New Zealand

Church determine to listen, learn and reflect on abuse survivors’ evidence Comments 0

The Catholic Church is determined to listen, learn, and reflect on abuse survivors ‘ evidence at the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. The comment came in a statement from Catholic Bishops and religious leaders on the morning of the first day of the Royal Commission into abuse in faith-based care. “The bishops and congregational Read more

Catholic school welcomes student barred from mainstream classroom Comments 0

A seven-year old expelled from school last year has just completed his second week in a mainstream classroom. His transition to Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Putaruru has gone smoothly, says his mother Tracey Lithgow. It’s over a year since Lithgow’s son was expelled from Tokoroa’s Tainui Full Primary School for extensive behavioural issues. For Read more

Analysis and Comment

We’re losing our religion…but where do we go from here? Comments 0

religion

Since around about 1970 in Australia, the trend of people stating they have “No Religion” on the census has been constantly, significantly, increasing – from 1966 when the sliver started to first appear in any noteworthy fashion, to the 2016 census where it had reached 29.6% of the total population. In fact, the “not stated or unclear” is a Read more

Pope Francis: A crisis reveals what is in our hearts Comments 0

COVID-19 crisis

To come out of this pandemic better than we went in, we must let ourselves be touched by others’ pain. Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church and the bishop of Rome. In this past year of change, my mind and heart have overflowed with people. People I think of and pray for, Read more

Young boy asks if God “loves me for being gay?” Comments 0

santa

Every year hundreds of thousands of children send letters to Santa through the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Operation Santa, a program that seeks to put those letters in the hands of organizations and individuals who can respond and send a thoughtful gift on Santa’s behalf. And each year, the USPS shares some of the Read more

As safe as houses? Comments 0

housing

Stein’s law says that if something cannot go on forever, it wont. But does a speculative bubble matter? The cryptocurrency bubble can be left to itself (tax evasion and criminal transactions aside). Why shouldn’t we do the same for housing? There are two general reasons why we should be concerned with a house price bubble. Read more

Born at 23 weeks – survival is possible Comments 0

Twin brothers Declan and Riley Colquhoun were born very early. At just 23 weeks and one day into her pregnancy their mother gave birth to them by caesarean section in Wellington. Their eyes still fused shut, they were put straight on ventilators, with their mum Kathryn Hutchinson and her partner Chris Colquhoun not able to Read more

  • Oddly

  • World

  • College of Cardinals now less Eurocentric Comments 0

    Pope Francis elevated 13 new cardinals on Saturday making the College of Cardinals more representative of the universal Church. Only 11 cardinals participated in the consistory in St Peter’s Basilica all having been in quarantine for two weeks and all wore face masks during the ceremony. Two new cardinals who were unable to be physically Read more

  • Women ‘clap back’ at Francis comment they do not need to be priests to lead in the church Comments 0

    women need not be priests

    Catholic women have clapped back at Pope Francis after he called their struggle for ordination “clericalist” and “disrespectful”. According to Novena News, the women’s response is a reaction to Francis statement that women do not need to be priests in order to lead in the church. Novena News reports that many Catholic women remain unhappy Read more

  • Bishop of Broome on leave after sexual misconduct allegations Comments 0

    Broome sexual misconduct allegations

    The Bishop of Broome, who is at the centre of a police investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, has taken a sabbatical. Bishop Christopher Saunders will take six months leave away from his outback diocese, effective immediately. No charges have been laid, and Bishop Saunders has strenuously denied the allegations. The Vatican says the bishop’s Read more

  • Indian State outlaws ’love jihad’ marriages Comments 0

    'love jihad' marriages

    Anyone in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh found guilty of using marriage to force someone to change religion will face a prison term of up to 10 years. India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party has approved legislation outlawing so-called ‘love jihad’ marriages. Uttar Pradesh government minister Siddharth Nath Singh said the threat of imprisonment would Read more

  • Protecting life is a matter of human ethics Comments 0

    Above all, protecting life is about human ethics, says Pope Francis in a letter to Argentine anti-abortion protesters dated 22 November. Thousands of protesters took to Argentina’s streets on Saturday. They were holding Argentine flags and wearing the sky-blue scarves that identify them as anti-abortionists. The protesters also carried signs with slogans like “Save Both Read more