Great reads

New spiritual guide has bishops optimistic

Monday, July 3rd, 2023
spiritual guide

Bishop Steve Lowe will introduce Identity:Identified, the newest spiritual guide for youth, at the World Youth Day 2023 (WYD23) Pilgrims’ Commissioning Mass in Auckland on July 9th. The guide seeks to present Holy Scripture in an engaging manner to younger individuals who may not typically engage with the Bible. The guide, a brainchild of the Read more

Divorced Catholics remarriage document author gets top doctrine job

Monday, July 3rd, 2023

Pope Francis has appointed a like-minded Argentinian to lead the doctrine office at the Holy See. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is one of the Vatican’s most influential departments. Known as an influential papal theological adviser, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez will take up his appointment in September this year. That’s just a Read more

Submerged 16th-century Catholic church emerges during drought

Monday, June 26th, 2023
16th-century Catholic church

A 16th-century Catholic church, known as the Temple of Quechula, has become a prominent attraction since emerging from a reservoir during a severe drought in Mexico. Situated in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, this historic structure was built by Dominican Order members during the era of Spanish colonialism. Since the construction of a dam Read more

Te reo Māori threatened by AI

Monday, June 26th, 2023
ChatGPT

ChatGPT seems to be taking over te reo Māori. The new artificial intelligence (AI) has academics and te reo speakers worried. The chatbot is a quick learner. Ever since its launch last November, ChatGPT has ‘learned’ to write in te reo. The quality is “scarily good”, says Waikato University’s Te Taka Keegan (pictured). But he Read more

New Zealand’s cohesiveness under pressure

Monday, June 26th, 2023
New Zealand's social fabric

New Zealand, a country long regarded as a high-trust nation, faces challenges that threaten its social fabric, according to a discussion paper released by Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures. Economic, political and climate-related stresses, coupled with the proliferation of mis- and disinformation, are eroding the cohesiveness of society. The document has shed light Read more

Diocese pioneers Eucharistic hospitality

Monday, June 26th, 2023
Eucharistic hospitality

In a pioneering move, the Diocese of Osnabrück in Germany has become the first Catholic diocese to release official guidelines on the concept of Eucharistic hospitality. The diocese recently published a comprehensive booklet outlining the conditions under which all Christians within the diocese can participate in a Catholic Eucharist or Protestant communion celebration during ecumenically Read more

Preaching and music: Are Catholic services simply too boring?

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023

Protestant churches have always prided themselves on their preaching and music, especially non-Eucharistic churches that rely on the Bible alone to shape their Sunday services. At the other end of the spectrum are Catholic churches, which have a deep eucharistic tradition and the worst preaching and music in the country. At least, this is the Read more

Diocese of Parramatta forms Australia’s first Diocesan Diaconate Council

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023
Diocesan Diaconate Council

The Diocese of Parramatta has formed Australia’s first Diocesan Diaconate Council, aimed at enhancing the ministry of deacons and providing support for their families. With the formation of this council, the diocese seeks to tap into the diverse talents and experiences of its deacons and their wives, who play a crucial role in their vocation. Read more

US deviates from European approach to transgender care

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023
transgender care

The United States finds itself at odds with several Western nations over transgender care and the treatment of children grappling with gender identity concerns. While American healthcare institutions have long supported medical interventions for transgender minors, including the use of puberty blockers to delay the physical changes of adolescence, the European medical community is displaying Read more

Pope Francis appoints John Adams as Bishop of Palmerston North

Thursday, June 22nd, 2023
Bishop John Adams

Pope Francis has appointed Fr John Adams from the Diocese of Christchurch as the new Catholic Bishop of Palmerston North. The appointment was announced in Rome at 10pm New Zealand time, Thursday 22 June and it fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Bishop Charles Drennan in 2019. Ordained as a priest in 2003, Read more