A controversy has broken out over this year’s Christmas tree in the Vatican, destined to come from the forests of Val di Ledro in Italy’s northern Trentino region. Almost 40,000 people have signed a petition to stop 40 fir trees from being chopped down, particularly the so-called Green Giant, a 30m-high specimen around two centuries Read more
News Shorts
Vatican prohibits Traditional Latin Mass in Bishop Strickland’s former cathedral
Thursday, November 14th, 2024Celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass in the cathedral of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, will cease effective Dec 1. This is according to a Vatican-approved order that comes almost one year after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland, one of his most outspoken critics, as head of the diocese. Bishop Joe S Vásquez of Read more
Post Trump victory US women show surge of interest in no sex
Thursday, November 14th, 2024In the hours and days since it became clear that Donald Trump would be re-elected president of the United States, there’s been a surge of interest in the US for 4B. Young liberal women across TikTok and Instagram are discussing and sharing information about the South Korean feminist movement, in which straight women refuse to Read more
Constitutional Court in Spain forces Catholic brotherhood to admit woman
Monday, November 11th, 2024Spain’s Constitutional Court (TC, by its Spanish acronym) has ruled that by refusing to admit a woman, a male Catholic brotherhood violated the legal precept of non-discrimination based on her sex and her right to association. In 2008, María Teresita Laborda Sanz requested to join the Pontifical, Royal, and Venerable Slavery of the Most Holy Read more
New apostolic nuncio presents his credentials
Monday, November 11th, 2024
Archbishop Gabor Pinter, the new Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand and the Pacific, presented his credentials to Bishops Conference president Bishop Steve Lowe on Sunday at The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Wellington. In addition to the New Zealand Catholic bishops, Eparchs from four Eastern Rite Churches were also present. The Eparchs are Read more
Vatican launches photography and sports competition for young people
Monday, November 11th, 2024In the context of the Sports Jubilee of 2025, whose general motto is Hope, the Dicastery for Culture and Education has decided to celebrate this date with an international photography competition under the title “Sport in Motion.” “Sport in Motion – What Is Essential Is Invisible to the Eyes” is the theme of the international Read more
Concern over unemployment rate for Pasifika in Aotearoa
Monday, November 11th, 2024Just over 60 percent of Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand are employed, new figures show. The latest Stats NZ data, released this week, said the Pacific employment rate for the September 2024 quarter was at 60.8 percent, down from 63.3 per cent for the same time last year. For the population of Aotearoa as Read more
Two new auxiliary Bishops appointed for Melbourne
Monday, November 11th, 2024As we prepare to enter a year of Jubilee for the Church, it is with great joy that the Archdiocese shares the news of Pope Francis’ appointment of two new Auxiliary Bishops for Melbourne – Reverend Father Thinh Nguyen and Reverend Father Rene Ramirez RCJ. Most Rev Peter A Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne, said, “I Read more
Over 15 Catholic parishes closed amid cries to end violence against Christians in Nigeria
Monday, November 11th, 2024Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria has called for action to address escalating insecurity in Nigeria’s Benue State, which has led to the closure of more than 15 parishes in his Episcopal See. In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the 7th International Theological Conference organised Read more
Gloriavale’s banned books list revealed
Monday, November 11th, 2024Gloriavale families have been cautioned against reading a range of popular books. Fairy tales, books that celebrate Christmas and children’s stories depicting animals dressed in clothes, were all among those cautioned against, by a senior leader checking the community’s reading material. In an email sent to members last month and obtained by RNZ, Servant Peter Read more