Speaking to reporters on the plane returning from a four-day trip to Bahrain, Pope Francis, Sunday, praised the women he has appointed to managerial jobs in the Vatican. They have had improved things there, he said. One he mentioned by name was Sister Raffaella Petrini, who as the deputy governor of Vatican City is effectively Read more
The Presbyterian Church community in Dunedin is looking in to a historic paedophile ring operating within the church community. The Church has appointed a senior King’s Counsel (KC) to investigate allegations that arose during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearing last month. The Church has agreed terms of reference with the Read more
Catholic charity Good Shepherd NZ and the BNZ say from now on all Good Loans will be interest- and fees-free. A partnership between the bank and Good Shepherd NZ is making the major policy change possible. In one loan option, the BNZ is supporting interest-free Good Loans of up to $7,000 to eligible families and Read more
Photos of three men who have been publicly accused of historical sexual abuse by multiple survivors have been removed from display by Kavanagh College. The three men, Brs Richard Glen, Francis Henery and Victor Sullivan, have died. In March, Dunedin bishop Michael Dooley (pictured) announced a name change for the College. Dooley’s move came after Read more
It takes a long time to appoint a bishop, says Steve Lowe, Bishop of Auckland and Secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference. Lowe is responding to a piece by Luke Coppen in The Pillar, suggesting the Vatican has forgotten about New Zealand’s need to find two bishops. Coppen points out that the Diocese of Read more
Ministers of religion in Western Australia are now legally required to report child sexual abuse, even if the information was gained during confessions. Under new laws now in force, failure to make a mandatory report is an offence with a maximum penalty of $6000. A minister of religion will not be excused from criminal responsibility Read more
Sixty years ago this week, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council, Vatican II, in St Peter’s Basilica. The council, which produced over a dozen documents and initiated sweeping reforms, is difficult to summarise. It is not any easier to summarise the timeline of reactions since those documents were promulgated. One reading goes like Read more
Portugal’s president is under fire for seeming to make light Catholic clergy sex abuse revelations. After finding members of the Portuguese Catholic Church had sexually abused over 400 children, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa indicated the number didn’t seem significant. “Having 400 cases doesn’t seem to me to be a lot, because in other countries Read more
A New York judge has ruled that people in polyamorous (multi-person) relationships are entitled to the same legal protections as married people. In a ruling on a dispute over a rent-stabilised apartment, Judge Karen May Bacdayan of the Civil Court of the City of New York opined that the legal protection of same-sex relationships shouldn’t Read more
YouTube videos produced by Catholic or pro-life organizations will now bear an abortion disclaimer and a link to an abortion webpage. This means YouTube videos about Pope Francis, Catholic teaching on abortion, and alternatives to abortion now include links to abortion information that video creators might reject. Clare Morell, a policy analyst with the Ethics Read more