It was a poignant moment for the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Project to be able to bless workers and the Cathedral site ahead of its first physical work. Due to COVID-19, the country is still under physical distancing restrictions, so only a few people were permitted on the site. In a first for the project Read more
New Zealand
Open Letter From Simon Bridges To Jacinda Ardern
Monday, May 18th, 2020The leader of the opposition Simon Bridges has sent an open letter to the prime minister. It begins: I write to you on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who practice many different faiths and religions, who continue to be unable to gather in any meaningful way for worship this weekend because Read more
The kindness of strangers
Thursday, May 14th, 2020
Bushra Alkhafaji and her daughter Nada are New Zealand citizens who arrived in Iran in February for an annual trip, with flights paid for by Bushra’s Iran-based daughters. On a short visit to Isfahan during the holiday, Iran announced inter-city travel restrictions so Bushra and Nada were separated from relatives and had to find temporary Read more
Lack of cultural and spiritual consideration In COVID-19 Response Bill
Thursday, May 14th, 2020
The Salvation Army is concerned that cultural and spiritual wellbeing was not being considered alongside physical wellbeing, in the Health Response Bill. “This Bill worries us deeply. There is no allowance or trust for religious gatherings, which further indicates this Government’s low view of spirituality as a fundamental part of overall wellbeing,” Salvation Army Māori Read more
Gathered in His name… but no more than ten at a time
Thursday, May 14th, 2020
If you have a dozen apostles you have some difficult decisions to make, says Toby Manhire in his blog in The Spinoff. He was referring to the fact that under the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 Alert Level 2 the number of people attending a religious gathering is capped at 10. Many religious leaders are disappointed Read more
‘Nanny State’: Tamaki vows to hold Sunday service
Thursday, May 14th, 2020Destiny Church’s Brian Tamaki has criticised the decision by the Government to continue the ban on large gatherings and has vowed to hold a service at his South Auckland base this Sunday. In a statement to media, Tamaki slammed the decision to restrict gathering to a maximum of 10 people as “Nanny-State” and said that Read more
Epidemic Response Committee discusses palliative care
Thursday, May 14th, 2020The Epidemic Response Committee met with the Cancer Society, Funeral Directors Association and representatives of the palliative care sector today. Cancer Society medical director Dr Chris Jackson began the meeting. He said the lockdown has kept people with cancer and immune-suppressive issues safe. However, there have been problems, around people getting treatments, being away from Read more
Auckland parish finds a way to share the Eucharist
Thursday, May 14th, 2020At Holy Family Parish in Te Atatu Mass is Live-streamed at 10 am each day. It is not open to the public; the Church remains closed during Mass. However, after Mass, Communion is given at the door of the Church. After Sunday Mass Communion will also be given to those who come to the main Read more
Auckland school well placed to help people struggling post-COVID-19
Monday, May 11th, 2020
An Auckland boarding school for boys says it is well placed to assist post-COVID-19 when some people to find themselves struggling financially. All students at Dilworth – currently 575 in total – receive a fully-funded scholarship, worth about $35,000 a year. The costs of the school are covered by the Dilworth charitable trust, which is Read more
Lockdown destroys nuns’ business
Monday, May 11th, 2020
Not even those living a monastic life are immune to the effects of coronavirus. The Carmelite sisters may live in a “permanent sort of lockdown” but the Covid-19 pandemic has reached behind the monastery’s high concrete wall to impact their daily life. “We are very much in the same boat as everyone else right now Read more