Pope Francis resumed his routine of holding weekly audiences with the general public a month after he underwent bowel surgery. During the much-awaited appearance Wednesday he recalled the anniversary of the devastating Beirut port explosion and expressed the desire to someday visit Lebanon. Francis walked unaided to the center of the stage of a Vatican Read more
A Muslim group says the submission process on proposed hate speech laws is dysfunctional. Today is the last day for submissions on the proposed changes to the Human Rights Act which would protect more groups from hate speech. Federation of Islamic Associations spokesperson Abdur Razzaq says the group hasn’t been given enough time to put Read more
The Caritas Fiji Archdiocese of Suva has assisted 1000 families in COVID-19 containment areas with food rations, according to organisation official Tevita Naikasowalu. While the nation celebrated Fiji’s victory at the Olympic Games, he said frontline and humanitarian workers were putting their lives on the line so people in containment areas were fed. “I would Read more
Labour has vowed to axe the century-old tradition of reciting the Lord’s Prayer in Victoria’s State Parliament if re-elected, after striking an 11th-hour deal with a crossbench MP to put off a vote on the contentious matter. Upper house MPs debated a motion to remove the prayer, which has been said at the start of Read more
Now that giant cruise ships are banned from fragile waterways near the historic center of Venice, the time has come for the city to become a model of sustainability and supportive of its residents, said Archbishop Francesco Moraglia of Venice. “The risk is (the city) becomes just a container that offers opportunities for events and Read more
A new government project is investigating how to locate empty ‘ghost homes’, find their owners, and encourage them to bring them back to being occupied. Stuff can reveal the Government has allocated $500,000 towards testing initiatives that aim to encourage owners to fill their empty properties. The initiatives are being run under an initiative called Read more
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has instituted a monthly Traditional Latin Mass at San Francisco’s Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, and has been leading the faithful in a Litany of Reparations for abuses against the Eucharist. The archbishop’s plans were formulated prior to Pope Francis’ July 16 Moto proprio, Traditionis custodes, which placed restrictions on Read more
Austrian kidnap survivor Natascha Kampusch says she was treated “like a shaved Nazi victim” during her eight-year captivity in an underground cell and forced into hard labour while being given little food. In a new interview, which appeared on Austrian broadcaster ORF earlier this week, she recounted how her captor Wolfgang Priklopil starved her and Read more
A judge in Saskatchewan is refusing to release a document outlining how the Catholic Church fulfilled Residential School reparations to First Nation people. The alleged document details $25 million in “in-kind” services the Catholic Church provided as compensation for Residential school survivors — one of their obligations in the Residential School Settlement of 2006. Court Read more
The parents of a two-year-old girl are waiting to see if Britain’s Supreme Court will hear their challenge to a ruling that life-sustaining treatment can be withdrawn from their daughter against their wishes. The Court of Appeal upheld a High Court decision on July 9 that doctors could remove life-support treatment from Alta Fixsler, who Read more