadists in 2013.
The restoration was financed largely by the papal foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). A report from ACN stated that Christianity was disappearing from towns and cities in parts of the Middle East.
In a video message, Thomas Heine-Geldern, executive president of ACN International, described the reopening as a miracle. Explaining that he was unable to attend the reopening due to the coronavirus pandemic, Heine-Geldern said: “it’s fantastic that it shines in the old splendor and I wish that it became again the center of the whole Christian community as it was ages before until this dreadful war.”
ACN estimates that only 30,000 Christians remain in the city, compared to a pre-war population of 180,000. Aleppo was Syria’s most populous city before the war, but now is the second largest after the capital, Damascus.
Maronite Archparch Joseph Tobij of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo said the restoration and reopening of the cathedral have both symbolic and practical meaning.
“It’s a sign of hope and rebirth,” Archparch Tobij said, “not only in a material sense but for the entire community, despite the fact that the numbers of Christians continue to dwindle, due to extreme poverty linked to the sanctions imposed on the defenseless population.”
He explained that the main difficulties in the restoration process besides raising funds was the reconstruction of the original wooden roof. The archbishop said that local artisans lacked in their expertise with that particular craft, which paved the way for a group of Italian architects to complete the roof project.
“Without the help of ACN and the generosity of our benefactors, we would not have been able to pray again and spread hope in the hearts of the faithful through the reconstruction of the cathedral,” Archparch Tobij said.
For at least eight years, no liturgies or celebrations took place in the cathedral due to the aftermath of the attacks. The cathedral was originally built in 1873 on the site of a small 15th-century church. It was renovated in 1914.
“It is a way to tell the people in Aleppo, in Syria and the world, that we still exist,” Archparch Tobij said. “We still exist despite the great decline in the number of our Christians.”