Across the United States, religious congregations have reopened, or reopened with some health restrictions still in place, after two long pandemic years, according to a new Pew Research survey. But there has been little or no rise in the number of people attending in-person religious services over the past six months, while the number of Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops are delighted Covid restrictions are easing. The Government announced on Wednesday a 200-person limit for those with a vaccine pass at a religious gathering such as Mass, says a statement from the bishop’s conference. “It is really welcome that these restrictions are being eased in the middle of Lent and with Read more
The Covid-19 virus pushed 4.7 million Southeast Asian people into extreme poverty in 2021. According to the an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report presented at the Southeast Asia Development Symposium, 9.3 million jobs have disappeared. The ADB’s “Southeast Asia Rising from the Pandemic” report says the Omicron variant could make matters worse. It predicts the Read more
Members of the Wellington Archdiocese Ecology, Justice and Peace (EJP) Commission are advocating the present state of the Covid-19 pandemic requires a continuation of the restrictions outlined in their November 2021 pastoral letter. They have written an open letter to the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference. The Wellington EJP letter is a response to an Read more
Before the pandemic, the Potter’s House of Denver had plenty of use for its 3,500-seat sanctuary in the southeast corner of the Colorado capital. In early January, the megachurch announced it was selling its building and continuing to hold services online, as it had been doing for nearly two years. Pastor Toure Roberts said the Read more
While the political debate on masks may never be settled, a large new study this week further solidifies the story from the realm of science: People who wear face coverings are less likely to spread COVID-19. Cases of in-school transmission were 72% lower in districts with mandatory masking during the late summer and fall of Read more
A Catholic bishop has dismissed a priest from his parish for not following his directives. In a letter informing parishioners about Father Peter Williams’s dismissal, Bishop Christopher Coyne of Burlington US said the matter concerned “his serious disobedience and disrespect shown to the office of the bishop,”. The “disobedience and disrespect” refers to Williams’s refusal Read more
Covid has closed St Mary of the Angels Church until March 20. The prominent central Wellington church is closed due to a positive case of Covid within the priests’ community. A March 7 notice on the parish’s website says the Church is closed immediately. Four priests live in the Marist community and all are fully Read more
Lockdown liturgy such as online Mass, walk-up communion and drive-in Eucharist during the liturgical lockdown have shown us the dominant culture of the Church. Where these practices became the default of bishops, the potential failure of the synodal process is high because these practices were made possible by sidelining the laity. What is the potential Read more
Churches are among the high risk places to avoid at present, say public health professor Nick Wilson and epidemiologist Michael Baker (pictured). As daily Omicron cases soar throughout the country, avoiding high risk places means steering clear of bars, restaurants, cafés, gyms, churches and protests. Retail shops, offices, lifts, stairwells, malls, community pools, public transport Read more