Long-serving organiser of the annual Waitangi Festival, Pita Paraone, says Ratana leaders have shown it is possible to hold a dignified pōwhiri for the Crown while still making a strong protest against the TPP, and Waitangi elders should follow suit. Fears of a sizeable protest from anti-TPPA protesters at the annual Ratana Church celebrations in Read more
A noisy protest by pupils, parents and supporters of the St Mark’s Catholic School in Pakuranga, Auckland has fallen on at least one set of deaf ears. An Auckland Council planner, Scott Cheng, is recommending commissioners give the green light to the BP oil company’s request to build next to the school, but with conditions. Read more
Unpunished attacks on Coptic Orthodox and Catholics led many Christians in Egypt to join the demonstrations that led to President Mohammed Morsi being ousted by the armed forces. “Most of the Christians do not want the president,” said Father Rafic Greiche, the spokesman for the Greek Melkite Catholic Church in Egypt. “We have to be Read more
Turkey’s foreign ministry has protested to the Vatican after Pope Francis referred to the mass murder of Armenians as “the first genocide of the 20th century”. The Pope alluded briefly to the Armenian genocide during a meeting with Armenian Catholic Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni of Cilicia. An estimated 1 to 1.5 million Armenians died Read more
The Abortion Supervisory Committee’s latest report has expressed concerns over abortion consultants, their families and patients being the target of harrassment. The committee is particularly concerned that women seeking fertility assistance have been caught up in the anti-abortion protests. In particular, the Report singles out “harassment of medical staff is taking place in Invercargill resulting Read more
Throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, an increasing number of families, parishes, schools and communities are learning about and reflecting on the commitment of the people of Parihaka to open community discussion and peaceful action. Parihaka is a community approximately 55 Kilometres southwest of New Plymouth. In the 1870s and 80s, under the leadership of Tohu and Read more
An Italian man eluded Vatican security and climbed the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica this week to protest economic reforms that Italy has passed to combat its debt crisis. Marcello De Finizio, owner of a beach-front concession and restaurant in Trieste, climbed the dome Tuesday evening. He unfurled a hand painted sign reading: “Help! Enough Read more
Sister Anne Montgomery, an American nun who gave more than 30 years of her life to protesting against nuclear weapons, has died at the age of 85. Sister Anne, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart, took part in the so-called Plowshares actions from 1980 until 2009. From 1980 she was in full-time Read more
Nuns and priests in Manila have led a rally of around 10,000 Catholics in protest against a proposed birth control bill that would provide free contraceptives and introduce reproductive health and sexuality classes in schools. The protesters, many dressed in red, gathered at a Catholic shrine to voice opposition to the bill, which would also Read more
Hundreds of priests and parishioners were attacked by an outnumbered of police and militiamen this mooring in the capital of Hanoi after they submitted their petition to suspend a construction on a land in dispute.
At 8:30 this morning, dozens of Hanoi Redemptorists led a group of hundreds of parishioners to the City’s People’s Committee to submit their urgent petition which asked for the suspension of a hospital sewage treatment system on a parish’ lot of land.
They could manage to hand in their petition. However, on the way home, an outnumbered of police and militiamen stopped them and brutally beat, and arrested dozens of priests and parishioners of Thai Ha Parish.
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