Brother Alois Löser, prior of the Taizé Community for the past nearly two decades, has announced that he’s stepping down as leader of the world-renowned ecumenical monastery in France that the late Brother Roger Schutz founded. In a message on July 23 to the community, the 69-year-old prior – a German Catholic – said he Read more
News Shorts
City Mission Cook-off delivers
Thursday, July 27th, 2023
Auckland City Mission is a major beneficiary of a cook-off backed by Foodstuffs North Island. The initiative was held at St Matthew-in-the-City, and the event aimed to assist those facing homelessness and food challenges. Morgan McCann, Head of New World for Foodstuffs North Island, and Steve McClean, Owner Operator of New World Orewa, cooked a Read more
7,000 people in Bougainville need temporary accommodation after eruption
Thursday, July 27th, 2023Ash fall from the erupting Mt Bagana in central Bougainville has collapsed a number of traditional houses. A cabinet minister in the government of the autonomous Papua New Guinea region, Theonila Roka Matbob, said there is in excess of 7,000 people needing temporary accommodation as a result of the eruption. Mt Bagana, erupted for the Read more
Vatican prosecutors request 73 years prison in corruption trial
Thursday, July 27th, 2023Vatican prosecutors in the Catholic Church’s 2-year-old corruption trial asked on July 26 that Cardinal Angelo Becciu be sentenced to seven years and three months in prison and pay 14 million euros in fines for embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering in connection with a real estate deal that lost almost $200 million. In Read more
Vietnam to let Vatican appoint resident representative
Monday, July 24th, 2023The Vietnamese government will allow the Vatican to appoint a resident representative in the communist Southeast Asian country, following years of negotiations amid the fraught diplomatic relationship between the two states. The development will likely be announced during the visit of President Vo Van Thuong to the Holy See by the end of July, Reuters Read more
Hindu temples around New Zealand targeted with intimidating letters
Monday, July 24th, 2023Intimidating anonymous letters have been sent to Hindu temples around the country, warning them that “idolatry is worse than carnage”. “Islam teaches that God does not share His divine attributes with anyone”, the letters continue, among several passages quoted from the Quran, Islam’s holy book. The letters began arriving last week, and police were immediately Read more
Indonesia’s top court issues circular against interfaith marriage
Monday, July 24th, 2023The top court in Indonesia has come out with a circular requesting courts not to grant a nod to interfaith marriages contradictory to its 1986 ruling, which makes interfaith marriages legal in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation. In the July 17 circular, Muhammad Syarifuddin, chairman of the Supreme Court, emphasised the need to establish guidelines Read more
Gloriavale School under review after Employment Court ruling
Monday, July 24th, 2023Gloriavale School is under review by the Education Review Office, the Ministry of Education has confirmed. Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage took Gloriavale’s leaders to court, arguing they lived in servitude working on the West Coast commune’s domestic teams and were not community volunteers. Last week, Employment Read more
Pope’s Ukraine envoy wraps up whirlwind diplomatic visit to DC
Monday, July 24th, 2023Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Francis’s personal peace envoy for the war in Ukraine, closed a two-day visit to Washington DC Wednesday, capping a whirlwind round of high-level civil and ecclesial meetings. Zuppi was in Washington DC from July 17-19 along with an unnamed representative of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State to “continue the mission Read more
Catholic Church insurer’s insolvency battle amid abuse claims
Monday, July 24th, 2023The Catholic Church insurer is planning to enter a scheme of arrangement amid uncertainty over the quantum of long-term sex abuse and other claims and to avoid formal insolvency. Catholic Church Insurance chairman Joan Fitzpatrick has written to policyholders proposing a scheme of arrangement, which is a common procedure in global insurance markets amid uncertain Read more