U.S.-Iran Tensions Continue With Sanctions, New Details on Ukraine Plane Crash

Currents News Staff

In the back and forth between the U.S. and Iran the U.S. is striking back, this time, with economic sanctions.

“We will continue to apply economic sanctions until Iran stops its terrorist activities and commit that it will never have nuclear weapons,” said Steven Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary.

The sanctions come as a result of the Iranian attack on U.S. and allied troops in Iraq, in retaliation for a U.S. strike that killed Qasem Soleimani.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo continues to defend the rationale behind the attack against the Iranian general.

“We had specific information on an imminent threat,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,” and those threats included attacks on U.S. embassies. period, full stop.”

But some members of Congress are still questioning whether the attack was truly imminent.

Meanwhile, Iranians say sanctions will not bring them to the table.

“Either you want to have a dialogue, or either you want to apply sanctions,” said Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations.

To add to the escalating tensions, new details have emerged on the plane crash in Iran that killed 176 people aboard a Ukrainian plane.

“We do believe that it’s likely that plane was shot down by an Iranian missile. When we get the results of that investigation, I am confident we, and the world will take appropriate actions in response,” said Pompeo.

Iran denies the claims and says they are inviting international partners, including the U.S., into the investigation.

Facing Gentrification, Jesuit High School Prepares for Brooklyn Move

By Emily Drooby

At the end of the school year, Brooklyn Jesuit Prep — a middle school that serves low-income students — is moving from its current location in gentrifying Crown Heights.

The move is their way of adapting to changes happening around them and the rising prices of the New York City housing market.

“Moving to East Flatbush presents opportunities to us in terms of the neighborhood being able to serve a population that we want to be able to serve, that is not a population in a gentrified neighborhood,” explained Father Mario Powell, S.J., the president of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep.

“The gentrification of this neighborhood means that the families that we want to serve, which are families that earn below 24,000 dollars a year, increasingly can’t afford to live in this immediate vicinity,” he said.

To respond to the change, the school will move to vacant floor space at the church of St. Vincent Ferrer in East Flatbush

Gregory Arte, the principal, said it’s closer to the neighborhoods where many of their students live.

“Our kids are coming from farther and farther. Some of our kids make very long trips to get here, so that change in the neighborhood. We want to move closer,” said Arte.

Brooklyn Jesuit Prep caters to students from low-income families as part of the nationwide network of Nativity schools.

“I like how much they support us and especially the teachers, they never stop helping you,” explained Pilar Sims, an eighth-grader and the student body president. “They know you need help. They’ll kinda push it out of you.”

The move will also give the school an opportunity to design the building and classrooms to fit their needs. “To be able to go in and make each individual classroom, not only just have a clean look to it, a uniformed look to it, but a true Brooklyn Jesuit Prep look to each individual classroom,” is something they’re excited about, said Fr. Powell.

The move will happen at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

Brooklyn Priest Remembered as ‘Faithful Servant’ Laid to Rest

By Tim Harfmann

Family, friends and parishioners gathered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to say their final farewells to Father Joseph Gancila, who died Jan. 6. He was 50 years old.

Ordained in 2001, Fr. Gancila was a parish priest who also worked with diocesan officials on combating abuse.

“He was teaching people how to keep themselves safe and their children safe,” explained MaryEllen Quinn, Safe Environment Coordinator for the Diocese of Brooklyn. “It meant a lot to him.”

Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishops James Massa and Octavio Cisneros presided over the Thursday morning funeral Mass, alongside dozens of priests and deacons.

One of them, Father Christopher Bethge, grew up where Fr. Gancila first began his ministry.

“He made me want to be an altar server,” Fr. Bethge recalled. “Seeing him live out his priesthood every day and to do it with joy, never angry, never saying no, always saying yes to the people need. It was a life I thought was heroic.”

“Any way they asked him to do that, he did joyfully,” Fr. Bethge added, “so any way they ask me, I’m going to try and do the same.”

It’s something Fr. Gancila’s sister, Linda, says was instilled in her brother as a child.

“He was always an altar server, really such a faithful guy and not just in church, but in the way he lives and his ministries,” she said. “I’ve never known a life without him.”

As the casket left the church, it was a standing ovation for a faithful servant.

For Parishioners of Church Destroyed in Puerto Rico Earthquake, Faith Remains Unshaken

Currents News Staff

A 6.4 earthquake knocked down Immaculate Conception Church in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico on Jan. 6.

On Thursday, church members spent the day recovering religious items used during services.

Father Melvin Diaz Aponte walked through the ruins of his parish — a classroom with its wall crumbling to the ground.

“For me, what hurts more is knowing people are in pain because of what this church means to them,” he said.

“My heart dropped to my feet because I never imagined something like this would happen,” said parishioner Julia Irrizarry, who attends Mass once a week and needed to see the destruction for herself. “it was surprising to look at the extent of the damage and hurt all of us.”

A 6.4 earthquake knocked down Immaculate Conception Church in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico on Jan. 6.

On Thursday, church members spent the day recovering religious items used during services.

Father Melvin Diaz Aponte walked through the ruins of his parish — a classroom with its wall crumbling to the ground.

“For me, what hurts more is knowing people are in pain because of what this church means to them,” he said.

Since 1841, it has been the space where Catholics have celebrated their faith, but now parishioners don’t know if they’ll be able to gather in their church again.

They’re aiming to rebuild their church in the same spot, but for now they’ve grabbed whatever they could.

As the community regroups, they will be holding their services out on a blocked off street for the next couple of weeks, until they can move into a temporary space.

No matter where they have to pray, they know that their faith will get them through.

Currents News for Thursday, January 9, 2020

On the newscast: An exciting day in the diocese as Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens breaks ground for new affordable housing for seniors; Pope Francis says he’s worried tensions between the U.S. and Iran could do more damage in the Middle East; And Washington now believes it was an Iranian missile that took down a Ukrainian plane killing all on board; Plus, the mom who wouldn’t give up – winning a million dollar battle that may save her baby’s life.

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‘Building Faith’: Catholic Charities Breaks Ground on Affordable Housing

By Emily Drooby

Lack of affordable housing a New York City complaint as common as late subway trains, but on Jan. 9 Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens dug into the problem by breaking ground on what will soon become 135 affordable apartments for low-income seniors.

The future eight-story building – called the Loreto Apartments – will have 24 hours security, a fitness room and will be considered a green building, meaning it’ll be environmentally responsible.

It’s being built on the spot where Our Lady of Loreto Church once stood, taken down because it was in terrible need of repair.

This project is part of an effort born in Rome, where Catholics and Buddhists work together for the common good, explained Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

“Well today’s kinda the success story of this inter-religious commitment to do something for the elderly poor,” he said.

Buddhists helped pitch and support the plan, and then came to the groundbreaking

“It’s a great joy to be able to stand here and say the tradition of Loreto is going to continue. It will be senior housing, it will be a community center and it will again provide those very needed services just like the parish did,” explained Monsignor Alfred LoPinto, CEO of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.

With this major step, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens will offer even more affordable housing to those in need. They’re already one of the largest providers in the nation with over 4,300 units.

“We are anxious to continue,” said Msgr. Lopinto, who noted that the new building will fill a serious void: over 200,000 seniors in New York City are in need of affordable housing.

Members of the community are anxious, too.

“Every day we are seeing people evicted from their homes, the rents continue to rise to levels they cannot afford,” explained Rafael Espinal, a Brooklyn Democrat on the New York City Council.

“It makes me feel good and I hope I get one of them,” said one Brooklyn resident.

Pope Francis Focuses on U.S., Iran and Protecting the Vulnerable With World Diplomats

By Melissa N. Butz

The U.S.- Iran crisis and protecting young people from abuse were the biggest themes for Pope Francis’s highly anticipated speech to the world’s diplomats.

The Holy Father got straight to business in his address to the ambassadors, saying so far 2020 has been plagued with confrontation that could engulf much of the Middle East.

Pope Francis said that keeping the flame of dialogue alive is important to create an environment where peace could flourish.

The other major issue he tackled was ensuring children and vulnerable people are protected from clerical abuse.

The pontiff expanded on his call for “an all-out” battle, with a new emphasis on education.

Pope Francis said education should not be limited to schools, but extend to churches and social communities, so that group efforts can assist families in their primary role as educators.

This is one of the Holy Father’s most important speeches every year, giving him the chance to highlight the issues that mean most to him.

He also talked about care for our common home, helping the poor, welcoming migrants, and ending the scourge of human exploitation

With Mounting Tensions in Iran, Catholic Leaders Urge Trump to Pursue Peace

By Christopher White, National Correspondent

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s assertion Jan. 8 that the United States is ready to “embrace peace” was welcomed by American Catholic leaders, who called it a “relief” from mounting tensions with Iran.

“We join in the hope expressed today that the people of Iran share in the promise of a great future, and that the United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it,” said a joint statement from Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop David Malloy, chairman for the USCCB committee on international justice and peace.

“We urge once again that all parties, in these critical days, embrace peace rather than violence,” they wrote in response to the violence of recent weeks. “Peace has been all too elusive – in recent memory alone, war has caused hundreds of thousands of lives to be lost, as well as untold suffering and endemic instability.”

The president’s ten-minute remarks, delivered in the Grand Foyer of the White House while flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and military leaders, condemned Iran as a source of “corruption” within the Middle East and said he was asking NATO to step up its involvement in the region. The president also announced that he was imposing stricter economic sanctions on Iran.

“The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it,” he maintained.

Trump’s remarks came less than 24 hours after Iran took credit for firing more than 20 ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq in retaliation for Trump’s decision to kill Iranian military leader General Qassim Suleimani last week.

The Iranian attacks on Wednesday did not result in any casualties, and despite the fact that the Ayatollah has labeled them as a “slap in the face” to the U.S., Iran has maintained that it does not seek war against the United States.

The president “taking a step back from the escalatory rhetoric is certainly welcome by Christians in Iraq and around the world,” said Maryann Cusimano Love, a professor of international relations at the Catholic University of America.

Cusimano Love, a consultant to the U.S. bishops’ international justice and peace committee, noted that the president spoke of the possibility of dialogue with Iran, which she said was cause for hope, as it has been “absent so far,” from his remarks on the situation.

Dialogue, she said, is the Church’s only response.

“We don’t get to dialogue with the people whom we agree. That’s why it was challenging for Christ…and that’s true today,” Love observed.

Similarly, Stephen Schneck, executive director at Franciscan Action Network, told The Tablet that while the president’s remarks were “overflowing with provocative threats against Iran,” he noted that the president urged Iran to work with other nations for the possibility of a new deal on nuclear weapons.

“Can we hope that this is a subtle sign the Trump administration is truly open to dialogue with Iran to pursue a path toward peace in the region?” he wondered.

Thomas Farr, president of the Religious Freedom Institute, told The Tablet that “the president is right to urge NATO and other international partners to take a more active role in the region and to foster conditions that encourage stability and security for all its inhabitants,” while also saying that the president is justified in his use of force to protect American interests.

“Protecting religious freedom for all people is essential to these efforts, particularly for the people of Iraq and Iran. It is also directly connected to America’s national security.”

Further, Farr faulted Suleimani for “stoking sectarian tensions” in the region.

“These actions have been devastating for the region and costly to Americans and our allies. They have directly contributed to the massive exodus of Christians and other religious minorities from the region,” he said.

Both Love and Schneck noted that Iran’s strike on Wednesday was a “limited, proportional response” and that the president seemed to be noting that.

“The Iranian missile strikes against the US military facilities in Iraq seem to have been aimed very precisely to avoid risking American or Iraqi lives, thereby offering the Trump administration a face-saving off-ramp from further escalation,” Schneck said. “Thankfully, Trump this morning took up the Iranian offer for de-escalation.”

“In what matters, Trump has backed down. Deo gratia!,” he told The Tablet following the president’s remarks.

Prior to Wednesday’s attacks, Archbishop Gomez had already released a statement on Tuesday calling for peace.

“In the face of the escalating tensions with Iran, we must pray urgently that our world’s leaders will pursue dialogue and seek peace,” he said. “Please join me in asking our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, to intercede, that Jesus Christ might strengthen the peacemakers, comfort the suffering, and protect the innocent and all those in harm’s way, especially the men and women in our military and diplomatic service.”

Other bishops throughout the nation have taken to social media in the last two days to offer their own calls for peace.

Bishop Curtis Guillory of Beaumont, Texas sent a tweet saying “Please join me now in praying for the safety of our military in Iraq and that all leadership be guided by God’s wisdom to bring about a peaceful resolve to this crisis.”

“Prayer for peace protects us from taking peace for granted and sharpens our desire for true peace and not simply absence of conflict,” wrote Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Texas.

While not specifically mentioning the conflict, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio, Texas issued a statement speaking of the need for reconciliation.

“Jesus wept twice: over Jerusalem and over the death of his friend Lazarus. Jesus longed for humanity’s reconciliation and peace,” he wrote. “Now, we need reconciliation and peace. Jesus hear our prayers.”

In a follow-up message he wrote: “Any genuine effort to build peace improves the situation we are in. Many genuine efforts will be needed. Let’s start.”

State of the State: Gov. Cuomo Speaks on Religious Violence, Legislation

By Jessica Easthope

Governor Cuomo’s message was one of unity during his 2020 State of the State address on Jan. 8.

His motivation: recent incidents of anti-semitic violence in New York.

“Rabbi Rottenberg, I want you to know that I speak for all of the people of the State of New York when I tell you that we stand solidarity and love with you and your community it is appalling and offensive what has happened and this state will respond with its full might and breadth and capacity,” Gov. Cuomo told Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg, whose home was the scene of a violent knife attack by an anti-Semite on the seventh night of Hanukkah.

Though unity was the backbone of the governor’s speech, he also spoke of legislative measures that have already been taken, praising the Reproductive Health Act.

He took issue with something important to people of faith, especially Catholics: lifting a ban on paid surrogacy.

“Let’s move forward and finally pass a law to legalize gestational surrogacy to allow same-sex couples and those struggling with infertility to conceive a child through assisted-reproduction,” Governor Cuomo said.

The New York State Catholic Conference responded with its own statement, writing, “The push by Gov. Cuomo and members of the state legislature to legalize commercial surrogacy is a dangerous policy that will lead to the exploitation of poor, vulnerable women, and has few safeguards for children.”

Another issue on which church leaders in the Brooklyn Diocese have taken firm stance is the legalization of recreational marijuana. “This year let’s work with our neighbors New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania to coordinate a safe and fair system and let’s legalized adult use marijuana,” Cuomo said

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio has maintained his position that marijuana is a gateway drug and has many more harmful side-effects than it does health benefits. “We’re giving in to people we’re not trying to help them recoup or rehabilitate themselves, this is the wrong approach,” Bishop DiMarzio said.

Gov.Cuomo ended his speech the way he began, with words of unification. He reminded the audience, that during these divisive times, many of our ancestors migrated to the United States in search of religious freedom.

Pope Francis Offers Friendly Kiss to Excited Nun Trying to Greet Him

Currents News Staff

Pope Francis went back into the crowds after the incident on Dec. 31, when excessive enthusiasm made him react irritably.

On this occasion, the pope again had to manage exorbitant gestures of affection, like from this nun, who could barely contain her emotions as he walked by.

This time however, the pope responded with humor.

“I’m scared. You bite. Calm yourself. I’ll give you a kiss, but calm down. Don’t bite,” said the Holy Father.

Sometimes, excessive enthusiasm can end badly. In Mexico, for example, the overly excited crowd made Pope Francis fall on top of a sick person in a wheelchair.