Young Muslim women are helping to feed the homeless and in turn, crush negative perceptions of their faith. Members of Nisa – a group focused on women helping and empowering other women – volunteer their time to Christchurch charity Help for the Homeless once a month. University students Addeana Husaini, 19, Asayal Almutairi, 17 and Read more
Germany’s Catholic Church has called for a reduction in the number of refugees coming into the country. The president of the German bishops’ conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, said Germany cannot “take in all the world’s needy”. The question of how to respond to the migrant crisis, he said, should not solely be a matter of Read more
Ten Anglican and Uniting churches in Australia have offered sanctuary to traumatised and abused asylum seekers who are set to be returned to Nauru. A recent Australian court decision stated the lawfulness of the offshore detention regime on Nauru. This means 267 asylum seekers on mainland Australia could be returned there. But 10 Anglican and Read more
The European Parliament has recognised as genocide the Islamic State’s killing of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. This is the first time the European Parliament has acknowledged an ongoing conflict as genocide. Lars Adaktusson, the Swedish MEP who tabled the resolution, said the significance of the move is the obligations that Read more
It is the final payment to be made by the Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Maleilegaoi led government before the general election which is now a month away. The Catholic and the Congregational Christian Church schools have topped the list, receiving more than half a million dollars with the Methodist church schools getting just over $US 250,000. Several Read more
St Joseph’s School in Balclutha has launched a smartphone app to stay in touch with parents. Teacher Danique Richards said she was contacted by the app’s developer, Snapp Mobile, at the end of last year to see if the school might be interested. She was hooked almost instantly and took the idea to the board Read more
In collaboration with the Initiatives of Change NZ and the Wellington Islamic Centre, there will be a special screening of two short films, The Imam and the Pastor and An African Answer. In the 1990s, Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa led opposing, armed militias, dedicated to defending their respective communities as violence broke Read more
The Vatican is downplaying media reports that Pope Francis “will play himself” in an upcoming film. The film production company ENVI Pictures issued a statement on Monday saying Pope Francis will appear in the film “Beyond the Sun”. The Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications, Msgr Dario Edoardo Viganò, said “the Pope is not an Read more
The Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship has criticised “long and loud” offertory processions in some countries. Writing in L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Robert Sarah took aim at offertory processions in some African countries that include “endless dances”. “One has the impression of being present at a folklore exhibition,” the cardinal wrote. Cardinal Sarah comes Read more