Porn use, abortion, homosexuality, corruption, moral depravity and degradation led to Cyclone Gabrielle’s catastrophic trail. At least, that’s Brian Tamaki’s view. The self-identified apostle, Destiny Church and Freedoms NZ political party founder says so in a rambling, disinformation-littered diatribe before his church fellowship. His online sermon, lasting over an hour, draws heavily on the Old Read more
Sunday would normally be a busy time at the Hawke’s Bay community’s 102-year-old memorial church. But this week, parishioners found silt covering the floor and generations-old pews upturned by floodwaters. “It took an hour and a half to dig out the front door, and we came into this church not knowing what we’d find,” said Read more
Significant concerns about housing have emerged again. Cyclone Gabrielle’s brutal aftermath has left thousands of people homeless. New Zealand already had a housing shortage – so where to accommodate the newly displaced is a huge question. Housing’s short. Demand exceeds supply. Rents are brutal. How will they – can they – pay the price? The Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has confirmed it is not leading the post-cyclone Catholic relief effort for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC). It told CathNews that Caritas’ focus was not New Zealand, but on helping fund development and emergency relief work worldwide. However, Caritas’ comments seems to run counter to the information the charity Read more
When the cyclone came and the power failed in Napier, pharmacist Susie Farquhar and her husband, Richard jumped in the car, grabbed medicines that were ready and drove them out to people they could reach. “If people don’t have medicines, some people will die, that’s the fact of it … Pharmacists just have to find Read more
On Friday, the Palmerston North Diocese Administrator, Fr Craig Butler (pictured) acknowledged the diocese’s responsibility to show care, and outreach to those impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle. A significant portion of the area on the east coast of the North Island is in the Palmerston North diocese, and in the absence of a bishop, Butler is Read more
In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, Pope Francis has expressed his closeness to the people of New Zealand. Renewing his appeal for Turkey and Syria earthquake victims, Francis also turned his attention to New Zealand. “I am close to the people of New Zealand, who have been hit in recent days by a devastating cyclone. Read more
The carnage cyclone Gabrielle left in her wake on Napier showed how ‘isolated and abandoned’ the city was from central government services, said its deputy mayor. The Hawke’s Bay had been hammered by the weather throughout the week, with suburbs submerged, and power and communications knocked out after the Redclyffe substation at Taradale was flooded Read more