New Zealand

Neighbouring Muslim and Christian communities grieve together Comments 0

On Sunday afternoon the Catholic bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn, led a service in Sacred Heart Church that was attended by a large number of men and women from the Al-Masjid Al-Jamie mosque. The church was packed to overflowing with many dozens more outside and across the road outside the mosque. The mosque and the church Read more

Our grief threatens to overwhelm our community Comments 0

grief

Calling the city’s grief “raw and real,” New Zealand Bishop Paul Martin of Christchurch called on people to overcome hate with love after Friday’s attack on two mosques in the city left 50 people dead. “We are unable to express the confusion and pain we feel. “Our grief threatens to overwhelm our community at the Read more

Analysis and Comment

Only hope for institutional Christianity lies in truth Comments 0

truth

Jesus once said: “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble… it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” To be a representative of institutional Christianity after last week is to feel the weight of that Read more

Opening archives won’t settle debate over Pius XII and the Holocaust Comments 0

Holocaust

Whatever else Pope Francis’s decision Monday to open the archives from the pontificate of Pius XII in 2020 may mean, there’s one preliminary conclusion that seems take-it-to-the-bank, no-doubt-about-it, slam-dunk certain. Here it is: Opening the archives will not – indeed, by definition, cannot – settle the historical controversy about Pius XII and his alleged silence Read more

Handling divine and political barriers: A womanist perspective Comments 0

woman

I remember sitting in Cannon Chapel (Emory University) and listening to Dr. Tamura Lomax[1] preach a sermon from the perspective of The Canaanite Woman found in the Gospel of Matthew 15: 21-28. We were both matriculating through seminary as MDiv students and I was just in awe of her scholarship and the ease at which Read more

Together Comments 0

John Murphy together

Brenton Tarrant’s manifesto is unbelievably offensive. It talks about the supremacy of the European people and deporting all non-Europeans. He says he decided to take a stand to ensure a future for ‘my’ people. ‘The White Genocide’ is how he refers to his actions; he labels himself as a part-time kebab removalist. Tarrant says he Read more

Islamic Women’s Council not surprised by attack on mosque Comments 0

not surprised

Anjum Rahman, a spokesperson of the Islamic Women’s Council New Zealand (IWCNZ), says she was not surprised by the attack on the Masjid Al Noor and the Linwood Masjid mosques. She said IWCNZ has been engaging with both the previous and current government for several years, asking for support. Rahman said she did not think the council’s Read more

  • Oddly

  • Wearing blue for St Patrick

    Though green dominates the celebrations today, it was the colour blue – a shade known as St Patrick’s blue – that was first associated with the saint. The earliest depictions of St Patrick show him in blue garments, and the colour also appears on ancient Irish flags. Read some more little known facts about St Read more

  • World

  • Archbishop witnessed dark and light sides of the Vatican Comments 0

    Dublin archbishop Dr Diarmuid Martin witnessed both dedication to the service of the Church and its darker and sadder side when he worked at the Vatican. Speaking at St Patrick’s College in Maynooth (which is Ireland’s national seminary), Martin said working at the Vatican is an unusual experience. While in a leadership position in the Read more

  • Church must follow, accept local laws on abuse Comments 0

    Local laws and court decisions regarding clerical sexual abuse and its cover-up must be respected, Fr Hans Zollner says. Zollner, who is a leading expert in child protection and one of the chief organisers of February’s summit on child protection, says the Church’s responsibility to obey the laws of the land was clarified several years Read more

  • Church embarks on binding synodal process Comments 0

    Cardinal Reinhard Marx says the Catholic Church in Germany is embarking on a “binding synodal process” to tackle three key issues that arose from the clerical abuse crisis. These include priestly celibacy, the Church’s teaching on sexual morality and a reduction of clerical power. Marx, who is the president of the German bishops’ conference, says Read more

  • Houses of worship – including Catholic – are targets for extremist attacks Comments 0

    A look at recent records shows numerous attacks on houses of worship are carried out by extremists. Since 2010, for example, there have been at least 27 deadly attacks in places of worship. The following timeline offers a sample of these attacks. July 16, 2010: 27 killed and 270 injured after a double suicide bombing Read more

  • Rise in number of new Catholics to be baptised at Easter Comments 0

    The Catholic Church will benefit from many new Catholics in different parts of the world this Easter. As an example, over a thousand people took part in Rites of Election at cathedrals and churches across England and Wales last weekend. All declared their hope to become Catholics at Easter. Most dioceses in the UK have Read more