In a wide-ranging message to COP28 delegates, Pope Francis added his voice to calls for an end to fossil fuels and for “debt forgiveness” for poorer countries hit by climate change. As illness prevented Francis from attending COP28, he deputed Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (pictured) to deliver his speech. Francis, who has made Read more
In recent days the home secretary of the UK, Suella Braverman, has described rough sleeping as a “lifestyle choice” while defending her decision to restrict the use of tents by homeless people on the streets of Britain. More than that, it is rumored that charitable organisations that supply tents to the homeless might themselves be Read more
In a significant move, the NZ Catholic bishops are promoting open and informed life discussion through a modernised and broadened document, Te Kahu o te Ora – A Consistent Ethic of Life. The modernisation seeks to fill a twenty-six-year gap and reflect some of the modern challenges. Dr John Kleinsman, director of the NZ Catholic Read more
The recent Women’s Football World Cup, with its acting-out of the Enlightenment values of liberty, equality and fraternity, was a delightful patch of blue sky among more ominous dark clouds. The fires and floods in the Northern Hemisphere have emphasised the threat of climate change to people’s lives throughout the world. They foreshadow the future. Read more
Junaid Javed, a Catholic living in Pakistan, was looking forward to his appointment to collect a visa to travel to World Youth Day – WYD – with his wife, Sunaina. But to his dismay, the Portuguese embassy returned his passport without a visa July 24, making him one of a rising number of people prevented Read more
Last Thursday Chris Bishop MP asked the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment about people sleeping in cars. It’s almost impossible to know, exactly, how many people sleep in cars. “None”, would be the best answer. But this isn’t a “best answer” world. One measure is how many people on the Housing Register (essentially Read more
An Auckland mother says the struggle to provide her kids with the most basic items such as food and clothing is taking a toll on her mental health. As food inflation hits a 36-year high and fuel costs go back up, working families are having to juggle between bills, while kids are going to school Read more
If you think the events in Sudan right now are an emergency without warning, think again. The current conflict is instead an acute symptom of a crisis that has plagued the country for decades. The people of Sudan have been suffering for far too long from political turmoil and economic instability. The escalating humanitarian needs Read more
Lack of money and high prices are causing food shortages in hundreds of thousands of New Zealand homes. Foodbank demand is soaring. Working families are among the growing number lining up for help as the cost of living and inflation bubble upwards. Food shortages are hitting food banks too. Like “Mother Hubbard“, who went to Read more
Manufacturers of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) make various claims about their vehicles’ fuel use. Some say it’s very low and provide numbers to prove it. Consumer NZ, with support from Te Manatū Waka–Ministry of Transport, decided to investigate to see if these suggestions were true. They assessed fuel use in five PHEVs and five Read more