News Shorts

Destiny Church leaders ‘trust in Jesus’ after deregistration threats

Thursday, October 5th, 2017

Destiny Church leaders say they will ‘react like Christ’ after the Department of Internal Affairs threatened to remove its charities from the Charities Register. Continue reading

Australian voluntary euthanasia scheme could kill 1,000 a year by 2013

Thursday, October 5th, 2017

The voluntary euthanasia scheme proposal Australia’s State of Victoria is considering could claim the lives of more than 1,000 terminally ill patients a year by 2030, a leading Catholic researcher claims. On September 21, the Victorian Government unveiled legislation for an assisted-dying scheme, with debate on the bill to begin next month and a conscience Read more

Bike rally a symbol of Featherston’s transformed youth

Thursday, October 5th, 2017

As 100 bikers arrived in Featherston last month to rally against teen suicide, our youth were there to manaaki them, and the whole community got in behind them in support. Yet only a couple of years ago, the youth were the talk of the town – but the talk was hardly positive. Alan Maxwell, an Read more

Three-year old proclaimed Kathmandu’s “living goddess”

Monday, October 2nd, 2017

A three-year-old girl has been chosen to be Kathmandu’s new “living goddess”  (Kumari). Uddhav Man Karmacharya, a Hindu priest who attends to the Kumari, says according to an ancient tradition the child will take her place on the Kumari’s throne after prayers and tantric rituals are performed. When she is anointed she will be allowed Read more

New seminary looks to beat priest shortage in Timor-Leste

Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Asia’s most Catholic nation, Timor-Leste, has a new seminary to tap the growing number of young people who want to study to become priests after finishing junior high school. The St. Joseph Seminary in Maliana Diocese is the country’s second minor seminary after Our Lady of Fatima in Dili, which has been the only place of Read more

Survey says Catholics could outnumber others in Scotland

Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Annual Scottish Household Survey data suggest in seven years Catholics could become the largest faith group in Scotland. Over 10,000 people take part in the annual Scottish Government study, which is designed to give a general view of the country’s demographics. While 51 per cent of Scots don’t belong to any religion, just under 14 Read more

Peter Godfrey, the ‘father’ of NZ Choral Music has died

Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Peter Godfrey passed away last night at the age of 95. Peter was born in England but travelled to New Zealand in 1958 to take up the position of Lecturer in Music at Auckland University, which he held from 1958-1973. Later he became Professor of Music until 1982 (1974-1982). During this time he directed Auckland’s Read more

Get involved with politics, don’t just watch says pope

Monday, October 2nd, 2017

We need to get involved with politics as we can’t improve our political landscape by observing and judging from afar, says Pope Francis. This should always be done in a spirit of charity and helpfulness, he added. “Try to act personally instead of just looking and criticising the work of others from the balcony. “If Read more

Honesty about church flaws is best policy

Thursday, September 28th, 2017

Cardinal Timothy Dolan says honesty, humbly and openly sharing the “wounds” and shortcomings of the church, might bring those who are alienated back to the practice of the faith. Using the image of the church as “our supernatural family … [which] priests, are called to image,” Dolan says human weakness has been a part of Read more

Ethnicity and diversity: Why we need top of the cliff solutions

Thursday, September 28th, 2017

The experiences of migrants and refugees are addressed in an annual summit hosted by AUT’s Immigration and Inclusion Research Group. This year a range of speakers will be tackling the workplace. AUT’s University Director of Diversity, Edwina Pio is bringing together AUT stakeholders for her third diversity summit, this year exploring ‘Ethnicity in the workspace’. Read more