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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.

Written From the Heart: Nun Publishes Books Focused on God’s Love

By Tim Harfmann

Inside the living room of her Bayside, Queens home, Sister Ave Clark is a nun with a notepad who jots down her interactions with others.

“The people that inspire me are the people who have struggles. Maybe I identify with them because we’re all human,” she said.

The Dominican Sister of Amityville writes about spreading love despite struggles and published three books

— two within the last two years.

One of them is titled “Heart to Heart Parables: Sowing Seeds of Peace, Hope, Faith and Love.”

“Each one of the parables, as ordinary as they are, have the extraordinary message for all of us to be peace,” said Sister Ave.

Another book titled “Arthur: Thank You for Being Jesus’ Love,” focuses on a man who suffered from schizophrenia. But that didn’t stop Arthur from good deeds.

“He might tell me something happened that made him sad, but he never complained. He said, ‘I guess this will teach me something about life,” she explained.

Arthur’s picture is taped to the refrigerator for inspiration.

Sister Ave is already writing her next book, and hopes to publish it by June. She wants her books to brighten the reader’s day and pull their heartstrings.

“There’s going to be one heart we touch, and then they go on and there’s a ripple effect.”

She is spreading waves of love by putting pen to paper.

Sister Ave’s books are available for everyone to read. They’re being sold over the phone at 718-428-2471 and cost five dollars each. You can also get them through Amazon.

Currents News for Wednesday, January 8, 2020

On the newscast: President Trump says it looks like Iran is standing down but he’s imposing more sanctions; We’ll go to Puerto Rico – where so many are living outdoors – afraid to go home because of the earthquakes; The issues important to Catholics from Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address today; And hot off the press – The Tablet launching something new that all Catholic students will want to hear.

Watch weeknights at 7:00 pm EST on NET-TV in the New York City area on Spectrum, Optimum, and Fios. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications about new content.

Pope Francis Suggests Updating Catechism to Include Ecological Sin

By Emily Drooby

While speaking to members of the International Association of Penal Law, Pope Francis shared his plans to update the Catechism to include a definition of “ecological sin.”

“We must introduce – we are thinking about it – in the Catechism of the Catholic Church the sin against ecology, the ecological sin against the common home, because it is a duty,” he said.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the Catholic world with many taking to social media to voice their comments.

“We have a moral obligation to care for everything that God created out of love,” explained Brother Joseph Bach, the directorof vocations for the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, who holds the environment close to his heart.

“Anything that separates us from God or God’s creation, that’s sinful and anything that is going to not care for what God made out of love, is sin plain and simple,” he told Currents News at St. Francis College.

Another Franciscan, Father Brian Jordan, said the idea picked up steam during October’s Amazon Synod, while fires were raging in the Amazon Rainforest.

“The Synod of the Amazon has really put fore-front the great threat towards the ecology in other worlds, ‘Laudato Si’, our common home,” explained Fr. Jordan.

The threats may seem far away, but they can be combated here at home.

Fr. Jordan noted that there are plenty of things New Yorkers can do to help the environment, like plant a tree or recycle.

“We can reduce the waste in this city which would enhance the quality of life in New York,” he said.

Environmental non-profit Big Reuse also suggests shopping at thrift stores, composting, using public transportation as often as possible and volunteering for various clean-up events.

But as Brother Bach explained, one of the biggest things people can do is talk about it.

“When people are having conversation, they’re going to think,” he said. “And then as they make decisions on recycling and make decisions on using disposable products, they’re going to think: How is this going to affect somebody?”

‘No End in Sight to the Horror’: Australian Bishops Respond to Fires

CANBERRA, Australia (CNS) — Saying that “there is no end in sight to the horror which confronts us,” Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the bishops have implemented a national response to months of wildfires.

The bishops have set up a national network, connecting people affected by the fires with “people who can help with tasks such as preparing meals, clearing properties, rebuilding communities, as well as pastoral and counseling support.” They are collaborating with other religious agencies and their institutes and will take up a special collection the last weekend in January, when Australia Day is celebrated.

Archbishop Coleridge said people who do not want to wait to donate to their parish collections can donate to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, known in Australia as Vinnies.

The bishops’ conference also set up a special page, www.catholic.org.au/bushfires, with a button for donation to the Vinnies, as well as resources such as prayers of intercession, prayers for those affected, and statements on the fire from other organizations.

“We have all seen the apocalyptic images, even if we are not in the areas most affected,” the archbishop said. “Lives have been lost, homes and towns have been destroyed, smoke has shrouded large swathes of our country.

“The efforts of firefighters have been heroic. The resilience of the communities affected has been extraordinary.”

At least 24 people have died in the fires, which began in August and now are in four states. CNN reported Jan. 7 that more than 2,000 homes in the state of New South Wales alone have been destroyed.

Archbishop Coleridge said the bishops were aware of “the huge amount being done” by governments and first responders and noted that local faith communities also were responding.

“This has been Australia at its best, and we all stand with those who have been most stricken and with those who are putting their lives on the line to fight the fires,” he said.

He also renewed his call for “insistent prayer for those stricken by drought and fire, for those who have lost their lives in the fires and their families, for rain to quench the parched land and extinguish the fires, and for urgent action to care for our common home in order to prevent such calamities in the future.”

“A genuinely Catholic response to a crisis of this magnitude must draw strength from prayer, which inspires concrete and compassionate action.”

He said experts recognized that it would be a long-term process to help people and whole towns rebuild.

At the Vatican Jan. 8, during his general audience, Pope Francis also remembered those affected by the fires: “I would like to ask everyone to pray to the Lord to help the people in this difficult time, with that blaze that is burning so strong. I am close to the people of Australia.”

President Trump Imposes Sanctions on Iran Following Attack on U.S. Military Bases

Currents News Staff

Hours after Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases, on Jan. 8 President Donald Trump addressed the nation, saying that Iran appears to be standing down after the attack, and that his administration will now impose new sanctions on Iran.

Iran’s missile launch — Jan. 8 in Iraq, late Jan. 7 in the U.S. —  was said to be in retaliation for Washington’s targeted killing of Iran’s top militia commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad Jan. 3. The missiles hit the al-Asad airbase, which houses U.S. troops, and American and coalition forces in the northern Iraqi town of Erbil, in areas not heavily populated.

“By removing Soleimani, we have sent a powerful message to terrorists,” President Trump said during his address. “If you value your own life, you will not threaten the lives of our people.”

One death has been confirmed – neither American troops nor Iraqi citizens. Trump credited this to a well-functioning early warning system that was in place at the time of the attack. “As long as I’m president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Iran’s foreign minister called the attack a proportionate measure in self-defense, and Iran’s revolutionary guard warned if the United States retaliates, “we will respond to you in America.”

“The United States will immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime,” he explained, noting that the sanctions will remain in place until Iran “changes its behavior.”

Trump did not detail how these sanctions would be put in place, but called on NATO to become more involved in the Middle East.

Trump also spoke directly to the leaders of Iran calling for peace, saying that the “great future, one that you deserve – one of prosperity at home and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also issued a statement following the attack, calling for urgent prayers “that our world’s leaders will pursue dialogue and seek peace.”

“In the face of the escalating tensions with Iran,” he said, people should join him 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.”

During his general audience Jan. 8, Pope Francis also addressed the current situation in Iraq, offering “a warm welcome to the Arab-speaking pilgrims, especially those from Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East.”

“In the saddest moments of our lives, in the most distressing moments and of trial, we must not be afraid and be bold as Paul was, because God watches over us, he is always close to us. May the Lord bless you all and always protect you from the evil one,” Pope Francis said.

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Catholic News Service contributed to this report.

Pope Asks Prayers for Australian Ecological Catastrophe

Currents News Staff

At the end of the General Audience, the pope spotted a group of pilgrims from Australia and reached out to them with a few words.

“Among you there is a group from Australia. I would like to ask everyone to pray to the Lord to help the people in this difficult time, with the fires that are ever so strong. I express my closeness to the people of Australia,” said the Holy Father.

Wildfires are literally sweeping the country. They have scorched around 20 million acres, taken the lives of numerous people and killed millions of animals since they started in November.