New Zealand

Dame Joy Cowley – faith, wisdom and her messy spiritual journey

Joy Cowley

Dame Joy Cowley must be one of New Zealand’s most well-known authors. She’s also a mother, suicide survivor, woman of faith, spiritual director and wise woman. Amongst other things. Now almost blinded by macular degeneration, 88-year old Cowley is about to launch a new book of rhymes and nonsense, where shadow and light play a Read more

Catholic abuse survivors ask Catholics to hold clergy to account

Catholic abuse survivors

Catholic abuse survivors want New Zealand clergy to do more than just make statements. “We have made changes, and we remain committed to continuing this work to ensure accountability and healing” Bishop Stephen Lowe, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference, and Rev. Tom Rouse, president of the Congregational Leaders Conference, said on Friday. “While the Read more

Analysis and Comment

Public Submission to the Ministry of Health: Review of the End of Life Choice Act (2019)

end of life choice

A Review of the End of Life Choice Act (2019) is underway. The Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics has made a public submission (Tier 2) to the Ministry of Health concerning the Review. The shape of the Nathaniel Centre ‘s submission (below) was defined by the questions the Ministry formulated. Access to assisted dying Do you Read more

Parents need to give children more responsibility: Psychologist

Parents

Parents need to give their kids more responsibilities like walking to school, a psychologist specialising in kids’ neuroscience says. Parents wanting to prepare their children for the modern world need to let their kids get out and explore it — sometimes without them. That is the message visiting psychologist and TED talker Kathryn Berkett shared Read more

Gen Z women are dropping out of religion, but ramping up in politics

For decades, multiple studies have shown that women are more religious than men, especially if they’re Christians. Women are more likely to belong to a congregation, pray regularly and say they feel close to God than men are. Meanwhile, other studies have shown that until about 2010, men were more likely than women to be Read more

Hospitality in mean times

Refugees

The celebration of Migrant and Refugee Sunday in the Catholic Church has been a minority activity this year. The times do not favour it. It’s not that there are few migrants and refugees to bother about. The difficulty is that they are many and growing. Welcoming, not blaming People who are doing it hard, as Read more

Catholic Church fully accepts most Royal Commission findings

Royal Commission

The Catholic Church in New Zealand has pledged to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and Faith-based Institutions. Church leaders expressed deep regret and committed to concrete actions to address the systemic failures that contributed to the abuse. “We are deeply sorry to victims and survivors, Read more

  • Oddly

    • Shifting flat by bike on a fine Wellington day

      Climate Change A Wellington woman says the city’s new cycle lanes are opening up a world of possibilities of what can be achieved without motor vehicles. Last weekend Beth Walker – an executive assistant and researcher in Green MP Julie Anne Genter’s Read more

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  • Pope Francis gets hard time during Belgium visit

    Pope Francis has encountered criticism throughout his visit to Belgium, with the country’s king and prime minister urging him to take stronger steps to support survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy. Additionally, a rector at another Catholic university called on him to reconsider the Church’s prohibition on ordaining women as priests. The visit underscored the Read more

  • Pope outlines template for living faith in secular culture

    Service, mission and joy

    On Saturday, Pope Francis laid out a template for living the faith in a deeply secular culture in Belgium. Belgium is consistently rated as one of the world’s most secular societies, but Francis insisted that doesn’t mean we can stop trying to follow our template of service, mission, and joy. Living the Catholic faith is Read more

  • No abortion after 28 weeks bill sparks South Australia debate

    A new abortion law reform bill is heating debate in South Australia. The private member’s bill wants the law reformed to refuse to terminate pregnancies after 28 weeks. Touted by its supporters as a “world-first”, Ben Hood’s bill aims to ensure pregnancy terminations after 27 weeks and six days are achieved through the early induction Read more

  • Caritas Lebanon appeals for aid as bombing intensifies

    Caritas Lebanon

    Caritas Lebanon has issued an urgent appeal for aid as the situation in Lebanon becomes increasingly dire due to ongoing heavy bombing. “The situation at present in Lebanon is very difficult, if not critical. It is not possible to make assumptions about what may happen in the future, but we know that the prospects are Read more

  • Survey shows Catholics favour contraception, women’s ordination

    A new Pew Research Center survey reveals that the majority of Catholics in Latin America and the United States support the use of birth control, women’s ordination and Communion for cohabiting couples. Pew Research surveyed 5,676 Catholics from seven countries: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and the United States. Catholics in these countries overwhelmingly Read more