Negative attitudes about the Catholic Church and its teachings are worsening in Britain, a study has shown. An analysis of 180 opinion polls among British adults from the 1950s to today shows a steady decline in esteem for the Church and its clergy. This seems to have accelerated since 2000. But the same study by academic Dr Read more
The 10th annual New Zealand Diversity Forum will be held in Christchurch 24 $ 25 August The forum’s theme is Migrant and refugee employment. Valuing diversity is a key issue, given the rebuild being undertaken in the Canterbury region and increased recruitment of migrant workers to help drive the rebuild. The forum will include a Read more
New Zealand will be made made up of a people of multiple “national” identities and its population growth may be entirely dependent on immigration, says a new study. The report – Our Futures: Te Pae Tawhiti – released today by an expert panel of the Royal Society of New Zealand, analysed data from the 2013 Census and Read more
Former Football Ferns player Melissa Ray and sales representative Natasha (Tash) Vitali won a ZM Radio competition to have an all-expenses-paid wedding in the Unitarian Church in Ponsonby at 8am on the day same sex marriage became legal last August. They went by horse-drawn carriage to a reception at the Cloud on the Auckland waterfront, Read more
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa has backed the right of the terminally ill to be able to legally end their lives. Writing in England’s Observer newspaper, Archbishop Tutu said laws preventing this are an affront to those affected and their families. Calling for a “mind shift” in the right to die debate, he said Read more
The World Council of Churches has decided to withdraw its investments in fossil fuel companies. The move has been hailed by climate campaigners as a major victory. The WCC represents half a billion Christians in 345 member churches, including the Church of England, but not the Catholic Church. It is not clear divestment in fossil Read more
St Mary of the Angels Church, Erskine Convent and St Gerard’s Monastery are among the 137 heritage buildings considered earthquake prone. Questions are now being asked about which of Wellington city’s earthquake prone buildings should be saved. A total of 5184 pre-1976 buildings have been examined, with 684 deemed earthquake prone as at June 30. Read more
A total of 535 years of priestly ministry was celebrated in Auckland as 13 priests were acknowledged and appreciated for their years of service to the faithful. Msgr Paul Farmer, chairman of the Council of Priests, said the celebration of their brother priests’ jubilees is a significant day that no priest dare miss. Continue reading
Hamilton’s new district plan, released this week, lists Euphrasie House as a Category A heritage item, giving a timely boost to those fighting to save the 75-year-old mission house. The Hamilton East Community Trust will head to the Environment Court next month to fight plans by the Catholic Diocese to bulldoze the Clyde St landmark. Read more