The Labour government promised to prioritise tackling child poverty. But for the 4368 children living in motels across the country as at 31 March, the problem is still all too real. That number jumped by 480 in three months. At the end of December there were 3888 children in motels. There were 465 children in Read more
For Jehovah’s Witnesses, the pandemic has meant putting principles ahead of personal preferences. “Our preference is to meet together, to hug one another, to greet one another, to see each other’s smiles, but our principles won’t let us do that, not yet,” said Robert Hendriks, US spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. For the second year, the Read more
The number of babies born in Victoria has boomed over the past year, at an average of 5.7 per cent across the state but by as much as 50 per cent in some areas. Births have skyrocketed in particular in the regions, which make up seven of the top 10 baby boom areas. Midwives and Read more
Pope Francis has told the 34 metropolitan archbishops he appointed within the past year that the Church’s pastors “need to be set free time and time again” from worldliness, rigidity, dubious associations with power and fear of being misunderstood. “Like Paul, we are called to be set free from hypocritical outward show, free from the Read more
The Vatican is describing Pope Francis recovery from colon surgery as “regular and satisfactory.” Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the 84-year-old pope was eating regularly and that he was no longer receiving medication intravenously. The final results of a biopsy on the removed part of the colon confirmed that the pontiff had Read more
Pakistan’s Lahore High Court has released a 26-page judgment acquitting a Catholic mother and her partially paralyzed husband. The couple were on death row for seven years after a lower court convicted them of sending blasphemous text messages. Weeks after overturning the session court’s death sentence for the couple, Shagufta Masih and her husband, Shafqat Read more
The annual Respect Life Sunday event promoted each October by the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand will be renamed Support Life Sunday. This is to better reflect the active work Catholics need to do to help people facing significant life decisions. The country’s Catholic bishops have approved the change in name and emphasis with Read more
An Italian high school teacher continues to wage a legal battle against his employer after being suspended in 2014 for removing the crucifix from his classroom. Franco Coppoli, who teaches literature and history in the Umbrian city of Terni, says he should have “the freedom not to teach under a religious symbol”. The 56-year-old professor Read more
US Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a moratorium on federal executions while the Department of Justice conducts a review of its policies and procedures, the department announced Thursday. The moratorium comes after the Trump administration had resumed federal executions after a 17-year hiatus. In a July 1 statement, Garland said the Department of Justice “must Read more
Online celebrities Ranz and Niana, SB19 and even a Catholic priest were big winners to TikTok’s first ever award show. The first-ever TikTok Awards in the Philippines was streamed on TikTok Philippines pages on the application itself, on YouTube and Facebook last Sunday, July 4. This year’s theme was “Ipakita Mo,” which translates to “Show Read more