This week, Julianne Hickey, the Director of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, is attending a conference in Bangkok to discuss issues surrounding child protection, human trafficking and labour migration in Asia and Oceania. The conference focused on “The Future of Work,” is hosted by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), an organisation working in over 40 Read more
Pope Francis on Sunday hailed Nativity scenes as “simple and admirable” signs of Christian faith and encouraged their placement in workplaces, schools and town squares, as he bolstered a Christmas tradition that has at times triggered bitter legal battles in the United States. “I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the Nativity Read more
New Zealand bishops have expressed satisfaction after a discussion with Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on the cause of Venerable Suzanne Aubert. New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference secretary Bishop Stephen Lowe of Hamilton described the meeting as “positive.” Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn, Wellington Cardinal John Dew, Christchurch Read more
The Catholic Church has been accused of “robbing” Africa of its priests to tackle the shortage in the UK, leaving worshippers struggling to understand services in “poor English”. The claims were made by the Rev Deacon Michael Phelan, a retired Permanent Deacon in the diocese of Northampton, who raised concerns amid what some people deem Read more
Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn has asked that Catholic secondary schools in his diocese unable to accept all preference applicants have an enrolment policy or scheme that places very high priority on such applicants having certificates for Catholic Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation. Bishop Dunn sent a letter dated September 20 with this request to Auckland Read more
Doctors have put humans into a state of suspended animation for the first time in a groundbreaking trial that aims to buy more time for surgeons to save seriously injured patients. The process involves rapidly cooling the brain to less than 10C by replacing the patient’s blood with ice-cold saline solution. Typically the solution is Read more
Everyone is welcome at a free public event celebrating International Day of People with Disabilities tomorrow Tuesday 3 December in Thorndon, Wellington, organised by the Nathaniel Centre (New Zealand’s Catholic Bioethics Centre) in partnership with L’Arche Kapiti and The Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand. The event runs from noon to 1 pm in the Read more
Pope Francis has made four new appointments to the Pontifical Council for Culture. All are women. Sr Dominica Dipio, MSMMC, professor of literature at the Makerere University of Kampala, Uganda; Sr Mariella Mascitelli, PDDM, an architect specialising in architecture and art for the liturgy, Italy; Maud de Beauchesne-Cassanet, head of the Department of Religious Art Read more
The world’s first HIV positive sperm bank has been launched in an effort to reduce the stigma experienced by those living with the virus. Sperm Positive has begun with three male donors from across New Zealand who are living with HIV but have an undetectable viral load, meaning the amount of the virus in a Read more
An Argentine court on Monday convicted two Roman Catholic priests and the former gardener of a church-run school for deaf students in the province of Mendoza on 28 counts of sexual abuse and corruption of minors. Priests Nicola Corradi and Horacio Corbacho were sentenced to 42 and 45 years in prison, respectively, while the school Read more