An openly homosexual man who was removed from his positions of reader and religious-education instructor in his New York parish after he entered into a same-sex marriage is petitioning to be reinstated. Nicholas Coppola has presented a petition signed by 18,000 people to Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Center diocese. The diocese released a statement Read more
Pope Francis has asked Cardinal José Policarpo of Lisbon if he can consecrate his pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima. Addressing a general assembly of the Portuguese Bishops’ Conference, the cardinal said: “Pope Francis asked me twice whether he could consecrate his new ministry to Our Lady of Fatima. “It is a mandate I can Read more
ARCHBISHOP-elect Father Peter Loy Chong’s message to Catholics who were part of the Sunday Divine Mercy celebration at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Suva was to trust in God completely. Hundreds of Catholics from around the country took part in the Divine Mercy Image march from the Flea Market which ended at the Sacred Heart Read more
More than 200 people attended Wednesday night’s public forum on options to replace the damaged Christ Church Cathedral. Anglican Church leaders presented and took questions on the three plans including restoration, a new traditional style building or a contemporary cathedral. Church leaders were held under scrutiny at times by heated questions over the exact cost Read more
The former farm land at 200 Kay Road was bought 10 years ago by the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, with plans to develop it into a new parish and school. The land has been leased for cattle grazing since but diocese general manager Greg Schmidt said selling off the land, a 6.18ha portion of the Read more
The Vatican has denied a Spanish report that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is seriously ill. On the contrary, said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, Benedict XVI “does not have any illness” and “this has been certified by his doctors”. The report in El Mundo quoted Spanish Vaticanista Paloma Gomez-Borrero as saying: “Benedict XVI has something very Read more
A New Zealand doctor now based in Britain has blown the whistle on Belgium’s euthanasia explosion — an increase of 4620 per cent in 10 years. Dr Peter Saunders, now chief executive officer of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said the number of euthanasia cases increased from 24 to 1133 in the 10 years to 2011. Read more
The Church of England has ruled out offering blessings to same-sex relationships, reiterating that marriage is “a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman”. A new report from the church’s faith and order commission recognises the existence of same-sex relationships, but says they are “forms of human relationships which Read more
Auckland church St Matthew-in-the-City has raised enough money for at least two more controversial billboards by auctioning off its Christmas offering on TradeMe. The old billboard, depicting a gay baby Jesus, sold to Wellington bidder ‘Jon’ for $860 this afternoon after the church asked its creative agency to list it on the auction site. The Read more
A special evening service will be held in Hastings for Archbishop David Moxon, who leaves New Zealand next month to become the chief Anglican representative to the Catholic Church in Rome. Mr Moxon was appointed curate, assisting the vicar, at St Luke’s in Havelock North in 1978 and went on to be ordained as a Read more