Pope Francis told Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and other religious leaders meeting at the Vatican “we all thirst for mercy”. Authentic religions help people understand that they are, in fact, loved and can be forgiven and are called to love and forgive others, he said. He also told them religions are called to bear Read more
A heartfelt letter from a small Otorohanga primary school principal has left a autistic student smiling and his parents speechless and emotional. The Maihiihi School principal, Glenn MacPherson, snuck a gift wrapped parcel and a letter into student Cam Uden’s school bag last Tuesday. His dad, Jason Uden, discovered it and shared the letter on Twitter as a show of thanks. Read the letter
Prisoners partied with the Pope at a special Jubilee for Prisoners at the Vatican on Sunday. Their families joined them at St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass with Pope Francis, followed by a special reception. Read more
A Samoan girl-led charity, Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) is one of 20 organisations from around the world to receive a With and For Girls Award in London this week. The With and For Girls Awards is a global initiative to identify and support strong local organisations working with and for girls. As part of Read more
A possible landmark deal that would see China and the Vatican come to an agreement on the appointment of bishops would be “absolutely unacceptable”, China’s most senior Catholic cleric has said. Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the retired bishop of Hong Kong, told the Wall Street Journal that if the Vatican agrees to let Beijing appoint Read more
There were no scary costumes, bloody face paintings, or trick-or-treating, at St Columba Presbyterian Church’s Light Party – an alternative to Halloween. People are encouraged to “dress as something funny, friendly or fantastic” and have a happy time with family, friends and their community next Monday, from 5-8pm. Alex Tracey, the Botany church’s children and family ministry leader, says: “We Read more
Witch or martyr? It seems the last woman to be hanged as a witch in Boston may have been a martyr. After falling ill (and perhaps spreading her illness to the children in her care) Ann Glover was convicted of being an “idolatrous Roman Catholick” and a witch. She was hanged on Boston Common on Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has spoken out in opposition to assisted suicide in an oral submission to the Health Select Committee looking into attitudes towards euthanasia. Drawing on its experiences working with disempowered communities in New Zealand and abroad, the social justice agency highlighted the issue of powerlessness as a major concern in the debate Read more
Ukrainian Catholics are excluded from the Religious Council in the Crimea. The Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014. Its new rules for religious organizations are similar to Russian religious policies. The new regulations say only “traditional” religions, including Orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are allowed on the Council. Read more
The New Zealand Bishops were informed of Pope Francis’ decision to appoint Cardinal Dew to the Congregation for Divine Worship during their Conference meetings last week. The bishops welcomed this appointment and the opportunity this provides for Cardinal Dew to work collegially with fellow bishops in the important area of liturgy and worship. Cardinal Dew Read more