GK Chesterton – author and Catholic apologist – may be in line for canonisation. An investigation into the cause for Chesterton, conducted by Canon John Udris, is expected to be completed this year. “Chesterton stands up as that saint who contradicts the world in terms of speaking out against a bad philosophy and bad thinking,” Read more
New Zealand representative at the pre-synod meeting Isabella McCafferty from Wellington said she was struck by “the uniqueness of the opportunity”. “For the first time, the Pope had called a meeting of young people from all over the world in Rome to talk about what really matters to us and how the Church can accompany Read more
Restructuring 503 parishes – established since the Middle Ages – into 23, may awaken a “revival of lay people,” Archbishop Legrez of Albi says. “They need to become aware of their role in the transmission of the faith. Many still come to church as consumers.” The Archdiocese of Albi is following a general trend among Read more
Teenagers wanting to have a civil union or de facto relationship will soon require approval from a judge. Parliament is considering a bill in the name of National MP Joanne Hayes which is designed to protect 16 and 17 year-olds from forced marriage in New Zealand. Continue reading
Connecting Islam with terrorism “may be on the lips of many, but that equation is a foolish lie,” says Pope Francis. Francis spoke of this and many other topics in an interview with the director of the Echo of Bergamo newspaper. Read more
Marie Skidmore, Marcienne Waite and Liz Hickey have known each other for 60 years as members of a Catholic Josephite order. They share their possessions in common. Since the early 1970s they haven’t worn a black and white habit, but what drives them is unchanged. Read more
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church. “Since the announcement of the fraudulent elections convened by a Constitutional Assembly, which was itself illegitimately elected, and in the absence of opposition candidates, we knew … Maduro would be re-elected and that he would use any means to achieve this,” Father Georges Read more
Parliament has extended the period for submissions on a euthanasia bill by six months, till March next year. “The committee could not have done the submitters justice if we had refused to travel or hear everyone who asked to be heard. It was therefore essential we had the six-month extension to allow us to give Read more
Tolerance involves tolerating “things you do not agree with, not just ones you do agree with, and the problem with liberal tolerance is it has got to the point of only tolerating what it likes,” says British MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. Rees-Mogg, a Catholic in the Conservative party, is in the spotlight for recent comments he Read more
A report prepared for a Greenpeace New Zealand on the fishing industry has found what amounts to being a modern form of slavery. Workers are promised good wages but many are at sea for months or years working long hours, earning 15 New Zealand cents an hour. Continue reading