Caritas has welcomed New Zealand’s ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change, just a day after the Catholic social justice agency’s annual State of the Environment Report for Oceania called on all nations in the region to ratify the agreement. The move by New Zealand decision brings to 14 the number of Oceania nations Read more
The death penalty in the United States is being re-examined. Two cases are in front of the Supreme Court at present. There are also three referendums on state ballots in the November election. In the two death penalty cases before the court, both from Texas, one examines information given to jurors. The other questions whether Read more
Residents are threatening to move out if a multi-million dollar funeral home touted as a “spiritual facility” is built in Christchurch’s southwest. Long-standing Christchurch company Lamb and Hayward wants to build a new 1222-square metre “spiritual facility”, or funeral home, on 2 hectares of residential land on the corner of Halswell Junction and Wigram roads. Read more
Amish forgiveness has embraced the mother of a man who murdered five little girls and injured 5 others. He then killed himself. A single word in black cursive font hangs above a large double pane window in Terri Roberts’ sun room in Pennsylvania, US. It says, “Forgiven.” The word – and the room itself, a gift built Read more
An eminent theologian has called on New Zealand’s Catholic Church to make a direct appeal to the Pope for permission to scrap the current English translation of the Roman Missal in use in this country. Fr Gerald O’Collins, SJ, made the call at a gathering of Auckland priests at Waipuna Lodge in Mt Wellington on August 24. Continue reading in NZ Read more
Major religions gathered recently in Korea. Representatives from Korea’s four major religions organized a religious festival aimed at tearing down the walls between them. The World Religious Peace Committee organized the 2016 World Religion Culture Festival at Jeonju and other sites. The committee comprised of representatives from Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant and Won Buddhist traditions. Won Read more
An inner-city parish has sent one of its pastors roaming the streets. Rob Ferguson joined the Durham St Methodist Mission in July and now spends 40 hours a week walking through Christchurch’s recovering CBD. In plain clothes and with just a tablet, cell phone and backpack, Ferguson’s mission is simple: Talk to people. Continue reading
Immensely significant celebrations marking 50 years since an Anglican Centre was founded in Rome to “promote Christian unity in a divided world” will take place in Rome next week. A week-long summit which the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Pope Francis will attend in Rome will climax with a service in the monastery from which Read more
Exorcisms and spiritual deliverance are on the rise in New Zealand, even among those who aren’t Christian, some deliverance ministers say. Auckland woman Josephine Martin, who runs a monthly prayer room at Church Unlimited, has been “operating in the area of deliverance” for 26 years, and says the number of people stepping up to say Read more
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of at least six people hidden under a church floor in Anglesey in Wales. The bones were discovered during a project to clean and restore a rare alabaster stone tomb at St Gredifael’s Church near Menai Bridge. The tomb at Penmynydd is of Goronwy Tudur and his wife Myfanwy – Read more