New Zealand

Harsh lessons for Māori as calls for help go largely unanswered

Waatea News

Māori have learned harsh lessons since Auckland’s lockdown began say leaders in Māori health, data and science. Papakura Marae general practitioner Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen (pictured) says one of his harsh lessons was being told health resources were limited – when they weren’t. “When the majority population needed it, they have had unlimited resources, that’s Read more

Running parishes at higher capacities

If the “engine” of a parish involves mobilising the laity and harvesting their gifts, running parishes at higher capacities would be the norm. At present, the engine running parishes is running low –  at about five per cent capacity. That’s what Canada’s Fr James Mallon, author of “Divine Renovation — From Maintenance to a Missional Church” and Read more

Analysis and Comment

Honest evangelisation needs honest journalism

honest journalism

Nearly two decades ago, I was asked to become the editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan. My first reaction was gut-hurting laughter. When I caught my breath, I said to the priest who had been sent to present the proposal, “Look at my face!” It was, indeed, unprecedented Read more

We need a new Church museum

Pope Francis has warned on many occasions over the past seven years of the danger of the Church being like a museum, full of lovely stuff that’s without any real currency. He phrases it in various ways, but the message is the same. “Keep us from becoming a ‘museum Church,’ beautiful but mute, with much Read more

The tenacity of hope

hope

Recently some readers of my blog “Another Voice” told me they fear I am becoming “negatively critical and pessimistic”. Their remarks surprised me. I am critical but I think it is healthy and responsible to be constructively critical. Being critical, however, is not the same thing as being negative. And I am really not pessimistic. Read more

What’s up with Labour and National’s ‘slum enabling act’?

slum enabling act

How excited they were when it was announced. On October 19, Housing Minister Megan Woods and National leader Judith Collins jointly declared their support for the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. This bill, they said, would allow “at least 48,200 and as many as 105,500 new homes” to be built Read more

Greeters not bouncers

greeters not bouncers

Church leaders are confused about how to implement the My Vaccine Pass – one sums it up saying “We are greeters – not bouncers”. From December 3, people wanting to attend church services, gatherings, hospitality events, gyms and those wanting to avail themselves of close contact businesses will need the My Vaccine Pass to prove Read more

  • World

  • Beatitudes for bishops; a model for today’s pastor

    Catholic Outlook

    At the beginning of an Italian bishops’ conference plenary session, Pope Francis gave each a copy of a text called “The Beatitudes of the Bishop”. Originally written by the archbishop of Naples for his homily when ordaining three bishops last month, the eight “beatitudes of the bishop” loosely correspond with those spoken by Jesus in Read more

  • Book lifts veil on abuse in women’s religious communities

    In his new book, “Il Velo del Silenzio” (“Veil of Silence”) Italian journalist and author Salvatore Cernuzio writes of meeting a childhood friend who had joined a cloistered community of nuns. Ten years later, a “tribunal” of older sisters decided she did not have a vocation and sent her packing. Just days earlier, Jesuit Father Read more

  • Austrian bishops discourage sacraments during lockdown

    Austrian Catholics discourage sacraments

    The Austrian Catholic bishops’ conference are discouraging Catholics from celebrating the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage during the national lockdown. Bishop Anton Leichtfried, the conference’s liturgy chair, said: “These celebrations are now to be postponed as much as possible in the interest of fellow celebrants.” The bishops also clarified rules for attending Read more

  • Church has “utterly gambled away” people’s trust

    Catholic church gambled trust

    German Bishop Heiner Wilmer has claimed that the Catholic Church “utterly gambled away” people’s trust in the institution by the way it has mishandled the clergy sex abuse crisis. “Protecting the institution and the perpetrators was always the most important factor for the Church. (Protecting) the victims, on the other hand, simply did not occur,” Read more

  • “I’m being treated like a criminal” for speaking out against antisemitism

    Polish Catholic priest

    A Polish Catholic priest faces a disciplinary hearing at one of Poland’s leading universities for his comments attacking a colleague who promoted the infamous anti-Semitic “blood libel.” Fr Alfred Wierzbicki, a professor at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, will appear before a university disciplinary committee on Friday. He will answer the allegation Read more