Posts Tagged ‘Coronavirus’

April was our deadliest month for Covid

Monday, May 9th, 2022
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/02/coronavirus-modelling-shows-nz-could-see-200-to-800-hospitalisations-a-day-during-omicron-outbreak/_jcr_content/par/video/image.dynimg.1280.q75.jpg/v1644280052844/GETTY_covid_patient_hospital_1120.jpg

April was New Zealand’s deadliest month for Covid-related deaths since the pandemic began, according to recently-released statistics. New Zealand’s COVID-19 death toll has increased more than tenfold over the past two months. The government’s decision to keep schools and non-essential businesses open and to remove most public health restrictions is being blamed for the spike. Read more

How Covid changed the clergy

Thursday, April 21st, 2022

There’s no doubt Covid changed the clergy. In New York, anyway. During the deadliest months of the coronavirus pandemic, when many New Yorkers most needed their faith communities, houses of worship were either closed or operating with limits on attendance. The solace of grieving with family and friends, the comfort of the communal rituals of Read more

Heartbreaking video shows reality of lockdown funerals

Monday, September 6th, 2021
NZ Herald

A funeral director has published a video exposing the heartbreaking reality of lockdown funerals. It shows a grieving daughter calling messages of sorrow as the hearse carrying her mother drives into a cemetery without her. New Zealanders in Level 3 lockdown are facing tight restrictions, with all funerals and tangihanga limited to 10 people. Distressingly, Read more

Pastor rants: Govt is ‘seeking to rape me of God-given right to worship’

Monday, August 30th, 2021
Newshub

The Government is “seeking to rape me of my God-given right to worship Christ”, says Christchurch pastor Carl Bromley. He made the claim after police confronted him during the weekend for hosting a church service during a pandemic lockdown. Bromley,  the Life Connection Missionary Baptist Fellowship founder, insisted on holding a church service on Sunday Read more

Irish Catholic dioceses defy govt’s no baptism, confirmation, communion rule

Monday, August 2nd, 2021
Independent.ie

Several Irish Catholic dioceses are defying a government ban on celebrating sacraments of initiation. They are planning to hold the ceremonies from mid-August. Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin says after consulting with clergy, baptisms, First Holy Communions and confirmation ceremonies will be held. The regulations for general religious services will be followed. “The mission of Read more

Cameroon govt backs archbishop’s traditional medicine for COVID

Thursday, July 22nd, 2021
Reuters

The Republic of Cameroon’s government has approved the traditional medicine recipes a Catholic archbishop developed to help treat COVID-19 patients. The archbishop says they help save ‘even people on respirators’. The Republic’s Public Health Ministry authorised sales of Archbishop Samuel Kleda’s medicinal recipes as an “adjuvant” or supplementary aid to fighting COVID-19 infections. “This is Read more

Catholic priest fined for public Masses in lockdown

Thursday, March 25th, 2021

Police in Ireland have fined a Catholic priest for celebrating public Masses during a nationwide lockdown. The Gardaí (police) fined Fr. P.J. Hughes, 500 euros (NZ$830) after he offered Masses with a small number of parishioners present. This was the second time Hughes defied the gardai’s request to lock the church’s doors when he celebrated Read more

Nine great apes become first non-human primates vaccinated for COVID-19

Monday, March 8th, 2021

Nine great apes at the San Diego Zoo – four orangutans and five bonobos – made veterinary history in recent weeks as the world’s first non-human primates known to be vaccinated against COVID-19, zoo officials said on Thursday. One of the recipients was a 28-year-old female Sumatran orangutan named Karen, who had garnered headlines at Read more

Coronavirus strengthens religious faith, family bonds

Monday, February 15th, 2021

A Pew Research Center poll has found the coronavirus pandemic has strengthened the religious faith and family bonds in many parts of the world. The poll focused on 14 countries with what Pew calls “advanced economies”. It was released in late January. Of the Americans surveyed, 28 percent said the pandemic had strengthened their own Read more

Ash Wednesday on Sunday! COVID continues to disrupt

Monday, February 15th, 2021

Ash Wednesday on Sunday is a possibility. Cardinal John Dew and Bishop Patrick Dunn identified the option in messages to pastoral leaders and people in their respective dioceses. “If the Alert Level changes back to Level 1 on Wednesday night, we will look at having the belling and distribution of the ashes at Masses next Read more