Florida, Georgia Prepare as Hurricane Dorian Approaches U.S.

Currents News

As Puerto Rico breathes a sigh of relief, residents in Florida and Georgia are gearing up for incoming Hurricane Dorian. The storm is expected to strengthen between August 29 and September 2 during the long Labor Day weekend.

Major airlines have begun to issue travel waivers for passengers traveling through Florida as the state prepares and braces for impact.

“You could make a case for places like Miami and the Keys to be impacted, you could make the cast for it to be northern Florida,” said Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida.

“All Floridians really need to monitor Hurricane Dorian and make the necessary preparations,” he added.

The storm is expected to become a category 4 hurricane with 130 mile per hour winds by Sunday, September 1, before making landfall in the sunshine state early Monday morning.

Officials say that where exactly the storm will land remains uncertain.

Governor DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in Florida as authorities urge residents to be ready for anything.

“If it stays on the track it’s on right now, we do expect significant impact, probably beginning Sunday. So what we are telling people to do now is make sure you have your batteries, your gas, your food, make sure you’re prepared,” said Lenny Curry, Jacksonville’s mayor.

Floridians are heeding this warning, all the while lining up at gas stations and emptying shelves in stores across the state.

“You’d rather be over prepared than wait till the last minute,” said Jason Zelenak, a restaurant manager in Daytona Beach.

As the path the storm might take is still uncertain, the governor of Georgia is also urging citizens to be on standby, ready to move quickly in the event of an emergency evacuation.

Matters of Life and Death: Pope to Bring His Message to Southern Africa

By Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Rejecting violence, promoting interreligious harmony, caring for the environment and stamping out government corruption are expected to be high on the agenda Sept. 4-10 when Pope Francis visits Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.

“The pope’s very presence will be his principle message to the people of Mozambique,” said Father Giorgio Ferretti, an Italian missionary and pastor of the cathedral in Maputo, Mozambique. “Just the fact of him walking these streets, meeting the people, speaking to them will be a great message of peace.”

After 15 years of civil war in Mozambique, a peace agreement was signed in 1992, concluding a two-year mediation process facilitated by the Rome-based Community of Sant’Egidio, the Catholic archbishop of Beira and representatives of the Italian government.

The country has been at peace for 27 years, “but there still hasn’t been a real de-militarization of some parts of what had been the armed opposition, so we must still pray and work for peace in this country,” Father Ferretti said. “Then, in the north of the country, in the province of Cabo Delgado — where there are Americans, Italians and others involved in the extraction of gas — there has been disorder; it still is not clear at all whether we are dealing with Islamic fundamentalists, but there has been violence.”

When the incidents began in October 2017, many were quick to suspect Islamic fundamentalists; however, others believe the violence is more closely linked to the foreign expansion of the natural gas industry in a region where most people are very poor.

St. John Paul II’s visit to Mozambique in 1988 “laid the foundations for a commitment to peace,” Father Ferretti said. “Now, the visit of Pope Francis can be like a final seal on that process for an effective and definitive peace in the country. This is the great hope of the church and the people for the visit of the pope.”

Leah Marie Lucas is director of Caritas Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province, where in addition to the insecurity mentioned by Father Ferretti, people are struggling to recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Kenneth in April.

Pope Francis will not be visiting the areas devastated by Cyclone Idai in March or Cyclone Kenneth a few weeks later, but he is likely to remember the hundreds of Mozambicans who died in the violent storms and the thousands left homeless.

In Cabo Delgado, some people already were displaced by the violence when the cyclone wiped out more homes, Lucas said. “Even if they remain close to their home village, they are not able to farm, and this year will experience serious food security challenges.”

More frequent and more violent super storms like Idai and Kenneth are headline-making signs of the devastating impact climate change already is having on the countries of southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, including Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.

Franciscan Father Jean-Charles Rakotondranaivo, “custos” or superior of Franciscans in Madagascar and Mauritius, said people in the two nations “are already experiencing the effects of climate change,” much of it caused by the people themselves.

Particularly in Madagascar, “we are experiencing rapid and growing deforestation,” he said. “In 50 years, we have lost three-quarters of our forest” to meet the demand for fuel wood and charcoal and to clear areas for farming.

Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Catholic overseas aid and development agency, has been working in Madagascar for more than 50 years; meeting the challenges of climate change while helping poor farmers is a key part of its work there.

Partnering with other development agencies, for example, CRS is helping farmers sow plants that can stabilize sand dunes along the southern coast and prevent them from encroaching on farm plots. Another project helps subsistence farmers create cooperatives and generate income by growing spices since the island is the world’s largest producer and exporter of vanilla and also produces black pepper, cloves, turmeric and cinnamon.

Shaun Ferris, CRS director of agriculture and livelihoods, said soil and water management is a key focus of the agency’s programs in Madagascar “where more than 50% of all households can be classified as food insecure, and 90% of the country’s population lives on less than $2 a day.”

Pope Francis’ social-environmental encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” was “a brilliant document,” Ferris said, and its message “is the message of the decade” because climate change and ecological degradation are real and strongly contribute to poverty, hunger, conflict and migration.

Father Rakotondranaivo sees the pope’s repeated condemnations of corruption and his teaching on politics as service as another essential message for the region, particularly for Madagascar.

Unfortunately, he said, having political and civil responsibility too often is seen “not as a service but as a great privilege, a way to enrich oneself. Generally, politicians get rich very quickly. Madagascar is a country rich in natural resources, but the population is very poor. The inequality between a handful of rich and the poor majority is blatant. It is time to wake politicians up to focus more on the common good.”

Organization ‘Arms’ Public With Education on International Security Threats

Currents News Staff

Nuclear weapons is still a buzz topic in the media, especially when it comes to North Korea and the United States.

However, in 2019 the global community is hoping for these threats to end sooner than later.

Every August 29 marks the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. It was established by the United Nations in 2009 in memory of the closure of the Semipalatinsk Polygon, the main nuclear testing facility for the former Soviet Union.

Even so, the danger of nuclear tests remains an international threat.

“There is an urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons, in full application of the non-Proliferation Treaty, in letter and spirit, with the goal of a complete prohibition of these weapons,” Pope Francis said.

Nuclear weapons are inherently the most dangerous weaponry on the planet.

Currently, organizations such as the De Gasperi Foundation are studying dangers that might arise if the ghost of a nuclear war is rekindled.

The De Gasperi Foundation has been promoting the website freedomanatomy.com to deepen defense contributions, especially those by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The project, entitled ‘Freedom aNATOmy’ is an educational website, containing data and interactive maps.

As Pope Francis says when he talks about the piecemeal World War III we are experiencing today, threats are not only limited to the military,” said Paolo Alli, the project’s science director.

“They are linked to the use of economic tools, propaganda, improper use of the internet, ‘Fake News,’ cyber attacks and terrorism,” he explained.

The Freedom aNATOmy project aims to be a tool bringing greater attention to global citizens who want to know the areas of crisis and security strategies at an international level.

The U.S. Arms Control Association estimates that currently there are 14,000 nuclear warheads circulating around the world, with 90 percent belonging to Russia and the United States.

While a majority are for military use, nearly 5,000 are waiting to be dismantled.

UVM Nurse Forced to Perform Abortion Against Religious Beliefs

Currents News Staff

A new federal lawsuit centers on an allegation that a Vermont hospital forced a nurse to help perform an abortion, despite moral objections.

“They did not respect those who had this conscience objection to abortion,” said Francis J. Manion of the American Center for Law and Justice.

Minion says his client was on the so-called ‘opt-out’ list because of their Catholic faith but feared repercussions from the hospital if they refused to work on that type of procedure.

“There was other staff available who could have stepped in and just didn’t and we think that’s because that was sort of the toxic atmosphere there with regard to this issue,” said Manion.

The University of Vermont Medical Center was put on notice after a report from the federal government that claims a nurse’s civil rights were violated when they were forced to aid in an abortion.

“Our client talks about a systemic disdain for the rights of conscience and they want to see that fixed,” Manion added.

Federal law allows medical workers to withdraw from performing abortions for religious or moral objections.

In a report from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Civil Rights, investigators found the nurse was, at least on one occasion, “Led to believe they were scheduled to assist in a procedure that did not involve the abortion when in fact it did. They objected but were coerced by UVMMC into participating. The experience left them deeply traumatized.”

UVM Medical Center’s Interim President, Dr. Stephen Leffler, says the hospital has invited regulators to suggest updates to their conscientious objection policy, but believes it already meets a robust standard.

“We did a very thorough investigation when we first learned of this complaint and we are very comfortable that their allegations do not support the facts of the case. We believe we have a strong policy. We believe we have a policy that meets the needs of our patients and our staff and we are not changing our policy right now but we would be open to making it better,” said Leffler.

According to the report, the hospital has 30 days to amend their policy or could risk having their federal funding revoked.

Currents News for Wednesday, August 28, 2019

On the newscast: It’s now a hurricane– and Dorian has Puerto Rico in its sights. People are getting ready for the storm; Caring for the sick is an important part of being Catholic. Pope Francis delivering that message to thousands this morning; They are brothers-in-arms with a mountain to climb. And they did it despite a big obstacle; There’s a mystery surrounding the famous image of Virgin Mary and the Christ-child.

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.

Catholics Prepare to Offer Relief as Hurricane Dorian Approaches Puerto Rico

By Tim Harfmann

As Hurricane Dorian makes landfall with heavy rain and winds over 75 miles per hour, Lillian Betancourt is hoping her loved ones on the island are able to weather the storm.

She works at Holy Name Church in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, and visits Puerto Rico every year. Having just returned from the island, the devastation her family has faced is fresh in her mind.

“They’ve experienced, what seems to them, hell and they can’t help but be nervous,” Lillian said, fighting back tears while recounting her first visit to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

“Everything just appeared to be burned…. nothing was green… nothing was green,” she explained.

After Hurricane Maria, Lillian’s mother and friends went months without electricity or running water. They were left to fend for themselves.

Now they’re gearing up — as a community — to survive the new storm.

“They fueled up all their vehicles and they just band together, and they’re prepared for another Maria, but they know that it’s not going to be as devastating,” Lillian said.

Oscar Hernandez, a Bronx resident who works in Brooklyn, has family on the island, too. He’s worried about his in-laws and his nephew who has autism.

“They already turned off their water. They turned off the lights already. They put the boards up, collected as much water and canned food as possible,” Oscar said.

Catholic relief groups are re-mobilizing again as well. Parishioners from Brooklyn and Queens traveled to aid in Puerto Rico’s rebuilding in 2018, and again this past July.

At the moment, Catholic Charities USA is working closely with Caritas in Puerto Rico, where there are already people on the scene. When the storm passes, they’ll get to work helping to provide relief.

You can make a monetary donation online by heading to catholiccharitiesusa.org and clicking on the ‘donate’ button in the top right corner of the screen.

Pope Francis: The Sick are ‘Not Disposable’

Currents News Staff

With several children joining him in the popemobile, on August 28 the Holy Father returned to Saint Peter’s Square for his weekly teaching to pilgrims.

This time, Pope Francis focused on the sick and our responsibility to care for them, centering his catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles.

He reflected on when St. Peter passed through Solomon’s portico and his shadow healed the sick.

He recalled how throughout the ages, the sick have always been at the heart of the Church. Even during St. Peter’s time, he said, it was already “a field hospital” for those most in need.

“The sick are the privileged recipients of the happy proclamation of the kingdom. They are brothers and sisters in whom Christ is present in a special way to allow himself to be sought and found by all of us,” the pontiff said.

“The sick are the privileged for the Church; for the priestly heart; and for all the faithful. They are not disposable. On the contrary, they must be treated and cared for. They are the object of Christian concern,” he added.

The Holy Father noted how Peter received leadership from Jesus, but it didn’t make him believe he was more important than others. This is because Peter knew it was another who manifested himself through Peter’s works.

“In this way, God manifests his closeness and makes the wounds of his children the theological place of his tenderness. In the wounds of the sick, in the illnesses that prevent us from moving forward in life,” Pope Francis said.

“It is there where Jesus is always present. It is there where He calls each one of us to take care of the sick, to support them and to heal them.”

The pontiff also pointed out that the teaching of the Apostles and Peter disturbed the Sadducees who persecuted them and imprisoned them. However, the Apostles never wavered, knowing “we must obey God rather than men.”

Pope Francis also asked the Holy Spirit to give people the strength not to be frightened when others try to silent them, slander them or attack their lives.

Tropical Storm Dorian to Make Landfall in Puerto Rico, Caribbean

Currents News Staff

Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover two years after being devastated by Hurricane Maria, and now residents are bracing for another significant storm. In Ponce, Puerto Rico, forecasters expect tropical storm dorian to make landfall on August 28.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that by the time it reaches the island, Dorian will be a category 1 hurricane. With many homes still covered in blue tarp as makeshift roofs, any kind of significant winds or heavy rain could make a devastating impact.

All week, residents have been preparing for what tropical storm Dorian could bring.

“We were caught by surprise with Maria, but now we’re on alert,” said Jose Juan Rivera, a resident of Puerto Rico.

According to Roberto Garcia, a meteorologist from the National Meteorological Service in Puerto Rico, “the whole island including Culebra is going to be under tropical sustained tropical storm winds with higher gusts, gusts that could get to hurricane force winds.”

Potential flooding from heavy rains is also on the radar.

“We are expecting now four to six inches, widespread, with isolated amounts up to eight inches in some areas,” he added.

Although Dorian is expected to be a smaller and less intense storm than Hurricane Maria, authorities warn any impact could put the most vulnerable at risk, including those who still rely on tarps for shelter.

“The ones that have blue tarps. The ones that live in the areas that are flooding, they have to move out to our refuges,” said Maria “Mayita” Melendez, the mayor of Ponce.

The governor of Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency on August 26, warning hospitals and shelters to be at the ready.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has also deployed supplies and incident management assistance teams to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This comes as residents hope they’ve done enough to prepare

“I’m ready for whatever comes,” said Yolanda Alvarado, who lives in Ponce.

FEMA reportedly has thousands of agents on the ground already, as many are concerned of massive power outages following the storm.

Chris and Emily Norton “The Seven Longest Yards” Part 2

Craig Syracusa sits down with Chris and Emily Norton, who have captivated the hearts of the American people one step at a time. After an injury that left him paralyzed and only a 3 percent chance to move anything below his neck again, Chris worked tirelessly to regain enough function in his legs to be able to not only walk to receive his business degree but also to be able to walk down the aisle with Emily on their wedding day. Both videos have garnered millions of views online. Now their story is featured in the new book “The Seven Longest Yards”. The couple talk not only about the injury and those famous walks, but also how they met and fell in love, and how they are now working to raise awareness of spinal injuries and how Chris works to inspire others to overcome their own hardships and seemingly unbeatable odds. They also speak on how Emily’s depression almost ended their love story. Tune in for all this and more on Walk in Faith!

Chris and Emily Norton “The Seven Longest Yards” Part 1