Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the Holy See’s former Deputy Secretary of State (Sostituto), has strongly denied any misappropriation of funds from the Peter’s Pence collection, currently under investigation by the Vatican judiciary. The Sardinian cardinal, who is now prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was questioned about the investigation on Feb. 17 at Read more
A Christchurch man is struggling to get on the housing ladder because New Zealand’s banks don’t offer sharia-compliant loans. Hisham El Zeiny has lived in New Zealand for 21 years but is unable to buy his own home, partly because paying or receiving interest is forbidden in Islam and the country’s banks don’t offer alternative Read more
Laws requiring clergy to report child abuse to authorities — even if it’s heard in the confession box — will come into effect on Monday, ending the “special treatment” for Victoria’s religious institutions. The seal has now been lifted for the suspected sexual abuse of children, with spiritual and religious leaders required to report the Read more
A focus on reducing death by suicide among young people is ageist and misleading, an expert in mental health among the elderly says. Associate Professor Yoram Barak said a recent Otago University study showed rates of death by suicide for men aged over 85 in the past 10 years were similar to those among younger Read more
Mgr Joseph Zhu Baoyu bishop of Nanyang in southwest China is believed to be the oldest patient to have recovered from the coronavirus. The 98-year-old pastor was diagnosed with Covid-19 pneumonia on February3. He has tested negative since 12 February and was given the all-clear on February 14. Bishop Zhu was treated at the central Read more
The Kiwi-Filipino couple who first brought the devotion to the Santo Niño to Auckland 26 years ago have been made a knight and a dame of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr. Oscar and Miriam Batucan, founder and organisers of the NZ Filipino Devotees of the Senyor Sto. Niño, were made Read more
The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis had approved changes to Caritas Internationalis’ governing statutes and internal rules. The new statutes had been in effect since May 2019 after a decree from the Vatican Secretariat of State approved changes made by the general assembly of Caritas. Pope Francis approved the amended statutes and internal rules Read more
They came with a message of peace and left enriched by the same. A group of international peace runners traversed roads from Coromandel to Whangamata over a week that was memorable for everyone. The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run is a global relay seeking to inspire the creation of a more peaceful world. Eleven runners Read more
A high court in Pakistan has ruled that men can marry underage girls, under Sharia law, after they have experienced their first menstrual cycle. Sharia law is the religious law of Islam derived from the teachings of the Quran, which acts as a divine code or guide for living. The ruling was made by the Read more
The select committee tasked with examining New Zealand’s abortion laws has recommended enshrining the right of medical practitioners to refuse emergency contraception in cases of sexual violence. This has angered campaigners who say it obstructs access to effective contraception, and sidelines the rights of sexual assault survivors. The proposed changes would require medical practitioners to Read more