A major new international ad campaign stars Pope Francis going hard promoting the COVID vax. The vaccination is “an act of love,” he says. “Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19! They bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are Read more
Truancy in New Zealand schools has reached a “crisis” point. More than 60,000 students are “chronically absent” from schools nationally. According to the Ministry of Education, chronically absent means the students are missing at least three learning days a fortnight. The ministry also reports that almost 40% of students are not going to school regularly. Read more
Italian police have identified the person who sent an envelope with three bullets in it to Pope Francis. The envelope did not reach the pontiff, however, as it was intercepted in Milan on Sunday night. Police say the unnamed suspect is a French citizen “already known to Vatican security, with whom the Carabinieri of Milan Read more
New Zealand health officials are expecting legal action when the new End of Life Choice Act comes into force on 7 November this year. Ministry of Health officials have highlighted “complex and sensitive elements” to the End of Life Choice Act and incoming assisted dying regime in a briefing paper to Health Minister Andrew Little. Read more
Research from the University of Otago shows the constantly changing nature of family structure and household composition for young people today. It also describes the life-time family structures, living arrangements, and residential mobility of 612 15-year-old New Zealanders and considers the differences in experiences of children born to younger and older mothers. All the study Read more
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
Ten people, including a cardinal, are facing serious charges in a Vatican civil court. The Vatican’s trial against Cardinal Angelo Becciu and nine other individuals, along with three corporate entities, alleges extortion, fraud and embezzlement, money laundering and abuse of office. This is the first time a cardinal has been brought to trial by a Read more
The Catholic Church in the Amazon region must implement the Amazon synod recommendations, says Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic in the two years since the synod, there have been many interviews, documents and meetings “to reflect and discern about ‘what we Read more
A lay Venezuelan theologian says bishops at the upcoming synod on synodality need to realise lay people aren’t just called to implement but also to make Church decisions. Rafael Luciani is one of three Latin American theologians chosen as consultants on “synodality” for the Synod. He hopes he will be able to offer the synod Read more
Pope Francis has given bishops greater responsibility regarding use of the 1962 Roman Missal. Apostolic See guidelines say it is the bishop’s exclusive responsibility as the moderator of his diocese’s liturgical life to authorise the 1962 Roman Missal’s use. In a motu proprio Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of the Tradition) published on Friday, Francis restored limits Read more