An American Jesuit who spent his last two years under restricted ministry after taking part in a eucharistic liturgy with a woman priest has died. Fr William Brennan, 94, died in a rest home in Wisconsin. A Jesuit for 75 years and a priest for 63 years, he was a former missionary in Belize and Read more
A Spanish priest who caught Ebola in Liberia has died of the disease in a hospital in Madrid. Fr Miguel Pajares, 75, died on August 12 after being evacuated from West Africa by Spain. He was reportedly being given the experimental ZMapp drug. Fr Pajares had been working with Ebola patients at the San Jose de Read more
A church leader with responsibilities in Australia and New Zealand has been identified as a KGB agent. According to newly released Russian intelligence archives, the late Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, former Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, was listed as a KGB agent. He was codenamed “Zorik” in the Read more
New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission had joined religious leaders in rejecting hateful acts linked to religion in this country and overseas. “We mourn the tragic, heartbreaking loss of all lives in the conflict in Gaza and Israel: but we must honour their lives by standing up for peace at all costs,” said Chief Human Rights Read more
A concert is being planned to raise funds for chaplains at Waikato Hospital, who between them help 30,000 patients a year. The Waikato Healthcare Chaplaincy Committee Charitable Trust will hold a concert “Hear and Care” on August 30. The current chaplaincy team at Waikato Hospital is made up of three ecumenical chaplains, one Catholic chaplain, Read more
Pope Francis has told young people not to waste their lives on “futile” distractions such as chatting on the Internet or on smartphones. Speaking to 50,000 German altar servers in St Peter’s Square on August 5, the Pope was asked by one of the young people how to make time for assisting at Mass. Francis Read more
An Iraqi priest from Nineveh says Christianity is finished in his homeland. “Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq,” the priest who identified himself as Fr Nawar told the Catholic News Agency on August 8. He is currently studying in Rome. His home city of Qaraqosh (Bakhdida) near Mosul fell to ISIS forces Read more
A state in Brazil is under fire for requiring prospective female teachers to have gynaecological exams or prove their virginity in order to work. Sao Paulo state’s education department requires the women to have a pap smear to show they are free of cancers or produce a doctor’s statement that they have not been sexually Read more
Family First is welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision overturning the deregistration of Greenpeace as a charity because of its political activity. The Charities Registration Board had sought to deregister Family First as a charity, in the wake of the recent same-sex marriage debate. Family First appealed to the High Court, but a hearing has been on Read more
Wellington’s first ever count of those sleeping rough on the streets found 15 people fitting this description in the city and suburbs on the morning of August 8 Rough sleepers were counted on every downtown city block and in known locations for such people in suburban areas. Fifty volunteers helped in the count between 4am and Read more