It will be 100 years before Māori life expectancy catches up with Pākehā, new research has found. The research also discovered the wealthiest 10 percent of New Zealanders can expect to live a decade longer than the poorest 10 percent. Widening social and economic gaps are driving health inequities that successive governments have failed to Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference says evidence shows that engaging in conversion practices causes people harm and suffering. The bishop’s conference made the comment in a submission to Parliament’s Justice Committee on the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill. “Any harmful, coercive or abusive practice under any name is abhorrent to the Church and the Read more
NZ Catholic received three awards at the 2021 Australasian Catholic Press Association awards held earlier this month. The APCA awards are an opportunity for Catholic media to celebrate the outstanding contribution organisations make to the Church in Australia. ACPA President Neil Helmore said, “Catholic media in Australia continues to strive to lift up the Church Read more
The overwhelming volume of donations clothing and furniture for Afghan refugees has forced Catholic Social Services (CSS) to close the appeal. CSS recently published a statement thanking those who made contributions. The message said simply, the organisation doesn’t have the capacity to store any additional items. The statement read, “Thank you for your immediate and Read more
Not holding a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearing in Dunedin is a “repulsive slap in the face” for Southern survivors, says the Network of Survivors in Faith-Based Institutions. According to the ODT, the South and Dunedin in particular are considered one of the country’s epicentres for child sexual abuse in the Read more
The new parish priest of the Marlborough is live-streaming a Sunday parish Mass from Sydney. Fr Giltus Matias is stranded in Sydney and because of Covid-19 has not been able to get to New Zealand. Stuff reports Mathias live-streams a vigil Mass each Saturday evening at 5 pm, while the priest in residence, Fr Jacob Read more
People’s response to Catholic Social Service’s (CSS) appeal welcoming refugees from Afghanistan has been remarkable, says archdiocese general manager, John Prendergast. On 2 September, the social agency launched an appeal for housing, furniture and household packs. “Every action, small or large, will greatly benefit the individuals and families fleeing a desperate situation and seeking safety Read more
By special arrangement and courtesy of Fr Frank Brennan SJ, professor of law, and Sydney’s Catholic Weekly: The Anatomy of a Travesty. It’s time to declare that George Pell is innocent of the preposterous charges he faced in the County Court of Victoria and to move on for the good of everyone, including bona fide Read more
COVID-19 vaccination rates among Māori are low. Changing this reality is challenging healthcare providers. Although they are making inroads into the poor COVID-19 vaccination rates, health statistics show the low uptake is part of a difficult yet familiar reality. At present, for every one non-Māori or Pacific person who has received their first dose of Read more
In the wake of the latest Covid outbreak, racist comments directed at Pasifika have prompted health and church authorities to speak out. The current Delta variant outbreak has disproportionately affected the Samoan community, including people exposed at a major church assembly in Māngere in Auckland. “These people were involved in legal activity and were operating Read more