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Iraqi Prime Minister Urges Christians to Return, But Aid to the Church in Need Says It Won’t Be Easy

By Emily Drooby

It has been six years since Islamic State terrorists violently forced Christians out of Iraq.

Now that ISIS has been beaten back, the country’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is strongly urging Iraqi Christians to come back home, and his hopes are high.

We are glad that Christians will return to Iraq and contribute to its reconstruction,” he told the Assyrian International News Agency. “Iraqis of all sects are yearning for a new Iraq that believes in peace and rejects violence.”

The Catholic humanitarian organization Aid to the Church in Need is at the forefront of helping Iraqi Christians. They offer support in many ways, including providing on the ground aid and rebuilding churches, schools and parish centers.

“The cities of say, Mosul and Bagdad…they have been decimated. You can count the amount of families on one hand or two hands,” said Ed Clancy, their director of outreach and evangelization.

Clancy said it’s tragic, because the Church in Iraq was evangelized by St. Mark, the companion of the first pope.

Since 2003, Iraq’s Christian community has plummeted from 1.5 million at the time to less than 120,000 now.

Many fled for their lives in the summer of 2014, when ISIS conquered Mosul and the Nineveh Plains, destroying everything in their path. Often people fled with only the clothes on their backs.

Those who have returned face many problems. Iraq’s prime minister is vowing to help, but that promise alone might not be enough.

“The agreement the government said, ‘You move back first and then we will fix things. You know, we will put in the roads, we will put in the police, we will put in the security,'” Clancy explained. “But that’s not the way it should work. You don’t move into a building as a business and say, ‘Okay we won’t have electricity, we won’t have security, we won’t have windows, but we will start a business.'”

Christians who are there are facing big challenges in getting goods to market and staying in business, especially in certain industries like scrap medal.

“These are ways of crowding them out or pushing them out that makes it extra difficult,” said Clancy.

He believes Christians will return to Iraq, just not right away

“It will happen if there is a term of success, if there is three to five years, it will slowly grow, but right now it’s just important to keep those people there and to get as many people back as will come,” he said.

Pilgrimages

Joe Estevez interviews Will Peterson who discusses his Modern Catholic pilgrim project, where pilgrims get to experience hospitality from host families during religious journeys. Joe and Will talk about the importance of the laity living out their faith to build stronger Catholic communities.

The Catholic History Behind Rome’s Famed Spanish Steps

By Melissa Butz

Piazza di Spagna is named in honor of the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. This tourist hotspot is known for its characteristic Spanish Steps, but it also holds a deeply religious meaning.

Every year on December 8 the Holy Father goes to Piazza di Spagna, to pay homage to Our Lady on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. He places a bouquet of flowers at the base of the statue, while the head of the fire department places a wreath of flowers on her arm, since they have the tallest ladder in the city.

Roman expert Kiron Rathnam says this tradition began in 1857 when Pope Pius IX had the column installed in the square. It was to remind tourists of their Catholic faith, after many stopped visiting the basilicas and turned their attention to more secular aspects of the Eternal City.

“Here you had a reminder of what was really important in life and here was a woman who had not sinned at all,” Kiron explained. “Behind there, there’s the building of the Propoganda Fede. That was deliberately also built there because that building was to train priests to become missionaries in different parts of the world.”

But the square’s main attraction is still the famed 135 Spanish Steps. They were built by an Italian architect, and paid for largely by the French and the Vatican. The stairs link Piazza di Spagna to the French church at the top, consecrated by Pope Sixtus V in 1585.

“The idea of building the Spanish Steps to connect the Trinita di Monti, the church, to the piazza at the bottom, came up from Cardinal Mazarin, who worked under two great French kings,” Kiron said. “One of them was Leo XIV, the Sun King, but it only came to fruition 100 years later.”

It was Pope Clement XI who eventually carried out the project at the beginning of the 1700s, around 100 years after “Fountain of the Ugly Boat” was placed the in the square by yet another pope.

“On the fountain, you can definitely see bees, which represent the Barberini family, where Urban VIII comes from,” she added. “He’s the one who commissioned the fountain.” 

Rumor has it Pope Urban VIII designed the boat “submerged in water” in memory of the flood in the Tiber River in 1598. The truth is the water pressure connecting the aqueduct to the fountain is simply not strong enough for it to be built any higher.

All of Rome’s squares were commissioned in part by various popes. This square includes requests or actions by at least six popes, which make up the piazza we know and love today.

Vice Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris to Deliver Historic Speech During DNC

Currents News Staff

It’s set to be a historic night three of the Democratic National Convention.

Senator Kamala Harris will give her speech as the first woman of color to be a vice presidential nominee.

“The Biden/Harris ticket is about an agenda, that is about representing who america really is,” Senator Harris said.

Aug. 19 is jam-packed with appearances by heavy-hitters, and fellow politicians who know what it’s like to “be the first” including Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, and the first woman to be a major party nominee for president in 2016.

“I want to add my voice to the many that have endorsed you to be our president,” Hillary said, “and of course, former President Barack Obama, the country’s first Black president, who chose Joe Biden as his own vice president 12 years ago.”

Barack Obama went on to say,”Joe Biden won’t only make a good vice president..he’ll make a great vice president.”

He’ll make the case that his former running mate and Harris are the ones to move America forward.

“This is going to an administration, the Biden/ Harris Administration that is focused on the future of our country,” Kamala said. “Motivated by what can be, and unburdened by what has been.”

 

Kids Care Crew Cleans Up Metropolitan Ave. After Visit From NYC Officials Bob Holden and Eric Adams

By Jessica Easthope

If you litter, you’re not taking good care of your community, but the Kids Care Crew is doing just that.

The Kids Care Crew, a new organization,  held its inaugural community service event August 19. The mission: clean up Metropolitan Avenue.

“These streets shouldn’t look like this, they should look clean, they should look good and nobody should really litter so I think it would be really nice if we could clean up the streets and it would be better than it is right now,” said Chloe Miranda, a fourth grader at St. Margaret Catholic Academy.

Before the children, who are students at St. Margaret Catholic Academy in Middle Village, Queens began the clean-up, they were visited by two people who know all about serving in the community, Queens Councilman Bob Holden and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. The two stopped by to thank the kids and give them some encouragement.

“This is what community is about, parents telling their kids every day how do we do acts of kindness, looking at these budget cuts and instead of saying woe is me, saying why not me, why don’t I clean up on my block,” said Adams.

During the pandemic, trash has been piling up on the streets of New York City. In June the City cut $106 million from the Sanitation Department budget, reducing pickup for public garbage cans by 60 percent.

“We went through the 70s and 80s, I remember the days of trash all over the cities, you couldn’t go on the subway without graffiti everywhere, we’re getting back to that and it’s unfortunate so our young people are now stepping up and saying we’re going to help out,” said Holden.

The Kids Care Crew was there to pickup the slack and everything they could grab.

“The people who put it down don’t really ever pick it up they just leave it there and other people sometimes trip and we want to clean it up so people don’t trip and get hurt,” said Jewelz Mayol, a third grader and Kids Care Crew member.

Kids Care Crew was formed by a group of moms who say they want to lead by example and make community service a big part of their children’s lives and faith.

“I think to me faith is helping people even when it’s not convenient, we know the coronavirus is here and it’s easier to stay home and watch things on TV but we can very safely mask up, glove up, and go out and show our kids that even in hard times it’s still important to give back and do the right thing,” said Kate Barvels an organizer of the Kids Care Crew.

The Kids Care Crew’s next event will be a backpack donation to students from PS 157 in Harlem on September 2.

Currents News full broadcast for Wed, 8/19/20 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

An exclusive look into the Diocese of Brooklyn’s classrooms. They’re getting scrubbed and sanitized.

Big news from City Hall, the Big Apple is setting a new COVID record.

The spotlight shines tonight on Kamala Harris as she steps into the history books.

As Brooklyn Diocese Prepares to Reopen Schools, Health and Safety Precautions Are Being Put in Place

By Emily Drooby and Erin DeGregorio

WINDSOR TERRACE — In a few weeks, a majority of the 66 Catholic schools and academies in Brooklyn and Queens plan to physically reopen under Plan A (100% in-person instruction), with the flexibility to adopt Plan B (hybrid instruction) or Plan C (100% distance learning through the new St. Thomas Aquinas Distance Learning Catholic Program) quickly if COVID-19 cases arise.

“Our principals, teachers, boards, and administrators have been hard at work to ensure all the health and safety protocols will be met at all our Catholic academies and parish schools,” said Brooklyn Diocese Superintendent of Schools Thomas Chadzutko. “We are prepared and excited for a full reopening in September.”

The schools in Plans A and B will undergo enhanced cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing protocols so educators and students can safely return on the first day of school.

“This may be slightly different school-by-school given the building footprint and student population,” Chadzutko added. “Some schools will need to use a hybrid model if they cannot meet the social distancing standards.”

On Aug. 18, a four-man team from cleaning company CS Care Group sanitized Salve Regina Catholic Academy, East New York, including the cafeteria, gymnasium, classrooms, and main offices. In its preliminary sweep, the crew wiped down the most-touched surfaces, such as handrails, doorknobs, light switches, and desktops. Afterward, they used a hydro-fogger machine with EPA-approved chemicals to sanitize the air. Completely sanitizing both of SRCA’s buildings took between four and five hours, which is the norm according to the company. Individuals can return to a recently sanitized space an hour after spraying is completed.

Moving forward, SRCA’s maintenance staff will maintain cleaning, as confirmed by the principal, Michelle Donato. Daytime maintenance staff members will spray and disinfect bathrooms, door handles, handrails, light switches, and other common spaces every two hours.

The academy has spent more than $1,000 from its budget on health and safety equipment, including two backpack misters, filled with a disinfectant, a hydrofogger, and five buckets of disinfecting wipes (4,000 wipes in total). These items will be used to disinfect such areas, as needed, throughout the day and at night when the building has been vacated.

Donato also purchased tall hand sanitizing dispensers with foot pedals that avoid the need for hand contact. This, she said, must be used by all who enter the building once their temperatures are checked.

“My main concerns, right now, are to make sure that the building is ready for the students and that we are able to show them that this is the new way for now,” Donato said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get back to our normal routine, but this is going to become our new normal. And we’re going to handle it with the grace that we always had.”

In Canarsie, Our Lady of Trust Catholic Academy will undergo mandatory cleaning on Aug. 20. The incoming eighth grade — which has 30 students and is the academy’s largest class — will be taught in the gymnasium rather than the classrooms.

“It took a while to think everything through,” said OLTCA Principal Muriel Wilkinson, who noted that a maximum of only 14 desks can fit in each classroom under social distancing guidelines.

From the school’s budget, Wilkinson has also ordered hand sanitizer dispensers, partitions for the main office, plexiglass shields for teachers’ desks, and other necessary personal protective equipment. Teachers in the younger grades, for example, will wear face coverings that have a see-through window in front of the mouths, so that students can see what is being said.

“It’ll be especially [helpful] for phonics, and so that the students can also see the teachers smiling underneath,” Wilkinson explained. “For the younger ones, that might be a little more comforting.”

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy in Windsor Terrace will be sanitized from top to bottom on Aug. 31. According to Stephanie Germann, the academy’s principal, a professional cleaning team will be using an electrostatic sprayer to sanitize the air and all surfaces. This, she said, is incredibly important because the building has high ceilings that normally can’t be sanitized.

An additional challenge SJTWCA faces with its high ceilings is the dust that collects atop the school’s hanging, rectangular light fixtures.

“Any breeze of wind or air conditioning can blow that down onto the students and teachers,” Germann added. “Cleaning all that dust is the next big step.”
To mitigate the spread of germs, automatic hand sanitizer dispensers will be installed outside each classroom’s two doorways and bathrooms will be retrofitted with automated paper towel dispensers and automated antibacterial soap dispensers.

“Every summer, we focus on the building and give it a little extra tender, love, and care to welcome kids back into the building,” Germann said. “But I think, in light of COVID-19, it’s extra important to make sure all our surfaces have been sanitized. The kids haven’t been in the building and the building’s been clean twice over. We’re being extra cautious.”

Reopening plans for each school can be found on the individual school’s website. Additionally, parent meetings will take place this week, via ZOOM, to review and discuss the re-opening plans.

Making the Poor a Priority Isn’t Political, It’s the Gospel, Pope Says

By Currents News Staff and Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Church teaching on giving priority to the well-being of the poor and marginalized is not a political or ideological choice; it lies at the very heart of the Gospel, Pope Francis said.

The preferential option for the poor, which includes feeding the hungry and drawing close to the excluded, “is the key criterion of Christian authenticity,” he said Aug. 19 during his weekly general audience.

The principle also would include making sure that any vaccine developed for the novel coronavirus helps everyone, he added.

“It would be sad,” he said, if priority for a vaccine “were to be given to the richest. It would be sad if this vaccine were to become the property of this nation or another, rather than universal and for all.”

During his audience, livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis continued a series of talks on the principles of the church’s social doctrine as a guide for healing and building a better future, particularly as the world is struggling with a pandemic and its negative effects.

In fact, he said, a proper response to the pandemic is twofold:

“On the one hand, it is essential to find a cure for this small but terrible virus, which has brought the whole world to its knees. On the other, we must also cure a larger virus, that of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalization and the lack of protection for the weakest.”

“It would be a scandal if all of the economic assistance we are observing — most of it with public money — were to focus on rescuing those industries that do not contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, the promotion of the least, the common good or the care of creation,” the pontiff said.

These are the four criteria that should be used “for choosing which industries should be helped: those which contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, to the promotion of the least, to the common good and the care of creation.”

Pope Francis said the COVID-19 pandemic “has exposed the plight of the poor and the great inequality that reigns in the world” and it has made those inequalities and discrimination even worse.

One of the responses that must not be missing is the preferential option for the poor, he said.

This key element of the church’s social teaching “is not a political option, nor is it an ideological option,” he said; it is “at the center of the Gospel.”

Jesus “stood among the sick, the poor, the excluded, showing them God’s merciful love,” he said.

The preferential option for the poor is a duty for all Christians and communities, he said, and it means doing more than providing needed assistance; it requires remedying the root causes and problems that lead to the need for aid.

“Many people want to return to normality” and get back to business, the pope said, but this “normality” must not entail ongoing social injustice and the degradation of the environment.

“The pandemic is a crisis, and we do not emerge from a crisis the same as before: either we come out of it better or we come out of it worse,” he said. “We must come out of it better” and build something different.

The world needs an economy and remedies that do not “poison society, such as profits not linked to the creation of dignified jobs,” but rather profits that benefit the general public.

“We must act now to heal the epidemics caused by small, invisible viruses and to heal those caused by the great and visible social injustices,” he said.

By “starting from the love of God, placing the peripheries at the center and the last in first place,” he said, “a healthier world will be possible.”

Recovering from the pandemic will require action rooted in tangible love, “anchored in hope and founded in faith,” he said, “otherwise, we will come out of the crisis worse.”

The Holy Father concluded by praying, “May the Lord help us and give us the strength to come out of it better, responding to the needs of today’s world.”

Currents News full broadcast for Tues, 8/18/20 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn are revealing plans for the fall.

The Big Apple’s public schools are facing mounting pressure to keep the classrooms closed.

A champion of Catholic education in the Brooklyn Diocese has passed away.