During his two-year reign as the Children’s Commissioner, Andrew Becroft says pornography has been the most concerning issue among young New Zealanders reported to him. Becroft has welcomed a new report which looks into how and why children in New Zealand view online porn and does so by asking them directly. Continue reading
Germany’s largest political party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has a new leader. Practicing Catholic, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer – known as AKK in the German press – was seen as chancellor and outgoing CDU leader Angela Merkel’s preferred choice. Read more
Catholics in India are celebrating the resignation of a corrupt Catholic bishop. Pope Francis agreed to the resignation of the bishop who is facing allegations of stealing funds to maintain his “secret family.” Read more
On December 10-11, the United Nations will convened at an intergovernmental conference in Marrakech, Morocco to sign the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), establishing global agreement on a common approach toward international migration. In 2016, the 193 members of the UN – including New Zealand – agreed unanimously that protecting those Read more
Samoan church leaders from the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa are appearing in court today to answer to tax avoidance charges. The church’s chairman, Tauti’aga Senara, and his deputy, Tunumoso Iosia, are scheduled to be the first to appear in the Samoa District Court. Over 10 ministers have been charged with tax avoidance so far Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interfaith Relations (NZCBCIR) has released a revised booklet promoting Interfaith Relations in Aotearoa New Zealand – Te Whakatairanga i te Nohotahitanga o ngā Whakapono i Aotearoa. The booklet provides practical guidance and encouragement for people to welcome and nurture relationships with those of other faiths. Chair of the Read more
Thousands of refugees have died or gone missing along on their way to the US via Mexico. The Associated Press says the estimated 4,000 Latin American migrants reported missing or dead is likely low as bodies may be lost in the desert, or relatives may not report missing loved ones who were migrating illegally. Read Read more
St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hāwera was founded in 1875 and is now on its fourth church building. Its current home, on Victoria Street, opened in 1993 and the congregation will celebrate its 25-year jubilee on December 16. Continue reading
Intolerance of Christians is the ‘last acceptable prejudice’, says , the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. Quoting Pope Francis, Gallagher says there’s a tendency to reduce religions “to the quiet obscurity of the individual’s conscience or to relegate them to the enclosed precincts of churches, synagogues or mosques.” Read more
Sister Emanuela Betham yesterday celebrated 60 years serving as a Sister of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (S.M.S.M.) Marist Missionary life. A church service was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church at Mt. Vaea yesterday evening to commemorate her achievement, which was attended by members of the S.M.S.M. sisters, Read more