A former Christchurch man jailed in 2016 for arson that caused $2.3 million damage to a church there has admitted breaching parole in Gisborne. Cheyenne Destiny Jade Reed, 38 burned down St Margaret’s Presbyterian Church in Farrington Ave, Bishopdale, during May 2016. Read more
Russian Orthodox churches in Europe are preparing to reconnect with Moscow after nearly 90 years under the protection of Constantinople. An extraordinary General Assembly of 186 members met in Paris Sept. 7 to decide whether to reconnect with the Russian Orthodox Church, which they left in 1931 because of persecution under Stalin’s anti-religious policy. This Read more
The Pasifika youth court sits in a community hall in Mangere. This courtroom is nothing like the drama of Suits. These are real young people who’ve made poor decisions, but with the wraparound support of the system and their families, are making steady efforts to turn their lives around. Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte stated that there is no need to celebrate 500 years of Christianity in the Catholic majority country in 2021. Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony in the City of Naga, Cebu, Duterte linked the arrival of Christianity to colonialism. “Why would I celebrate the arrival of the Spanish here? Why would I?” Read more
The St Vincent de Paul Society Wellington Area hosted a festival Mass at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mount Victoria on Thursday to celebrate the Feast Day of the Society’s patron, Saint Vincent de Paul. Read more
Spain’s Catholic bishops have warned that the increasingly popular use of Mindfulness is incompatible with “Christian prayer practices”, and cautioned Catholics they risk “effectively abandoning the faith” if they engage in it. “Our pace of life, marked by activism, competitiveness and consumerism, generates emptiness, stress and anguish”, said the Bishops Conference’s Commission for Doctrine of Read more
A former Marist brother and Auckland Catholic Diocese employee has been sentenced to home detention after admitting historical sex charges against young girls. He also faced further charges over possessing objectionable material. Read more
A Colorado man with cancer along with his doctor have filed a suit challenging religious liberty last month against a health system run by the Catholic Church. The suit alleges that hospital policy barring doctors from participating in assisted suicide violates state law. Cornelius “Neil” Mahoney, 64, was told July 16 that his cancer was Read more
Public health advocates say the Department of Internal Affairs is prioritising the profits of Kiwi gambling companies over the health of Kiwi gamblers Department of Internal Affairs has launched a probe to discover what it should do about gambling websites. In August, DIA released a discussion document presenting four options, as well as a set Read more
The head of Catholic bishops in Vietnam has praised a late Vatican official for his efforts to build bridges between Vietnam and the Catholic world. Cardinal Roger Marie Elie Etchegaray, president emeritus of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, died on Sept. 4 in Cambo-les-Bains in Read more