New Zealand

The supermarket trolley spawns hundreds of childhood injuries

supermarket trolley

A mother whose infant just missed serious injury in a supermarket trolley is warning other parents to be extra vigilant. She hadn’t realised there was a safety strap on the trolley so didn’t use it. Her infant was saved from falling out – in the nick of time – by a staff member. Many injuries Read more

Some Pacific men use Bible to justify domestic violence

domestic violence

Some Pacific men misinterpret Bible verses to justify domestic violence. So says social worker and lecturer Genevieve Sang-Yum. She runs programmes to help Māori and Pacific men break cycles of violence. New Zealand is ranked as the worst developed country in the OECD for domestic violence. Controlling or hitting is normal Sang-Yum is seeing more Read more

Analysis and Comment

Pope Francis – Faith

faith

Today I would like to talk about the virtue of faith. Together with charity and hope, this virtue is described as theologal. The theologal virtues There are three theologal virtues: faith, hope and charity. Why are they theologal? Because they can be lived – this virtue, the three theologal virtues – only thanks to the Read more

Renewed hopes for ecumenical date for Easter could spell end to longest-running culture war

Easter

Before culture war issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, vaccines or pronouns, there was the battle over calendar reform, a battle that shows signs of ending. There is once again renewed hope that ongoing ecumenical dialogue between the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Roman Catholic Church will resolve an ancient rift. That rift Read more

In a church that has yet to deal justly with women, I stay a keeper of the vision

women

I will be 80 years old in June. As a young child in the Methodist Church, I was certain I was called to ordained ministry. At Duke University, I majored in religious studies and then served as pastoral assistant and director of religious education in a small church in upstate New York. Then, in the Read more

Why faith-based groups are prone to sexual abuse and how they can get ahead of it

abuse

Hollywood, the USA Gymnastics team, Penn State, the Boy Scouts: Sexual abuse has proved pervasive across institutions. And when it comes to faith groups, no creed, structure, value system or size has seemed immune. Get out of denial mode “We’ve got to stop saying that could never happen in my church, or my pastor would Read more

Church seeks feedback on handling abuse enquiry

The Catholic Church in New Zealand is issuing a call for feedback regarding its role and response in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. Te Rōpū Tautoko, the body established to manage the Church’s dealings with the Royal Commission, has initiated an anonymous electronic feedback process that is accessible from anywhere Read more

  • Oddly

    • A wedding guest with a difference

      It seems that the wedding industry has found a new attraction to add to its repertoire, moving beyond traditional offerings of photo booths, monogrammed dance floors, and dove releases. The new attraction is called Party Robot, an imposing eight-foot-tall humanoid Read more

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  • Gang-rehabilitating priest awarded US Presidential Medal of Freedom

    Presidential Medal of Freedom.

    The White House has awarded Jesuit priest Father Greg Boyle the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries – a prominent ministry dedicated to rehabilitating gang-affiliated youth. A new ministry Immediately after his 1980 ordination, Boyle set about finding ways to give a second chance to ex-gang members and former prisoners. Read more

  • Pope urges Anglican leaders to embrace unity and dialogue

    unity and dialogue

    In a historic meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis engaged with senior Anglican bishops, emphasising the importance of unity and dialogue within Christian communities. The meeting, which marked the Anglican primates’ first pilgrimage to Rome, focused on shared missions and discussions on differences within the church. Pope Francis began his address by thanking Archbishop Justin Read more

  • Priests embrace Vatican’s synodality mission

    Synodality

    Nearly 300 parish priests from around the world recently concluded a multi-day meeting near Rome where they discussed how to bring the Vatican’s message of synodality to their local communities. The gathering, which included an audience with Pope Francis, focused on fostering open dialogue and empowering individuals to take responsibility for their parishes and communities. Read more

  • Cardinal Sarah urges African bishops to defend unity of faith

    unity of faith

    Cardinal Robert Sarah, former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, urged African bishops to defend the unity of faith amidst what he perceives as Western “errors”. In his address at the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon on April 9, Cardinal Sarah (pictured) emphasised the pivotal role of the African Read more

  • UK’s first ordinariate bishop is a former Anglican priest

    ordinariate

    The new leader of the Ordinariate in Great Britain is a former Anglican priest – Father David Waller. The Vatican has announced Waller – currently the parish priest and vicar general of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham – will replace Msgr Keith Newton. Newton is retiring after serving over 13 years as the Read more