“They oughta send them all back.” “A wave of brown-skinned filth.” “Keep your crime and your filth out of this neighbourhood.” This is some of the invective directed at Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini after she arrives in a chaotic New York City, as depicted in the luminous new film drama Cabrini. It should be obvious Read more
A drunk man who vented vile racist comments at three people in an unnamed Hamilton Catholic church has appeared in the Hamilton District Court. Claiming to be a Catholic, the man even spat at the people. Craig George Murray’s behaviour made very unpleasant reading, said Judge Arthur Tompkins as he sentenced Murray for the incident. Read more
Growing secularism among younger people is no secret. A 2019 Pew Research Center Survey of Americans aged 13 to 17 found that only 50 per cent believed religion was an important part of their lives, as opposed to 73 percent of their parents. This trend has caught the attention of the United States Conference of Read more
A court case prosecuting Missionaries of Charity – often called Mother Teresa nuns – has fallen apart for lack of evidence. After alleging charges of “religious conversion” the prosecution admitted in Court there was no serious basis to proceed against them. The case followed a police probe against the nuns in the Indian state of Read more
In the wake of the latest Covid outbreak, racist comments directed at Pasifika have prompted health and church authorities to speak out. The current Delta variant outbreak has disproportionately affected the Samoan community, including people exposed at a major church assembly in Māngere in Auckland. “These people were involved in legal activity and were operating Read more
Dating apps may be making bigotry worse in New Zealand. Meet Jared*. He’s in his late 30s, plays sport, has a secure job and great friends, and lives in a pleasant flat north of Wellington. For Kiwi women on the lookout for an eligible bachelor, he ticks a lot of boxes. But since moving to Read more
Arguably one of the most revealing public debates taking place in New Zealand over the last week was one on Newshub Nation, between Dr Sinead Donnelly and David Seymour. Donnelly is a medical specialist with extensive experience of palliative care and dying people in four countries, and a Senior Lecturer at Otago University Wellington debated Read more
Poland’s Bishops Conference has warned of an “intolerable upsurge” in acts of profanation against Catholic sites around the country, while seeking to counter media claims the Church has incited violence against LGBT activists campaigning for greater rights. “In line with its Gospel summons, the Catholic Church respects the dignity of every person without exception – Read more
A bishop has spoken out about Catholics who identify as “faith-filled” while spreading fear and mistrust of immigrants, particularly Muslims. Irish Bishop Kevin Doran says he has come across people – some of whom classify themselves as traditional Catholics and faith-filled people – who say “oh well, these Muslims are putting our civilisation at risk Read more
A man has been jailed for spitting on a priest for 10 months. He spat on a Catholic priest in a “disgusting, cowardly and provocative” act as an orange walk passed a church. Fr Thomas White was targeted outside St Alphonsus Church in London Road, Glasgow, on 7th July last year, when he was speaking Read more