The last truly ecumenical body in New Zealand is set to expire in two years, posing questions for the future of a highly regarded theological qualification. The Ecumenical Institute of Distance Theological Studies (EIDTS) has served notice on its tutors and students that it will close after Easter 2015 because of a drastic cut in Read more
Family First is vowing to keep its anti-marriage equality website running for the next few years after it was repeatedly attacked by hackers. The Protect Marriage website suffered another attack by hackers on Sunday, just a few days after the same-sex marriage bill was passed. Continue reading
A committee of doctors has confirmed that there is no medical explanation for a second healing attributed to the intercession of Blessed John Paul II. The alleged miracle now requires the approval of theologians and then the cardinals and bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, before being submitted to Pope Francis for Read more
Newly-released documents show that Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired archbishop of Los Angeles, tried to obstruct an extensive study of sex-abuse problems in American dioceses. The cardinal strongly resisted inquiries by researchers from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, who had been commissioned by the United States bishops’ conference to study how dioceses handled Read more
The Vatican official responsible for the sainthood cause of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador says his cause has been “unblocked” by Pope Francis. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia gave no further details of why the cause had been blocked in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Archbishop Romero was shot in 1980 as he Read more
A teacher claims he was forced to quit his job at Auckland’s Tamaki College because he was an atheist. Christopher Scott Roy, who worked at the college from February 2007 until he resigned in September 2010, has taken a case to the Employment Relation Authority (ERA) alleging he was constructively and unjustifiably dismissed because of Read more
One of the world’s leading sopranos was all smiles as she viewed her likeness in a stained glass window at St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa said she felt “incredibly honoured” to have her face portrayed as St Cecilia – the patron saint of musicians and church music – on a recently Read more
Marist St Pats is very pleased to announce that Fr Barry Scannell (Parish Priest at St Mary of the Angels) is the club’s new chaplain. Fr Barry follows in the footsteps of his fellow Marist priest Fr Brian O’Connell who has retired as chaplain. However Fr Brian retires in the knowledge that he has a Read more
A new Catholic “subculture” committed to evangelisation is needed to counter decades of Catholics becoming absorbed into secular culture, according to an American Catholic author. “We’re no longer evangelising the culture, we’ve been evangelised by it, and it’s not good for the secular culture, and it’s destroying us as a religious community,” said veteran journalist Read more
In a break with tradition, Pope Francis has decided not to issue the special bonus that Vatican employees normally receive when a new Pope is elected. Instead, the Pope who has said he wants a “poor Church, for the poor” has decided that extra money will be given to charity. In 2005, some 4000 Vatican Read more