The Salvation Army has dipped into its reserves to help people who were turned down by Work and Income pay for rental housing bonds. About four people have come into the Salvation Army Manukau office in the last two days to ask for help to get into new accommodation. Salvation Army policy analyst Alan Johnson Read more
News Shorts
Priest presides at historic Melbourne gangland funeral
Friday, May 27th, 2016A priest has presided over what has been described as the last Melbourne gangland funeral of its kind. Fr Joe Caddy presided at the funeral of George Williams, 69, the father of notorious gangland criminal, the late Carl Williams. “We all fall over,” said Fr Caddy. “But all people have goodness,” he added. Fr Caddy Read more
Politician dumped as Mass reader over party abortion stance
Friday, May 27th, 2016An Irish political candidate has been told he can’t do readings in his parish anymore because of his party’s stance over abortion law reform. Social Democrat candidate Ken Curtin was dropped as a reader at Mass in a County Cork parish at the order of the parish administrator Fr John McCarthy. The aspiring politician then Read more
Vatican bank board members resign amid slow reform
Friday, May 27th, 2016Two Vatican bank board members have resigned amid what one source says is frustration at the slow pace of reform. Two experienced bankers, Italian Carlo Salvatori and German Clemens Boersig, resigned from the board of the Institute for the Works of Religion. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said this followed a “divergence of opinion over Read more
Church minister collapses in dock during paua poaching sentencing
Friday, May 27th, 2016A Dunedin church minister, one of five people in court for illegally taking undersized paua, collapsed in the dock during sentencing. Tualagi Polaia, 51, was taken by ambulance to Dunedin Hospital with minor injuries after collapsing in the dock on Wednesday morning. Continue reading
St Patrick’s students sent home after bomb threat
Friday, May 27th, 2016
St Patrick’s College in Kilbirnie, Wellington, was evacuated on Wednesday morning after a bomb threat was made via email. Rector Neal Swindells said the bomb threat was made about 9.30am. The school then contacted police and made the decision to send staff and students home. Police remained at the school for much of Wednesday, working with the Read more
Vatican denies claims on Ratzinger and Fatima third secret
Tuesday, May 24th, 2016The Vatican has rejected claims that Pope Benedict XVI said the Third Secret of Fatima was not released in its entirety in 2000. Such claims, expressed in recent articles, were described by the Vatican as “pure inventions” and “absolutely untrue”. The claims relate to when the Pope emeritus was prefect of the Congregation for the Read more
Pope Francis rejects theology of prosperity
Tuesday, May 24th, 2016Pope Francis has said a theology of prosperity, where God rewards a just person with wealth, is wrong. Preaching during Mass at his residence on Thursday, the Pope said Christians err when think such a theology is valid. “You cannot serve God and wealth,” the Pope said, reflecting on a passage from the letter of Read more
Archbishop condemns Malawi killings of albino persons
Tuesday, May 24th, 2016An archbishop in Malawi has said that the killing of albino persons in that country is evil and must be condemned. Archbishop Tarcisius Ziyaye told a Malawi Primary Justice Day that prayer is needed for God’s intervention to stop this “evil act”. The archbishop said the devil is leading people to do such evil things Read more
Futuna king abdicated after losing support
Tuesday, May 24th, 2016The king of Alo on the French Pacific island of Futuna says he abdicated because he had lost the backing of his clan. Petelo Sea gave the explanation to the public broadcaster after his surprise move to end his tenure just two years after being installed. Read more