Currents News Staff
Melissa Ohden, a survivor of abortion herself and the founder of the Abortion Survivors Network joins Currents News to discuss the failed Born-Alive Act we’ve been telling you about.
The measure was killed by a Senate filibuster. It would have required doctors to provide health care to any child who survived an abortion. Ohden shares her own survival story and how she plans to continue the fight for the unborn.
Cody Weddle is pictured in this undated photo. (CNS photo/courtesy Global Sisters Report)
WASHINGTON (CNS) — A Catholic News Service contributor in Caracas, Venezuela, was taken by military counterintelligence officials after his home was raided early March 6.
Cody Weddle, 29, best known for reporting for Miami ABC affiliate WPLG and The Miami Herald, was held more than 12 hours before Venezuelan authorities escorted him to the airport to return to the U.S. His assistant, Carlos Camacho, also was held but was later released.
Weddle had reported on air March 5 about Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido’s return to the country.
The Venezuelan journalists union first posted about Weddle’s arrest on Twitter early March 6. WPLG announced later that attempts to reach Weddle had been unsuccessful, but said his housekeeper reported he was arrested “with his passport, other documents, money and a large suitcase.”
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy to Venezuela told Catholic News Service the embassy was aware of the arrest but could not share information.
In Washington, Greg Erlandson, Catholic News Service director and editor-in-chief, expressed deep concern about Weddle’s disappearance.
“We ask Venezuelan gov’t to release him and Carlos Camacho immediately,” Erlandson said in a tweet March 6. “We urge the U.S. government to advocate on Cody’s behalf and ask for prayers for his safety.”
Weddle, a 2012 graduate of Virginia Tech University, has degrees in journalism and political science. He has reported from Venezuela for several years.
In addition to reporting on Venezuelan politics, he has reported on church issues for Catholic News Service and for Global Sisters Report, a project of National Catholic Reporter. In January, he reported for CNS about the Venezuelan bishops’ statements that called anti-government street protests “a sign of hope” and called Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government “illegitimate.”
In August, he traveled to Colombia to cover the Latin American bishops’ council meeting marking 50 years since their meeting expressing a preferential option for the poor.
His most recent story for Global Sisters Report was how nursing homes run by women religious were enduring Venezuela’s economic crisis.
Venezuela, which has spent years in a downward economic spiral, is facing a constitutional crisis. In January, Guaido, leader of the opposition-led National Assembly, declared himself interim president of Venezuela after allegations that Maduro’s re-election last year was rigged. Dozens of countries have recognized Guaido as interim president, but military leaders continue to back Maduro.
Currents News Staff
It is exactly 60 years ago today since the Vatican prohibited St. Faustina’s message of Divine Mercy. At the time, all bishops had been told to remove the images of Divine Mercy.
Now 60 years later in the Vatican, the very place the Divine Mercy message was originally banned, is the screening of this new docudrama about St. Faustina “Love and Mercy.”
It examines the life of this famous saint and those involved in preserving the Divine Mercy image, such as Blessed Fr. Michael Sopoćko.
Michał Kondrat, director of “Love and Mercy,” believes it is very symbolic for the film to be shown here in the Vatican.
“It is beautiful that we can, in the same place, show the movie Sr. Faustina.” “Sometimes we need time to confirm something and it was exactly the case with the revelations of Sr. Faustina Kowalska,” said Kondrat.
The film even reveals unknown facts and recently disclosed documents such as a letter Fr. Michael Sopoćko sent to the Vatican. It also offers new scientific analysis of the exact matching of Christ’s face in the Divine Mercy image to that on the Shroud of Turin.
According to Card. Salvatore de Giorgi, St. Faustina’s revelation emphasizes once again God’s great mercy.
“She received from Jesus directly the revelation of the greatest and joyful message of the Gospel: that God is merciful,” said de Giorgi.
For Kamila Kamińska, a polish actress who plays St. Faustina in the film, this nun’s perseverance and obedience to God’s call in proclaiming His Mercy is what impressed her the most.
“She trusts Him. So for me it is amazing because everybody can listen to God, but not everyone wants to; and everyone has a task for life,” said Kamińska.
The filmmakers hope this film will continue to promote the Mercy God wanted St. Faustina to communicate to the whole world.
During St. John Paul II papacy, he helped lift the ban on devotion to Divine Mercy. He even canonized this holy nun; and instituted the Feast of Divine Mercy in 2000 to be celebrated universally the Sunday after Easter.
It was also on the vigil of this feast that John Paul II passed away in 2005. The pope emeritus and now Pope Francis have continued to encourage this devotion.
The movie “Love and Mercy” will be screened in various cinemas across the world. It even had a special screening during Panama WYD.
Currents News Staff
A Utah teacher is apologizing after she didn’t allow one of her students to wear a religious symbol at school.
Like millions of Catholics and Christians around the world, William McLeod received an ash cross on his forehead to commemorate Ash Wednesday. The boy’s teacher made him wipe it off when he got to school.
“They put it on your forehead to show holiness,” said McLeod. He was the only student in his class with an ash cross on his forehead.
“A lot of students asked me what it is. I said I’m Catholic. It’s the first day of lent. It’s Ash Wednesday – to celebrate being closer to God.” But the cross didn’t stay on William’s forehead very long.
“The teacher walked over and said like what is that and I was like it’s Ash Wednesday and I’m
Catholic. It’s the first day of lent and she was like no its inappropriate go take it off,” he said.
His attempt to explain the meaning of the symbol fell on deaf ears.
“She took me aside and she said you have to take it off. So, she gave me a de-infection wipe, whatever they are called, and she made me wipe it off,” he said.
He says it happened as many of his classmates watched.
“They saw the teacher wipe it off because they wiped it off in front of all my friends. I felt like, really bad,” he added.
The school’s principal called his grandmother as soon as she learned of the incident.
“I was pretty upset,” said Karen Fisher. The teacher also called.
“I asked her if she read the Constitution with the First Amendment and she said no and ohhhh,” said Fisher.
The Davis School District says what happened is not acceptable.
“Why that even came up, I have no idea,” said Chris Williams a spokesperson for the Davis School District.
It wants students of all faiths to feel welcomed. “When a student comes in to school with ashes on their forehead it’s not something we say please take off,” said Williams.
Later in the day William received candy and a handwritten message from his teacher.
“It said William I am so sorry I hope we can move things from here,” he said.
He and his family hope this will serve as a valuable learning experience.
“I hope it helps somebody and I hope it never happens again and I don’t think it will,” said Fisher.
The school district is taking this incident seriously and is investigating. The teacher could face disciplinary action.
On the newscast: Lent begins with Ash Wednesday; A New York court has ruled in the long running debate of Fulton Sheen’s final resting place; The U.S./Southern border is at a breaking point.
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)
By Tim Harfmann
Blessing ashes with holy water, then putting the sign of the cross on foreheads, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio reminded Catholics that ashes are a symbol of repentance from sin. The bishop said Lent is a time to prepare for Christ’s Easter Resurrection and our own eternal life. He has two special prayer intentions this year, and he wrote about them in his column published in The Tablet. The first is for the sanctity of life. “We need time to really pray about it, to try to change minds and hearts of the people who are contemplating abortion, of those who support it legislatively and in other ways. This could be a good 40 days for life,” said Bishop DiMarzio.
His second special intention is dedicated to everyone impacted by the clergy sex abuse crisis. “For the victims, the victims who suffer, and for the perpetrators that they change their lives to make sure they never offend again,” said Bishop DiMarzio.
Governing Catholics throughout the Lenten season are several regulations. Father Peter Purpura, vice chancellor for the Brooklyn diocese, prepared them. “These are common disciplines and it’s a way of us uniting with Catholics around the world as we march and progress towards the Easter celebration,” said Father Purpura.
The regulations are summarized into three categories:
Fasting – On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 should only eat one full meal or two smaller meals.
Abstinence – On Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent. Meat should not be eaten by anyone over the age of 14.
Easter duty – All Catholics should receive Holy Communion at some time during the Easter season.
The entire list of Lenten regulations is available on The Tablet’s website. Go to thetablet.org and click on ‘Lenten regulations’ found on the homepage.
By Emily Drooby
The Catholic faith has always been part of Mary Stiles’s life, including now while she’s incarcerated at Rikers Island Prison Complex.
Stiles, explained, “I wasn’t allowed out on Sunday if I didn’t go to church. I did get back connected with God again when I came here.”
Stiles’s brought a rosary with her to prison and found a special cross necklace under a bench while in central booking; during a time when she really needed God. Now, both of those items have been blessed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Stiles said, “Being incarcerated is really tough and to have someone like the Cardinal come and share the experience with, was fantastic. I have always wanted to meet him.”
Cardinal Dolan was part of the “Ash Wednesday” mass on Rikers Island. He distributed the blessed ashes and offered communion. During his homily, the Cardinal hit home with an important message: “We’re all in prison. We are given a sentence of death we are handcuffed by our sins. We are locked into the cell of selfishness. We are desperate for release, we crave freedom.”
He added that Jesus is our savior, he wants to release us and free us for all eternity. His homily had special meaning for those in attendance, including Stiles, who said, “That we are all incarcerated in one way or another, that according to Jesus we are all suffering. At least we are not alone.”
Cardinal Dolan calls visits, like this one to Rikers, a sacred responsibility for him: “I’m trying to obey what my faith. What my Catholic faith teaches, is the mandate of Jesus to visit those who are in prison, to feed those who are poor, to welcome those who are immigrants.”
One he enjoys doing because of the strong faith and love for God he sees when he does.
Cardinal Dolan said, “They say, hey, I need help, yeah I need help from family, and friends and lawyers, but I really need help from God, because there are certain things only he can heal. So when you see that, that’s the best posture, the posture of humility for prayer, so I love being here because we are all praying pretty hard.”
Cardinal Dolan told the inmates he wants to come back for another visit, he also encouraged them to see him at St. Patrick’s Cathedral when they leave prison.
Currents News Staff
The feds are acting to tackle what’s being called an ‘epidemic’ of suicides among America’s military veterans.
President Trump signed an executive order yesterday creating a task force with one goal – prevent veteran suicides.
About 20 veterans take their own lives every day.
The task force has a year to develop a strategy to save the lives of veterans.
By Cindy Wooden
Pope Francis waves as he arrives to celebrate Mass at the Parish of St. Crispin in a suburb on the outskirts of Rome March 3, 2019.(CNS photo/Paul Haring)
ROME (CNS) – Lent is a good time to concentrate on fighting the urge to gossip about others and instead trying to correct one’s own faults and defects, Pope Francis said.
Reciting the Angelus prayer at noon March 3 with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square and visiting the parish of St. Crispin in Labaro, a suburb on the northern edge of Rome, later that afternoon, Pope Francis focused on the line from the day’s Gospel: “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?”
“We all know it usually is easier or more comfortable to notice and condemn the defects and sins of others rather than seeing our own with that kind of clarity,” the pope said at the Angelus.
The pope returned to the passage during his parish visit, telling parishioners that Jesus “wants to teach us to not go around criticizing others, not go looking for others’ defects, but look first at your own.”
If someone were to say, “but, Father, I don’t have any,” the pope said he would explain that “I assure you if you don’t notice you have any here, you’ll find them in purgatory! It’s better to notice them here.” Unfortunately, he said, people seldom stop at just noticing others’ defects.
What almost always happens next, he said, is that “we talk about them,” indulging freely and happily in gossip. “We are experts in finding the bad things in others and not seeing our own,” the pope said.
Speaking the Sunday before Lent was to begin, Pope Francis said it would be great if everyone tried during Lent to reflect on Jesus’ words to see the faults only of others and on the temptation of gossip.
Catholics should ask themselves, “Am I a hypocrite who smiles and then turns around to criticize and destroy with my tongue?” He said. “If, by the end of Lent, we are able to correct this a bit and not go around always criticizing others behind their backs, I assure you (the celebration of) Jesus’ resurrection will be more beautiful.”
The pope began his parish visit by meeting children who had recently received or were preparing to recieve thier first Communion or Confirmation.
The young people asked him questions, including about how to be good and resist temptation. Beginning his response, Pope Francis asked the youngsters if they knew who the “boss of wickedness” is. “The devil,” they replied.
“But the devil’s a fantasy; he doesn’t exist, does he?” the pope asked. “Yes, he exists. It’s true,” the pope told them. “And he is our worst enemy. He’s the one who tries to make us slide. He’s the one who puts evil desires and evil thoughts in our hearts and leads us to do so many bad things.”
The way to resist the devil, he said, is to pray to Jesus and to his mother and to talk to one’s parents, catechists or priests when temptation is lurking.
Prayer and talking to someone good and wise also is important when trying to make a decision, he told them in response to another question.
“We can all make mistakes,” Pope Francis said. “Even I can make a mistake?”
“Yes,” the children replied. “The pope can make a mistake?” he asked just to make sure he understood them.
When they responded in the affirmative, he told them they were right, and that when someone has a decision to make, prayer and seeking advice can help.
By Christopher White, The Tablet’s National Correspondent
Bridget Sheen visits the tomb of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, her great-great uncle, in the crypt of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on Dec. 9, 2009, the 30th anniversary of the prelate’s death. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
NEW YORK – An appeals court in New York ruled unanimously against the trustees of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday preventing their efforts to keep the body of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in New York and allowing for his transfer to Peoria, Illinois.
Diocesan officials announced in June their decision to appeal a previous ruling by the Superior Court of New York in favor of Joan Sheen Cunningham, who had petitioned to move the body of her uncle, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, to the Cathedral of St. Mary in Peoria as a necessary part of his cause for canonization.
Since his death in 1979, Archbishop Sheen has been interred at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where, as one of the most popular evangelists of the 20thcentury, he once served as auxiliary bishop before being named as bishop of Rochester in 1966. He retired from that post in 1969 and lived in Manhattan until his death.
In a statement on Tuesday, Bishop Daniel Jenky announced the 5-0 ruling on the case with “great joy.”
“Today’s decision is the third time that the New York court system ruled in support of Joan Sheen Cunningham’s petition,” he wrote. “After each previous decision the Archdiocese of New York has appealed the decisions. The Diocese of Peoria hopes that the Archdiocese of New York will end the legal disputes and acknowledge that the Court has ruled.”
“The Diocese of Peoria calls upon the New York Archdiocese to end their failed legal contestation, which has only resulted in three rulings against them,” he continued. “Further appeal is not only unprecedented but extremely costly to all the parties involved.”
According to the Peoria Journal Star, the trustees of the cathedral disagree with the ruling and are considering the next steps.
The tug-of-war over Archbishop Sheen’s body dates back to 2002 when the diocese of Peoria announced it would pursue his cause for canonization after the archdiocese of New York declined to do so. The cause was suspended in 2014 when Bishop Jenky announced that the Holy See required the body of Archbishop Sheen to be in Peoria to move the cause forward.
The archdiocese of New York has disputed that claim, maintaining that Vatican officials have indicated that the cause could move forward, irrespective of where his remains reside.