A mature, thoughtful conversation about Te Tiriti o Waitangi would be timely, but the Act party should not lead it. At the last election, it was the only party to propose a referendum on this subject, and 91.6 percent of the electorate did not support them. It had no democratic mandate to enact its ideas Read more
We who’ve entered our so-called golden years can recite for you the usual prescriptions for extending our lives and for improving the quality of those lives while we’re here. Doctors tell us. Medicare tells us. Our insurance companies tell us. Watch your waistline, exercise, keep your mind active, socialise, go for your medical checkups. But Read more
During his visit to Jakarta, Pope Francis lauded the “Tunnel of Fraternity” connecting Istiqlal Mosque and the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, describing it as “a place of dialogue and encounter”. While tunnels are often seen as dark places, Francis observed “Here it is different, for everything is illuminated”. The pope told Read more
Christian leaders want MPs to vote down the Treaty Principles Bill at its first reading. The 440 senior leaders from Catholic, Anglican, Salvation Army, Baptist and Methodist denominations, under the “Common Grace” umbrella, expressed their views in an open letter. On Monday, September 9, the Cabinet saw a draft version of David Seymour’s controversial bill Read more
The celibacy debate continues after a popular priest in Italy has announced he is leaving the priesthood to marry the woman he loves. The child they are expecting has been diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Father Tomas Hlavaty (pictured) will now be formally removed from the priesthood and returned to the lay state, says Read more
Vatican decrees preventing priests from the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer from exercising ministry in the Christchurch Catholic diocese remain in force. A notice on the Diocese website says a petition to have the Sons’ removal of priestly faculties overturned was denied. However a canon lawyer representing the Sons says, after lodging an appeal Read more
Teaching Catholic missionaries at a Catholic university where they can be educated in mission theology and pastoral outreach is important, says Pope Francis. Francis says it is essential that the Pontifical Urban University keeps its centuries-old focus on preparing missionaries who come from and go out to the world and its varied cultures. The university’s Read more
In a historic moment for New Zealand’s Māori, a 27-year-old and the youngest child of Kīngi Tūheitia, Ngā Wai hono I te pō, has been anointed as the new Māori Queen and leader of the Kīngitanga movement. Ngā Wai hono i te pō becomes the eighth Māori monarch, continuing a direct lineage from the first Read more
Australian Catholic University (ACU) has launched a research project focused on exploring lay governance models within the Catholic Church, particularly in the context of a synodal Church. The initiative, led by ACU theologians and a prominent governance expert, aims to examine the evolving role of lay leadership in Church governance. The research will focus on Read more
New Zealand’s End of Life Choice Act is deficient and the assisted dying law needs to be changed says Dr John Kleinsman from the Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics. His comments come as the Ministry of Health is conducting a mandated review of the End of Life Choice Act within three years of its implementation to Read more