Prayer is not “magic” and Christians do not pray to a “cosmic God”, Pope Francis has said. “To whom do I pray? To the Almighty God? He is too far off. Ah, I can’t hear Him. Neither did Jesus. To whom do I pray? To a cosmic God? That’s quite normal these days, is it Read more
British government officials have dismissed a suggestion by Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner that Pope Francis could act as mediator in the two countries’ dispute over possession of the Falkland Islands. “The last thing we need is religion inserted in this,” said Michael Summers, a veteran Falklands legislator. Britain’s United Nations ambassador, Mark Lyall Grant, agreed. Read more
Former United States president Jimmy Carter has accused the Catholic Church of abusive discrimination against women by having an all-male priesthood. In a Time magazine interview, Carter said “the major religions have discriminated against women in a very abusive fashion and set an example for the rest of society to treat women as secondary citizens”. Read more
The depiction of Jesus as a dog in adverts for The Graham Norton Show has been deemed appropriate by the Broadcasting Standards Authority. The TV advertisement, which aired in December, included a photograph of a couple dressed as Mary and Joseph holding a dog in swaddling clothes. In the week leading up to Christmas, TV3 broadcast the Read more
A new church in Samoa built for $12 Million and millions were reportedly spent setting up a Christian television service. Where do the churches get the money from in a struggling developing country? A recent survey found 97% of all households reported giving church donations, taking 17.1% of household income, but some families report giving Read more
The Australian government detains hundreds of asylum seekers on Nauru as part of a deal with the Nauruan government. Six of those asylum seekers argued their long-term and indefinite detention on the island was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling there was no violation of Nauru’s domestic laws. Listen to interview on Radio Australia
United States President Barack Obama has argued that parish schools are an impediment to the establishment of a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Speaking in Belfast to a crowd composed mainly of children, Obama said “segregated schools” block the path to full reconciliation. “If towns remain divided, if Catholics have their schools and buildings and Read more
After years of moving in a more socially liberal direction along with the rest of western Europe, the Spanish government is now doing an about face, seeking to restrict abortion and return the Catholic Church to a prominent role in the country’s school system. Though the Church is still losing ground among the faithful, it Read more
Theologians at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints have approved a second miracle granted through the intercession of Blessed John Paul II, moving him closer to being declared a saint. Although the process is supposed to be secret at this point, the Italian news agency ANSA reported that the proclamation of sainthood “needs only the Read more
Justice Minister Judith Collins has told a parliamentary select committee she has no plans to lower the legal threshold for what constitutes racism in New Zealand. This comes a fortnight after newspapers published a controversial cartoon, depicting overweight Polynesians celebrating the food in schools programme as an excuse to spend more on drinking, smoking and Read more