Dutch bishops visiting Rome this week have given Pope Francis a dramatic snapshot of the steep decline of Roman Catholicism in its European heartland. Both Catholic and Protestant Christian ranks have shrunk dramatically across Europe in recent decades, and hundreds of churches have been sold off to be turned into apartments, shops, bars or warehouses. Read more
On Tuesday morning, 3 December, Pope Francis met with the Council of Cardinals, the group of eight cardinals assisting in the governance of the universal Church and examining a revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus on the Roman Curia. Fr Federico Lombardi, Director of the Holy See Press Office, announced this in a briefing Read more
New Zealand has been named the second most giving country in the world, largely thanks to more Kiwis giving up their time to help others. The results of the World Giving Index survey – organised by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation – reveal that New Zealanders are second only in giving to Americans, and tied Read more
Scientists at Monash University in Melbourne say they have discovered a way to make male mice temporarily infertile, which could lead to a male contraceptive pill being available within a decade. AAP reports that deleting two proteins essential for sperm transport has been found to make male mice temporarily infertile . “Our technique is good Read more
The Post Primary Teachers Association says a prestigious Presbyterian girls’ school in Dunedin is a toxic workplace that may need outside intervention. A dispute between the management of Columba College, staff and the PPTA has reached a stand-off, with union no-confidence motions, resignations and board investigations. The PPTA says it began raising complaints at Columba Read more
Between the 23rd-25th November 2013 1500 young Catholics formed a human shield to protect the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista from 7,000 protestors. The protestors, a wide-ranging group with pro-abortion, lesbian, feminist concerns, spat at the young men, mocked them and daubed them with paint. Despite the protestors committing sexual acts in front of them, Read more
Pope Francis announced that the year 2015 will be specially dedicated to consecrated life, as he met on November 29 with leaders of the Union of Superiors General. The Pope surprised the religious leaders by meeting with them for a 3-hour discussion, rather than settling for the usual papal audience. He did not speak from Read more
One of Britain’s most senior judges has blamed a decline in religion and traditional moral values for the growing number of laws needed to maintain order. Lord Sumption, a Supreme Court Justice, said laws now reached into areas of life once left untouched by such regulation with 3000 new criminal or administrative offences added to Read more
Pope Francis: Successor to St. Peter … the people’s pontiff … Marxist? That’s what conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh suggests, calling the Pope’s latest document “pure Marxism.” Limbaugh blasted the pontiff on Wednesday, a day after Francis released “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), a 50,000-word statement that calls for church reform Read more
Speaking during a prayer service for students at Rome’s universities, Pope Francis on Saturday urged the young people to not waste their youth and to pursue big projects beyond the scope of the ordinary. Francis urged the students not to look at life as if from the balcony of a building but to “mingle” at Read more