The Government will cover costs for survivors of abuse in care to attend a long-awaited national apology – after some missed out on support to witness the tabling of the Royal Commission of Inquiry report. Lead Coordination Minister Erica Stanford says it’s critically important Government “gets it right” and the apology is well-run, survivors are Read more
Human rights groups on Sept 12 condemned a sharp increase in the use of the death sentence in Saudi Arabia for drug offences after 42 people were executed for such crimes this year. The rights groups, many of them Saudi and Egyptian, said they were “gravely fearful for the lives of hundreds of prisoners threatened Read more
While many Catholic leaders in Nigeria are concerned about the influence of Pentecostalism, Catholics in the southeastern parts of the country are concerned about another trend. In rural parts of the West African country, the number of young people participating in Sunday Mass has plummeted and continues to fall as many of them turn to Read more
As Rome prepares for the denouement of Pope Francis’s long-running Synod of Bishops on Synodality next month, Catholics and other African Christian leaders are exploring the possible implications of the process for closer ties among the various Christian communities on the continent. During a recent exchange known as the “African Palaver Conversation Series,” which concluded Read more
Residents and visitors may be allowed a peek inside Christ Church Cathedral, but public land borrowed for its now-mothballed restoration could remain behind high fences. As the Anglican Church thrashed out what happens next at the Cathedral Square site, it has indicated ongoing fundraising and public tours look likely. In late August Christ Church Cathedral Read more
More than 4,000 Catholics on Sept 2 assembled in the remote Jamboni jungle to mark the 25-year observance of the death of 33-year-old Father Arul Das of the Balasore Diocese, who was shot and pierced with arrows in his thatched chapel-house during the early hours of Sept 2, 1999. “Father Arul very closely followed the Read more
Rebecca Kitteridge, the former spy boss has replaced the department head who said survivors and lawyers drummed up abuse claims, as the Government progresses its response to the Royal Commission. This comes as the Government beefs up the Crown’s response unit, puts in place new oversight, and moves the work out of Oranga Tamariki and Read more
In Sudan, 25.6 million people – over half of the population – now face acute hunger, with more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine. 10.7 million people are also displaced within Sudan and neighbouring countries, 7.9 million of which have been forced from their homes since the outbreak of civil conflict on 15 Read more
Former President Donald Trump launched his campaign’s Catholics for Trump coalition on September 4 in a bid to reach Catholic voters. A recent survey indicated that Catholic voters currently lean toward Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election. In a press release, the Trump-Vance campaign said the Republican nominee “announces ‘Catholics for Trump,’ a Read more
A parishioner in their late 70s was among the 39 Catholics aged 16 and over who made a commitment to be sealed with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit at a recent Adult Confirmation Mass. Held within the majestic setting of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta, Australia, the Adult Confirmation Mass brought together people Read more