The Anglican Bishop of Newcastle has defended a priest over a sign outside a Gosford church that read, “Hell exists and it’s on Nauru”. The messages on the signboard outside the church on the NSW Central Coast, of which Father Rod Bower is archdeacon, have taken aim at detention centre operator Transfield on more than Read more
An independent Government-appointed consultant will be brought in to negotiate plans for the earthquake-damaged ChristChurch Cathedral after four years of deadlock. Plans for the future of Christchurch’s iconic cathedral stalled in 2011 after Anglican leaders came out in support of plans to partially demolish the building. They had faced ongoing opposition from heritage campaigners, particularly Read more
US priests are being locked out of Facebook because they use the title “Father” as part of their name on their personal page. Facebook’s policy bans “titles of any kind” – including doctor, professor or president – from being included in one’s name on a personal page. The banning of prominent Washington priest Msgr Charles Read more
A Catholic Worker House in Iowa has been told it can no longer host Masses after a woman priest presided at a service late last year. In a May 5 letter, Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines diocese ordered the local Catholic Worker House to cease holding services. The local council of priests voted unanimously to strip the Catholic Worker House Read more
The funeral Mass of an English Catholic priest is to be celebrated in an Anglican church in recognition of the work he did to bring Christians together. Canon Brian O’Sullivan of Arundel and Brighton diocese died on August 21. The Anglican Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, has approved the unusual funeral move in recognition Read more
Society of Mary provincial Fr David Kennerley preached the homily at a Mass on August 23, commemorating the first Mass celebrated in the South Island. Bishop Barry Jones led the Mass of Commemoration at a packed St Patrick’s Church in Akaroa, with Frs Paul Shannahan, SM, and Peter Conaghan, SM, also concelebrating. French Marist missionaries Read more
An Australian court has heard about the Crown’s attempts to establish a pattern of behaviour by a Catholic brother extradited from New Zealand. Bernard Kevin McGrath, 68, is facing 252 child sex charges relating to 35 victims, dating back to the 1970s. McGrath appeared by video link in the Newcastle Local Court last week. Hundreds Read more
Catholic publications from New Zealand won several awards at the Australasian Religious Press Association Awards in Brisbane on Saturday. NZ Catholic journalist Rowena Orejana won a bronze award in the best new writer category for a story about the difficulties facing rural parishes. NZ Catholic also won a silver award in the best headline category Read more
Rome is to have a piazza named after German theologian and reformer Martin Luther, which will be close to the Colosseum. City authorities finally approved a 2009 proposal by the Union of Seventh Day Adventist Churches to mark the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation. The Vatican reportedly did not oppose the project, Read more
The papal nuncio to Ireland has said he is unable to confirm or deny stories about Irish priests refusing invitations to become bishops. In a lengthy interview in the Irish Times, Archbishop Charles Brown said this was because “when the Pope asks someone to be a bishop, it’s a very personal invitation”. None of the Read more