New Zealand

Five year partnership between Caritas and MFAT

Caritas NZ

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is leading a new five year programme – He Oranga Taurikura – A Thriving Life. The programme works with local communities in the Pacific and South East Asia. It aims to continue to reduce the impact of poverty with a focus on girls and women, refugees and migrants, and indigenous peoples. Read more

Cabinet considered asking churches to help pay for Royal Commission

Dept Prime Minister & Cabinet

Skyrocketing spending saw Cabinet Ministers (pictured) thinking of asking churches to help pay for the Royal Commission into historic abuse in care. Official documents reveal the myriad of options the government also considered using artificial intelligence to analyse potentially highly sensitive documents. The aim was to cut staffing costs. Instead of passing on the expenses Read more

Analysis and Comment

Governments will have to consider the costs of long COVID when easing pandemic restrictions

long covid

With governments worldwide under pressure to ease pandemic restrictions as vaccination rates rise and impatience with border restrictions grows, new threats become clearer. One of the costliest, it is now feared, could be a tsunami of “long COVID” cases. Long COVID is a serious ongoing illness that follows an acute episode of the disease. It Read more

Are NZ electric vehicles green? Yes but maybe no

electric vehicles

The number of electric vehicles on the world’s roads is surging, hitting a record number last year. That would seem to be good news, as the world tries to wean itself off fossil fuels that are wrecking the global climate. But as electric cars become more popular, some question just how environmentally friendly they are. Read more

A laboratory for lay leadership

aboratory for lay leadership

A small ecclesial revolution; a laboratory for lay leadership is currently taking place in the Catholic Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg in Switzerland. But it likely would not have come about so soon without COVID-19 as a detonator. “The pandemic has precipitated a situation that I expected to see in 20 or 30 years: Read more

Mary returns as an icon for pop stars and social justice warriors

mary

Lil Nas X, Bad Bunny and Princess Nokia all work their spirituality into their music, but you’re not likely to think of them as virginal. They are nonetheless helping to spread a craze for Mary, mother of Jesus, wearing designer Brenda Equihua’s splashy coats made from San Marcos cobijas: blankets found in many Latinx homes that Read more

Biles ‘coming out’ opens discussions about mental health care

Sports Illustrated

Counsellors and spiritual directors at US Catholic colleges and ministries are supporting gymnast Simone Biles to prioritise her mental health The counsellors and spiritual directors told CNS her decision has opened up a broader and much-needed discussion about the importance of mental health care. “Even if we aren’t carrying around the pressure of performing as Read more

  • World

  • Irish Catholic dioceses defy govt’s no baptism, confirmation, communion rule

    Independent.ie

    Several Irish Catholic dioceses are defying a government ban on celebrating sacraments of initiation. They are planning to hold the ceremonies from mid-August. Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin says after consulting with clergy, baptisms, First Holy Communions and confirmation ceremonies will be held. The regulations for general religious services will be followed. “The mission of Read more

  • Pro-life’s new flag’s future as a universal symbol

    Pro-life leaders hope their new flag will become a universal symbol for protecting the unborn. It features a baby’s feet held in its mother’s hands. The flag was selected from several thousand entries in an online vote organized by the Pro-Life Flag Project. The Project is a grassroots effort involving over 70 partners including Students Read more

  • Priest’s remarks close down Winnipeg parish Masses

    Winnipeg masses cancelled

    Sunday masses are being cancelled at the Winnipeg Catholic church, where a Canadian priest questioned the motives of residential school survivors. The Archdiocese of St. Boniface said Saturday that the three masses scheduled for Sunday at St. Emile Catholic Church have been cancelled on the recommendation of Winnipeg police. During a July 10 mass, Father Read more

  • Spain trying to ‘dismantle the Christian worldview’ say bishops

    Spain dismantle Christian worldview

    Catholic bishops in Spain have warned of growing division and tension in their country over government attempts to “deconstruct and dismantle the Christian worldview.” The bishops said an attempt was underway to “erase distinctions between truth and falsehood, reality and fiction, good and evil.” The warning was contained in a 95-page statement, published July 28, Read more

  • Indian bishop announces controversial welfare scheme for large families

    welfare scheme for families

    A Catholic diocese in the Indian state of Kerala has come up with a welfare scheme for large families, sparking criticism the move ignores India’s population explosion. Palai Diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church announced support for large Catholic families as part of its Year of the Family 2021. The diocese promised to pay 1,500 rupees Read more