A collection of Pope Francis’s lockdown sermons, prayers and other messages has been published by the Vatican. “Strong in the Face of Tribulation: The Church in Communion – A Sure Support in Time of Trial,” also includes resources for times when physical access to the sacraments is not possible, plus other Church blessings and prayers. Read more
In the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown, Reverend Gordon Taylor is poised to relaunch an initiative, that he began in 2017, to talk over a cuppa in Zuma, a Nelson cafe. For many people unable to work over lockdown, “I think that was a good time to reassess our values.” “My expectation is – linked Read more
In the past two weeks, a former refugee family stepped into one of our churches. They were days away from the end of their short-term lease and had nowhere to go. The rental market in Wellington was so tough, they said, in this season. Did we have anywhere they could stay? Even if it just Read more
Unlike the last financial crisis, which saw very few charities fail, some might not be able to survive COVID-19. Statistics New Zealand recently highlighted data showing the monetary value of non-profit institutions at $12.1 billion in 2018. According to Charities Services, there are more than 27,000 registered charities who employ around 130,000 staff and millions Read more
Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican’s charitable organization, joined Pope Francis in his call for the debt forgiveness for the poorest countries, while condemning the fact that for many regions “there are two pandemics,” COVID-19 and hunger. “Two major crises require immediate and determined action by people of goodwill, leaders and all members of the human community,” Read more
Kingston, ON – A Queen’s Masters student who’s been spotted on multiple occasions maskless and wearing a face shield upside down like a cute little pope hat. “The problem is when you sneeze or cough inside the shield, the splatter gets everywhere,” he explains. “It’s really annoying. Read more
Whether it is in the Business Insider, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Deutsche Welle, Time magazine or the CBC media, New Zealand has been widely lauded as the COVID-19 “success story.” On 8 June, the island nation announced that its last person known to be infected with COVID-19 has recovered. This means that (at that Read more
The search for a Covid-19 vaccine highlights a massive dilemma for many ethical investors; any vaccine will be tested on animals and so violate the rights of those animals as sentient beings. Ethical investors often don’t want to invest in companies that test on animals. But many of these same people (including me) will willingly Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the thirteen New Zealand aid organisations have banded together to issue a warning over the millions of children plunged into hunger by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Adra, Caritas, CBM, ChildFund New Zealand, Hagar, Hope St, International Needs, Orphans Aid International, The Salvation Army, Save the Children, Tearfund, VSA Read more
According to Italy’s national statistics institute, Italy is likely to see a significant decline in the number of babies born in the period following the COVID-19 pandemic. In their 2020 annual report, Istat, Italy’s national statistics institute, predicted that the climate of uncertainty and fear caused by the coronavirus may result in 10,000 fewer births Read more