Auckland’s St Peter’s College has fallen agonisingly short in a Moascar Cup rugby challenge against near neighbours Auckland Grammar. St Peter’s lost 22-24 to a last minute drop goal from Grammar, after battling back from an 11 point deficit with just 14 minutes remaining. The Moascar Cup is the equivalent of the Ranfurly Shield for school Read more
New Zealand
Lobby group releases NZ MPs voting records on family issues
Tuesday, August 19th, 2014Family First has released a guide on how current MPs have voted on controversial family and conscience issues in the last 12 years. The resource, titled “Value Your Vote 2014”, was released in early August, about seven weeks before New Zealand’s general election. The issues covered include redefining marriage, the anti-smacking law, parental notification for teenage Read more
Auckland bishops call on Israel to return to pre-1967 borders
Friday, August 15th, 2014
Auckland’s Catholic and Anglican bishops have called on Israel to return to its pre-1967 borders in accordance with United Nations’ requests. In a joint statement, Catholic Bishop Patrick Dunn and Anglican Bishop Ross Bay said such an act by Israel would be “a pre-requisite for dialogue to establish a lasting and just settlement in the Read more
Catholic Church makes stand at Otago gay rights forum
Friday, August 15th, 2014
Mainline churches had divided opinions on the issue of same-sex marriage at a forum in Dunedin on August 11. It had been a year this month since marriage law was amended in New Zealand to allow same-sex marriage. Fr Mark Chamberlain told the forum that Roman Catholics remain opposed to same-sex marriage. “In the Catholic Read more
Nuns and Sallies in scheme to beat loan sharks
Friday, August 15th, 2014
The Salvation Army will be the front door for a new Government-backed loans scheme aimed at saving low income families from loan sharks. The inspiration for the scheme came from a similar one run in Australia by a financial institution and a microfinancing body which was started by Catholic nuns. The Community Finance Scheme in Read more
Archbishop with NZ link was a KGB agent
Friday, August 15th, 2014A church leader with responsibilities in Australia and New Zealand has been identified as a KGB agent. According to newly released Russian intelligence archives, the late Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, former Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, was listed as a KGB agent. He was codenamed “Zorik” in the Read more
NZ Human Rights Commission rejects religion-linked hate acts
Friday, August 15th, 2014New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission had joined religious leaders in rejecting hateful acts linked to religion in this country and overseas. “We mourn the tragic, heartbreaking loss of all lives in the conflict in Gaza and Israel: but we must honour their lives by standing up for peace at all costs,” said Chief Human Rights Read more
Concert planned for hospital chaplains in the Waikato
Friday, August 15th, 2014A concert is being planned to raise funds for chaplains at Waikato Hospital, who between them help 30,000 patients a year. The Waikato Healthcare Chaplaincy Committee Charitable Trust will hold a concert “Hear and Care” on August 30. The current chaplaincy team at Waikato Hospital is made up of three ecumenical chaplains, one Catholic chaplain, Read more
CWL members asked to query women deacon possibilities
Tuesday, August 12th, 2014
At the league’s annual conference in Auckland last month, participants were reflecting on Pope Francis’s call for the Church to develop a more profound theology of women. NZ Catholic reported that one group raised the idea of women deacons. CWL national chaplain Sr John Bosco Kendall then suggested the group put this idea to their Read more
Auckland landmark St Ben’s has shaky future if bill passes unchanged
Tuesday, August 12th, 2014
St Benedict’s parish in Newton faces a bill of up to $8 million to bring their Auckland landmark church up to proposed earthquake strengthening standards. That’s after already spending about $2million ten years ago to restore the structure that was built in 1888. That restoration brought the church up to 33 per cent of the Read more