The county’s largest Bible in Schools provider has won the right to weigh in on a legal stoush over religious instruction in primary schools. The Churches Education Commission (CEC) was granted a say in the landmark case in the High Court at Auckland today. The spat is between Jeff McClintock, who says his daughter was Read more
News Shorts
Council accused of disrespect after trying to move Diwali forward
Friday, June 12th, 2015Investigations have begun after Auckland Council upset the Hindu community by trying to hold the Auckland Diwali celebrations a month before the actual religious festival. Diwali, the Hindu festival celebrating victory of light over darkness, falls on November 11 this year. However, the council-controlled Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) had planned to hold Read more
St Pius X pupils influence dredge monitoring in Port Taranaki
Friday, June 12th, 2015School children have helped hone the environmental monitoring the dredge at Port Taranaki. As a result of a project undertaken by Room Four at St Pius X School, Taranaki Regional Council [TRC] has increased their monitoring of effects from dredging. “We were on an extensive monitoring programme already,” TRC scientific officer marine ecologist Emily Roberts said. Read more
’60 Minutes’ slams Church leaders for backing Pell
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015Australia’s 60 Minutes current affairs programme has described senior Catholic churchmen as “out of touch” for supporting Cardinal George Pell. Journalist Tara Brown opened the programme on Sunday with an editorial stating Church leaders had alienating victims of abuse by issuing statements supportive of the cardinal. “The Catholic Church in Australia stands in crisis,” Ms Read more
Pope names auditor general for the Vatican
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015Pope Francis has named former Deloitte, Italy, chairman Libero Milone as the Vatican’s new auditor general. Under statutes approved by the Pope earlier this year, the auditor general will have the power to audit the books of any Vatican office. He will report directly to the Pope. Having an independent auditor helps ensure the “separation Read more
Pope’s environment encyclical release on June 18: Vatican
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015Pope Francis’s much anticipated encyclical on the environment will be released on June 18, the Vatican has confirmed. Earlier unconfirmed reports had put the release date two days earlier. “To avoid confusion on the diffusion of non-confirmed information, it is communicated that the foreseen date of the Pope’s encyclical is the next June 18, Thursday,” Read more
Dunedin’s Basilica getting a make-over
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
Tented scaffolding has been erected around St Patrick’s Basilica in Macandrew Rd, Dunedin, as part of a $1.7 million preservation project. St Patrick’s redevelopment committee chairman Sean Toomey says the current work involves earthquake-strengthening, removing the roof to fix leaks and install new damp-proof floors. The work on the Basilica is part of a redevelopment Read more
Catholic church considers banning photographing of children
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015The New Zealand Catholic Church has announced it is considering introducing guidelines to control the filming and photographing of children on church grounds. Similar guidelines already exist overseas. In Ireland there is a total ban on all photographs during religious services in the Dublin archdiocese, including weddings, first communions, confirmations and baptisms. Other churches in Read more
Caritas calls for NZ to be ‘bold’ leader on climate change
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015It’s time for New Zealand to take charge and be a leader in climate change negotiations, says Caritas in a submission on the Government’s climate change target. In its submission, the Catholic agency for justice, peace and development said the Government’s consultation document “too narrowly sees our climate change contribution as a financial cost to Read more
Pope’s environment encyclical release on June 16: Report
Friday, June 5th, 2015Pope Francis’s much anticipated encyclical on the environment will be titled “Laudato Sii” (Praised Be) and will be released on June 16, a report states. A Twitter posting by a Spanish journalist from an event at the Vatican publishing house responsible for printing official documents revealed the information. The encyclical will be given an Italian Read more