The Auckland Council has scrapped a bylaw change which would have required people to get council approval to scatter ashes in public places. Under the original proposal for the Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw, city residents would have had to get written permission to scatter their loved ones’ ashes. Continue reading
The Vatican is looking to overhaul its communications structures, with a high-powered committee set up to tackle the issue. Former chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Chris Patten, will chair the committee. It will consider a report from a global consulting firm that reviewed Vatican communications, with a view to streamlining and modernising them. The Read more
The mayor of Warsaw has sacked the Catholic head of a maternity hospital who refused on conscience grounds to abort a foetus with severe deformities. Obstetrician Bogdan Chazan did not advise the mother of where she could get an abortion or that the legal gestational limit for the procedure was approaching. So mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz fired him Read more
Many Catholic deaf people do not have strong links to the Church and are not regular attenders because of the lack of access to NZSL interpreters says Palmerston North deaf community chaplain David Loving- Molloy. He says deaf community chaplains are making the DVD that can be used to train priests to introduce New Zealand Read more
Seminarians from three US states are receiving specialist business, law and administration training to help prepare them for running parishes. The first Seminarian Leadership Institute is being run at Villanova University in Philadelphia. By the end of the course in mid-July, the 11 students will have heard talks on finances, human resources, facilities maintenance and Read more
Fundraising firms recruiting foreigners to tout for donations on our streets and want job put on Immigration NZ’s skills-shortage list. Many of those annoying people hustling passers-by in city streets for charity donations are paid professionals from overseas – and more could be on the way. Read more
The Vatican has officially recognised the International Association of Exorcists, which has 250 member priests in 30 countries. Last month, the Congregation for Clergy officially recognised the association, whose members perform ceremonies to “liberate the faithful from demons”. The association was introduced in Italy in 1991 by veteran exorcist Fr Gabriele Amorth to share experiences Read more
Something beautiful happened in Barbados St recently The Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament was once more illuminated, its sacred magnificence shining out to the city, proclaiming “Ecce Tabernaculum Dei cum Hominibus” (behold the dwelling place of God among His peoples’). A recording of a choir singing a Thomas Tallis motet played as many people gathered Read more
The Mormon church is planning to arm its missionaries with 32,000 iPad minis, as well as broadening its social media outreach. This comes after a test programme last year which saw 6500 Mormon missionaries in the United States and Japan equipped with the devices. Mormon leaders say using iPad minis has helped missionaries keep in Read more