It was almost a matter of bell book and candle after a thief stole the lectionary and the pascal candle from St Mary of the Angels in Wellington. First to disappear was the paschal candle. It had been used in a shrine halfway up the main aisle on the weekend of the mosque shootings in Read more
In light of the mosque shooting in Christchurch the USA based Pew Research Centre has published a report about religion and religious tolerance in New Zealand. The report says New Zealand has some of the lowest levels of government restrictions on religion in the world. In 2016 it scored 0.48 out of 10 on Pew Research Center’s Government Restrictions Read more
Fairly and otherwise, the media often gets criticized for not speaking truth to power, especially on human rights issues. At this week’s post-Cabinet press conference, PM Jacinda Ardern gave us a glimpse into how formulaic the raising of such concerns has become. Read more
A Bible verse written on a tribute wall for victims of the Christchurch shooting has been removed after a member of the public flagged it as “really inappropriate”. The verse, Luke 19:27, reads: “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me,” according to Read more
Elders of New Zealand’s most revered symbol of peace have strongly rebuked Brian Tamaki for using Parihaka to endorse his church. Tamaki, who founded Destiny Church with his wife Hannah in 1998, visited Parihaka Pā on Saturday as part of his Tu Tangata Riders Tour of Duty Taranaki hosted by Man Up New Zealand. Read Read more
Judge Damian Hohepa Stone was sworn in as a Māori Land Court judge in the presence of 300 family, friends and colleagues last Friday. His former school Hato Pāora College hosted the event. Stone says he hopes events like this will help inspire the current students. “I am now part of a judicial group who have Read more
Last Friday the Catholic bishop of Dunedin, Michael Dooley, signed a memorandum of understanding with representatives from the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse, Aotearoa New Zealand support group (MSSAT Aotearoa) according to a report in the Otago Daily Times. The Otago branch senior manager of MSSAT Aotearoa, Dugal Armour, said the agreement meant survivors of Read more
St Mary’s Star of the Sea Church in Gisborne was spray-painted with racist obscenities and anti-religious insults last week. Abusive messages against the Christian religion and Pakeha were spray-painted in green on the state highway side of the church, next to Campion College, on Wednesday night. Parish priest Monsignor Frank Eggleton said bad timing made Read more
NZ Privacy Commissioner John Edwards has delivered Facebook another serve as his relations with the social network remain heated. On Monday, Edwards shared an email with the Ne Zealand Herald that he sent to a number of Facebook executives on Friday. Read more
On behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania including the Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and Episcopal Conference of the Pacific and New Zealand wish to offer our support and prayers to the people of Christchurch and New Zealand. The recent massacre at the mosques in Christchurch has brought deep grief Read more