News Shorts

Church retraumatises sex abuse victim

Monday, September 11th, 2017

A woman has complained the Church retraumatises sex abuse victims through its compensation process. It is unnecessarily agonising” and sent her to “an absolute state of unwellness,” she says. Read more

English and Ardern agree National MP O’Connor got it wrong

Monday, September 11th, 2017

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern says Simon O’Connor’s description of her as encouraging suicide is wrong. And National’s leader Bill English agrees. Euthanasia and suicide are different issues. O’Connor posted the comments on World Suicide Prevention Day, hours after Jacinda Ardern made a teary-eyed speech at Parliament, where 606 pairs of shoes – each representing a Read more

Popemobile hits back: Francis gets black eye, bleeding

Monday, September 11th, 2017

Crashing his head into the Popemobile left Pope Francis with an opportunity to tell reporters he got “bashed” today. The accident left Francis, who is 80, with a black eye and blood-spattered clothes. Read more

Decision on Christchurch Cathedral will prompt donations

Monday, September 11th, 2017

The decision to restore the Christ Church Cathedral will kick-start donations to bridge the $14 million funding gap, a heritage campaigner says. The Anglican’s governing body, the Synod, voted on Saturday to restore the Christ Church Cathedral, with regeneration minister Nicky Wagner saying work could start before Christmas. Continue reading

The pope’s runners debut at a marathon this month

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

The pope’s runners will debut the Vatican colours on 17 September in an interreligious marathon. About 30 Vatican employees, both men and women, have created a track-team, the Athletica Vaticana or (as they call themselves) the pope’s runners. Read more

Summary of Responses to the Wellington Archdiocesan Synod

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

In December 2016 Cardinal John Dew convoked a Synod of the Archdiocese of Wellington for the weekend of 15‒17 September this year. In May and June, everyone in the Archdiocese was invited to participate in determining the Synod agenda. The input from this participation phase has now been analysed. As a result of the input, Read more

Priest to be mediator in Indonesia West Papua dialogue

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

Various Papuan civil society, church and customary leaders met with Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo last month about establishing dialogue over problems in Papua. Terms of reference for the dialogue are not known yet, but the Jakarta meeting agreed on the Catholic priest, Dr Neles Tebay, taking on a mediator role. Continue reading

German churches hide refugees from police

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

Numerous German churches are defending refugees. They are even housing rejected asylum seekers in churches so German police cannot deport them, while submitting legal appeals for their cases. Read more

Farewell to G.I.F.T.’s Sr Jean

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

The founder of the G.I.F.T. Centre that ministers to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, Cenacle Sr Jean Sinclair, MNZM, has died in Auckland aged 93. “I learned so much from the G.I.F.T. groups”, said Lijana Anketell, a long time volunteer at G.I.F.T (Growth in Faith Together) and friend of Sr Jean’s. Continue reading in Read more

Guardian angel of refugees being investigated

Monday, September 4th, 2017

A priest called the guardian angel of refugees is under investigation for people trafficking. Mussie Zerai was nominated for a Nobel prize in 2015 for his compassion to refugees. For tens of thousands of desperate migrants, his cellphone number has meant the difference between life and death as their boats founder. He has been the Read more