A United Nations (UN) women’s rights committee review found New Zealand’s Family Court is failing to address the “obstruction of justice” for domestic violence victims. The Family Court must make changes to ensure women and children are safe, the women’s rights committee says. The UN committee also says it regrets New Zealand had chosen not Read more
A court hearing over state-integrated schools being left out of a $396-million funding package for upgrading state school properties has been delayed for several weeks, reports NZ Catholic. The funding package was announced in late 2019 but applied only to state schools. Last year, state-integrated schools’ proprietors filed papers in the High Court seeking a Read more
President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Conference and Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew has offered Catholic churches and church facilities to the Government for Covid vaccination centres. Dew made the offer at a meeting in Auckland between Church leaders of some of the country’s major Christian faiths and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. As Read more
The Interfaith Relations Committee of the Catholic Bishops of Aotearoa New Zealand has sent a letter of support to the country’s Muslim communities on the second anniversary of the Christchurch mosques atrocity. “In a spirit of peace and prayer we reach out at this time to those who live in this land, and especially the Read more
The High Court’s assistance is being sought regarding new abortion legislation. The change in law is forcing health professionals to choose between their consciences and their jobs. The hearing, which began on Monday, was expected to last three days. The case was brought to court by a group of medical practitioners, who sought the court’s Read more
The decline in church attendance combined with insurance coverage for old and heritage buildings is causing church administrators some concern. This is particularly the case for heritage buildings where complex issues leave a great deal to consider. The comments come from brokerage firm Crombie Lockwood. Steve Walsham, group broking manager of Crombie Lockwood says that Read more
The distribution of what is being described as a book of extreme propaganda and religious rhetoric is causing concern around the country. The book, National Sunday Law by A Jan Marcussen, is connected with an independent group of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It is not endorsed by the New Zealand church. Originally published in 1983, Read more
Tamariki close to a “lovely boy” who died from meningococcal disease cannot get the vaccine because of cost, according to the 6-year-old’s principal. Takarua Ngakuru, 6, from the rural Northland town of Tautoro, died on February 13 from what has now been confirmed as meningococcal disease, although the strain is unknown. After his death, whānau Read more
An Ōpōtiki teacher said their principal had her home burgled while they were out helping their students evacuate during the tsunami alerts. About 150 children at St Joseph’s Catholic School had to be relocated yesterday morning. The school is less than a kilometre away from the shoreline, and also surrounded on three sides by rivers. Read more
Representatives of Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian churches and leaders of the Salvation Army will give evidence later this month at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. They will be asked to explain their processes for resolving historic and current abuse claims and to respond to survivors’ evidence. The Inquiry’s second phase, which is Read more