Viennese theologian Paul Zulehner (pictured) is convinced that even though churches are increasingly less relevant in today’s world, they still have the ability to help society with today’s problems. Carrying on in the same old way won’t achieve this, he points out. But churches can be “sparring partners for those seeking meaning” or “midwives of Read more
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
The family of a murdered Columbian politician Luis Gerardo Vásquez Pimiento, buried him upright in a bid to show his ideas can continue to stand the test of time. The unusual burial upset the parish priest, who distanced himself from the family’s wishes because the burial did not correspond to the Catholic Christian ritual, Read Read more
In his Monday press conference, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the director-general of health, addressed the concern that has been expressed over the weekend by church leaders and others about church gatherings still being capped at a maximum of 10 people. Bloomfield defended limits on the size of faith-based gatherings. Allowing churches to have larger gatherings was Read more
The archbishop of Fiji has admitted he had made some mistakes in the statistics he used in his recent statement. The figures were quoted in the church’s newsletter, The Proclaimer, in the main article titled “Pre-election homily reflection on economic justice.” “My sincere apologies, my statistics on poverty and VAT was based on Warden Narsey’s study Read more
“Who are you? Just because you are a nun? You go back to your country and try to ponder the enormity of your problems,” said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. His words were directed at an Australian nun, Sister Patricia Fox, who was detained by immigration authorities last week. “You nun, why don’t you criticise your own government, the Read more
Jim Bolger, former New Zealand Prime Minister, says his faith helped him negotiate his way through the turbulent waters of the 1990s. Bolger was interviewed by Guyon Espiner as part of the RNZ series The Ninth Floor in which Espiner conducts extended interviews with former New Zealand Prime Ministers. “That was the value system that I grew Read more
Although the Catholic Church officially discourages clergy and religious from serving in public office, in many countries Catholic actors nevertheless play key roles in forging peace accords, guaranteeing access to safe water and other humanitarian aims, and lighting a fire under the international community to get involved. That activism builds on a grand history, from popes Read more
Last week the deputy prime minister, and minister of finance Bill English spent almost an hour year with 13 students at St John’s College in Hamilton. “They’re enquiring, they’re confident to ask. At that age, I would never have asked a politician a question, certainly not in public,” he said. “They’re watching the world. There Read more
Donald Trump has been pictured crucifying Jesus Christ in a hard-hitting campaign against him by an Auckland church. St Luke’s in Remuera has put up an Easter-themed cartoon which aims to show how Trump’s views contradict the messages of Jesus Christ. St Luke’s minister Glynn Cardy said Christ would have been considered a “loser” by Read more