The unemployment rate of young New Zealanders has decreased following initial COVID-19 impacts but youth unemployment is three times the national average, Stats NZ said today. In the September 2021 quarter, the unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) for people aged 15–24 was 9.6 percent, compared with a national rate of 3.2 percent and a rate Read more
New Zealand
Local Synod process getting a welcome four extra months
Monday, December 6th, 2021Catholic dioceses and parishes around Aotearoa New Zealand will be welcoming the Vatican’s four-month extension for the local phase of the Synod process. The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops recently extended the deadline of the first (local) phase of the two-year international synodal process from next April to next 15 August. Bishop Stephen Read more
Churches to be open and welcoming but the law is the law
Thursday, December 2nd, 2021
Many parishes have expressed concern about how to manage entry criteria when unvaccinated people insist on joining the vaccinated community. It is a concern Wellington’s Cardinal John Dew has met with a set of instructions and suggestions for the Wellington archdiocese to follow. Writing, Thursday, to priests and lay pastoral leaders he has told them Read more
Luxon’s Christian values challenged
Thursday, December 2nd, 2021
Asked what drives his values, when pressed the National Party’s new leader, Christopher Luxon (pictured) identifies the Christian religion. The apparent media anxiety over Luxon’s Christianity is incoherent; his four immediate predecessors Judith Collins, Todd Muller, Simon Bridges and Bill English all professed a form of Christian faith. Then adding to the incoherence is that Read more
Traffic lights are go for Sunday Mass
Thursday, December 2nd, 2021
Parish priests throughout New Zealand are working overtime in preparation to serve Sunday’s first congregations under the Government’s Traffic Light system. Those CathNews has spoken to in “Orange”, are looking forward to the extra level of safety and greater congregational capacities they can offer their vaccinated congregations. All, however, are treading a fine line establishing Read more
Hospital services for Māori ‘hostile and racist’, review finds
Thursday, December 2nd, 2021“To put it simply, there is no point solving someone’s transport barrier by giving them a taxi chit if the taxi drives them towards a racist health service,” Dr Emma Espiner writes. It’s the line in her paper in Friday’s New Zealand Medical Journal a reviewer advised her to take out, because it didn’t sound Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic Women’s League efforts reach across borders
Thursday, December 2nd, 2021New Zealand’s Catholic Women’s League (CWLANZ) has found a novel way of raising funds and awareness of the very real danger many Vietnamese people face – being kidnapped and used by human traffickers. Susan Dickson who is the CWLANZ National President says the 1445km Vietnam Chinese border is a known area for human trafficking. Women Read more
Parishes to defy Government traffic light system
Monday, November 29th, 2021
As least two New Zealand Catholic parishes intend to defy the Government mandated traffic light system. Fr Jeremy Palman, the parish priest of Holy Family Parish, Te Atatu, Auckland, labels compliance as discriminatory saying he will not refuse anyone’s presence at any Mass on the basis of their vaccination status. Citing skin colour, race, ethnicity, Read more
Vax events become celebrations as people get vaxxed for Christmas
Monday, November 29th, 2021
Churches, sports groups, Pasifika communities and youth groups held Covid Vaccination events across Auckland over the weekend, encouraging everyone to get vaxxed for Christmas. It was the last weekend people could have their first vax and still have the necessary three-week period between doses before Christmas. Many vax centres were in South Auckland, where 90 Read more
Family violence – New Zealand’s hidden pandemic
Monday, November 29th, 2021
There’s the Covid pandemic – we all know about that; and then there’s the hidden pandemic. That’s the one where New Zealanders bash each other up. Preferably their nearest and dearest. The hidden pandemic’s the one Matt and Sarah Brown, founders of global anti-violence movement She Is Not Your Rehab, have spent years working to Read more