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Fallout from the Deadly Easter Bombings in Sri Lanka

By Emily Drooby

Fallout after Easter Sunday’s deadly Sri Lanka attacks continued on Monday, as a bomb-filled van exploded during a police-controlled detonation in the capital.

Sri Lankan officials have now apologized for ignoring warnings that came in weeks before the attacks.

In an interview, Sri Lankan Minister of Telecommunication, Harin Fernando said, “I honestly do feel there was a breech and as well as there has been a big massive miscommunication. Or somebody taking this whole intelligence report lightly and thought no, it’s not possible, but they had all information.”

The coordinated bombings started just before nine on Sunday morning. Three churches holding Easter services were attacked along with three hotels. Hours later there were two additional explosions, one in private housing and one near the national zoo. Officials say seven suicide bombers were involved.

Nearly 300 are dead. Among them at least four Americans, including Dieter Kowalski, a Denver resident who was in the country on a work trip.

President Trump offered his condolences while U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explained the loss of American life has brought the fight home. He said, “We mourn the loved ones of the victims some of them we can confirm were indeed U.S. citizens, this is America’s fight too.”

Three Christian churches all targeted. Pope Francis prayed for the wounded during Easter services saying, “I wish to show my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, hit while gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence.”

Back in the U.S., local Catholic reaction has been swift. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio condemning the attacks.

Bishop DiMarzio said, “It’s sad that there is religious intolerance in the world today, where everyone should have the right to practice their own religion the way they want certainly that is what we believe as Catholics, and it’s unfortunate that people have that kind of hatred for others that they would kill them when they’re in worship of God.”

Also on Easter Sunday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan called the reaction of Sri Lanka’s Christians inspiring.

“There is already a resilience, there’s a hope, there’s a conviction that this will not extinguish our faith and we will not allow this evil to win, they’re the ones who give us hope, they’re the ones who have really interiorized the message of Easter.”

While no one has claimed responsibility for the brutal attacks, Sri Lankan officials are blaming the little-known local radical Muslim group, National Thowfeek Jamaath.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency. A curfew is in place and a social media blackout is in affect for a second day, in hopes of containing the violence and spread of miscommunication.

Song Still Heard At Notre Dame This Easter

By Michelle Powers

Mathieu Braud is conducting the performance of his life, with a group of people that’s never even played together.

“The world’s best composers walked through the doors of Notre Dame, played in the cathedral – it cannot go silent now,” said Braud.

Notre Dame de Paris has always been a haven for those whose calloused fingers pluck strings and press the keys of woodwinds. But perhaps for the first time, not one note is rising from the bell towers this Easter Sunday.

Instead those musical notes are rising from just across the river Seine.

It’s not a place of majesty and grandeur, like the inside of the cathedral – but the music, the notes and the rhythms are familiar – even if the musicians aren’t. This is a spontaneous concert.

“When we saw it burning we knew we had to do something,” said Braud.

He immediately created a Facebook event, inviting anyone with passion to play.

Nearly thirty performers, from all over the world, gathering together at the homeland for musicians.

Notre Dame became the musical capital of the world in the middle ages. Le Grand Orgue with eight thousand pipes sending melodies to the heavens for centuries. Today there would be songs of praise and resurrection.

“Sometimes music is better than words,” one onlooker commented.

Bishop DiMarzio Leads Easter Vigil Celebration in Queens

By Tim Harfmann

A single candle shined in the dark church as a dramatic demonstration of the Lord. “The Easter Candle symbolizes Christ, who is the Light of the World. So, we light that first from the new fire, then we bring it in procession up the aisle,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. At Saint John Vianney Church in Flushing, Bishop DiMarzio led the Easter Vigil Mass — the celebration that Christ is Risen! “The Easter Vigil reminds us of the Resurrection. We remember that the Lord — during this time from Good Friday to Easter Sunday — as we say in the Creed, ‘descended into Hell.’ He went to free all of the souls that had gone before Him, who were faithful, to give them the entrance into Heaven,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

The holiest of nights is also the joyous time when Bishop DiMarzio welcomes new Catholics into the Church. With holy water, he baptized nearly 50 men and women and three young children. Anointed with chrism oil, most are Confirmed into the faith and receive the Holy Spirit. All, except the children, receive Holy Communion. Across the Brooklyn diocese, over 550 are sacramentally initiated into Catholicism. Rachel Lin, now a parishioner at Saint John Vianney, explained why becoming Catholic is so important for her life; “Life is very precious and it’s very short. Just like Jesus wants us to use our life to do our best to love, it makes me have more faith.” Lin also wants to spread the Good News of the Risen Lord to those who have turned away from the Church; “If others are lost, we can talk to them [to] understand. It’s also to guide them to Jesus.”

Most of the new Catholics at Saint John Vianney are Chinese, the fastest growing Catholic community in the Brooklyn diocese.

Yiu Yu, another new Catholic, said the large gathering inspires him to learn more about Catholicism; “It makes you want to come to church more. It makes you want to educate yourself a lot more.”

In order to make Christ the center of their lives.

Cathedral On Canvas – Visual Tribute To Notre Dame

By Michelle Powers

Ric Adam may sound like a native to the city of lights, but it was only fifteen years ago that he first dipped his brushes in France.

“I was in NYC and Chelsea, my friends said you have to go to Paris,” he said.

It was there rick met his muse, his mademoiselle, a so-called old lady, the subject of hundreds of his paintings, the Notre Dame de Paris.

But unlike most tourists who take photos of the famous towers – when Ric puts his brush to canvas, it’s from a different vantage point.

Since the fire, his paintings have become visual tributes on canvas, with the power to move people to tears.

“That’s one of the most beautiful things in Paris,” said Nancy Hennig.

She chose a painting with the spire she watched fall before her eyes.

“The say they are going to rebuild this – you can’t rebuild 850 years,” Nancy added.

Ric hasn’t painted since the cathedral’s roof crumbled, but he says one day soon, he’ll continue to paint what once was. As long as people still have their memories–the beauty remains.

Could Notre Dame Ignite The Rise Of The Zombie Catholics?

By Michelle Powers

The Diocese of Nanterre is less than ten miles from Notre Dame, so close the land used to be part of the Archdiocese of Paris.

Bishop Matthieu Rouge says the cathedral is mile zero. It’s how the French measure distances all over the country, but its more than just that, it’s their history.

“Notre Dame is the beginning of all measures, it’s the center of this country,” said Rouge.

Through the grace of flames and the way of the cross, some are rediscovering it this Good Friday.

Once among the most Catholic countries in the world – sometimes called the eldest daughter of the church – in recent years France has seen a serious decline in churchgoing numbers.

“In France everyone is a catholic but they ignore it,” added Rouge.

Bishop Rouge speculates that the Notre Dame fire just may ignite a spiritual reawakening of sorts. One that might already be underway across secular France.

Sociologists in the country call the phenomena the rise of “Zombie Catholics.” People who do not attend church, but voters who turn out in droves to support leaders backing catholic social teachings.

The sociologists who coined the term say its Catholicism having attained a life after death in France, and no one is quite sure just where it will go.

As the way of the cross made its way around the Diocese of Nanterre, many people joined in. The crowd grew in size at every station.

Experts Confident Notre Dame Will Rise Again

Restoring Notre Dame to its former glory is going to be a massive undertaking. French President Emmanuel Macron is promising to rebuild the cathedral in 5 years, but some are predicting it could take decades.

Crux Faith and Culture Correspondent Claire Giangrave has been talking to experts and art historians about the scope of the restoration and she joins Currents News to discuss the future of the heart of Paris.

Bishop DiMarzio Leads Good Friday Services

By Tim Harfmann

For the solemn service at Saint James Cathedral in Downtown Brooklyn, it was standing room only as worshippers packed the pews and entrance on Good Friday. “It’s a day where we remember Christ’s death, and it’s a day that we remember many other innocent people who have died in the world today. This is a violent world where many innocent people give their lives,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, who led the service. After the prayers, Bishop DiMarzio was joined by Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the pope’s ambassador to the United Nations, for the Way of the Cross procession over the Brooklyn Bridge. The walk symbolizes the Lord’s path to his crucifixion. “Christ suffered for us, and we have to also suffer for the world. We have to join our sufferings to the work of Christ in redeeming the world,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

The procession was a collaboration with Communion and Liberation, a Catholic, international lay movement. Raquel Isaza is a member of the group; “New York City is such a big, big melting pot. And in such a public place, like the Brooklyn Bridge, we can all get together.”

The Catholics prayed the Stations of the Cross and picked up other worshippers along the way. “Like the pope said, ‘go to the ends to meet the people.’ So, we go over the bridge meeting other people,” said Isaza. The symbolic procession ended near the World Trade Center. “I’m really excited and I feel emotional. I’m really happy to see a lot of people having the Holy Week in their hearts,” said Sheyla Curtis, who participated in the procession.

Bishop DiMarzio also led the Good Friday service at Our Lady of Miraculous Medal. It included reading the Lord’s Passion, the bishop’s homily and Communion, before worshippers processed through the streets of Ridgewood, Queens. Father Anthony Sansone is the church’s pastor and said the procession draws the attention of those who may have turned away from the Church. Worshippers processed to the neighboring Saint Aloysius Church and back. Bishop DiMarzio later led a prayer service in Italian.

Currents News for Friday, April 19, 2019

On the newscast: Good Friday in Paris. Currents News Michelle Powers is there, reporting on the rebuilding of Notre Dame… and the faith; Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio leads the Way of the Cross procession across the Brooklyn Bridge; Pope Francis prostrating himself before Christ’s cross in humble veneration at the Vatican; Good Friday gives way to the joy of Easter.  Bishop DiMarzio is here to talk about the Light of the World.

Today’s top news from the Catholic perspective anchored by Liz Faublas. Currents News airs Monday through Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET on NET-TV (netny.tv)