A priest in northern Poland who led a public burning of books that included Harry Potter titles and other “evil” items parishioners wanted destroyed has apologised. Father Rafał Jarosiewicz called the burning of objects thought to be connected to magic and the occult, and deemed by their owners to be an evil force, “unfortunate”. Images Read more
Tangaroa – the Māori god of the sea – may be little more than a mythological figure, but the mere mention of the divine being’s name in Wellington’s climate change plan has some city councillors spooked. Read more
Pope Francis appointed on Saturday a French Vatican official to oversee the care of religious communities of a traditional nature, and to assist with the regularization of the Society of St. Pius X. Msgr. Patrick Descourtieux becomes head of the section within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith dealing with such communities. He Read more
Dame Tariana Turia says life and death are not individual events. She says there are very few people who are on the Earth by themselves. We exist as part of our families, our whānau and our communities. For many Māori, death is a process the whole whānau goes through together because the whānau is farewelling Read more
Alarm over displacement in Papua New Guinea caused by climate change was expressed last week during a meeting at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Port Moresby. The gathering focused particularly on climate change and specifically on the issue of the Cartaret islands in the autonomous region of Bougainville and the Manam islands in Madang province. Read more
A death metal drummer has been charged with setting two Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints churches ablaze. Jacob Lowenstein, 28, who plays for metal band Igni, appeared from custody via an audio-visual link at Christchurch District Court today on two charges of arson – and one of unlawfully taking a vehicle. Read more
Papal blessings may be requested for various occasions, such as the reception of the sacraments, including Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, or Ordination to the priesthood or permanent diaconate. They can also be granted for other religious events, including the profession of religious vows or secular consecration. Papal blessings are also popularly requested for major Read more
A decision to invite a Muslim cleric to say a prayer at an Anzac Day service has sparked an anguished backlash from veterans. The Returned and Services Association (RSA) branch at Titahi Bay near Wellington has moved the Muslim prayer from its 6 am dawn service to its 10 am civic ceremony after some veterans Read more
A group of prominent actors are threatening to boycott the state of Georgia should its governor sign a bill banning abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. Led by actress Alyssa Milano, a group of about 50 celebrities signed an open letter Thursday addressed to Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and Hon. David Ralston (R), Read more
Justice Minister Andrew Little is considering making hate crime an offence in the wake of the March 15 Christchurch terror attack. Currently, hate-motivated hostility can be considered an “aggravating factor” in sentencing, and staff can note when a crime was motivated by a “common characteristic” such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion. Read Read more