An Auckland man and his family from the Māngere community, including four children aged under 12, are trying their best to get by after three weeks in quarantine as they recover from Covid-19. The family, whom Stuff has agreed not to name, are among the cases linked to a Māngere church and have been at Read more
Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’
Enforcing QR code scanning impossible for churches and businesses
Thursday, September 9th, 2021
Parish churches and church event organisers are ‘off the hook’ after the Government, Tuesday, backed down on their forcing people to sign in to church events. Churches no longer have to police and enforce the ‘sign-in’ law. If someone refuses to scan in, there is no expectation or requirement for the business or location to Read more
Heartbreaking video shows reality of lockdown funerals
Monday, September 6th, 2021
A funeral director has published a video exposing the heartbreaking reality of lockdown funerals. It shows a grieving daughter calling messages of sorrow as the hearse carrying her mother drives into a cemetery without her. New Zealanders in Level 3 lockdown are facing tight restrictions, with all funerals and tangihanga limited to 10 people. Distressingly, Read more
Pasifika community feels ‘battered and bruised’ by communication blunder
Thursday, September 2nd, 2021
“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate,” is the famous excuse the Captain uses to beat up Paul Newman’s character in the 1967 classic movie Cool Hand Luke. But more recently, it’s the Pasifika community who are feeling battered and bruised over a series of Covid-19-related communications blunders. Our Minister for Pacific Peoples was Read more
Pastor rants: Govt is ‘seeking to rape me of God-given right to worship’
Monday, August 30th, 2021
The Government is “seeking to rape me of my God-given right to worship Christ”, says Christchurch pastor Carl Bromley. He made the claim after police confronted him during the weekend for hosting a church service during a pandemic lockdown. Bromley, the Life Connection Missionary Baptist Fellowship founder, insisted on holding a church service on Sunday Read more
Catholic New Zealand reaches out spiritually during lockdown
Monday, August 30th, 2021
Catholic New Zealand is leaping to support local communities during the current lockdown. The lockdown comes with a familiar high price for many New Zealanders, among them religious communities are unable to gather safekly for prayer and worship, and it makes ordinary community service difficult. To help meet congregant’s spiritual needs, many local parishes are Read more
Racist Pasifika comments are obnoxious
Monday, August 30th, 2021
In the wake of the latest Covid outbreak, racist comments directed at Pasifika have prompted health and church authorities to speak out. The current Delta variant outbreak has disproportionately affected the Samoan community, including people exposed at a major church assembly in Māngere in Auckland. “These people were involved in legal activity and were operating Read more
Cardinal offers way out of pandemic stress
Thursday, August 26th, 2021
A Vatican cardinal has some suggestions for people suffering from pandemic stress. Doing so could result in positive results, he explains. The cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who is the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples – offered his ideas last week. He had been asked what people who feel more anxious, Read more
Families may find this lockdown worse than first, says Child Poverty Action
Thursday, August 26th, 2021
Families still struggling after previous lockdowns may find the current Level 4 lockdown worse than the first one. They need more government support, says Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). Vulnerable families stand to lose a lot during level 4 lockdowns. Their food budgets suddenly have to cater for lunches the Government’s school lunch programme usually Read more
Exercise and wear a mask urges Cardinal Dew
Thursday, August 26th, 2021
New Zealand Cardinal, John Dew, is adding his support and encouraging people to wear a mask while outside exercising during the lockdown. “Recently, Pope Francis took part in an advertising campaign encouraging people to get vaccinated and called the gesture an ‘act of love’. Wearing a mask when leaving our homes to use an essential Read more