Pope Gives Hope To Syrian Family

Currents News Staff

This family has begun a new life in Italy. They are far from their beloved Damascus and the rest of their family, but also far from the horrors of war, sadness and uncertainty.

This new beginning started April 16, 2016 – the day Pope Francis took them out of a refugee camp in Lesbos and rescued them from despair.

“Coming out of the refugee camp saved us because there were too many people in that place. There were many desperate families, and at that time, the future was uncertain for everyone,” said Wafaa Kawkji.

Only 12 hours before boarding a plane, they were told that would be travelling to Italy. For this family, their nightmare began in 2015, when they had to leave their country of Syria. After passing through Lebanon, they arrived in Turkey. From there, in a cramped ship, they reached Greece by sea, a journey that Wafaa is still unable to describe in words.

After a month in Greece, the Pope unexpectedly gave them one of the best news of their lives.

“First of all it surprised us a lot. It was like a dream. With all that we went through in Syria, receiving this news made us feel very fortunate,” said Wafaa Kawkji.

“Pope Francis represents for us charity, and certainty. I cannot express it in more words… He has given us everything,” recalls Osama Kawakji.

A few photos remind them of the normality of life in a Syria full of Christians and Muslims coexisting. Syria was a country where no one asked others about their faith. Osama worked in a printing press and Wafaa was a hairdresser. They lost everything in the war, including their home. However, they still had their lives and were able to seek refuge far from their unlivable country.

That’s why they thank Pope Francis for showing the world that countries cannot close their doors those who need it most.

“Pope Francis has given us back our hope. He has paved the way for European countries to open their doors to people like us. It hurts me when I see countries closing their borders, because we are fleeing war. We live in a state of misery. People don’t know where to go and when countries close the door in their faces, that leads to despair,” said Osama Kawakji.

It is a desperation that they no longer feel, because now they can imagine a peaceful future for their children, Omar and Masa.

Texas Gets Ready For Another Deluge

Currents News Staff

The remnants of Hurricane Willa could dump as much as four-inches of rain on some parts of Texas. Central and eastern Texas were drenched earlier this month with historic downpours. And Willa’s waters may aggravate saturated areas and swollen rivers. In Austin, a city-wide boil water ordinance was issued earlier this week and officials stress the importance of cutting down on water use. That sent residents to stock up on bottled water. There are concerns the additional rains will cause more flash floods.

Waffle House Hero Returns To Restaurant

James Shaw Junior has been called a hero after stopping a shooter at a Tennessee Waffle House six months ago. He has not been able to return to that restaurant until just recently. What he found there this time, was love.

Mary Queen of Heaven Part 2

In this second of two episodes highlighting Mary Queen of Heaven church in Mill Basin, Brooklyn, host Anthony Mangano and Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello delve into the details of this unique parish.

Twice renovated since it’s completion in the 1930’s, the later renovation was a result of the church being struck by lightning. The fire spread throughout the church and rapidly destroyed the interior, and while some artifacts, including the original crucifix, remain, others are new! Tune in to learn more about this special parish and its people.

Currents News for Tuesday, October 23, 2018

On the newscast: An enormous migrant caravan marching toward the U.S. border, showing no signs of slowing down; Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor revealing she probably has Alzheimer’s in a moving personal statement. Facing long odds, he changed a part of India, and the faith now flourishes there – Currents News has the exclusive interview with this heroic Catholic Bishop.

Final Week Of The Synod

Editor of Crux, John L. Allen Jr., joins Currents News to discuss the upcoming final week of the synod in Rome.

Fallout From Jamal Khashoggi’s Death Continues

Currents News Staff

In Washington, the Trump administration is actively questioning Saudi Arabia’s claim that Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was accidentally killed during a fight at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey.

Sending C.I.A. director Gina Haspel to Turkey to review the investigation and discussing the incident in a meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Monday.

Meanwhile in Turkey, where Khashoggi’s killing occurred, authorities continue their investigation and the search for his body.

President Erdogan calling it a “ferocious” and “premeditated murder”, asked for the suspects in the case to be extradited to Turkey.

Saudi Arabia’s King and Crown Prince met with members of Khashoggi’s family Tuesday ahead of the start of the Riyadh future investment initiative, known as “Davos In The Desert.” The investor conference has been overshadowed by Khashoggi’s death.

Dozens of business and government leaders from around the world, including the C.E.O.’s of JPMorgan, Uber, and the chairman of Ford, bowed out of the event due to mounting questions about the Saudi government’s role in the killing.

Polio-Like Illness Under Investigation

Currents News Staff

Abigail Palacios was a healthy, active two-year-old. Then suddenly she was paralyzed from the neck down, a ventilator breathing for her.

“She had a double ear infection and a really high fever of 103. Then, a few days went by and she woke up and her arm was completely paralyzed, randomly. And the night before she was using it just a few hours before,” said Erica Palocios, Abigail’s mother.

The diagnosis: acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM.

It’s very similar to a disease from long ago: polio. Like polio, AFM is also thought to be caused by a virus but no one knows what virus, and why it affects different children differently.

For example, Abigail’s siblings were sick at the same time she was, but they were never paralyzed.

Across the country, the CDC reports 62 confirmed cases of AFM in 22 states, and 93 possible cases.In an outbreak in 2014, there were 120 confirmed cases. In 2016, 149 cases.

“It’s really heartbreaking. No parent should ever have to experience that and what makes it worse, it’s not the tubes, it’s not the treatments, what makes is worse is not knowing what caused it,” said Palocios.

It’s hard to know how Abigail will do in the future or if she’ll ever be able to walk on her own. She still doesn’t use her left arm, and her right arm is weak.

“We don’t know a lot about the long-term prognosis of AFM right now. That’s something that we’re still really learning about,” said Dr. Laura Jones of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Bishop Brings Faith To Indian Region

By Tim Harfmann

Christianity was once banned in the region of India where Bishop George Pallipparambil now leads the thriving Catholic Diocese of Miao.

“They realized that to be a Christian was nothing wrong, so they just began to be open about it,” said Bishop George Pallipparambil.

Today ninety-thousand followers of Christ practice their faith openly. Thirty years ago, there was no Catholic presence at all. “I could never imagine that even one hundredth of this would take place in this span of time. All I say is thank God. He has done it,” said Pallipparambil.

He was in the Diocese of Brooklyn to visit Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic organization that supports Christians who are suffering and persecuted around the world because of their faith.

Almost single-handedly, the pioneering bishop has transformed life in the northeastern part of India – a tribal area known as the State of Arunachala Pradesh.

He’s built 32 parishes, including a church that features the tallest statue of Christ in all of Asia. He’s opened over forty Catholic schools in the diocese and constructed the region’s only hospital.

“Some section of the administration was misinformed about Christianity, and so they thought it was something imported. But they realized it is the life of the people,” said Pallipparambil.

The heroic cleric also dramatically raised the stature of women and girls. “We tried telling it’s not enough that we educate the boys. The girls must also come up. Slowly the society realized girls are equally as smart,” recalls Pallipparambil.

Through education, the emancipation of women has transformed tribal society. Women are no longer considered property of their families and are free to choose their own husbands.

“Everything that we do must be supported by prayer. Not the time, the length of time that we spend in prayer, but the intensity of it,” said Pallipparambil.

When Benedict the Sixteenth created the Miao Diocese in 2005, he selected Bishop George to be its first leader. Despite what’s been accomplished, the bishop knows there is much more to do, and he needs the help of the villagers who live there.

“I always tell them these churches and these activities have to go on. We need priests for the future, and they must come from your villages,” said Pallipparambil.

In addition to faith-building initiatives that have created a dynamic religious community, Bishop George has brought peace to the region, along with a number of clean water projects – efforts that have helped lift the villagers out of poverty.

Migrant Caravan En Route – Mexican Government Under Pressure

Currents News Staff

It is a river of people that heads in only one direction: north. The lucky ride on top of cars or on the sides of them. But most of the people walk in the grueling heat, many carrying children or pushing them.

Mexican police tried to stop the caravan of migrants at the border with Guatemala but were unable to prevent them from crossing the river into Mexico.

That’s where we first saw eight-year-old Jorge as he struggled to make the swim across. A day later we find him walking alone. He tells us in a weak voice that he is hoping to cross the border into the U.S. but after more than 7 days on the road, he is very tired. Jorge later reunited with an older brother who okayed our interview.

After the caravan entered Mexico, federal police set up a road block with over 100 officers and told news crews they were going to force the migrants to get on buses that would take them to government shelters. There were too many people – more than 7,000 caravan organizers say, so police had to let them through, at least for now.

The Trump administration is threatening to pull aid from countries that fail to prevent migrants from entering the U.S. illegally. But caravan organizers say they won’t be bullied.

“We are going forward there is no going back. We are fighting, we will make the governments of Mexico and the United States understand why we are coming,” said Dennis Omar Contreras, a caravan organizer.

It won’t be easy. Single mother Blanca Lidia crossed the river into Mexico with her three children. The journey north was exhausting but they would persevere she said. “I have faith that we will arrive,” said Lidia.

They will need all their faith and more for the hundreds of miles that lay ahead of them.