New Zealand

Auckland Catholic Cathedral’s former choir director’s abusive past

James Tibbles

Auckland’s St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral was unaware that its former choir director’s abusive past had led him to resign from two previous jobs. James Tibbles, a well-known early music specialist, was the choir director and organist at St Patrick’s from 2014 until last December. At that time the church said he had resigned “to pursue Read more

Some euthanasia med’s cause traumatic end of life experiences

Reports of people who have requested euthanasia experiencing prolonged, traumatic end of life experiences say euthanasia medication may be to blame. This information is included in Radio New Zealand’s (RNZ) research into how prepared New Zealand is to introduce assisted dying. In some cases concoctions of unregulated and “off label” medicines are being given to Read more

Analysis and Comment

Fashion industry responsible for 10% of global annual carbon emissions

fashion industry

In a world before Covid, the fashion industry was responsible for producing 10% of annual global carbon emissions. This is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Have you ever stopped to think about the environmental impact your clothes have had? According to the United Nations Environment Programme, it takes an average of 3,781 Read more

Towards a synodal Church

Synodality

Embracing a synodal model of the Church is “messy” but it offers the only path to a “future that’s worth having”, says a leading Australian bishop. Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, the president of the Australian Bishops’ Conference, was speaking about the experience of the plenary council, the highest form of gathering for a local Read more

Myanmar steps back into darkness

myanmar step back

Since the February 1 coup, the Tatmadaw – the official name of Myanmar’s armed forces – has escalated its crackdown on citizens protesting against the military takeover that ousted Myanmar’s democratically elected government. Unfortunately, this brutal reaction is only the latest in a series of repressive moves across Southeast Asia in recent years as political groups, backed by powerful Read more

Earth Day – an urgent reminder to protect ‘our common home’

Earth Day

Thursday, April 22, we joined the global celebration of Earth Day and appropriate for Catholics to reflect on Pope Francis’ famous environmental encyclical letter “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.” Citing Francis of Assisi – patron saint of ecology – Pope Francis writes “our common home is like a sister with whom we Read more

Religious freedom, hate speech, adoption, child abuse

Same-sex adoption, religious freedoms and child-abuse petitions are before Parliament at the moment. Reforming law in relation to hate speech offences is also on the agenda. If the hate speech law passes, offenders will face a larger maximum sentence than if they were found guilty of rioting, assaulting a child or providing explosives to commit Read more

  • World

  • Spain’s bishops accused of ‘complicity’ in sexual abuse of minors

    Spain's bishops

    Spain’s bishops have been accused of “complicity” in the “sexual violence” committed against children by a leading member of the country’s government. The accusation has further damaged already strained Church-State relations. “Too many times in our country, the Catholic Church has been complicit in covering up sexual violence. This must stop,” said Ione Belarra, Spain’s Read more

  • Catholic laypeople demand local synod

    Catholic laypeople in the Archdiocese of Cologne want a local synod on how clergy sexual abuse is handled in the archdiocese. “We must make every effort to reestablish a genuine dialogue between the cardinal, senior members of the diocesan leadership and the grassroots of the church,” says Tim Kurzbach, president of the Cologne archdiocesan council Read more

  • Archbishop attacks rule criminalising church services

    The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has called for a new rule criminalising church services to be suspended. The government introduced the rule last week in a surprise move. Archbishop Eamon Martin (pictured) says the penal provisions associated with the new regulation are “provocative” and “draconian”. They also potentially infringed religious freedom and Read more

  • Catholic Scientists to hold conference on non-human intelligence

    Catholic scientists

    The Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) will hold its 2021 conference in Washington D.C. on the subject of non-human intelligence. The conference titled “Extraterrestrials, AI, and Minds Beyond the Human” will take place at the Hilton Hotel from June 4-6. The event will also be live-streamed. Conference discussions will provide scientific and theological insights on Read more

  • Explosion of religious hatred driven by ‘weaponising technology’

    weaponising technology

    Extremists groups are fostering religious hatred by ‘weaponising technology’ according to the recently published Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021 (RFR). The RFR also says that persecution of faith groups has drastically increased in more than 95 percent of the world’s worst-offending countries. The report was produced by the international Catholic charity Aid to Read more