A number of issues which may appear to be unrelated have been in the news Redefining Marriage, Children being raised in a “gender free” environment, Alasdair Thompson’s comments on workplace productivity, Cardinal sees ‘no theological obstacle’ to women priests. They are however connected by the underlying issue of gender difference. At one end of the Read more
A move to appoint new bishops swiftly in dioceses where there are none is certain to worsen tension between the Vatican and China Patriotic church. Filling the more than 40 empty bishop’s seats is an urgent task because the vacancies are causing serious problems in the handling of church affairs, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted a spokesman as Read more
One of Syria’s most respected bishops is condemning the violence in Syria but is also defending the Syrian government’s response to the uprising there. He said the insurgents are “fanatics” who seek “destabilization and Islamization.” “The fanatics speak about freedom and democracy for Syria but this is not their goal,” said Chaldean Catholic Bishop Antoine Read more
A record low 20,900 marriages took place In New Zealand last year, less than one-third of the number in 1971 and one half of the 1987 rate. In 2010 the marriage rate was 12.5 per 1000 unmarried adults. 273 resident civil unions were registered, of which 73 per cent were same-sex. Catholic Centre family life adviser Sue Devereux said Read more
On Wednesday a programme began to help Christchurch children and teenagers deal with the emotional impact of the ongoing earthquakes. The programme is being offered to schools and community groups in Christchurch and other cities to which Christchurch children have relocated, with funding support from Catholic social justice agency Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. Caritas has contributed $12,500 Read more
Pope Benedict XVI has suggested that New Zealand has a moral responsibility to be a good neighbour to Island States. “Due to its geographical position, your country is able to assist in the development of smaller, more distant countries with fewer resources. Some neighbouring countries, including the Small Island Developing States, look to New Zealand Read more
T shirts and hoodies that advertise an album for British extreme metal group “Cradle of Filth” and describe Jesus as a profanity were seized from an Invercargill store on Wednesday. Police took away the offending apparel after being asked to do so by Internal Affairs. They visited the store mid-afternoon and seized between 10 and 15 Read more
The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court judge’s ruling that unborn children do not have a right to life. It also dismissed comments made by the judge about many abortions being granted “on request” Right to Life sued the Abortion Supervisory Committee for allegedly failing to review whether certifying consultants were lawfully granting women Read more
AIDS experts from around the world gathered in Rome to attend a Vatican conference on AIDS HIV. The a two-day conference, organized by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, looked at the role the Church plays in treating the disease and discussed ways of preventing the spread of HIV and caring for people with AIDS. Read more
The 19th General Assembly of Caritas International is taking place in Rome this week and is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the confederation. Over 300 delegates are working on plans to strengthen their service working alongside and on behalf of the poor. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is represented by Director Michael Smith Read more