Young people are confused, anxious and unhappy as a result of negative cultural influences according to conferences at Indiana’s University of Notre Dame. The Church could help address these conditions if the young people weren’t disconnected from church institutions. This makes the upcoming Synod on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment all the more urgent, Read more
A “shining light” of the Taranaki faith community, and arguably one of the country’s oldest altar servers, has died. Sam, who had Down syndrome, became an altar server in 2002 and also regularly welcomed parishioners to weekly services, as a host at the door. On March 1, he died at Chalmers rest home after a short illness, with Read more
Ireland’s former president wants Pope Francis to develop a credible strategy to include women at every level in the Catholic Church’s global structure. Mary McAleese says women’s exclusion from decision-making roles “has left the church flapping about awkwardly on one wing.” Read more
Labour MPs have taken offence at an Iranian agricultural delegation after they were told the Iranians wouldn’t shake hands with their female counterpart. Labour’s Jo Luxton is the deputy chair of the Primary Production select committee, which held a meeting with the Iranians last month. She says as a woman it made her uncomfortable, but Read more
Argentina’s Catholic bishops will hand over more than 100 baptism certificates of babies born to political prisoners in a torture centre during the country’s dictatorship. The bishops say their decision came in light of a “longing of Pope Francis”, who was the former bishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Francis has promised human rights groups Read more
Hawke’s Bay councils choosing karakia over prayers to open meetings. Across Hawke’s Bay/Tararua only half of the six councils have an official prayer which references religion. Of these three, two favour a karakia (a Maori formal greeting similar to a prayer). Continue reading
The Vatican has invited hackers to its first-ever hackathon. The four-day coding marathon event began yesterday. The hackathon, called VHacks, has brought together people from all faiths as well as those who have no faith. In this, computer scientists, developers and designers use technology to solve global problems. Read more
Pope Francis’s clergy sexual abuse commission could be more effective in protecting children if the group were granted more time to work directly with him. It also needs resources to hold more in-person meetings each year, a former member says. Read more
America’s newest cathedral, the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was dedicated last Saturday. Over 1,000 parishioners joined five cardinals, 21 bishops, more than 100 priests, 58 deacons and 39 men and women religious at the dedication Mass. Read more
The two existing primates of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (ANZP) have announced that the province’s third primate will be Bishop Don Tamihere, currently bishop of Tairawhiti. The Church of ANZP is unique in the Anglican Communion in having three primates of the whole province, but with special responsibility for the Read more