The pope’s visit to migrants and asylum seekers in Ħal Far has sparked outrage among many Facebook users who rejected his appeal for charity and overwhelmingly told him to take migrants back with him to the Vatican. During his two-day visit to Malta, the pontiff visited the Peace Lab in Ħal Far where he met Read more
News Shorts
Closer to God: Cop’s warning after drunken cathedral climb
Monday, April 11th, 2022An intrepid drunk got stuck atop the spire of a Dunedin cathedral after an impromptu climbing expedition went wrong. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said police were called to St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral to assist Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) about 1.55am yesterday. An intoxicated man had climbed the cathedral’s spire but had got stuck, Read more
Archbishop of Canterbury to meet area residential school survivors
Monday, April 11th, 2022The Archbishop of Canterbury will hold an informal meeting with residential school survivors next month in Brantford. The Most Rev. Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is visiting Canada from April 29 to May 3 to highlight the church’s desire to pursue reconciliation with indigenous people. Read more
Covid-19: More men than women died in Omicron outbreak
Monday, April 11th, 2022Nearly two-thirds of the people who have died in New Zealand’s Omicron outbreak are men, and experts say the science is inconclusive as to why. That is despite slightly more women having been infected overall, according to Ministry of Health data. Women also made up about 56 percent of those who have been hospitalised with Read more
Bishops urge priests who fathered children to leave priesthood
Monday, April 11th, 2022
Leaders of the bishops’ conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have urged priests who have fathered children to leave the ministry to care for those children. The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) recently issued a 19-page internal document, “At the School of Jesus Christ: for an authentic priestly life.” The paper aims Read more
Court admits appeals against Indian bishop’s rape acquittal
Monday, April 11th, 2022Save Our Sisters (SOS), a social forum formed to support nuns, has expressed renewed hope after a top court in the southern Indian state of Kerala admitted appeals against the acquittal of Bishop Franco Mulakkal in a nun rape case. “We are glad that the high court has finally admitted the appeals,” Shaiju Antony, joint Read more
Gender rights advocate is new French ambassador to the Vatican
Monday, April 4th, 2022Florence Mangin, a top gender rights advocate at France’s foreign ministry, has been named the country’s new ambassador to the Holy See. The 63-year-old career diplomat, who has been the French ambassador to Portugal for the past three years, succeeds Ambassador Élisabeth Beton-Delègue, who retired last January. Ambassador Mangin’s appointment was made official on Tuesday Read more
Immigration’s hands full with border reopening
Monday, April 4th, 2022New Zealand’s border reopening sounds as if it would be a simple turnkey operation. The reality is there has seldom been a time when the difference between the treatment of people from visa waiver and non-visa waiver countries has stood in such stark contrast. With the staged border re-opening announced last month, visa waiver travellers Read more
Oregon drops residency requirement for assisted suicide
Monday, April 4th, 2022Oregon has dropped its residency requirement for assisted suicide, meaning doctors will be allowed to prescribe lethal drugs to people who do not reside in the State. In response to a federal lawsuit, the State agreed to stop enforcing the residency requirement on March 28. In addition, the Oregon Health Authority agreed to write a Read more
Hate speech laws: Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon calls out Government over delays three years after March 15 attacks
Monday, April 4th, 2022On the eve of the three-year anniversary of the mosque terror attacks, the Race Relations Commissioner has accused the Government of “dragging its heels” over proposed hate speech laws. Strengthening the legislation against incitement of hatred and discrimination was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry after the March 15 attacks in Christchurch. Read more