Cardinal George Pell says when it comes to October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family, “the synod will massively endorse the tradition” of the Church’s teachings on marriage. He believes synod delegates “will recognize that the Christian tradition of St. John Paul the Great, Benedict, the Council of Trent, is well established … and I Read more
Generous donors helped raised the $3.1 million required to begin the earthquake strengthening of St Mary of the Angels in March. Another $6.2m is needed by 2027
Auckland-born Dr Davison served five months’ home detention in Dunedin in 2011 for giving a lethal dose of morphine to his mother, Dr Pat Davison, to relieve her pain when she was dying of cancer at the age of 85. Last week, a South African High Court judge ruled that a doctor could legally help Read more
Auckland neighbours are involved in a religious battle after a giant 6.4m statue of Hindu god Shiva was erected in a backyard. Ravin Chandar installed the 30-tonne statue for him and his family to pray to, but that’s irked his Catholic neighbour, Bryce Watts. Erecting the giant statue was something Chandar “had to do”. “That Read more
A finance company is planning to provide interest-free mortgages to Muslims. Paying or receiving interest on loans is forbidden in Islam. Islamic loans involve various alternative ways for the borrower to repay the lender at a premium, while technically not charging interest. Brian Henry, managing director of Amanah Ethical, said it was important to understand Read more
The Emeritus Bishop of Palmerston North, Peter Cullinane, was the keynote speaker at a gathering to mark International Workers Memorial Day. About 50 people gathered at Memorial Park in Palmerston North last week to remember those workers who have been killed whilst at work. Last year 47 people died at work in Aotearoa New Zealand; in 2013 Read more
Lindsey Pointer from Colorado, USA, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study restorative reintegration and rituals of re-entry in New Zealand. “I am excited to expand my understanding of the impact of restorative practices through the opportunity to study in New Zealand, where these practices are well-established and integrated into the justice system,” she Read more
As Caritas’ emergency response in Nepal moves into its second week and reaches ever more remote villages, initial Government estimates are that up to 500,000 houses may have been destroyed across the country – making shelter a top priority before the torrential monsoon rains arrive in a few short weeks. Thousands of much-needed tarpaulins and Read more
Terminally ill lawyer Lecretia Seales has reached a confidentiality agreement with the attorney-general over part of her evidence in her case to clarify the law on assisted dying. Three “interveners” – two interest groups and the Human Rights Commission – have been allowed to take part in the case, and their role was further defined after a hearing Read more
Aquinas College and John Paul College are among 222 schools that will be part of the Investing in Educational Success [IES] scheme that aims to spread the best teaching and leadership. The Government announced the scheme in 2014. It was a major announcement ahead of last year’s election. Schools in IES will get more time to focus specifically on working Read more