A US Supreme Court Justice has strongly criticised COVID-19 lockdown measures, labelling them as potentially “the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country.” Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch (pictured), in a rare personal statement released on 18th May, expressed his concerns regarding the extension of Title 42 restrictions on immigration, Read more
Was anyone surprised when New Zealand’s self-made Apostle Brian Tamaki courted controversy and arrest by participating in two anti-lockdown protests in Auckland recently? Or that during one of these events he declared he would rather live in “dangerous freedom than peaceful slavery” and likened the director-general of health to Hitler? This was, after all, the Read more
A Woodville cafe caught on the hop by alert level four is teaming up with a local church to make sure its perishable food and prepared meals don’t go to waste. Holy Trinity Anglican Church distributed 26 roast pork meals from Cafe 88 to elderly residents in the town, to help them out during the Read more
The Compassion Soup Kitchen in Wellington has added more staff to help meet a 54 percent increase in people needing meals. During the 2020 lockdown, the Soup Kitchen distributed an average of 153 takeaway meals per day. This year the number of takeaway meals began at 190 and by Monday it had risen to 235. Read more
A priest in the Highlands of Scotland is up against the creators of a bra-fitting boutique and a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-inspired “inventor’s workshop” in Britain’s 2021 Shed of the Year competition. Father Len Black, from Inverness, has made it to the finals with summerhouse The Oratory Of St Joseph. He streamed Mass from the Read more
A French bishop says people protesting in front of churches demanding they be allowed to attend Mass during lockdown are not taking their share of suffering. Bishop Pierre-Yves Michel of Valence said the protesters were not sending the right signal on behalf of the Church. “The health situation is serious,” he said. “I would prefer Read more
A Catholic priest is facing a fine of £1,000 after 200 guests turned up to a gypsy wedding. Under Covid-19 rules, at the time the legal limit was only 15. Fr Simon Hall of Our Lady of the Angels church in Nuneaton, UK was told by police to expect a summons in the mail. Hall, Read more
Lockdown affected wellbeing for many people, especially young ones, an Otago University study has found. The study undertaken during lockdown is providing a glimpse into New Zealand’s mental health. Young people in particular found it hard-going. The study results were reported in a research paper,’Psychological distress, anxiety, family violence, suicidality, and wellbeing in New Zealand Read more