Palmerston

Pope warns against trying to “divide the wheat from the weeds”

Thursday, July 27th, 2023
Pope

Pope Francis has urged Catholics to reject “the temptation to divide the wheat from the weeds”, a metaphor for acting abruptly and even violently to bring about a “pure society” or even a “pure Church” that simply does not exist. “When we see ‘wheat’ and ‘weeds’ living side by side in the world, what should Read more

Young Australians on a transformative journey at World Youth Day

Thursday, July 27th, 2023
World Youth Day

Young Catholics from Australia are eagerly preparing to participate in next week’s World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, Portugal, which is anticipated to be a life-changing experience for them. With approximately 3,000 or more young Australians set to make the pilgrimage, this delegation will be one of the largest representing the country at WYD. Joining Read more

Christchurch exorcisms – Paddy Gower has issues

Thursday, July 27th, 2023
Christchurch exorcisms

Fr Michael Mary, the leader of the ‘Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer,’ a conservative Latin Rite Catholic group in Christchurch, denies accusations that his group performed exorcisms on children. He clarified that sprinkling Holy Water around a child does not constitute an exorcism. The controversy surrounding the ‘Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer’, also Read more

Human trafficking – millions of daily victims

Monday, July 24th, 2023
Human trafficking

On any given day millions of people worldwide are victims of human trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation. Recent reports from the U.S. State Department, anti-human trafficking groups, and other global leaders focus on the serious problems of trafficking, forced labour, and modern-day slavery. The breakdown In 2021, 27.6 million people worldwide were subjected to Read more

‘The growth of Catholic theology’ – Pope Francis’ doctrinal chief speaks

Thursday, July 20th, 2023
Catholic theology

Earlier this month, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez as prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. The archbishop, an Argentine, had been since 2018 the Archbishop of La Plata, and was before that the rector of Argentina’s Catholic University — a role to which he was appointed by then-Cardinal Jorge Read more

AI-generated child abuse images challenge real victim identification

Thursday, July 20th, 2023
AI-generated child abuse images

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued a stark warning on the growing menace of AI-generated child abuse images, making it increasingly difficult to identify real children at risk. Law enforcement agencies are gravely concerned about the emergence of hyper-realistic AI-generated content, fearing that it could blur the lines between real and computer-generated victims, Read more

Lacklustre clergy a climate change problem

Thursday, July 20th, 2023
climate change

Climate change isn’t something most clergy in New Zealand are actively working on, says Marilyn Yurjevich of 350 Aotearoa. 350 Aotearoa is the New Zealand arm of the international climate movement 350.org, which aims to unite the world around climate change solutions. “Regrettably, the response to the call for action has been strikingly low, leading Read more

New Christchurch Cathedral beckons

Monday, July 17th, 2023
Christchurch cathedral

A new Christchurch Cathedral is a step further ahead with the Catholic diocese advertising for a Fundraising and Development manager. The role is newly created, and the successful person will work closely with the bishop, general manager and senior leadership team to provide revenue growth, supporting the diocese’s mission. In the position’s Candidate Brief, the Read more

Archbishop Fernández admits mistakes handling priest sexual abuse case

Thursday, July 13th, 2023
Fernández admits mistakes

Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández publicly acknowledged on Sunday that he made mistakes in handling a case involving a priest accused of sexually abusing minors in 2019. Archbishop Fernández (pictured) has been accused by critics of attempting to protect the priest. Fernández has vehemently denied the allegations. However, in an interview after conducting Mass in La Read more

Low attendance at NZ Catholic schools a pressing concern

Thursday, July 13th, 2023
low attendance nz catholic schools

“The ongoing issue of low attendance in NZ Catholic schools is a pressing concern” says Dr Kevin Shore, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office (NZCEO). “Student success is vital. It opens doors to life’s best opportunities and allows school graduates to contribute positively to society,” Shore told CathNews. Acknowledging that the factors Read more