The Catholic Church in Melbourne has apologised for comments by a priest about a woman who was raped and killed. The priest made the comments in an end-of-term service for a Catholic primary school. He reportedly said that if Irish woman Jill Meagher had been more “faith-filled” she would have been at home instead of Read more
In recent weeks a statement of claim has been filed in the High Court seeking a ruling to determine whether a GP can lawfully administer a lethal dose of drugs to a person who is terminally ill. Our bioethics agency, the Nathaniel Centre, is a member of the Care Alliance, which is an alliance of Read more
Philip Burdon says he was grateful to see Anglican Church officials show their apparent willingness to consider a more reflective and inclusive approach to the Christ Church Cathedral debate. Until now the church officials have single-mindedly advocated for the demolition of the cathedral and its replacement with a contemporary design on the basis of the Read more
The High Court judge who allowed two St Bede’s College boys to row in the Maadi Cup regatta appears to have been misled by the father of one of the boys in a sworn affidavit. Justice Rachel Dunningham’s judgement records show she was told that if one of the boys did not row at the Read more
The Church of England is to have its first husband and wife bishops, after nominating Alison White to be the next Bishop of Hull. The bishop-elect7 is married to Bishop Frank White, who is deputy bishop in Newcastle. In a statement, Bishop-elect Alison White said “you may have noticed that I am married to a Read more
The Red Cross is calling for the country to consider increasing the quota for refugees. The country has an annual limit of 750 places for refugees on United Nations waiting lists. Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy said New Zealand should resettle more people. Continue reading
The mystery of how a giant flag that flew at Gallipoli a century ago came to hang in a New Zealand church has been solved by a naval historian. A report in the Herald told the story of the white ensign from HMS Queen that hangs in a corner of the Christchurch Cathedral in Nelson. Read more
Massey university wants to ban church members who harass students on campus. It is finalising trespass orders against nine members of the Victory Christian Church, a Pentecostal church that has a subsidiary branch called New Zealand Campus Ministries Trust. University spokesperson James Gardiner said concerns over the members’ behaviour have been raised over several years Read more
A Spanish priest is being investigated after allegedly performing more than a dozen exorcisms on a teenage girl with anorexia. When the girl was 16, her parents interpreted her problems with anorexia and anxiety as a sign of demonic possession. Her parents turned to exorcism after stays in hospitals didn’t see her recover. The parents Read more