After a close aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Pope Francis of being a Russophile, and the Vatican of receiving Russian funds, the Catholic Church issued a statement denying the accusations on Sunday (Sept 10). “The IOR does not receive or invest money from Russia,” read a statement by the Institute for Religious Works, Read more
Te Puke-based op-shop Waipuna Hospice is experiencing a decline in donations, possibly because people are feeling the pinch and not buying as many new things. “Speaking to my counterparts in the Waikato, they are saying the same — it’s quite quiet,” said Waipuna Hospice general manager Jace Downman. There is an element of speculation in Read more
The leader of the Catholic Church in Morocco said this week that material support and prayers will be needed for “months, or maybe even years” after the nation of 37 million was rocked by its worst earthquake in decades. In a Sept 11 interview with Caritas International, Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, archbishop of Rabat and Read more
Tuesday was a special day for Ronaldo Luís Nazario da Lima, the Brazilian and world soccer legend nicknamed “O Fenômeno” (“The Phenomenon”), who at the age of 46 took a significant step in his life of faith by receiving the sacrament of baptism. After the ceremony at São José (St Joseph) Parish, located in the Read more
The Presbyterian Church in Pakistan has terminated a pastor who shot at his hand to fake an assassination attempt on him over blasphemy allegations in Punjab province. Pastor Eleazar Sidhu was suspended on Sept 13 after he “voluntarily confessed” to “colleagues and friends” that the injury was self-inflicted, said Reverend Pastor Altaf Khan, on behalf Read more
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Perth has defended the church’s handling of child sexual abuse compensation claims during an at-times heated appearance before a West Australian parliamentary inquiry. On Monday, the Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe said he rejected any suggestion the church was trying to avoid taking responsibility for historical child sex abuses or did Read more
Once a place of closed doors and obedience, a former nuns’ convent in Timaru is to become a centre for the district’s mental health support trust and addiction and substance misuse clients. Since the 1980s, 7A Craigie Ave has been home to the Sisters of Mercy in a 14-bed home adjacent to Roncalli College. However, Read more
A Catholic group will be allowed to post religious displays along a privately owned “prayer trail” depicting the last day of Jesus after a zoning fight with a local government in southeastern Michigan went all the way to a federal appeals court. The court ruled 3-0 in favour of the group. It issued an injunction Read more
Migration into New Zealand is still running at record levels, and could top a net migration gain of 100,000 in a year within the next few months, one economist says. Stats NZ said there was a record net migration gain of 96,200 in the year to July. It said it was driven by net gains Read more