Hawaii’s Senate supports an assisted suicide bill. This is despite Hawaiian Catholic Conference warnings it could put vulnerable people at risk. The Conference says it could also change the nature of medicine. “Physicians are seen as trusted health advisors, and this bill undermines this relationship, creating suspicion and uncertainty for Hawaii’s patients,” said Deacon Walter Read more
Kicking off early with 11am mass (St Patrick is our patron Saint after all), Auckland’s Irish Society will host a full-day of shenanigans in Morningside’s Fowlds Park with music, dancing and home-made fare. See stpatrick.co.nz While there will be many pints of the black stuff consumed in New Zealand’s numerous Irish bars on March 17,stuff.co.nz have Read more
Boxing greats Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes and Roberto Duran are joining Muhammad Ali’s family’s fight for religious freedom. The alliance came about after Ali’s son and former wife say they were detained at an airport for their religion. They linked the incident President Donald Trump’s travel ban, which they are challenging on religious freedom grounds. Read more
A former convent in Grey Lynn, now in use as a boarding house for the poor, is on the market. The going price is over $5 million. This week the owner was served with notices from Auckland Council advising he is in breach of numerous serious health and safety regulations. Owner Rentyn Turner bought it Read more
A Papal trip to Egypt is under consideration. Although Italy’s state-run RAI reported Pope Francis would visit Cairo’s Al-Azhar, the leading center of learning of Sunni Islam, on May 20-21, this has not been confirmed by the Vatican. Instead, the Vaticvan says the trip is “under consideration but that no dates or itinerary have been finalized”. Read more
Figures show the government spent $443,400 on a working group looking at the restoration of the quake damaged Christ Church Cathedral, but its fate has still not been agreed upon. The fate of Christ Church Cathedral has been in question since the February 2011 earthquake, with parties at an impasse over whether it should be Read more
Aleppo has been given a US$100,000 donation from Pope Francis. The Syrian city has been ravaged by war. The ancient city has become a symbol of the war’s brutality. It has endured fighting during the six-year Syrian conflict, and the warfare has caused many deaths and injuries, widespread displacement and massive damage. Read more
Christian Activist Shane Claiborne is a founder and board member of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped birth and connect radical faith communities around the world. Shane writes and travels extensively, speaking about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus. Shane’s classic book “The Irresistible Revolution,” has invited people all Read more
Stunning photographs of a hidden Knights Templar church have been released for the first time. The Knights Templar was a Catholic military order. The 700 year-old church is hidden in an underground cavern in Shropshire, England. Read more
Christchurch Transitional Cathedral and Theology House have announced they will co-host a public theology forum on the benefits and pitfalls of legalising euthanasia in Aotearoa New Zealand. The debate will take place at the Transitional Cathedral in Latimer Square, running from 9.30am – 2.30pm on Saturday 1 April, and will feature four speakers for and Read more