New Zealand Catholics who communicated with CathNews are unsurprised but remain disappointed that the Vatican has ruled out women deacons. They see it as a wasted opportunity to address the gender divide in the Church, and ask if God did not create men and women in his own likeness. They feel confused by an outdated Read more
Take one church community, a 150-year old church – and insufficient money to keep church and community together. It’s a story most parishes could tell. Finding the funds to keep both church and community together can take a concerted effort as a Wairarapa parish can attest. Keeping it together Martinborough’s First Church gets funding from Read more
A new highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Australia, raising questions about whether it will lead to a wave of COVID-19 cases over summer. The XEC strain has been reported in 29 countries including the United States, United Kingdom and China, according to global health data platform GISAID. Here’s what we know Read more
Ensuring he was fully prepared for the Synod of Synodality’s second session kept Archbishop Paul Martin extra busy before leaving for Rome. Commenting on Facebook, Martin said it was difficult to examine Synod’s first session synthesis and see how it was expressed in the second session’s instrumentum laboris (agenda). It’s not what you’d call a Read more
Religious affiliation in New Zealand shows an almost even split between those identifying with an organised religion and those who don’t, Statistics New Zealand data shows. Census 2023 found that almost half of New Zealanders (48 percent) identified as belonging to an organised religion while 51.6 percent said they had none at all. Further Census Read more
Pope Francis announced on October 6, 2024, that he will create 21 new cardinals on December 8. Of these, 20 will be eligible to vote for a new pope. Angelo Acerbi: The eldest Cardinal-Elect At 99 years old, former Apostolic Nuncio Angelo Acerbi is the only cardinal-elect ineligible to vote in the next conclave. Acerbi Read more
Government agencies have warned a lack of resources will limit what they can do to prevent suicide in the new suicide prevention plan. The Ministry of Health has launched consultation on its new five-year suicide prevention plan. It comes just months after shutting down the Suicide Prevention Office, which was the first action set out Read more
The recruiter offered work, and a chance at a new life. But when the group of Fijians landed in New Zealand, they were sent a casual contract, replacing the permanent contract which had guaranteed 30 hours’ work. The promised work didn’t eventuate, and now the workers, some living in poverty, will have to leave the Read more
Roncalli College is one of two Timaru secondary schools unable to accept new enrolments for next year. Their enrolment books are closed. One – Craighead Diocesan School – must even shed pupils. Like Roncalli College, Craighead Diocesan is a special character school. And like Roncalli, Craighead has had to close its books to new enrolments Read more