Videos showing men dancing together triggers a surge of hatred, reflecting Ethiopian society’s rejection of LGBTQ+ people. Faced with this hostility, the LGBTQ+ community organises to support and defend itself. “These people are corrupting our children… I would prefer my brother be killed than to dance with men.” Like the young woman making these comments, Read more
Instead of lighting fireworks on November 5, two Anglican priests will be recognising Taranaki’s history with a special church service in Eltham. The Rev Paul Bowers-Mason, an Anglican missioner, and Rev Vincent Nuku (Ngāti Ruanui) are holding the first ever bilingual service at All Saints Church with prayers, songs and readings in both Māori and Read more
The Vatican has not responded to questions regarding the expense it incurred to organise and host October’s Synod on Synodality, a month-long meeting of more than 400 people held in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. However, sources have confirmed to The Pillar that many of the costs associated with the meeting will be borne by Read more
Spanish bishops met on Oct 30 to discuss Spanish ombudsman Ángel Gabilondo’s report on abuse in the Catholic Church. The report was delivered on Oct 27 to government officials and seen by church experts as populist as it focuses only on the Catholic church and, in their opinion, “is not accurate.” “If you are a Read more
The number of legal abortions provided by virtual-only clinics via abortion pill prescriptions spiked 72% in the year following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v Wade. This is according to a report by #WeCount, a research project by the Society of Family Planning, a group that supports legal abortion. The study is notable because Read more
New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission has urged people to report any instances of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism or other discrimination as the conflict rages between Israel and Hamas. It comes after reports of disorder at Auckland War Memorial Museum when a small number of Palestinian sympathisers gathering to rally against the building being lit up in Israeli Read more
It was neither the place nor the time for a proper goodbye, said Omar Dirawi. Not here, in this dusty field strewn with dead people wrapped in blankets and zipped up in body bags. And not now, as Israeli airstrikes crashed around him for the third week, erasing more of his neighbourhood and sundering hundreds Read more
A legal bid by the Jehovah’s Witness church to get out of being part of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has been dismissed by the High Court in Wellington. After nearly three years of behind-the-scenes legal wrangling to avoid scrutiny from the Inquiry, the church applied for a judicial review in Read more
Catholic officials have welcomed the southern Indian Karnataka state relaxing a ban on traditional hijab (head scarf) by allowing Muslim women to wear it while appearing for government recruitment exams. “There was no need for any such ban, and we are happy that the present government has taken steps to relax it,” said Father Faustine Read more
More than 200,000 children are estimated to have suffered sexual abuse from Spain’s Catholic clergy, an independent commission has found. The details emerged from an unprecedented public investigation by Spain’s ombudsman, who spoke of the “devastating impact” on victims. Angel Gabilondo also criticised the Church for its inaction and attempts to cover up or deny Read more