Currents » Writing the Wave

More pressure against contraception mandate

ciasiello — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:40:52 +0000

On tonight’s edition of Currents, we have much more on the controversial contraception mandate. As we’ve been reporting, the rule requires most religious organizations to cover contraception, sterilization and some abortion inducing drugs in their employee health care plans.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have been forthright in their opposition to the mandate. After first providing six things people need to know about the mandate, the bishops conference Media Relations Director Sister Mary Ann Walsh today provide six more things people need to know.

Additionally, a vast majority of U.S. bishops has also individually spoken out against rule. Archbishops Charles Chaput of Philadelphia and Joseph Kurtz of Louisville added their signatures to a letter protesting the mandate.

More outcry to contraception healthcare mandate

ciasiello — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:45:25 +0000

On tonight’s edition of Currents, we hear the words some strongly worded statements from bishops across the U.S., to President Obama’s announcement on Friday of what he called a compromise on a contraception mandate. In his announcement, the President said that religious organizations who object to contraception would not need to pay for it in the employee health care plans. Instead, the onus is on the employees who desire that coverage, who must then contact the insurer, who will include it as part of the health plan provided through the employer.

After initially saying they needed to examine President Obama’s Friday announcement, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops eventually came out against the policy. In a statement, the bishops, among other things, emphasize the fact that concerns about the rule are not exclusively religious, but ones of morality.

Meanwhile, in an article posted on Philly.com, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput says of the mandate that it is “belligerent, unnecessary, and deeply offensive to the content of Catholic belief.” He says the mandate is “bad law; and not merely bad, but dangerous and insulting. It needs to be withdrawn – now.”

In a strongly worded open letter to President Obama, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony writes on his blog that he is “outraged not only by your [the President's] incredulous contortions to justify your untenable position.” Mahony says he fears that President Obama is “knowingly and intentionally trampling upon and reversing our Constitutional rights.”

In a statement, the National Right to Life Committee says the rule paves the way for a national abortion mandate. National Right to Life President Douglas Johnson says it is twisted logic to argue that birth control should be funded because it is less expensive than childbirth.

Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio also alludes to a potential abortion coverage mandate, in an interview he gave to Currents on Friday.

Currents tonight: Bishop Cisneros on letter to U.S. immigrants

ciasiello — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:42:24 +0000

Earlier this week, Hispanic and Latino Bishops in the U.S. released an open letter to immigrants in the country. In that letter, the bishops told the immigrants that “you are not alone or forgotten.” The Bishops also thanked the immigrants for the Christian values that they manifest with the lives. The letter also restated the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops support for comprehensive immigration reform.

Tonight, we have one of the bishops who signed that letter in our studio. Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros talks with Matt about how the letter came about, what it says and share his own views on immigration and ways to reform it. You don’t want to miss it.

You can read the bishops’ letter to immigrants here.

Food needed at Catholic Charities pantries

ciasiello — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:54:53 +0000

On tonight’s edition of Currents, we visit Our Lady of Angels Catholic Charities food pantry in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The pantry has been forced to cut back its schedule of distributing food to once every other month (from once a month) because food was flying off the shelves so quickly.

The agency, which operates 21 pantries in Brooklyn and Queens (including 18 at parishes in the two boroughs) is looking for donations to help feed the hungry who rely on the services. To find out more and donate, visit here.

Bishops Guadalupe message to immigrants

ciasiello — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:19:20 +0000

Today, December 12, 2011, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Hispanic/Latino Bishops of the United States issued the following open letter to immigrants:

Dear immigrant sisters and brothers,

May the peace and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you!

We the undersigned Hispanic/Latino Bishops of the United States wish to let those of you who lack proper authorization to live and work in our country know that you are not alone, or forgotten. We recognize that every human being, authorized or not, is an image of God and therefore possesses infinite value and dignity. We open our arms and hearts to you, and we receive you as members of our Catholic family. As pastors, we direct these words to you from the depths of our heart.

In a very special way we want to thank you for the Christian values you manifest to us with your lives—your sacrifice for the well-being of your families, your determination and perseverance, your joy of life, your profound faith and fidelity despite your insecurity and many difficulties. You contribute much to the welfare of our nation in the economic, cultural and spiritual arenas.

The economic crisis has had an impact on the entire U.S. community. Regretfully, some in reaction to this environment of uncertainty show disdain for immigrants and even blame them for the crisis. We will not find a solution to our problems by sowing hatred. We will find the solution by sowing a sense of solidarity among all workers and co-workers —immigrants and citizens—who live together in the United States.

In your suffering faces we see the true face of Jesus Christ. We are well aware of the great sacrifice you make for your families’ well-being. Many of you perform the most difficult jobs and receive miserable salaries and no health insurance or social security. Despite your contributions to the well-being of our country, instead of receiving our thanks, you are often treated as criminals because you have violated current immigration laws.

We are also very aware of the pain suffered by those families who have experienced the deportation of one of their members. We are conscious of the frustration of youth and young adults who have grown up in this country and whose dreams are shattered because they lack legal immigration status. We also know of the anxiety of those whose application process for permanent residency is close to completion and of the anguish of those who live daily under the threat of deportation. This situation cries out to God for a worthy and humane solution.

We acknowledge that, at times, actions taken in regard to immigrants have made you feel ignored or abandoned, especially when no objection is raised to the false impressions that are promoted within our society. Through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops we have testified before the U.S. Congress for change in our immigration laws and for legislation that respects family unity and provides an orderly and reasonable process for unauthorized persons to attain citizenship. The new law should include a program for worker visas that respects the immigrants’ human rights, provides for their basic needs and ensures that they enter our country and work in a safe and orderly manner. We will also continue to advocate on behalf of global economic justice, so that our brothers and sisters can find employment opportunities in their countries of origin that offer a living wage, and allow them to live with dignity.

Immigrants are a revitalizing force for our country. The lack of a just, humane and effective reform of immigration laws negatively affects the common good of the entire United States.

It pains and saddens us that many of our Catholic brothers and sisters have not supported our petitions for changes in the immigration law that will protect your basic rights while you contribute your hard work to our country. We promise to keep working to bring about this change. We know how difficult the journey is to reach the border and to enter the United States. That is why we are committed to do all that we can to bring about a change in the immigration law, so that you can enter and remain here legally and not feel compelled to undertake a dangerous journey in order to support and provide for your families. As pastors concerned for your welfare, we ask you to consider seriously whether it is advisable to undertake the journey here until after just and humane changes occur in our immigration laws.

Nevertheless, we are not going to wait until the law changes to welcome you who are already here into our churches, for as St. Paul tells us, “You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are fellow-citizens with the holy people of God and part of God’s household” (Eph 2:19).

As members of the Body of Christ which is the Church, we offer you spiritual nourishment. Feel welcome to Holy Mass, the Eucharist, which nourishes us with the word and the body and blood of Jesus. We offer you catechetical programs for your children and those religious education programs that our diocesan resources allow us to put at your disposal.

We who are citizens and permanent residents of this country cannot forget that almost all of us, we or our ancestors, have come from other lands and together with immigrants from various nations and cultures, have formed a new nation. Now we ought to open our hearts and arms to the recently arrived, just as Jesus asks us to do when he says, “I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was an alien and you took me into your house” (Mt 25:35). These words of the Lord Jesus can be applied to the new immigrants among us. They were hungry in their land of origin; they were thirsty as they traveled through the deserts, and they find themselves among us as aliens. (See Daniel G. Groody, CSC, “Crossing the Line,” in The Way, Vol. 43,, No. 2, April 2004, p. 58-69). Their presence challenges us to be more courageous in denouncing the injustices they suffer. In imitation of Jesus and the great prophets we ought to denounce the forces that oppress them and announce the good news of the Kingdom with our works of charity. Let us pray and struggle to make it possible for these brothers and sisters of ours to have the same opportunities from which we have benefitted.

We see Jesus the pilgrim in you migrants. The Word of God migrated from heaven to earth in order to become man and save humanity. Jesus emigrated with Mary and Joseph to Egypt, as a refugee. He migrated from Galilee to Jerusalem for the sacrifice of the cross, and finally he emigrated from death to life in the resurrection and ascension to heaven. Today, he continues to journey and accompany all migrants on pilgrimage throughout the world in search of food, work, dignity, security and opportunities for the welfare of their families.

You reveal to us the supreme reality of life: we are all migrants. Your migration gives a strong and clear message that we are migrants on the way to eternal life. Jesus accompanies all Christians on our journey toward the house of our Father, God’s Kingdom in heaven. (See Pope John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, No. 50.)

We urge you not to despair. Keep faith in Jesus the migrant who continues to walk beside you. Have faith in Our Lady of Guadalupe who constantly repeats to us the words she spoke to St. Juan Diego, “Am I, who am your mother, not here?” She never abandons us, nor does St. Joseph who protects us as he did the Holy Family during their emigration to Egypt.

As pastors we want to continue to do advocacy for all immigrants. With St. Paul we say to you: “Do not be mastered by evil; but master evil with good.” (Rm 12:21).

May Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, accompany you and bless you always.
Sincerely in Christ our Savior,

The Hispanic/Latino Bishops of the United States

Most Rev. José H. Gómez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Most Rev. Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS
Archbishop of San Antonio

Most Rev. Gerald R. Barnes
Bishop of San Bernardino

Most Rev. Alvaro Corrada del Rio, SJ
Apostolic Administrator of Tyler
Bishop of Mayaguez, PR

Most Rev. Felipe de Jesús Estevez
Bishop of St. Augustine

Most Rev. Richard J. García
Bishop of Monterey

Most Rev. Armando X. Ochoa
Apostolic Administrator of El Paso
Bishop-designate of Fresno

Most Rev. Plácido Rodríguez, CMF
Bishop of Lubbock

Most Rev. James A. Tamayo
Bishop of Laredo

Most Rev. Raymundo J. Peña
Bishop Emeritus of Brownsville

Most Rev. Arthur Tafoya
Bishop Emeritus of Pueblo

Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores
Bishop of Brownsville

Most Rev. Fernando Isern, D.D.
Bishop of Pueblo

Most Rev. Ricardo Ramírez,
Bishop of Las Cruces

Most Rev. Jaime Soto
Bishop of Sacramento

Most Rev. Joe S. Vásquez
Bishop of Austin

Most Rev. Carlos A. Sevilla, SJ
Bishop Emeritus of Yakima

Most Rev. Oscar Cantú, S.T.D.
Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio

Most Rev. Arturo Cepeda
Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit

Most Rev. Manuel A. Cruz
Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

Most Rev. Rutilio del Riego
Auxiliary Bishop of San Bernardino

Most Rev. Eusebio Elizondo, M.Sp.S
Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle

Most Rev. Francisco González , S.F.
Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, DC

Most Rev. Eduardo A. Nevares
Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix

Most Rev. Alexander Salazar
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles

Most Rev. David Arias, OAR
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Newark

Most Rev. Octavio Cisneros, DD
Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn

Most. Rev. Edgar M. da Cunha, SDV
Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

Most Rev. Cirilo B. Flores
Auxiliary Bishop of Orange

Most Rev. Josu Iriondo
Auxiliary Bishop of New York

Most Rev. Alberto Rojas
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago

Most Rev. Luis Rafael Zarama
Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta

Most Rev. Gabino Zavala
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 12, 2011

New Mass giveaway

ciasiello — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:49:36 +0000

There are just four days left before some big changes at Mass – the new English translation of the Roman Missal. After using the current translation for more than 40 years, the church in the English-speaking world is implementing new wording that is closer to the original Latin. It was more than 10 years in the making, having been first announced by Pope John Paul II back in the jubilee year of 2000. It’s going to be quite an adjustment for priests and lay people who have become so accustomed to the current wording.

Today, our News Director, Ed Wilkinson, sat down with Paul Snatchko of Magnificat, the Catholic publishing company that has produced some resources to help with the transition:

- large pew cards with the new Mass words (to be left at your Church)
- smaller cards that people can take with them (they fit in any shirt pocket or pocketbook)
- a Magnifact Roman Missal companion

Magnificat was kind enough to provide us with a supply of these items to give away. They have also provided us with:

- regular and large print copies of the December issue of Magnifact magazine.
- Magnifikid! series for Advent
- Magnificat gift ideas booklet
- Blessing Prayers booklet
- Praying w/St Mark’s Gospel booklet

If you would like any of the above items, please email us at dropusaline@currentsny.net or tweet us on Twitter at @currentsny. Be sure to let us know which items you would like. The giveaway will go on while supplies last. And thanks to Magnificat for supplying us with all the great material.

Brooklyn Bishop denounces anti-Semitic acts

ciasiello — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:12:09 +0000

Three cars were set on fire and Nazi and KKK symbols were spray painted in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood of Midwood, Brooklyn, last week. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio issued the following statement:

As Christians we must do all we can to foster the bonds of friendship and affection with the Jewish people who are our elder brothers in the faith. For centuries they as a people have experienced hatred and violence, often at the hands of people who claimed the name Christian. This is our collective shame.

The vandalism and accompanying anti-Semitic sloganeering that occurred this past week in the Midwood section of Brooklyn is a reminder that the legacy of scorn directed towards the Jewish people has not been extinguished. We must all redouble our efforts to speak out against prejudice and enmity in our society to bring about greater understanding among all peoples.

Flight 587 family gives back to Brooklyn priests

ciasiello — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:39:41 +0000

On tonight’s edition of Currents, we covered a memorial service on the tenth anniversary of the crash of Flight 587 in Belle Harbor, Queens. The crash, which was ruled an accident, occurred on November 12, 2001, just two months after the September 11th attacks. It was the second deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history; 260 people on board the plane were killed, along with five people on the ground.

Among those victims on the ground were Kathie Lawler, an employee of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and her son Christopher. The Lawler family set up a fund in Kathie’s and Christopher’s names to benefit senior priests in the Diocese. You can find out more about it here.

— Christopher Iasiello, Currents Writer

Journey to Healing

ciasiello — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:08:21 +0000

Please visit our Reflection Room, open from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. A special “safe place” has been set aside for quiet reflection. You can honor the memory of your loved one in your own quiet space.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:30 a.m. Registration and coffee

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Welcome and opening Prayer

9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Keynote: Christopher Vogt. Ph.D

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Plenary Session

11:30 a.m. Mass, St. Thomas More Church

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch/table exhibits

1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. Workshops Session I

2:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Workshops Session II

3:30 p.m. – 4:10 p.m. Final Plenary: Ron Villano

4:10 p.m.– 4:30 p.m. Evaluation/ Closing remarks

If you are registering for group of 3 or more, the rate is $40. To register a group–you must RSVP by mail or fax. Click here and download for group RSVP form.*** AND YOU MUST FAX FORM to 718-722-6233.

Registration Fee (includes continental breakfast, box lunch & conference folder)

$45.00per person, (postmarked after Oct.12 including walk-ins)
$40.00 (if 3 or more from same organization postmarked after Oct.12)

1. Online Register Online payment is by credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover.)

2. Mail Download the attached forms for single or group RSVP, and mail to:

Mail registration form and payment to:

Attn: Ingrid Seunarine, Director of Bereavement Services
Journey to Healing Conference
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens
191 Joralemon St., 7th fl.

Make checks payable to Catholic Charities.

Bishop DiMarzio’s Decree on Same Sex Marriage

ciasiello — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:15:31 +0000