The Churches Education Commission (CEC) is outraged by claims made by secular education campaigners who want to stop religion being taught in state primary and intermediate schools. Tanya Jacob, the South Island representative of the of the Secular Education Network (SEN), said there are “really quite serious concerns, even concerns about potential for grooming, keeping secrets Read more
Pope Francis has told the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors he has been learning “on the job” better ways to handle priests found guilty of abuse. He admitted this during his first face-to-face discussion with the Commission on September 21. The Pope said he has come to regret agreeing to a more lenient Read more
Pope Francis recently asked his congregation for a favour. Make an examination of conscience and ask yourself if you pray for your leaders. Not just the ones you like, but all leaders. “And if you find in your examination of conscience that you have not prayed for your leaders, bring it to confession. Because not Read more
How can our faith communities respond to Synod ’17’s command “haere, tukuna – go, you are sent”? This was the question 350 Catholics from the Wellington Archdiocese explored last weekend at Synod ’17. The weekend – a culmination of months of prayer, planning, discussion, submissions, inspiration and hard work – was an inclusive and culturally Read more
Jim Anderton, co-chair of the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust (GCBT), campaigned long and hard for Christ Church Cathedral to be restored rather than turned into rubble. He’s ‘delighted’ that it will return to being Christchurch’s icon. His wife, Carole Anderton, says her husband had been very pleased that the Anglican Synod decided to reinstate the Read more
Pope Francis has shifted the weight of responsibility for liturgical translations away from the Vatican. From now on the major responsibility for liturgical texts will lie with bishops’ conferences. However, the Vatican still has the last say on translations because it still has the responsibility to ensure the unity of the faith. The changes will Read more
A New Zealand-born priest working in Brownsville, on the border between Texas and Mexico says, “I know some of these dreamers who are going to be phased out” because President Trump has rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Father Tony O’Connor relates the story of one the Dreamers he knows. She is Mexican Read more
A history professor said “religion’s the enemy of education” in response to the stir following his comment on a Z Energy Facebook post about diversity in the workplace. He wrote, “Who needs employees if they stop work five times per day to talk to an imaginary being?” Richards was accused of confusing the Sikh in Read more
New Zealand’s Voice to Vatican survey for Young New Zealanders held over July and August this year has received almost 2,000 responses from throughout the country. Results will be analysed and sent to Rome in a report due by the end of October. Youth leaders completed a separate survey which will also be shared with Read more
The liturgical reforms that began with pope Pius X and culminated in the Second Vatican Council are irreversible. Pope Francis made this declaration in a speech to Italy’s Centre of Liturgical Action. “We can affirm with certainty and magisterial authority that the liturgical reform is irreversible,” he said. As one commentator noted, ” It’s not every Read more