Pacific

Fiji’s poor getting poorer because of demands of village and church Comments 0

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Poor Fijians are becoming poorer because of the traditional demands of village and church, says Father Kevin Barr from the People’s Community Network. He says that the number of people living in squatter settlements is likely to increase. Many now living in the settlements used to work in the sugarcane industry and have moved into Read more

Problems with transmission of faith to youth in PNG Comments 0

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There are problems with the transmission of faith to youth in Papua New Guinea.  (ll existe un problème de foi et de spiritualité parmi les nouvelles générations de Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée. Parmi les jeunes.) This is what a document recently issued by Fr. Shanthi Chako PIME, Secretary of the Commission for Youth and Laity within Read more

New Zealand

More church buildings closed in Christchurch Diocese Comments 0

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There have been more church buildings closed in the Christchurch diocese. Preliminary engineering assessments of Our Lady of Fatima Church (Mairehau) and St Mary and Francis de Sales Church (Rangiora) and the Catholic Social Services building has revealed that all three buildings are earthquake prone. The 126-year-old St Mary and Francis de Sales Church is Read more

Mission Estate buys Marlborough vineyard Comments 0

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Mission Estate, thought to be the oldest winery in New Zealand, has purchased Cape Campbell Wines’ Cable Station Vineyard in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley. The vineyard has 73ha planted with mostly sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and pinot gris. Cape Campbell Wines was put into liquidation almost two years ago. Cable Station was put up for tender Read more

Opinion

Nuns on the frontier Comments 0

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In the view of the Vatican, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the US has espoused “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith.” Disagreements between American nuns and the hierarchy of the Church are part of US Church Read more

Attack on Girl Scouts shows current law isn’t working Comments 0

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Various institutions within the American church have been of concern to the US bishops over the past few years — and  now it is the turn of the Girl Scouts. In a recent article, Joan Chittister writes that the Leadership Read more

Is there a problem with how media cover race issues? Comments 0

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Is there a problem with how media cover race issues?  A recent TV programme featured a Northland man, Wikatana Popata, talking about a hikoi in protest about the Government’s proposed asset sales last month.  Popata made the most of his air Read more

NZ media has a problem with race relations coverage says Commissioner Comments 0

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Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says the New Zealand media has a problem with the way it covers race relations issues. He was speaking about the recent CloseUp debate between John Ansell and Hone Harawira. Mr de Bres says it is typical of New Zealand media to give plenty of coverage to controversial figures Read more

  • Features

  • From Conception to Birth – vivid images

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     What’s happening with the baby now? All expectant parents ask this question throughout the exhilirating months of pregnancy. Fuzzy sonograms and doctor’s explanations can provide basic information, but through the remarkable achievements in medical imaging technology made by Alexander Tsiaras, parents can see, for the first time, the awe-inspiring process of a new life unfolding, in stunning, Read more

  • Diplomat priest built bridges to China

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    As the diplomatic crisis unfolded between the United States and China over the fate of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng , hard questions about Chinese politics, society and culture surfaced, and the West embarked on its familiar cycle of attempted comprehension on the one hand, and obstinate mystification on the other. One figure in the history Read more