In light of the mosque shooting in Christchurch the USA based Pew Research Centre has published a report about religion and religious tolerance in New Zealand. The report says New Zealand has some of the lowest levels of government restrictions on religion in the world. In 2016 it scored 0.48 out of 10 on Pew Research Center’s Government Restrictions Read more
St Mary’s Star of the Sea Church in Gisborne was spray-painted with racist obscenities and anti-religious insults last week. Abusive messages against the Christian religion and Pakeha were spray-painted in green on the state highway side of the church, next to Campion College, on Wednesday night. Parish priest Monsignor Frank Eggleton said bad timing made Read more
On the weekend, a Catholic school that lost one its old boys in the Christchurch mosque attack paid tribute by performing a haka and waiata. And on Wednesday At Al-Madinah School in Māngere, Auckland, a haka, prayer and waiata rang out at an assembly to remember those affected by the Christchurch mosque shootings. St Thomas of Read more
Anjum Rahman, a spokesperson of the Islamic Women’s Council New Zealand (IWCNZ), says she was not surprised by the attack on the Masjid Al Noor and the Linwood Masjid mosques. She said IWCNZ has been engaging with both the previous and current government for several years, asking for support. Rahman said she did not think the council’s Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) has announced the appointment of Siobhan Dilly as its new executive officer. Siobhan comes to the role with a strong background in business management. She is currently the Policy Analyst and Projects Manager for the New Zealand Catholic Education Office, after working in organisational management and executive support Read more
Challenge 2000 was nearly called ‘Bridges 2000’, Challenge founder Kitty McKinley revealed to National Party Leader Simon Bridges at morning tea on Thursday. “Society needs more bridges that bring together the different sectors of the community, and that’s what we do”, she explained. Welcomed to Challenge 2000 with a mihi whakatu by staff, volunteers and Read more
Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions has confirmed that its investigation will include those abused by any person in a pastoral role in a faith-based institution. The clarification came in a “plain English” version of the terms of reference for the royal commission posted Read more
More than 30,000 people have signed a Parliamentary petition asking the Ministry of Education to scrap references to gender diversity in the New Zealand teaching curriculum. Stop transgender teaching in New Zealand schools was published on January 29 and has garnered 31,190 signatures as of last Wednesday evening. The petition request: That the House of Representatives urge Read more
Dr Murray Heasley says the outcome of the Vatican conference on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis was a major let-down for the survivors. Heasley is an Auckland-based spokesperson for the Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions and their Supporters. He was speaking from Rome to the Otago Daily Times’ Insight. Read more
The Vatican summit on the protection of minors has ended and the Church’s future direction is set. In his final address at the Summit, Pope Francis committed the church to do everything possible to eradicate sexual abuse. He said he wants it gone – not just from the church itself but from society as a Read more