Attacks In Crown Heights Draw Hate Crime Charges

Currents News Staff

Three men are in custody tonight, charged with hate crimes, after vicious attacks against Jews in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

The NYPD says the suspects are responsible for two separate violent assaults within minutes of each other.

One of the attacks was caught on camera, where the thugs approached a man and violently beat him to the ground.

The fifty-one-year old victim was treated at the hospital.

The other person set upon a twenty-two-year old yeshiva student who was punched in the face but refused medical treatment.

Brooklyn’s Bishop Responds to VA Governor’s Comments On Abortion

Currents News Staff

Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam is facing backlash tonight after saying he backed a proposal that would allow the abortion of a baby after the child was born.

He spoke on radio yesterday saying, “If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired. And then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”

Brooklyn’s Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio also spoke about Northam’s controversial remarks, saying “We heard today the governor in Virginia, who is a physician on top of it, basically was saying that two or three physicians may be good to make a decision if a child is born, if they can snuff it’s life out. It’s incredible what’s being said.”

Northam, who’s a pediatric neurosurgeon, later said he’s devoted his life to caring for children and anyone accusing him of the opposite is wrong.

The bill in question was tabled by Virginia state lawmakers.

President Trump described the governor’s comments as “terrible.”

Vocational Encounter – Young People To Serve God

Currents News Staff

The day after WYD ended, fruits from the week started to blossom. During this meeting organized by the Neocatechumenal Way, some 700 boys, 650 girls and 600 families, decided to give their lives to God.

It was a Vocational Encounter in which around 25,000 young people from all over the world participated. It was presided over by the Cardinal of Boston, Sean O’Malley, who listened to Kiko Argüello, co-initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way.

He told the participants that afternoon was going to change many of their lives to become a fascinating adventure.

“God needs Christians to change the world, so that the Gospel is announced to all nations, because the most important thing in this world and in this life is the proclamation of the Gospel,” said Argüello.

Then he asked the boys to ask themselves if God is calling them to priesthood. After praying, 700 stood up and accepted the proposal.

Next, he asked the girls the same question: if God is asking them to give Him their lives. Around 650 responded affirmatively, some very emotional at their ‘yes.’

“To one who was so distracted, God says, ‘You. Get up.’ To another girl, He says, ‘You, get up.’ She might have even had her boyfriend next to her,” said Argüello.

“Kiko’s conversion has led to and allowed many to convert. We are so grateful for his conversion, and for the Neocatechumenal Way. It has been a gift, a very special grace for the Church,” said Card. Sean O’Malley, the Archbishop of Boston.

In addition, Kiko Argüello launched the same proposal to families. He told them to reflect if God is calling them to go on mission in a different country. Around 600 accepted.

Currents News for Wednesday, January 30, 2019

On the newscast: A local pastor recognizes a would be criminal from a previous encounter; New protests against Nicolas Maduro as he sends a warning directly to the American people; The race against the clock to prevent another government shutdown; The Pope talks about World Youth Day in Panama days before he takes off again – this time for the United Arab Emirates – we talk with a top diplomat from the country is here to look into the historic journey.

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

Church Guitar Thief Returns

By Emily Drooby

Father Josephjude Gannon was shocked when he saw a familiar face on his church’s surveillance system. Father Gannon explained, “He’s trying to rob us and then I thought, he’s the same guy in the picture from a couple of months ago.”

Last Thursday, Father Gannon, the pastor of Shrine Church of Saint Gerard Majella, quickly realized the same person who had stolen 4,000 dollars worth of guitars back in October, was standing in the church.

After the first incident they upgraded to a more advanced security system that sends alerts right to Father Gannon’s phone and that is how he saw the suspect in the church. Father Gannon said, “We have upgraded our security system with motion sensors and new cameras and new angles which he didn’t know about.”

After identifying him, Father Gannon confronted the suspect, who paused for a few moments before taking off when he heard the police were on their way, riding away on the same bike he used during the last robbery.

Father Gannon said, “So then the police came maybe a minute and a half later, I hopped in their car, and then we were driving around the neighborhood with like six or seven squad cars for give or take about a half hour, looking, and he didn’t turn up.”

He was unable to take anything this time, but Father Gannon says he did have tools with him to break into the poor boxes. Both incidents happened in the afternoon.

Father Gannon says his church would have helped the suspect if he had just asked. He said, “We’re praying he turns himself in, we are praying he doesn’t hurt anybody, we are praying that whatever he is going through, that this is not the way.” Father Gannon adding he has no plans to close the church during the day.

In addition to the church break-ins, a few blocks away at New York City Muslim Center, police say a male suspect removed more than $1900.00 from the collection box, no arrests have been made in that case and police have not said if the two are connected.

U.A.E. Consul General Talks Relationship With The Vatican

By Nirmala Carvalho

MUMBAI, India – (Crux) Pope Francis will “encourage the Catholics throughout the world to continue to put into practice the teachings of the Church regarding dialogue with Muslims” when he visits the United Arab Emirates, according to one expert on interreligious dialogue.

Pope Francis will be the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula on his Feb. 3-5 visit to Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE.

During his trip, the pontiff will meet with the international Muslim Council of Elders, participate in an interreligious meeting and celebrate Mass for the local Catholic population, mainly foreign workers.

Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado of Vasai, India, served as the Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican from 1999-2008. He will be in Abu Dhabi for the pope’s visit.

“This group of the World Muslim Elders Council has prepared the Pope’s visit and they would like that the leaders of all religions sit and reflect on how there could be peace among religions and reflect that peace in the world at large,” Archbishop Machado told Crux.

“Such initiative has come from Sunni Muslims whose leader is the Grand Imam of Al Azaar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. He will be leading this interreligious group and seek the pope’s support and counsel; because Pope Francis himself is personally committed to building peace in society and the world,” the archbishop continued.

Archbishop Machado said there were “conservative and politicized voices” critical of the pope for making a trip to an area without a native Catholic population.

“It is not just where Catholics are that the Church must go. We must go to such places where there are no Catholics, precisely to explore the possibilities for the future,” he said. “Pope Francis is the one who said that the Church must not be self-centered but must look outside of herself. That is what he is doing.”

Islam is the official religion of the United Arab Emirates, and it is illegal to proselytize the Muslim population. However, Christians make up nearly 13 percent of the residents of the country, and are served by at least 31 churches.

There are nearly 250,000 Catholics in the United Arab Emirates, mostly from the Philippines, India, and South America.

“I have witnessed the faith of the Catholic workers in UAE and other gulf countries. Mainly, our Indian population is giving strong witness to Catholic faith there,” Archbishop Machado said, adding the immigrant community has “made the Catholic Church’s presence very valuable and relevant there.”

The archbishop also gave credit to the government of the country for allowing Christians and other minority faiths to build houses of worship, unlike in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

According to the U.S. State Department 2017 International Religious Freedom Report, individuals belonging to non-Islamic faiths, including Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Judaism, said they could worship and practice without government interference within designated compounds or buildings, or in private facilities or homes. The government, however, did not allow non-Muslims to worship, preach, or conduct prayers in public.

Since UAE only allows citizens, or companies run by citizens, to own land, it is difficult for churches to be constructed: They are usually built on land owned by the royal family, and leased to the church.

Archbishop Machado told Cruxthis arrangement should “be admired in the given context.”

“The human rights are not accepted everywhere in the same way, and the Church cannot wait until the human rights are accepted universally. The Church must move on how she finds the situation in particular contexts like Gulf countries and not wait for the perfect situation to come,” the archbishop said. “The Church lives in the present, not in the past or future.”

He said that is why the pontiff’s visit to the UAE is so significant.

“I have heard from some Catholics who are from Vasai and who live and work in UAE and they are excited that Pope Francis is visiting them. They feel remembered and active and important part of the Church. Therefore, even if Pope Francis is seen by our people who are heavy burdened and those who labor day and night in the Gulf, they will be very strengthened in their faith,” Archbishop Machado said.

“It is important for Pope Francis to visit these ‘peripheries’ as he himself says.”

But he said the interreligious aspect of the trip cannot be overshadowed.

“For me, winning over the trust of Muslims is also very important in this world. There are many good Muslims who love peace but they want some support from outside,” he said.

“The pope is a help to them also and that is his ministry, for he is not only for Catholic people. As the Second Vatican Council says, the Church is a servant for everyone in the world and the Church must fulfill her prophetic mission. The pope is doing that,” said the archbishop.

Dems And GOP Race The Clock – Talk To Stop New Shutdown

Currents News Staff

A bipartisan group of negotiators from the House and Senate, sat down for the first time.

“I hope that by reaching a compromise here, we will set a tone of bipartisanship,” said Sen. Richard Shelby.

Their task, a border security deal. The deadline, February 15th, when a stopgap government funding measure expires.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left them to their work saying, “I think a conference committee can reach a good result left to its own devices without interference from anybody else.”

But President Trump took to Twitter saying, “If the committee of Republicans and Democrats now meeting on Border Security is not discussing or contemplating a Wall or Physical Barrier, they are Wasting their time!”

Democrats want a conversation less about a wall, more about things like technology and ports of entry.

“Along with my Democratic colleagues, I am ready to work in good faith to write a Department of Homeland Security bill that funds smart, effective border security,” said Rep. Nita Lowey.

If and when the committee reaches a compromise, that bill needs to pass the House and the Senate, and get President Trump’s signature, to avert another shutdown.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been floating proposals to prevent more shutdowns down the line.

“After going through this 35-day shutdown, it was so painful, we don’t want to do this again. And there are different ways to get at it,” said Sen. Rob Portman.

The shutdown that ended last Friday, was the longest in U.S. history.

Reflecting On World Youth Day – Joyful Attitude Goes Against Building Walls

Currents News Staff

Despite his intense trip these past days in Panama, Pope Francis was still full of energy. In his first General Audience after WYD, he joked around with these children and even took time to try this mate tea offered to him.

After each trip, the pope usually dedicates his General Audience to reflecting on his recent journey; and this one was no exception.

He said he was impressed by the parents in Panama who proudly presented their children for him to bless. He has also witnessed this in other countries.

“People held up their children when the Popemobile would pass by. It was if they were trying to say: ‘This is my pride, this is my future.’ They presented their children. There were many of them and the father and mother were proud of their children. I thought how much dignity there is in this gesture and how eloquent it is, especially during the demographic winter we are living in Europe. Demographic winter without kids, it’s hard, huh?,” said the Holy Father.

Pope Francis said he was also surprised by all the joyful pilgrims from different nationalities and cultures.

“To see all those flags together, being waved in the hands of those happy young people it was a prophetic sign. It is a sign that goes against the current sad trend of conflicting nationalism that build walls, that are closed to universality, to the encounter between peoples,” he said.

He also underlined the importance in contemplating suffering, especially during the Way of the Cross. The pope recommended everyone to pray it. He even showed a little prayer book he carries in his pocket to do the Way of the Cross when he can. The pope reiterated his message at Panama that young people must be taken seriously. Finally, he remembered St. Óscar Romero, whom he used as an example for imitation to Central American bishops.

Lost and Found

Liz Faublas talks with David Leitman; a musician, composer, and singer who lends his remarkable voice to the popular Times Square Church. One day, the music stopped. He became embroiled in a nasty divorce and a bitter custody battle and nearly lost his son. David reflects on how his faith and his son’s love helped him pick up the pieces of his shattered life.

“Finding Boaz”

Liz Faublas talks with Rasheeda Winfield, and her role in a new documentary by Paulist productions called the Dating Project. Rasheeda lights up the screen with her wit, raw honesty and fearless personality, even while spiraling into a deep depression and facing an uncertain future. Her story of a Christian millennial navigating the dating scene searching for love amid the distractions of social media and reality TV will inspire.