Last week Father Kevin Barr celebrated 50 years of priesthood by celebrating Mass with Archbishop Petero Mataca. He used the occasion to ask for forgiveness. “A few months ago I wrote a little booklet on forgiveness and in it quoted the story of a Jewish Rabbi in New York who in his final sermon in the synagogue Read more
Pope Benedict has decried an approach to agricultural production based solely on profit, and called for steps to protect family farming, as he met on July 1 with leaders of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He spoke of hunger born of selfish behaviour. He said persistent world hunger was a “tragedy” driven by Read more
On 2 June Archbishop John Dew was one of the Church Leaders invited to speak at the launch of the Closer Together: Whakatata Mai information programme. This is a project of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services of which the Catholic Church is one of the six member churches. The project is targeted specifically Read more
In Apia, Samoa, children are used to win sympathy by some street vendors. Parents are using their children as a bait to win people’s sympathy, says Security’s Officer, Aloi Perosi. “That’s why many of them are out here at a very late hour,” he says. “It’s not about selling goods. It’s about people feeling sorry for them and then giving them Read more
A Vatican sponsored executive summit on ethics for the business world has called for the employment of ethical business policies within companies and bringing economic justice to the wider world. According to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state, the real challenge is taking common principles and translating them into concrete action that will Read more
Does the New Zealand welfare system need an overhaul? Will the Government’s proposed changes achieve reduced reliance on benefits, or only make things more difficult for beneficiaries? For just $1465 you can attend a conference on welfare reform which is discussing these questions. A conference on 20, 21 June at the Amora hotel in Wellington is Read more
‘Today, unfortunately, it seems that every possible barrier is put in the way of asylum seekers and refugees who come to Australia seeking protection from persecution,” she said. ”They also seek the fulfillment of their fundamental human rights and ultimately a better quality of life in a free and democratic society.” said Judith Troeth in her valedictory Read more
The Alliance of Churches in the Land of Papua, PGGP, has called on the government to revise the work contract concluded with the mining company, Freeport. ‘The presence of this foreign company in the district of Mimika has not resulted in any improvements in the conditions of the local people,’ said Wiem Maury, secretary of Read more
Two Catholic organisations who had been planning participation in Saturday’s post Budget rally in Auckland withdrew support following a New Zealand Herald story about the civil disobedience intentions of some participants. The Herald reported that Meredydd Barrar, spokesman for newly formed Coalition for Social Justice, said that they intended to take action during the World Read more
Youth worker Heath Hutton has received Wellington Community Trusts’ Young Community Leader’s Award for his work with young people. His work as a youth justice co-ordinator brings him in contact with young offenders who are then provided with innovative and supportive programmes. Heath also sings in the Wellington Youth Choir, and is a member of Read more