New Zealand’s top scientific body has joined calls for an overhaul of genetic engineering (GE) laws, after finding an “urgent need” for a fresh look at how we might use the contentious technology. The Prime Minister’s chief science adviser has also shared with Jacinda Ardern her belief that laws governing gene editing technologies were no Read more
More than 5000 people have signed a petition in protest at the closure of a pilgrimage centre at Scotland’s national Catholic shrine, the Carfin Grotto in the Motherwell diocese. The diocese has announced the centre, opened in 1996, will close at the end of September and all staff will be made redundant. The grotto itself, Read more
The German Church’s income rose by 3.3 per cent to a record 6.64 billion euros in 2018, despite the massive exodus of 216, 078 German Catholics in the same year. The figures were published in a bishops’ conference brochure, “The Catholic Church in Germany: Facts and Figures 2018/19”, presented in Bonn on 8 August. “This Read more
Forget about burning them – bras donated by New Zealand women are giving their sisters in the Pacific a new sense of freedom. More than 1500 bras collected by women’s networks in two government departments have been donated to The Uplift Project, supporting women of the Pacific Islands who’ve never owned a bra. The room Read more
A church abuse survivor has supported calls for religious groups to waive victims’ secrecy obligations at Royal Commission hearings. Author Mike Ledingham welcomed Wednesday’s announcement that Crown agencies would lift confidentiality obligations on State care abuse survivors. Simon Mount QC, counsel assisting the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, said he expected churches to Read more
A 52-year-old Caritas volunteer helped rescue more than two dozen families from a recent flood in Karachi, Pakistan. Francis Javed, a father of six who works as a cobbler, told ucanews.com that he received a phone call from Caritas Pakistan Karachi at 11 a.m. on July 30. They warned him about an overflowing dam not Read more
On his quest to help the homeless Tiny Deane saved up for a trailer to help shift people into new homes. Now he’s asking for help to get it back after thieves made off with it in a night raid. Read more
The Court of Appeal has been dealing with last-minute questions about the way George Pell’s jury was empanelled as it prepares to deliver its ruling on one of the nation’s biggest legal cases. The three judges have been examining the law around how Pell was arraigned when no jury panel members were physically present in Read more
The ChristChurch Cathedral will be lit up in August to remind people the reinstatement project is still alive. There are several different designs that will run every night from 6-10pm, finishing at the end of August. Read more
Clinicians are calling for an urgent national inquiry into the safety and ethics of giving unproven hormone drug treatment to ever younger children who are confused about sex and gender. A detailed submission, arguing that risks including infertility and lifelong regret outweigh the benefits to trans children and teenagers, was sent yesterday to Health Minister Read more