High-ranking Catholics from across the globe have converged on the Vatican, where a landmark initiative is underway that will shape the future of the Catholic Church. Cardinals, bishops, priests and lay Catholics, both men and women, are meeting Oct. 4-29, 2023, as part of the Synod on Synodality: an effort Pope Francis launched in 2021 Read more
We support the recent new provision in law (2019) for cannabis-based medicine to be available on prescription. We also support the general move towards decriminalising cannabis users, and instead concentrating on a non-punitive health-based approach of helping those being harmed by cannabis use and addiction. We note that police are generally no longer prosecuting recreational Read more
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on religious leaders to join together in countering “inaccurate and harmful messages” as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic. In a May 12 video meeting on the role of faith leaders in addressing the challenges of the current health crisis he pointed out how “extremists and radical groups are Read more
I recently heard of a senior U.S. bishop who regularly prays that his civic leader, his president may suffer a mild heart-attack. Not so severe as to threaten his life or his capacity for conversion, but severe enough to require his permanent retirement from office. I wonder how many similar prayers are offered, from the Read more
The leaders of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist churches, have issued a statement expressing support a group of students threatened with deportation. The students who come from India arrived on fraudulent visas. “Having looked at their situation it seems to us that these students have been duped by unscrupulous immigration agents in India,” Anglican Read more
Religious leaders must help counter the spread of hatred and violence in the name of religion. They must also promote more inclusive and peaceful societies. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin wants protection for the victims of atrocities. He also urged both religious leaders and national authorities to step up preventive measures. He says Read more
A recent study shows New Zealanders rank Pope Francis fifth, equal alongside the Dalai Lama among the world’s most admired men. The study, performed by Internet-based market research firm YouGov from the United Kingdom, ranked the world’s 20 “most admired” men and women separately. The most admired man for New Zealand respondents was David Attenborough, Read more
Forty religious leaders want a possible Australian plebiscite on same-sex marriage dropped because bitter debate could do widespread harm. A group of Buddhist, Baptist, Anglican and Uniting church leaders sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday. The religious leaders warned that a public campaign on the issue could polarise people in Read more
Priests, rabbis, imams and other British religious leaders will be subject to Government-specified training and security checks according to a new proposal. Such religious leaders could also have to enrol in a “national register of faith leaders”, as part of the UK Government’s new counter-extremism strategy. A leaked draft of the strategy from the Home Read more
Pope Francis, Tuesday, joined Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and other Christian world faith leaders to sign a joint declaration of their commitment to end the eradication of modern slavery. The Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery underlines that modern slavery is a crime against humanity. The religious leaders’ goal is to have slavery eradicated Read more