A group of Russian designers have scrapped a planned light installation modelled on the all-seeing evil eye in JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novels after the Russian Orthodox Church protested. In Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and also in the subsequent Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Eye of Sauron is a giant flaming eye controlled by the “dark Read more
New Zealand
MPs’ new prayer rejected
Friday, December 12th, 2014Parliament’s Speaker David Carter has announced that the traditional prayer he uses to open daily sittings of Parliament will remain as is, with its Christian references. He undertook a very low-key consultation process with MPs and offered an alternative that would remove religious references to “Almight God” and “Jesus Christ our Lord” from the English Read more
Christchurch clergy appointments 2015
Friday, December 12th, 2014Bishop Barry Jones has made his clergy appointments for 2015. These are as follows… Fr Chinnappa Thumma will be Assistant priest at Christ the King, Burnside, Fr Bala Allam will be Assistant priest at St Josephs, Papanui, Fr Benito Velasco will be Assistant priest at St Peter Chanel, Waimakariri, Fr Joaquin Camano will be Assistant Read more
Gap Year students graduate
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014
Eight people who took part in the 2014 Challenge Marist Gap Year graduated in a ceremony that took place at St Joseph’s Church in Mount Victoria in Wellington last Sunday. The event was attended by the Gap year students’ families and friends as well as representatives and friends of Challenge 2000 and the Society of Mary. Each Read more
Typhoon Hagupit – preparedness has reduced casualties
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014
Despite 220kph winds and heavy rains lashing the Philippines since Typhoon Hagupit made landfall on Saturday. Casualties from the storm have been minimal however, there has already been significant damage left in the wake of the typhoon, with 80 per cent of homes destroyed in some areas. Donations to assist with the humanitarian response and Read more
Meet the new man at St Pat’s Town
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014The Rector of St Patrick’s College Wellington was recently interviewed by local newspaper, the Dominion Post. Neal Swindells came to St Pat’s from St John’s College in Hastings where he had been the principal for 15 years. “I was brought up a Methodist Presbyterian in a strong Christian family. My wife, Anna, was from a Read more
Mallard baulks at MPs’ new prayer
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014Assistant Speaker Trevor Mallard is objecting to the proposed new prayer for Parliament, saying while it removes religious elements from the English version, it deceptively puts them into the Maori version. It also appeared to confer rights of Parliament’s sovereignty on the local iwi, Te Atiawa. Speaker David Carter appears to have consulted only MPs Read more
Destiny’s sweet-smelling fragrance that is acceptable to God
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014
Bishop Brian Tamaki tweeted: “A Sweet-Smelling Fragrance that is Acceptable to God (Phil 4:15-19). My God shall supply all your need”, after church members last weekend showered the stage with high-denomination bills during a church service, boosting church coffers by $100,000. Destiny Church-affiliated charities received nearly $6million in donations in the last year after self-appointed Bishop Read more
Waitangi claim on Hato Petera land
Friday, December 5th, 2014
In its report on Hato Petera College the Education Review Office said: “A Treaty of Waitangi claim against the Catholic Diocese from old boys of the school, relating to the historical Deed of Trust for the property surrounding the school, is affecting school and Diocese relationships at present.” The claim centres on the land where Read more
Bishops say anti terror laws not specific enough
Friday, December 5th, 2014
The New Zealand Catholic Church recognises the urgency of responding to the threat of ISIS in the Middle East, but it is important that powers under the anti terror laws were not misused in other situations. New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops and Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand say the Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill is being rushed Read more