The Anglican Church, Presbyterian Support Southland and the Salvation Army are the only groups to meet a key deadline recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. Even the Government missed the deadline. The Catholic Church says its response is nearing completion and will be made public by the end of the Read more
As I’ve mentioned, back during the lengthy pandemic lockdown, when we had few places to go and comparatively little to do, I decided to take advantage of all that unforeseen solitude by developing my spiritual life. Among other things, I studied the works of Roman Catholic mystics. One sublime idea they sometimes express is that Read more
Pope Francis concluded his three-day visit to Singapore on Friday with a powerful message of unity. The pope set aside his prepared text during his address and spoke candidly to the audience. Using an analogy, Francis said “All religions are a path trying to reach God”. “They are like different languages in order to arrive Read more
Spark NZ customers have voiced frustration after failing to receive the last two editions of CathNews. Spark has also been unable to assure their customers that they will receive today’s edition. Complaint ‘sparks’ investigation The issue first came to light when a CathNews reader complained about the missing newsletter. Initially, the focus was on potential Read more
Several warm stories of Bishop Denis Browne have emerged since he died on 1 September. One was retold when a photo was shared of a girl at St Peter’s School who was chosen to try on the new bishop’s mitre. The photo was taken by Waikato Times senior writer Mary Anne Gill who revealed that her Read more
Many people give up on religion when what they really need to do is change their image of God and how they relate to him. Too many people, when they grow older, give up on the God they learned about as children. What they really need to do is think about God in a more Read more
Pope Francis celebrated Mass before a massive crowd of 600,000 people in East Timor. The turnout represents nearly half the population of the Southeast Asian nation. The remarkable attendance was a testament to the overwhelmingly Catholic Southeast Asian country and the esteem with which its people hold the church. The Mass, held at Tasitolu Park Read more
In East Timor, a country that is 98% Catholic and where priests are referred to as Amu – meaning ‘lord’, Pope Francis delivered a strong message of service, urging bishops and priests not to seek power or social prestige in their roles. Francis sounded warnings against the dangers of arrogance and power in religious leadership. Read more
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he supports the Christian leaders in expressing their views; however, he has not seen a full draft of the ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill. He was responding to Monday’s open letter from over 400 religious leaders who, sight unseen, wanted the Bill voted down at the first reading, preventing Read more
Wellington’s Kilbirnie Mosque has confirmed plans to broadcast the Islamic call-to-prayer three times a year, putting to rest claims that it would occur five times a day. The request includes broadcasts on the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks and during two major Islamic festivals, Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. The decision comes after Mayor Read more