Hundreds of people have gathered in Auckland’s Aotea Square this afternoon, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Today’s rally comes after close to 300 protesters gathered yesterday at the Museum Reserve in Dunedin before marching on the Octagon, chanting and wielding placards and Palestinian and Tino Rangatiratanga flags. Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) spokesperson Rinad Read more
News Shorts
Pope to have day of private meetings with world leaders in Dubai
Monday, November 13th, 2023Pope Francis will have nearly an entire day of bilateral meetings with world leaders attending the COP28 climate conference in Dubai next month, according to a programme released by the Vatican on Thursday. It will be the first time in his papacy that the pope, 86, who is also a head of state, has so Read more
Christian Ministers Supporting Israel
Monday, November 13th, 2023The Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel from New Zealand condemns the antisemitic attacks and threats being levelled against the Jewish Community in our nation. We condemn the graffiti and arson attack against Jewish property in Epsom yesterday. We also condemn the intimidating rallies throughout New Zealand calling for the elimination of the State of Israel Read more
New York must stop demanding private info from Sisters of Life
Monday, November 13th, 2023The State of New York agreed to a court order that forbids officials from demanding private and sensitive information from Sisters of Life, a pro-life Catholic religious order. Sisters of Life, which provides life-affirming counselling services and resources to women in crisis pregnancies, sued state officials in September 2022 over a law that allowed the Read more
No war is worth the loss of even one life, pope says
Monday, November 13th, 2023While nations have a right to defend themselves and a responsibility to protect their citizens, “no war is worth the loss of the life of even one human person, a sacred being created in the image and likeness of the Creator,” said a papal message to the Paris Peace Forum. “No war is worth the Read more
Pope Francis opens two new laundromats for the homeless
Thursday, November 9th, 2023Pope Francis opened two new laundromats for the homeless in the northern Italian city of Turin on Thursday, Nov 2. The new facilities are part of an initiative launched in collaboration with the international consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble and the consumer electronics company Haier Europe, with the assistance of the Community of Sant’Egidio Read more
Call for law update as burial disputes can cost mixed-race families thousands to resolve
Thursday, November 9th, 2023The Burials and Cremation Act, created over half a century ago, needs to reflect modern funeral requirements of the ever broadening racial and religious mix in New Zealand families, an industry expert says. Michael Powell, general manager of Davis Funerals, said gaps in the law have seen families of mixed ethnicities and religions spending tens Read more
Homelessness not a ‘lifestyle choice’ say charities
Thursday, November 9th, 2023The Passage, based in Westminster, is among the charities that have refuted Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial claim that rough sleepers were making a “lifestyle choice”. The Passage, which has Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols as patron, said: “The people we work with have not chosen to be on the streets; circumstances have put Read more
Schools struggling with sexual violence
Thursday, November 9th, 2023
Sexual violence in schools is a very real problem. A report by ‘Let’s Talk Consent’ collected testimonies from 300 students. All had been victims of sexual assault at school. Let’s Talk Consent’s founder and report author, Genna Hawkins-Boulton, says victims were confident about reporting their assaults. However they often still found themselves in the same Read more
Bishops set up new National Tribunal Service
Thursday, November 9th, 2023A National Tribunal Service has been established to ensure that Canon or church law is applied consistently and impartially throughout the Church in England and Wales. It will be based in the Bishops’ Conference headquarters in London and have one of two penal tribunals in Liverpool. At a Mass on Saturday, November 4, Cardinal Vincent Read more