Fr Christopher J. Ford, the Principal of Don Bosco Technical Centre at Alafua in Samoa has issued a statement of apology for the two students and one adult, held on sexual charges in American Samoa. The detainees were part of the school group who travelled to participate in the entertainment and fautasi racing for the Read more
New Zealand First deputy leader Tracey Martin has accused Child, Youth and Family of undermining Maori boarding schools by dumping troubled teens on them. “They need more support than most young people. So just dumping them on a school and saying ‘There you go, have at it,’ is not good enough by the government Read more
Rare watercolour paintings and pen and ink sketches by four WW1 servicemen have been unveiled in the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul. The ninety works are by Lieutenant Esmond Atkinson and his brother Lieutenant Hal Atkinson of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and Corporal Ernest Casey and Sapper Sydney Higgs of the New Zealand Expeditionary Read more
Pope Francis has told several newly ordained priests never to refuse Baptism to anyone who asks for it. Speaking after presiding at an ordination Mass at St Peter’s Basilica on April 26, the Pope also warned the newly ordained against being vain priests. “A priest is ugly who lives for his own pleasure,” Pope Francis Read more
In two US dioceses, the parents of children attending Catholic schools are being told they must have their children vaccinated, regardless of moral qualms. But critics say such compulsion is contrary to moral advice given by a pontifical academy. The Church has moral difficulties with certain vaccines, the cell lines for which were originally derived Read more
A volunteer bell-ringer was the subject of a delicate rescue operation in the bell tower in Sydney’s St Mary’s Catholic cathedral last Thursday. The 72-year-old man had climbed more than 110 stairs to be at evening bell-ringing practice. But he had a heart attack and collapsed. After CPR from fellow bell-ringers, he was revived by Read more
A non-binding poll has found 56 per cent of voters on Aitutaki, Cook Islands, don’t want Sunday flights. There was a 61 percent voter turnout, from the Aitutaki constituencies of Amuri-Ureia, Vaipae-Tautu and Arutanga-Reureu-Nikaupara. The Chief Electoral Officer Taggy Tangimetua explained that the referendum was not binding on government. “In the case of this referendum, Read more
Teachers at New Zealand’s biggest Islamic school are monitoring students’ online activity in light of increasing international concerns over how extremist groups are using the internet to recruit members. Principal of Mangere’s Al-Madinah School, Asin Ali, told the Herald on Sunday that cyber-monitoring of his 550 students was being conducted, including scanning for extremist-related material. Read more
A terminally-ill Wellington lawyer trying to clarify the law on assisted dying has accepted a judge’s ruling to allow interest groups to join her court case. Lecretia Seales, 42, was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2011 but with her health deteriorating, she petitioned the High Court in Wellington to uphold her right Read more
The prefect of the papal household has said he believes reform of the Vatican bureaucracy is not necessary. Archbishop Georg Ganswein told a German website that to speak of “curial reform” is “somewhat of an exaggeration”. “I personally can see no significant reason which would necessitate a reform of the Curia at the moment,” he Read more