New Zealand

Kiwi bishop becomes an Aussie

bishop

One of Australia’s newest citizens is the auxiliary bishop of Sydney. He’s a New Zealander, born and bred. But Bishop Richard Umbers has become incrementally Australian over the 33 years he’s been residing in the land across the Tasman. He says he swapped Marmite for Vegemite a long time ago. He won’t say if he’s Read more

NZ’s greenhouse gases lowest since 1999

greenhouse gases

New Zealand has now cut its greenhouse gases for three years running. The latest drop is the biggest since climate change efforts began, according to New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory which covers 1990 to 2022. Making the change Several factors are contributing to the reduction in greenhouse gases in our environment. Climate Minister Simon Read more

Analysis and Comment

The inheritance of Anzac Day

Anzac Day

Each year the eve of Anzac Day is given over to the International Day of Multiculturalism and Diplomacy for Peace. This year the conjunction is particularly apposite at a time when the air is full of wars and rumours of war. Wars – past, present and  future Anzac Day recalls the generosity and death of Read more

Experts at Rome meet – delve into historical abuses of power

abuse of power

The nature of power and how the abuse of power has been dealt with in the past and present were the focus of an international conference in Rome attended by about a dozen scholars earlier this month. Experts in history, philosophy, sociology, political science, psychology and education came together at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University April Read more

Gathered around the altar

Altar

“Without liturgical reform, there is no reform of the Church,” Pope Francis said emphatically last February during an address to the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. His remarks came around the 60th anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy that was issued during Read more

The real cause of the war in Gaza—and the only path to peace

Gaza

We have already seen six months of war in Gaza. Now, it seems that Israel is beginning its last phase of conquest, after ordering a million and a half people to take refuge in Rafah, a border town with Egypt. Soon, there may be almost no one left in the rest of Gaza. There have Read more

Christchurch Catholic Cathedral – decision made – people happy

Christchurch Catholic Cathedral

After much debate, prayer and waiting, the site for the new Christchurch Catholic Cathedral has been announced. On Sunday, Christchurch diocese’s Catholic bishop, Michael Gielen, announced the decision to use the Barbados Street site. It will be on the same site which the beautiful Petrie-designed Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament occupied until the 2011 earthquake destroyed Read more

  • Oddly

    • Clerical error causes premature divorce

      A law firm clerk accidentally selected the wrong file from a dropdown menu on an online portal, resulting in the irrevocable divorce of the wrong couple. The couple intended to divorce, but we were still arranging financial agreements for their Read more

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  • Nostalgia won’t save religious orders

    Pope Francis has delivered a strong message to contemplative religious orders, saying nostalgia won’t save monasteries from closure or shifts in vocations. Addressing superiors and delegates from Discalced Carmelite monasteries in Rome, the pontiff stressed the need for adaptation to modern times. “Defensive strategies are the fruit of a nostalgic return to the past; this Read more

  • German Cardinal makes Nazi comparison at controversial conference

    A controversial conference was initially canned by the mayor of Brussels, prompting German Cardinal Gerhard Müller to make Nazi comparisons. “This is like Nazi Germany” Müller said, according to a blog post by author Rod Dreher. Müller added that the authorities were acting “like the SA” — Hitler’s brownshirts who used violence and intimidation against Read more

  • A better world can’t be built lying on the couch

    Pope

    A better world can happen but change for the better will materialise only when people are out in the world, “not lying on the couch” said Pope Francis. The pope was talking to a group of Italian schoolchildren saying that each of them can help make peace grow. The youngsters were all involved in the Read more

  • A fifth of Aussie blokes have sexual feelings for children

    sexual feelings for children

    It seems having sexual feelings for children isn’t uncommon. A new UNSW Sydney and Jesuit Social Service study found one in five Australian men admitted having sexual feelings towards children and/or have sexually offended against children. That statistic shows the necessity of safeguarding children at early childhood education and care services, and places where children Read more

  • Former Australian Bishop faces two new indecent assault charges

    Former Bishop of Broome

    Former Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders, 74, is facing two fresh charges of indecent assault relating to incidents that allegedly happened eight years ago. These new charges add to his existing legal battle comprising 26 charges, including sexual penetration without consent, indecent dealing with a child, and unlawful and indecent assault. WA Police confirmed a Read more