Whangārei Catholic Women’s League volunteers are always on hand to dish out the coffee, tea and biscuits to help top up the blood donors after their good deed. Whangārei consistently shows up as one of New Zealand’s highest donor centres, Blood Service collection team leader Scott Sinclair said. Read more
A new movie depicting corrupt priests has outraged some conservative politicians in Poland. “Kler” (“Clergy”) revolves around the lives of three fictional Catholic priests who swill vodka and mock the church. One of them sexually abuses a blind orphan boy. Read more
A document from Pope Francis was a focus for reflection at the recent National Association of Principals of Catholic Secondary Schools (NAPCSS) conference. Keynote speaker Dr Rocio Figueroa, a lecturer in systematic theology at Good Shepherd College in Auckland, spoke about the importance of persevering in love and joy, based on the post-synodal apostolic exhortation the Joy of Love. Continue reading Read more
The Chief Rabbi of Vienna, Arie Folger, has taken issue with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI over his treatment of the “substitution theory”. This theory coloured relations between Jews and Christians over many centuries, and was used to justify persecution of Jews by Christians. Read more
An idea planted in a humble Porirua community has grown into the biggest fruit and vegge co-op of its type in the country. With its roots still firmly entrenched in Cannons Creek, the Wellington Region Fruit and Vege Co-Op serves about nine tonnes of fresh produce to 1400 Wellington homes each week at roughly half Read more
Former long-serving Napier family doctor and health care leader Dr Tony Foley died peacefully at the age of 92 at St Joseph’s Home, Auckland on September 11. He was farewelled at a private funeral at St Joseph’s Chapel, on September 17. Continue reading
Catholic school enrolments are projected to stagnate over the coming years, while numbers in state schools are set to rise by over 270,000. Some blame fee rises, while others say confidence in the public school system is increasing and question whether the royal commission into child sex abuse has hurt confidence in the Catholic sector. Read more
The Right Rev Taimoanaifakaofo (Fakaofo) Kaio of Auckland is the new Moderator or elected leader of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. He begins his two-year term from the evening of Wednesday 3 October 2018. Continue reading
New policies to police bishops have been announced. The US Catholic bishops’ conference apologied last Wednesday for the role of bishops in the church’s clergy sexual abuse scandal. At the same time, they announced new initiatives to hold abusive or negligent bishops accountable. Read more