Finance Minister Bill English says he’ll vote against any legislation allowing euthanasia in New Zealand. Prime Minister John Key said any moves by parliament on the issue would be a conscience vote and the best mechanism would be a private members’ bill. “In the past, I have personally voted for euthanasia, as I do have Read more
A special Mass to launch the unification of three Hastings Catholic parishes into one was held at St John’s College yesterday. The inaugural Mass for the combined parishes of Heretaunga Plains drew almost 1000 Catholics. The celebrant for the service was Bishop Charles Drennan, the second Catholic Bishop of Palmerston North. The move to unify Read more
Cardinal George Pell has provided a newspaper with a copy of his passport details to disprove an abuse-related accusation. Paul Lyons, 55, was raped by Christian Brother Robert Best in 1969 and, a few weeks later, appealed to priests at St Alipius presbytery in Ballarat. Mr Lyons had claimed Cardinal Pell, who was then a young Read more
Pope Francis is to have a reduced schedule in Rome this month, the Vatican has announced. There will be no Wednesday general audience for July, although the Pope will continue his Sunday address and Angelus prayer. During July, all audiences with the Pope are expected to be suspended, other than a meeting with members of Read more
One person a week in Belgium is opting to die by euthanasia for psychological reasons. The figure was revealed by Wim Distelmans, chairman of the Federal Euthanasia Commission. He said bipolar patients were the majority of 50-60 “psychiatric suicides” last year. “Mostly they’re not old, but they’ve suffered for a long time,” he said Last Read more
The legacy of Gabby Devine lives on. The 13-year-old died in May from bone cancer and now Francis Douglas Memorial College is holding a major fundraiser to further her wish to help people in Taranaki Base Hospital’s children ward. Last year Gabby started Starlit HOPE, a charity designed to give cheer to children in hospital Read more
Senior academics at the University of Otago have called for a free contraceptive programme to be made available to teens before they become sexually active. In an article in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr Neil Pickering and Dr Lynley Anderson from the university’s Bioethics Centre and Dr Helen Paterson from its Department Read more
St Patrick’s Basilica parish priest Fr Gerard Aynsley examines repairs being done at the South Dunedin building. The $2.6million redevelopment of the basilica complex in Macandrew Rd began at the start of May and was due to be completed by Easter next year, Fr Aynsley said. Contninue reading
Students at Catholic schools in Saskatoon in Canada will no longer be able to buy a bottle of water at school. Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) is eliminating plastic bottled water from vending machines, cafeterias, school-related events and meetings. The reasons given are environmental consciousness and solidarity with people in the world who lack clean Read more
The Vatican’s nine communications offices are to be consolidated under the authority of a new Secretariat for Communications. Pope Francis announced the new secretariat with a motu proprio, promulgated on June 27. The new dicastery will oversee the all of the Vatican’s communications offices, including Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Television Centre, the Holy Read more