One year ago, the longest and deadliest war between Israelis and Arabs since 1948 began, having profound effects on the Catholic Church. Pope Francis marked the anniversary of the beginning of the war in Israel after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack by calling a day of prayer and fasting for peace. On October 6, Read more
Pope Francis concluded his three-day visit to Singapore on Friday with a powerful message of unity. The pope set aside his prepared text during his address and spoke candidly to the audience. Using an analogy, Francis said “All religions are a path trying to reach God”. “They are like different languages in order to arrive Read more
A Catholic church in Barcelona has offered up its open-air cloisters for Muslims to eat and pray together during Ramadan. With COVID-19 restrictions preventing Barcelona’s Islamic population from celebrating Ramadan at the usual indoor venues, Santa Anna church came to the rescue. Every evening between 50 and 60 Muslims, many of them homeless, stream into Read more
Despite the naysayers who opposed the pope’s visit, Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to Iraq (March 5-8) went beyond expectations in achieving the three goals of his trip: showing pastoral solidarity with his suffering Christian flock, calling for peace and reconciliation for the Iraqi people and establishing improved relations between Christians and Muslims. In the run-up to Read more
Two teenagers having a religious discussion in a Picton cafe were shocked after they were scolded by a member of the public. The woman, who was also dining in the cafe, told them their discussion wasn’t appropriate and they should consider other people’s “comfort zones”. Anna Amos, 17, who is homeschooled in Waikawa, said she Read more
Pope Francis will return to Assisi next month for the closing day of a gathering of religious leaders, aimed at promoting dialogue and peace. It will be his second visit to the birthplace of his namesake in two months, after his ‘private pilgrimage’to Assisi’s Porziuncula Chapel on 4 August. The upcoming visit will form part Read more
To mark the festival of Eid al-Fitr New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interfaith Relations has passed on a message from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) to Muslim communities in New Zealand, along with their own greetings. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of of Ramadan. Literally the word means the “Festival of Breaking the Read more
“May the Transcendent Light illumine your hearts, homes and communities, and may all your celebrations deepen the sense of belonging to one another in your families and neighbourhoods, and so further harmony and happiness, peace and prosperity.” This is the hope expressed by the Vatican Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue as it acknowledges the the Read more
Employing people from all corners of the globe has many benefits, according to Mt Albert Pak ‘n Save owner-operator Brian Carran. The supermarket won the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust diversity award for innovation in 2005 after Carran set up a prayer room for Muslim staff. “It’s just good business,” he says. “It’s just being a Read more
An Islamic Centre has been opened in in Suva. “This centre is purposely for those iTaukei people that want to learn the basics of the Islam faith in the iTaukei language,” says Mohammed Ismail, who is a teacher at the new centre “Another reason we opened this centre is because it is easily accessible to Read more