There’s a whole range of things that people can do, both to prevent the Covid-19 virus from taking hold, but also to be supportive of people who might contract the disease.” Cardinal John Dew the archbishop of Wellington told Vatican News. He said this is a time when people need to be ready to help Read more
Justice Minister Andrew Little will not try to re-introduce “safe zones” into his abortion legalisation bill after a mix up removed them. “The safe zone provision was always the most marginally supported,” Little said. The abortion law bill was going through the committee stage on Tuesday evening and into the early hours of Wednesday. ACT Read more
Michael Gielen was ordained and installed as auxiliary bishop of Auckland on Saturday. More than 3,000 filled the Vodafone Events Centre. The events centre was needed because so many people wanted to attend, the cathedral was not big enough. Bishop Michael was ordained to be his long-needed assistant by Bishop Pat Dunn, Bishop of Auckland. Read more
Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, the apostolic nuncio to New Zealand, has self-isolated after a recent trip to Italy. His move is in line with guidance from New Zealand authorities to help prevent the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. On 2 March the New Zeland Government recommended that people who have been in northern Italy or the Republic Read more
The Vatican denies Pope Francis has the Coronavirus, calling it a “slight indisposition”. Pope Francis fell sick in Rome — a day after publically shaking pilgrim’s hands and kissing babies; his usual practice. Since then he has cancelled several public appearances including three larger audiences with groups but has continued private audiences. On Sunday Francis Read more
The Director of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, Julianne Hickey is calling for action from politicial leaders to address child poverty in New Zealand. Stats NZ figures show there has been an increase in material hardship and Hickey warns child poverty risks becoming ingrained. In voicing its concern, Caritas points out that 4100 more children living Read more
Papua New Guinea (PNG) should discuss resettling Manus Island refugees in New Zealand, says the Catholic Church in PNG. The general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Giorgio Licini, wrote to PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape in January about this. In the letter Licini reminded Marape of New Zealand’s long standing offer to Read more
Our unborn babies will lose their legal rights if Parliament passes the Abortion Legislation Bill in the form proposed by a select committee, New Zealand’s Catholic bishops say. Their existing rights are already tenuous, the bishops note. The legislation offers infants with foetal disabilities even less protection than they have under the current law. Speaking Read more
Catholic education is in demand – but going to a Catholic school and attending Sunday Mass are not necessarily a package deal to many Catholic families. Taranaki priest Simon Story says many Catholic families approach him for the religious endorsement required to get their children into a Catholic school. This endorsement attests to the children Read more
The Catholic Church should apologise for its role in the confiscation of Māori land and colonisation, says the New Zealand Māori Council . A pivotal part of this involves the “Doctrine of Discovery”. This doctrine (which is enshrined in Catholic law) was used internationally as justification for Christians to claim land belonging to non-Christians. Māori Read more