Covid’s Omicron threat has seen a group of Taupō churches joining together to offer support, comfort and guidance to people isolated by the disease. The newly-established Taupō Churches-Community Support Hub is offering services to anyone in the community who is self-isolating or facing challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Churches-Community Support Hub comprises the Catholic Read more
Don’t forget Tonga just because it happened a while ago – this is the message of former All Black coach, Wayne Smith. “They’ve been absolutely hammered, a lot of them are homeless”, he told RNZ. The island kingdom was battered by a tsunami after an undersea volcanic eruption last month. Distribution of aid to Tonga Read more
Former Marist brother Kevin Healy has been sentenced to a third term of home detention, this time for three months, for the indecent assault of boys in his care. Judge Chris Sygrove told Healy, 82, on Friday that he should have spent a “long time in jail” as a younger man for his serial sexual Read more
Those running the region’s foodbanks warn as the cost of living increases so too will financial hardship and the queues of people looking for assistance. According to Statistics New Zealand, food prices in New Zealand have increased 4.5 per cent in the year ending December 2021, pushed by an increase of 2.6 per cent in Read more
The Catholic Church in New Zealand says it’s too soon to bring the police into the historic abuse in care findings Church investigations have uncovered. A more thorough investigation will have to be undertaken first in relation to the 1680 recorded instances of alleged abuse reported since 1950 – of which 592 alleged abusers were Read more
A New Zealand-based theologian and academic says the vow of obedience religious people make needs redefining. Dr Rocio Figueroa made the comment after Pope Francis urged religious and consecrated women “to fight when, in some cases, they are treated unfairly, even within the church; when they serve so much that they are reduced to servitude, Read more
SNAP Aotearoa New Zealand is calling for Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI to be prosecuted if evidence proves he obstructed clerical child abuse complaints when he was Archbishop of Munich and Freising. Christopher Longhurst, who coordinates Aotearoa New Zealand’s Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) was commenting on the likelihood of Benedict’s knowledge of Read more
New Plymouth ratepayers might have to pay the Catholic Church nearly $2 million for a Bell Block section for which they have paid just $37 in rent since 1984. The Wynyard St section, which is occupied by pensioners in nine separate flats and has been independently valued at $1.95 million, has been rented by the Read more
Cardinal John Dew, apostolic administrator of Palmerston North diocese, announced clergy appointments in the diocese, saying he is limiting the changes because of “staffing challenges” that will impact the provision of Masses and pastoral care. “I hope this gives everyone the bigger picture. Changes will need to be made when it comes to local planning Read more
The recently appointed Bishop of Auckland, Stephen Lowe, will move shortly to Auckland and take up his new role. Low will arrive in Auckland on 18 February and be welcomed at the Pompallier Centre then, on Saturday, at the Cathedral, he will be ‘shown his chair’ and installed at Bishop of Auckland. Normally an all-comers Read more